The Kalita Wave is one of the easiest pour-over brewers to make consistent. Start with the manufacturer’s practical formula: 20 grams of coffee, 320 grams of water, and a 2–3 minute brew.
Kalita Wave recipe at a glance
| Coffee | 20 g |
|---|---|
| Water | 320 g |
| Ratio | 1:16 |
| Water temperature | 200°F / 93°C |
| Grind | Medium, like sea salt |
| Bloom | 60 g for 40 seconds |
| Total brew time | 2:30–3:15 |
Kalita USA recommends 20 g coffee, 320 g water, 195–205°F water, a 60 g bloom, and a 2–3 minute brew. Our slightly wider finishing window accounts for different Wave sizes, filter papers, grinders, and coffees.
What you need
- Kalita Wave 185 and a Wave 185 paper filter
- 20 g fresh coffee and 320 g good-tasting water
- Burr grinder, digital scale, timer, mug or server, and gooseneck kettle
How to brew with a Kalita Wave
- Heat water to 200°F / 93°C. This is the middle of Kalita’s recommended range and a dependable starting point.
- Rinse the filter carefully. Warm the brewer and server without pouring so hard that the filter’s waves collapse. Discard the rinse water.
- Add 20 g of medium-ground coffee. Shake gently to level the bed.
- Bloom with 60 g. Start the timer, wet all the coffee, and wait until 0:40.
- Pour to 160 g. Use a small, steady spiral centered over the coffee bed.
- Pour to 240 g, then 320 g. Add the next pulse as the water level falls, keeping the slurry from draining completely between pours.
- Let the brewer finish. The bed should look reasonably level and the drawdown should end around 2:30–3:15.
Why the Wave is beginner-friendly
The flat bed and three drain holes make flow less dependent on one perfect circular pour. Pulse pouring keeps enough water above the grounds to maintain temperature, while the 1:16 recipe produces a flavorful cup with enough strength to make dialing in easy to taste.
Kalita Wave troubleshooting
| Problem | Best first adjustment |
|---|---|
| Sour, salty, or thin | Grind finer |
| Bitter, dry, or astringent | Grind coarser |
| Brew finishes much faster than 2:30 | Grind finer or pour a little more slowly |
| Brew takes much longer than 3:15 | Grind coarser and reduce agitation |
| Filter waves collapse | Rinse more gently and pour toward the coffee, not directly onto the paper |
| Uneven-looking bed | Keep the brewer level and finish with one gentle swirl |
How to improve the recipe
- Change only the grind at first; keep dose, water, temperature, and pouring pattern constant.
- For a darker roast, try 195–198°F / 91–92°C if the cup tastes roasty or harsh.
- For a light roast that tastes sour after you have ground finer, try 203–205°F / 95–96°C.
- For a smaller Wave 155, use an appropriately smaller recipe rather than overfilling the brewer.
Need to resize the batch? Use our coffee-ratio calculator method. If every coffee tastes dull or strangely sharp, check the water you brew with before buying more gear. For a larger, cleaner batch, compare this method with our Chemex recipe.