Kalita vs V60: Which Pour-Over Dripper Should You Get?

If you want a forgiving, steady cup without much fuss, get the Kalita Wave. If you like the idea of steering every pour and chasing bright, delicate flavors, get the Hario V60. Neither is the “right” one. They’re two different roads to a good mug of coffee, and plenty of people end up owning both.

Here’s how they really differ, what that means in your kitchen at 7 a.m., and which coffees we’d pour through each.

TL;DR

• The V60 is a cone with one big hole. It rewards careful pouring with a bright, clear, lighter-bodied cup.
• The Kalita Wave is flat-bottomed with three small holes. It’s more forgiving and tends toward a sweeter, rounder cup.
• Beginners usually have an easier time with the Wave. Tinkerers often love the V60.
• Grind a touch finer for the V60 and a touch coarser for the Wave, then adjust to taste.
• Light, fruity coffees shine in a V60. Smooth, chocolatey coffees feel right at home in a Wave.

Table of Contents

• The quick difference: cone versus flat bottom
• Kalita vs V60 at a glance
• How they taste in the cup
• Which is easier for beginners?
• Grind size and a simple starting recipe
• Filters, sizes and the small practical stuff
• And what about Chemex?
• What we’d pour through each one
• Our take
• Ready to try a new brew?
• FAQ
• Sources

The quick difference: cone versus flat bottom

Both drippers sit on top of your mug or carafe, hold a paper filter full of ground coffee, and let hot water drip through. The difference is the shape of the basket.

The V60 is a cone with a 60-degree angle and a single large hole at the bottom. The Kalita Wave has a flat bed and three small holes. That’s the whole story, and it explains almost everything else.

In a cone, water gathers toward the center and exits quickly through that big opening. Because of that, how fast you pour and how fine you grind change the brew time a lot. In a flat-bottomed dripper, the coffee sits in an even layer and the small holes slow things down, so the flow is steadier whatever your pouring style.

Coffee professionals do argue about how much this matters. One roaster-side explanation is that the brewer’s shape changes how water moves through the coffee bed, which affects extraction and the final cup. Another well-known coffee writer thinks the cone-versus-flat debate is often overstated. Both can be true: the difference is real, and it’s smaller than your grind, your water temperature and how fresh your beans are.

Kalita vs V60 at a glance

How they taste in the cup

Here’s the general pattern, and it’s a tendency, not a law. Conical brewers like the V60 tend to favor bright acidity and citrus clarity, sometimes at the cost of body. Flat-bottom brewers like the Wave tend toward sweeter, fuller coffee with darker fruit and chocolate notes.

“Acidity” in coffee, by the way, doesn’t mean sour. It’s the lively, juicy quality you taste in a good green apple or a squeeze of orange. Some people love it. Others would rather have something mellow and cozy. Both are perfectly good reasons to choose a dripper.

Wirecutter’s testers brewed more than 150 cups and found the Kalita Wave produced especially consistent, balanced coffee, with a flat bed that supported fuller body. If your morning cup is about comfort and reliability, that’s a nice thing to hear.

If you’re curious about the more delicate side, the V60 is known for high clarity and a lighter body, which lets subtle floral and fruity notes come through. It’s like the difference between a soft, warm sweater and a crisp white shirt. Nobody wins. You just pick the one that suits the day.

Which is easier for beginners?

The Kalita Wave, most of the time. Serious Eats’ testing notes that the Wave is more forgiving for beginners, while the V60 takes more mindful pouring to wet the grounds evenly and is easier to use with a gooseneck kettle. A Serious Eats walkthrough on the Wave adds that its reservoir design acts as an insulator, softening the effect of turbulence while you pour.

Translation: if you pour a little fast, a little wobbly, or you’re half asleep, the Wave is more likely to still give you a tasty cup.

That said, the V60 isn’t scary. Another pour-over guide says it takes more practice and precise pouring to get consistent results. Think of it as a hobby with a small learning curve, not a barrier. You don’t need a fancy kettle to try it, either. A regular kettle and a slow, patient pour will get you started, and you can upgrade later if you fall in love with it.

A quick way to decide

• You want the same good cup every morning: Wave.
• You like experimenting and don’t mind the odd off cup: V60.
• You mostly drink with cream or sugar: Wave. Its rounder body plays nicely with add-ins.
• You mostly drink black and love fruity coffees: V60.
• You’re gifting to a brand-new coffee drinker: Wave.

And if you drink dark roast with a splash of cream, that’s a fine way to enjoy coffee. Either dripper will make it, and the Wave will be a little more relaxed about it.

Grind size and a simple starting recipe

You don’t need a scale-and-timer ritual to enjoy either one, but a few starting points save guesswork. Serious Eats recommends a medium to medium-fine grind for the V60, and a medium grind for the Wave, slightly coarser than the V60. Small tweaks to grind size are normal when you switch drippers.

Here’s a friendly starting point. It’s our suggestion, not a rule, so change it freely:

1. Use about 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of hot water. For a big mug, that’s roughly 20 grams of coffee and 320 grams of water. No scale? About 3 level tablespoons of grounds for a 10-ounce mug is a reasonable start.
2. Rinse the paper filter with hot water, then toss that rinse water out of your mug.
3. Add the grounds and pour just enough hot water to wet them all. Wait about 30 seconds. This is the bloom, when fresh coffee puffs up and releases gas. Our post on what bloom bubbles reveal about roast date and taste explains why it’s a nice sign.
4. Pour the rest of the water slowly in circles. In a Wave, you can do it in a couple of steady pours. In a V60, a few smaller pours give you more control.
5. When it’s done dripping, give it a swirl and taste.

Then tune it. If it tastes sharp or sour, try a slightly finer grind. If it tastes bitter or flat, go slightly coarser. That’s the whole system. There’s no wrong answer, only what you like.

Grind consistency matters too, and you don’t need a pricey grinder to start. If you’re curious, we wrote about conical versus flat burrs and how to taste the difference without fancy gear. Or buy your coffee ground for your dripper. Many of our coffees come whole bean or ground, so you can skip the grinder question entirely.

Filters, sizes and the small practical stuff

The two drippers use different paper. The V60 takes cone-shaped filters, which many brands make, so they’re easy to find and affordable. The Wave uses pleated, wave-shaped filters meant to keep the coffee bed off the dripper’s walls, which helps hold heat, especially in stainless steel.

Sizes matter when you shop. The V60 comes in 01, 02 and 03, with the 02 being the most popular, serving two to four cups. If you own a V60 02 and want to try Wave-style filters, there’s a helpful bit of trivia: size 185 Kalita filters fit in the V60 02. That’s a fun experiment if you’re curious, though it’s not required.

One more practical difference: the V60’s single big hole and spiral ribs mean fewer clogging problems than a Wave’s small holes, if you’re using a very fine grind or lots of tiny particles.

Material matters a bit as well. Ceramic and glass hold warmth well, plastic is light and cheap, and stainless steel is nearly unbreakable. Rinse and preheat whatever you choose, and you’re set.

And what about Chemex?

People often ask about a third option, so here’s the quick version. A Chemex combines a glass carafe and a cone dripper in one piece, and its thick filter absorbs most oils and slows water flow, giving one of the cleanest-tasting cups of the three. It’s also a lovely thing to set on a table when friends come over, and it makes a bigger batch than a single-mug dripper.

So if you like a very clean, tea-like cup and you’re brewing for a couple of people, it’s worth a look. If you mostly make one mug at a time, a Wave or a V60 is simpler. Our blog has a collection of Chemex posts if you want to dig in.

What we’d pour through each one

Beans matter at least as much as the dripper. Here’s how we’d match them.

For a V60: try our Light & Bright coffees. These are the fruity, lively ones, and a cone dripper gives them room to show off. If you’ve never had a coffee that tastes a little like berries or citrus, this is a gentle way to find out whether you like it.

For a Kalita Wave: reach for our Smooth + Balanced coffees. The Wave’s steady, rounder cup suits the cozy, easy-drinking style of those roasts. If you love chocolatey and sweet flavors, our Dark & Bold collection works well too, especially with a slightly coarser grind.

If you drink decaf or half-caff: both drippers handle them nicely. Our decaffeinated coffees are a good fit for an evening Wave, where the forgiving flow keeps things simple. And Cat’s Pajamas Half-Caff is there when you want a little less buzz without giving up the cup you like.

Not sure which direction you lean? Our post on trying a Discovery Box without pressure explains how three coffees side by side can help you figure out your taste, no special vocabulary needed.

Our take

Here’s how we think about it at East View Coffee, as a women-owned roastery in Kenosha, Wisconsin. We’d never tell you there’s one correct way to brew. The best dripper is the one you actually reach for on a Tuesday morning when the dog needs out and the toast is burning.

For most people we’d start with the Wave, because a forgiving brewer lets you focus on enjoying the coffee instead of worrying about it. If you get curious later, add a V60 and use it for lighter, fruitier roasts. Having both isn’t a requirement. It’s just a fun way to taste the same coffee two ways and notice what you like.

We also think fresh coffee does more for your cup than gear does. A $20 dripper with freshly roasted beans will beat a fancy setup with stale ones every time. That’s why we roast in small batches and describe our coffees in plain flavor words, like smooth, bold and bright, instead of tasting-note poetry. Our coffees come from women producers, and we like that a good cup can connect you to the people who grew it.

So pour, taste, and tweak. If the coffee makes you happy, you’re doing it right.

— Jenny

Ready to try a new brew?

If you’re picking a dripper, pick your coffee at the same time. Browse our freshly roasted specialty coffee by flavor and choose whole bean or ground. Want a new bag showing up regularly? Our coffee subscription keeps your dripper busy.

FAQ

Is Kalita Wave better than V60?

Neither is better across the board. The Kalita Wave is more forgiving and tends to give a sweeter, fuller cup, so it suits daily, no-fuss brewing. The V60 gives you more control and tends to highlight brightness and clarity, so it suits people who like to experiment.

What is the difference between a flat-bottom and a cone dripper?

A cone dripper funnels water toward one large central hole, so flow speed depends more on your grind and pouring. A flat-bottom dripper spreads the coffee in an even bed and drains through several small holes, which slows and steadies the flow. The result is usually a rounder cup from flat-bottom and a brighter one from cone.

What grind size should I use for each?

For the V60, start with a medium to medium-fine grind. For the Kalita Wave, use a medium grind that’s slightly coarser. Serious Eats’ testing gives the same starting guidance. From there, go finer if the cup tastes sharp and coarser if it tastes bitter.

Can I use Kalita filters in a V60?

Yes, with the right size. Home Grounds notes that size 185 Kalita filters fit in a V60 02. They can help hold heat, but the cup may taste a little different from one made with standard cone filters.

Which should I buy as a gift?

The Kalita Wave is usually the safer gift for someone new to pour-over because it’s forgiving. Pair it with a bag of something smooth and approachable, and the recipient has everything they need to start.

Sources

• Hario V60 vs Kalita Wave: A pour-over face-off
• Does your coffee brewer’s shape actually change the cup?
• Hario V60 vs Kalita Wave: No BS Guide
• Why We Love the Kalita Wave Pour-Over Dripper
• V60 vs Kalita Wave: Coffee Pour Over Duel
• The 8 Best Pour-Over Coffee Makers, Tested
• How to Brew Coffee Using a Kalita Wave Dripper
• The Differences Between the Hario V60, Kalita Wave, and Chemex

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