Brewer: Kalita Wave
Style: Full Immersion/Pourover
Price: $25-40. Price can vary based on size and style. Specific filters $10/100
Biggest Pros: Consistent extraction due to the three-hole design. Flat bed and waves in the brewer and filter offer less opportunities for water channeling. Also…super cute.
Biggest Cons: Potential for High & Dry coffee grounds leading to uneven extraction.
SIMPLE HOW-TO:
An every-time disclaimer: Be sure to pour the proper ratio of water to coffee grinds. For example, if using a 1:15 ratio, 20 grams of coffee would require 300 grams of water to be brewed properly. You may prefer a different ratio, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
Generally, 1:15 up to 1:18 are the preferred coffee-to-water ratios to produce enjoyable cups of coffee.
For best results, grind whole beans with a burr grinder immediately before brewing.
Grind your coffee medium-fine.
Rinse your wave paper filter* with a center pour and let drain.
Add grinds. Shake to level.
Add 45-60g of water and allow the coffee to bloom for 25-35 seconds.
Add the remaining water with a gentle pour holding the spout of the kettle close to the brewer.
Let coffee drawdown.
Drink a great cup of coffee.
Target brew time 3-4m. I shoot for the middle at about 3m30s to allow for some leeway if I’ve misjudged my grind or pour.
*They look like the filters you might use in the office break room coffee machine. Don’t forget to dump your rinse water!
Check out the video below for one example of how to brew with a Kalita Wave.
I don’t know why, but I find that the music for this video is perfect. I really like how it very clearly shows best practices for rinsing the filter with a center pour, allowing the paper to do the work for you.
This second video from Purista is an overhead shot of coffee being brewed in the Wave. Purista doesn’t offer any added guidelines, but it is mesmerizing.
FROM THE SHOW
Chris mentioned the Able Kone coffee filter. It is a metal alternative to the paper filter and is designed specifically to fit Chemex® brewers. You can see those by clicking here.
Chris also referenced Kalita Wave user James (formerly Erin) McCarthy as the winner of the Brewer’s Cup he remembered from the early 2010s. James McCarthy of Counter Culter (NYC) was the 2013 Brewer’s Cup Champion at the U.S. Coffee Championships.
He used the Kalita Wave to brew a Panama Hacienda Esmeralda Geisha coffee roasted by Counter Culture with a brew time of 3m30s. See more details on the winning recipe by clicking here.
NOT FROM THE SHOW
What happens when you dump a bunch of coffee pulp on ground decimated by deforestation? Researchers from ETH-Zurich and the University of Hawaii found that it can drastically help regrow a forest.
Upworthy shared this photo from the British Ecological Society showing the growth of the Costa Rican landscape treated with coffee pulp over a two-year period.
"The results were dramatic." Dr. Rebecca Cole, lead author of the study, said. "The area treated with a thick layer of coffee pulp turned into a small forest in only two years while the control plot remained dominated by non-native pasture grasses."
Read the full post from Upworthy here. • Review the study here.
Brad Pitt is starring in another De’Longhi commercial. This time for their new TrueBrew one-cup brewer that grinds the beans and brews the coffee.
Coffee Smarter and Roast! West Coast are listener & reader-supported podcasts and publications. We couldn’t do this show without craft coffee drinkers like you!
R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Some huge news from R!WC Industry Partner Zumbar Coffee & Tea. Original owner (and our very first guest on the R!WC Podcast) Steve Rayle is selling his Cardiff cafe space to long-time shop manager Adam Chandler. The location will continue to sell Zumbar-roasted coffee beans but be renamed Rose Hill Purveyors.
This is exciting news, and I’m pumped to see what else Adam has in store. I reached out to Steve, and he responded with resounding enthusiasm.
Get a jumpstart on following Rose Hill Purveyors on Instagram @rosehillpurveyors.
Check out the recent podcast featuring Bill Kennedy from San Franciscan Roasters! @sanfranroasters is our newest Roast! Industry Partner.
Support local coffee shops. Drink craft coffee. Enjoy good whiskey. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks to the Roast! Industry Partners:
Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters • San Franciscan Roasters
Listen to the podcast on these platforms:
E10: Kalita Wave