How to Make a Single-Serve Pour Over (Kalita Wave 185)

If you love great coffee but don’t want to lug your entire kitchen to work, camping, or your in-laws’ house, a single-serve pour over is your best friend. It's simple, consistent, and makes you look like you know what you're doing (even if it’s 6 a.m. and you absolutely do not).

What You’ll Need

• Kalita Wave 185 dripper
• Kalita Wave filters
• A mug
• Burr grinder
• Kettle
• Scale (don’t panic — we’ll make it fun)
• Hot water (195–205°F, the SCA sweet spot)

Step 1: Heat Your Water to 195–205°F

This is the SCA-recommended brewing range. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat water to boiling and let it cool for 30 seconds. Close enough — it’s coffee, not rocket science.

Step 2: Measure Your Coffee (But Be Chill About It)

A great starting point is:

20 g coffee → 300–320 g water (a balanced 1:15–1:16 ratio)

Your ratio depends on what you want to taste:

• More strength & sweetness? Use 1:15.
• More clarity & brightness? Use 1:16–1:17.
• Feeling experimental? Perfect — coffee rewards curiosity.

If you don’t have a scale, 20 g is roughly 3 tablespoons of whole beans. We forgive you.

Step 3: Grind Medium — Like Coarse Sea Salt

Not powder, not gravel — something in between. Think “salt for margarita rims.” A burr grinder is best, but whatever gets you coffee is acceptable.

Step 4: Prep the Kalita

Place your Kalita Wave 185 on your mug and add the filter. Rinse it with hot water to remove papery flavors, warm the brewer, and preheat your mug. Dump the rinse water.

Step 5: Add Your Ground Coffee

Pour your grounds into the filter and gently shake to level the bed. Congratulations — you now look like a professional barista.

Step 6: Bloom (AKA “Let the Coffee Wake Up”)

Pour 40–60 g of hot water over the grounds — about double the coffee weight. Let it bloom for 30–45 seconds.

You’ll see bubbles and expansion — that’s CO₂ escaping and making room for flavor. Skipping the bloom is like skipping foreplay. Technically possible… but not ideal.

Step 7: Pour Slowly + Evenly

Start your pour in the center, then spiral outward. Add water in slow pulses until you reach 300–320 g total.

Your total brew time should be 2:30–3:15 minutes.

• If it brews too fast → grind finer next time.
• If it brews too slow → grind coarser.

Step 8: Remove the Dripper

Set it aside and let the last drops fall if you're committed to getting every ounce. We support this level of dedication.

Step 9: Swirl + Sip

Give your mug a little swirl to mix everything evenly. It also makes you look extremely sophisticated.

Step 10: Enjoy Your Handmade Cup

You just brewed a beautifully crafted pour over — and you should absolutely brag about it.

Quick Water Quality Note (Because We Actually Care)

The SCA recommends clean, filtered water with light-to-medium mineral content (around 150 ppm). Avoid distilled water — it makes flat, sad coffee. Good water = great coffee.