Baristas Are Obsessed With The Kalita Wave Coffee Maker. Here’s Why.

According to one expert, this affordable pour-over coffee maker is both "beginner-friendly and favored by top-level cafes worldwide."

There are many ways to brew the perfect cup of coffee at home. After getting the chance to speak with a few experienced coffee experts, I learned that pour-over coffee brewing is an often-favored option among baristas.

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Jordan G.L. Hardin, director of food and beverage at Alfred Coffee, previously explained that pour-over brewing essentially works the same as any other type of brewing method: hot water is combined with ground coffee to extract brewed coffee. The difference lies in technique and in the tools you use.

Hardin and Drew Frohn, a wholesale manager and coffee educator for Coava Coffee Roasters, both told me in a recent interview that they use and suggest the simple and fool-proof brewers from the Wave series by Kalita, an established coffee brand that claims to have pioneered the Japanese coffee movement.

“The Kalita Wave 185 brewer is a classic, flat-bottomed brewer that is forgiving and beginner-friendly, and favored by top-level cafes worldwide,” Frohn said.

Available in a variety of materials and bundle options, the Kalita Wave brewers are said to offer a unique brewing process. They feature a three-hole bottom design that stops an accumulation of water from gathering at the base, thus preventing bitter-tasting coffee. This is a departure from many pour-over brewers that have a triangular or cone-bottom design. The Kalita Wave uses tailor-made, single-use paper filters that limit contact between the brewer so water can flow evenly and at just the right rate.

Frohn pointed out that Kalita also offers handy brew kits perfect for pour-over newbies that include a brewer, filters, a serving carafe and even a notebook for logging your recipes.

You can also just purchase the main coffee-dripper component that’s compatible with most drinking vessels to brew the perfect single-serve cup of coffee right into your mug —the ideal choice for anyone with limited space or who can’t stand the look of a bulky automatic coffee maker on their kitchen counter.

Hardin reminds us that when it comes to the “pour-over” part of manual brewing, the devil is in the details.

“It’s really about pouring technique, ” he said. “How long you ‘bloom’ the coffee (aka release the gases), what pouring pattern you’re using, how quickly you pour and how much water, etc. You can find hundreds of videos to help with this.”

Hardin and Frohn also recommend the Fellow Stagg EKG electric gooseneck kettle for boiling and pouring your hot water because according to Frohn, “it offers excellent temperature control, amongst other features, and looks great on your counter to boot.”

Take a gander at a few of the Kalita Wave brewers currently available in the list ahead to begin honing those barista-level pour-over skills as soon and as easily as possible.

1. A glass pour over and pitcher set

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This is the exact Kalita Wave brewing kit that was suggested by Drew Froh, wholesale manager and coffee educator for Coava Coffee Roasters. It can be a good option for anyone who wants to make several cups of coffee at once thanks to the included 33-ounce glass coffee server and accompanying lid. The matching coffee dripper is made with the same heat-resistant glass and boasts the Kalita Wave's beloved flat-bottomed design for evenly extracted coffee. This kit also includes 100 Kalita paper filters and a coffee journal to help record coffee-making notes and measurements.

You can also purchase the coffee dripper component on its own. It's compatible with most drinking vessels to allow you to brew up to four cups of coffee directly in your mug of choice.

Promising review: "This is just the right size to make two cups of coffee. The 1 cup and 2-cup markings on the carafe are pointless. If filled only to those markers you would get very small cups of coffee. But filled to the top it makes two full cups with just enough room left for a bit of milk. I grind my beans fresh and pour the hot water over a spoon into the basket to direct the water on to grounds all around the filter's edges rather than just toward the center of the filter." —Jim Webster

Get it from Amazon for $74+ (available in two materials and two styles).

2. A glass pour-over and carafe set

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Another kit option is this 16-ounce capacity glass carafe set and silicone stand to hold the glass dripper component. Like the other Kalita Wave models, it has a flat bottom design that helps to create an even pool of water on top of the grounds to ensure an evenly extracted brew that won't go bitter. The glass carafe also has a protective silicone wrap to prevent you from burning your hands, and the kit comes with 25 Kalita paper filters.

Promising review: "This set gives a marvelous cup of coffee. I use a 500-ml (16-oz.) coffee cup, and this fills it perfectly. I had viewed several videos on the pouring method for pour over coffees prior to using this filter for the first time. I’m appreciative to those who created the videos as they taught me how to make the best cup of coffee that I’ve ever made. I would gladly recommend this set to any seeking a great cup of coffee." —Angela H.

Get it from Amazon for $40.66+ (available in three colors).

3. A stainless-steel coffee dripper

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This dishwasher-safe polished stainless steel coffee dripper features a wave design that contrasts with the Kalita Wave filters so they work in conjunction to limit contact between them so water can flow evenly and at just the right rate. It allows you to brew two to four cups of coffee at once and fits on top of most coffee cups for a direct-brewing experience.

Promising review: "I wanted a 1–2 cup pour over to see if it might be a more 'gentle' cup of coffee than the moka pot I’d been using every day. It’s been almost a week and so far so good. I chose the Kalita Wave for its flat bottom and three holes. The drip is not too fast and not too slow. The stainless steel is lighter than ceramic but sturdier than plastic (plus I don’t want to brew my coffee in plastic). It fits nicely on a mug or on the Hiware 600-ml glass coffee server. It performs perfectly. The rest is up to you. Choose the right bean, pay attention to the few minutes of pour time, and you’ll have a very good cup of coffee.

I ordered Kalita Wave 185 filters. You can use a standard small filter but the bottom is not as narrow so you have to make a little fold for it to fit nicely. To clean I just give a quick rinse and air dry in the dish drainer." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $42.40.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.