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Advantages and Disadvantages of Kalita Wave Coffee Dripper - Introduction to Wave Dripper Brewing Method

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, The Wave Dripper (also known as the Cake Dripper) is a patented design by KALITA. The accompanying filter paper features folds resembling cupcake paper liners, which is why it's also called the Cake Dripper. However, in English, it's more commonly referred to as the "Wave," with many people calling it the Wave Dripper. It utilizes the filter paper's folds to replace reflux channels, and because the contact area with the dripper body is smaller, it allows coffee grounds to be extracted evenly, regardless of

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Introduction

Those who have some understanding of coffee know that coffee has gone through three waves of popularity. We are currently in the third wave of specialty coffee, where the concept of specialty coffee is to cultivate coffee beans with regional characteristics influenced by microclimates and soil in producing areas.

Pour-over coffee, which is both visually appealing and showcases the inherent flavors of coffee beans, perfectly aligns with the third wave specialty coffee trend. The brewing characteristic of pour-over coffee lies in using a filter cup to filter coffee, preventing coffee grounds from passing through, resulting in a cleaner taste. Different filter cups also produce different extraction characteristics. For example, the V60 filter cup commonly used by FrontStreet Coffee features a conical design that adds layers, while the large filtration hole allows for very fast flow, giving baristas more control over flow rate.

Today, I'm sharing a filter cup that's completely different from the V60—the Kalita Wave filter cup.

What is the Kalita Wave Filter Cup?

The Kalita Wave Dripper is a flat-bottom pour-over filter cup from Japan, also known as a cake cup. Kalita has been producing coffee equipment since 1950, and the streamlined style of Kalita Wave represents the typical characteristics of their company's products. This filter cup comes in two sizes: #185 and #155. The smaller #155 is suitable for brewing one cup of coffee at a time, while the larger #185 is suitable for 2-4 servings.

What are the Features of the Kalita Wave Filter Cup?

The bottom of the Kalita Wave filter cup is flat and has three drip holes. The flat-bottom design allows for more thorough extraction. The cup body and the wavy filter paper don't fit too tightly, resulting in more consistent temperature and more dispersed water flow.

The difference between Kalita Wave and the familiar Hario V60 is the flat bottom. Although brewing pour-over coffee with the Kalita Wave filter cup may not produce as intense aroma and flavor variation as conical filter cups, the overall flavor of the beans, solid texture, and sweetness always perform excellently. This filter cup requires special flat-bottom wave-shaped Kalita filter paper. The specially designed deep side guide channels will provide you with a better pour-over experience.

The Kalita Wave dripper is suitable for medium grinding; it's recommended to grind slightly coarser than when using V60, as this filter cup drains relatively slowly. Although it has three drip holes, they are all very small. While grinding coffee too finely will increase extraction rate, it can also lead to over-extraction, making the coffee taste astringent in the finish.

Kalita Cake Filter Cup Brewing Demonstration

Today, I'll use FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras Sherry Barrel Process coffee for the brewing demonstration.

Coffee bean information is as follows:

Coffee Region: Marcala, Honduras
Estate: Mocca Estate
Altitude: 1500 to 1700 meters
Processing Method: Refined Washed Whiskey Barrel Fermentation Process
Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Pacas

Recommended Brewing Parameters for Kalita Cake Filter Cup

Coffee Amount: 15 grams
Water Amount: 225 grams
Ratio: 1:15
Water Temperature: 89°C
Grind: BG #6s

Kalita Cake Filter Cup Brewing Process

First pour: 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom.

After the bloom, pour the second portion of water, about 95 grams (scale reads 125 grams). Wait for the water level to drop to half after pouring.

When the coffee bed is about to be exposed, pour the third portion of water, about 100 grams (scale reads 225 grams). Wait for the coffee to finish filtering.

Total time is approximately 2 minutes 10 seconds to 2 minutes 15 seconds.