The Kalita Wave has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the best flat-bottom pour over brewers on the market.
What sets it apart is its unique design featuring three small holes instead of a single large drain, which provides an even and consistent extraction.
But the Wave comes in two main size options – the 155 and 185.
Which one should you choose?
Let me help!
In this post, I’ll compare the Kalita Wave 155 vs 185 across a number of different factors.
Let me breakdown some of the main the differences:
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The biggest difference between the 155 and 185 is how much coffee they can brew at once.
The 155 is made for smaller servings, like a single cup with around 11 to 24 grams of coffee. Most people find the sweet spot to be around 18 grams.
On the other hand, the larger 185 can handle brew sizes from 30 all the way up to 60 grams, with around 42 grams being the best.
So, if you usually just make one mug of coffee at a time, the 155 is perfect for you.
But if you often brew two mugs or more, you’ll probably want the 185 for its larger capacity.
That way, you can make either single servings or brew up a bunch for a group.
The 155 drains pretty quickly compared to the 185.
This means your coffee’s done brewing sooner, but it needs a finer grind to make sure all the flavor gets extracted before the water’s all gone.
The 185 takes its time to let the water fully drain out because of its larger brew area.
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This gives the coffee more time to soak up, so you can go for a slightly coarser grind.
But watch out, if you’re not careful with your grind and pouring speed, it can brew too much and get too strong
Apart from their sizes, the 155 and 185 also look pretty different.
The 185 has slanted walls and a wider cone shape, while the 155 is more upright with steeper walls. This affects how deep and even the coffee bed is.
Because the 185 has a shallower, wider bed, if you don’t use enough coffee, the water might not flow evenly through it, leading to uneven flavor.
The 155, with its taller bed, doesn’t have this problem as much.
But, if you accidentally use too little coffee with the 185, it’s not as big of a deal.
It might not taste perfect, but it’s less likely to completely mess up your brew like the 155.
You can get both the Kalita Wave 155 and 185 in either glass or stainless steel.
Each material has its pros and cons.
Glass heats up faster than steel, so it has a faster drawdown. And it’s also lighter weight.
However, glass is obviously more fragile and prone to breaking if it’s dropped. Stainless steel is extremely durable, but it can potentially clog more easily – especially for the larger 185.
Because of their different sizes, you’ll need to pour your water differently.
For the smaller 155, it’s best to do what’s called pulsed pours instead of one steady stream.
Most people suggest starting with a bloom pour, then doing two or three more pours to keep it from overflowing.
But with the bigger 185, you can usually just pour continuously for most brew sizes.
Only really huge ones might need a pulsed approach.
The 155 is usually cheaper than the 185 by $5 to $10 for either the glass or steel version.
For those on a budget, the 155 offers great brew quality for less money.
However, the Kalita Wave 185 does give you much more flexibility to brew absolutely any size from single mugs to full carafes.
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At the end of the day, your typical brew volume should guide which Kalita Wave size is best.
If you’re brewing just 12-16 oz (300-475 ml) at a time, the 155 will serve you well.
It’s affordable, simple to use, and optimized for those single-cup portions.
But if you want the option to brew both singles and larger multi-cup brews, spring for the 185.
Yes, it’s a little more expensive upfront. But it will allow you to put that flat-bottom quality to work for all your brewing needs – from a single mug to a full carafe or more.
Either way, the Kalita Wave is a fantastic brewer.
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