Kalita Wave 185 Drippers

Purchased the stainless-steel version of this dripper and it is perfect! Very nicely crafted and looks stunning. Will never break or chip like glass or ceramic, and not as heavy. Makes fantastic pour-over coffee. Flow rate is perfect once you have the proper grind set. Versatile fit for just about any carafe. Some reviewers have noted rusted handle rivets. I have not experienced this but am also well-aware almost all stainless will rust if not appropriately cleaned and dried. Even the box it comes in is charming. Made in Japan. Bought another for the office and my co-workers were impressed.

This Kalita Wave 185 has resulted in the best cup of coffee I've ever made myself. It requires a kitchen scale, a gooseneck water kettle, a burr grinder, and Kalita filters-- basically a ton of gear for a cup of coffee-- but it's worth it! My DIY coffee always sucked and was left frustrated until I got this pour-over device. The Kalita standardizes the flow rate, so you just vary the temperature of the water & grind size to get the taste of coffee you want. I use the settings below and it's so good I don't feel like experimenting anymore. No time for that. In my opinion, it surpasses the Aeropress, too, with a much easier cleanup, less complicated brew process, and better taste.My only gripe is that I can only make a cup/mug/travel mug of coffee at a time. I drink on average about 40-oz of black coffee each morning, and while I enjoy the slow brewing process, making 3 cups takes a while when I'm busy.My setup:Beans: Mayorga Organic Café Cubano Whole Bean Coffee (organic beans that are reliably available at Costco)Grinder: OXO Conical Burr Grinder (grind setting 8)Scale: American Weigh Scales Digital Precision Weight Scale (19g coffee for 12oz cup, 25g for a travel mug)Kettle: OXO Gooseneck Kettle (200° water)

I've been doing paper filtered pour over since the early 80s. I've always ended up breaking ceramic or glass filter holders so our old stand by has been the plastic Melitta no 4 filter holder. But no matter how well I cleaned the the day before they always look grungy when I pop that filter in in the morning. I also slightly cringe at the thought of pouring near boiling water through plastic and then drinking what comes through on a daily basis. That may or may not be a wholly rational notion but it's there. You know the old 'the closer plastic is to the mouth the closer cancer is to the liver' thing. This Kalita solved both of my issues. It's easy to clean and looks clean the next morning and no more drinking coffee that's infused with plastic if only in thought. It's three small drain holes drain in about the same time as Melitta's one large hole so no learning curve there. Perfect. I also like the fact that we're using #2 filters now instead of #4. They don't cost less and we buy the natural brown ones so we can safely compost them but we're using 50% less paper. Now if someone would just develop a permanent filter with the same characteristics as paper we can cut that down to zero. But they haven't. Finally this puppy is expensive at $25 and I'm cheap! But after using for a week I ordered a second one for my wife so I guess I feel it's a good value. I hope I live long enough that I can say I'm sure of that. Because this thing is lasting forever. LOL

I've gotten to fairly silly levels of obsession trying out various coffee brewing methods, with some of my recent favorites being the Chemex, AeroPress, and Hario V60 pour-over. The Kalita Wave 185 was the next one I "had to try" and I think it's a keeper.NOTE: I would start my review with the caveat that before you even bother obsessing over different brewing methods, look into your coffee grinder situation and upgrade that department first. Super fine, pulverized grinds (or poor consistency in grind size), as are virtually inevitable with the $15 blade grinders many of us used at one time or another, are going to frustrate your efforts at great coffee. It will result in over-extraction and bitterness, plus a very inconsistent brewing experience from one attempt to the next. I have a $100 Capresso Infinity that does a pretty good job at work. I have a lesser quality burr grinder at home and the difference is noticeable, but still a big improvement over a blade grinder.I'm a bit of skeptic when it comes to all the different shapes and filter types for pour-over methods, yet I seem to be trying them all anyway! I think that with a proper grind, fresh coffee, and correct water temperature, just about any method can be used for an acceptable cup of coffee. That being said, the Kalita Wave 185 does a nice job and is among my favorite options right now.PROS - The Wave 185 comes in a variety of materials, but I opted for the metal cone, which I believe is stainless steel. It's surprisingly lightweight and easy to clean. The metal helps with heat retention, also, as I have to think that the stainless dripper heats up more quickly than glass or ceramic (but may cool off afterwards, as well). The stainless model is also a nice option to have if you need to travel with the dripper, and I worry less about slamming it down on a cup or glass carafe. I should note I use the same pour-over carafe designed for my Hario V60 with the Wave 185 - it fits great.I've used the Melitta "size 2" pour-over drippers, and liked them less than either the Wave 185 or V60. One of the problems with some Melitta drippers is that they tend to clog up and not allow the water to sift through fast enough. I wondered if that would be an issue with the Wave 185 - which has 3 small holes in the bottom - but, actually, it worked just as I hoped with a medium/drip grind. I tend to prefer light-to-medium roasts and a lot of the African blends, and these tasted excellent with the Wave 185. It's also ideal for brewing about 300 to 450ml (1-2 cups) of coffee, though the 185 model will probably allow up to 700ml or probably even more.CONS - The primary complaint I would have about the Kalita Wave involves its signature feature, which are the wavy/rippled filters. I find them difficult to separate from each other in the package and then it can be tricky to get coffee into them without dumping grounds around the edges and into the cone itself (which obviously is no good). I've heard people recommend using the funnel that comes with an AeroPress to add grinds, and I suspect that will help. It should also be pointed out that the Kalita Wave filters are a little expensive and generally can only be found online or in specialty shops. This is also true of the Hario V60 filters, though perhaps to a lesser degree.Overall, I'd be hard pressed to say if the Wave 185 is better or worse than the Hario V60 - I like them both. But I do like the results I get with the Wave 185, and the stainless steel model, in particular, is a nice option to have for travel.

The small stainless Kalita coffee dripper is perfect. Sturdy, but lightweight. Stainless is naturally antimicrobal (as is black coffee as well). It drips much faster than the plastic Kalita dripper. The only precaution is the body (not the handle) gets very hot compared to a ceramic and plastic drippers. It also fits perfectly within the ceramic Kalita drip tray.