Coffee Smarter

E10: Kalita Wave

Coffee Smarter ft. Chris O'Brien of Coffee Cycle Roasting

E10: Kalita Wave
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E10: Kalita Wave
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Brewer: Kalita WaveStyle: 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.
  1. Grind your coffee medium-fine.
  2. Rinse your wave paper filter* with a center pour and let drain.
  3. Add grinds. Shake to level.
  4. Add 45-60g of water and allow the coffee to bloom for 25-35 seconds.
  5. Add the remaining water with a gentle pour holding the spout of the kettle close to the brewer.
  6. Let coffee drawdown.
  7. 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.
A 3-part collage showing coffee brewing in a stainless steel pour over dripper on a ceramic mug sitting on a kitchen scale. View is from directly above or at an overhead angle.
See how the filter isn’t tight? I didn’t rinse it by pouring into the center. Lesson learned.

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.

    A collage showing the growth of a deforested plot of land in Costa Rica over two years. Picture A shows just a dirt patch. Picture B show grassy ground cover. Picture C shows overhead tree growth. And picture D is an overhead photo comparing the new forest to untreated adjacent land.
    ©British Ecological Society

    "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.

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