As a former third wave coffee shop owner, I’ve tried just about every type of coffee machine you can buy, and the Kalita Wave is my favorite drip coffee maker.
It may not be as beautiful as the Chemex or as functional as the Hario Woodneck (another favorite of mine), but it is more durable and requires less maintenance than the latter.
And because it’s not a delicate glass jug, it’s much more portable and much easier to clean than either of those. For me, the Wave is the middle ground.
Compared to the conceptually similar Hario V60, the Wave has a flat (rather than conical) bottom, wavy (rather than straight) paper filters, and three small holes (rather than one large one) at the base. In my experience, these differences mean that the Wave brews slower than the V60 and produces a richer, fuller cup. Of course, your results may vary, and like all drip coffee makers, this one requires some experimentation, tweaking, and attention to get the look you really love.
Our choice
The Kalita Wave’s flat bottom ensures the most even extraction and best coffee flavour of all the drip coffee makers we’ve tested.
I brew coffee in the Wave every day, usually using light roasted single-origin beans and often switching between regular hot brew coffees and Japanese-Style Iced Coffee. Wave works equally well with either method. Although its small volume requires a long, steady, spiral pour, I personally find this ritual to be a welcome, meditative way to gently start my workday mornings.
