How to Brew: Kalita 102 Dripper

Kalita, which was founded in Japan in 1958, began as a coffee filter manufacturer, and eventually began to produce coffee brewing equipment as well. They has been a highly-regarded brewing device manufacturer in the specialty coffee industry for many years, thanks to their beautiful design, and quality build. The thick ceramic construction of the Kalita 102 helps to retain heat, which leads to a balanced, even extraction.

Don't have your own Kalita 102? Get it here!

You Will Need

Step 1: Preparation

Fill your kettle with approximately 650 grams of fresh, filtered water. Begin heating your water. Ideally you want to brew with water between 195 – 205 degrees Fahrenheit, or roughly 1 minute off boil. You will use 400 grams of water to brew your coffee. The remainder will be for preheating your Kalita 102 Dripper, filter, and decanter. Place the dripper atop your decanter, insert your filter in the dripper (you weill want to fold the bound edge of the filter beforehand, as it will make the filter fit more easily). Once your water has heated, pour around 250 grams of water through the filter & dripper, and into the cup, making sure to get all of the filter wet. This will heat your devices, wash away the paper flavor of the filter, and prepare the fibers for filtration. Finally, discard the water.

Step 2: Weigh and Grind Your Coffee

For our Montenero Blend, we recommend using 35 grams of coffee, and 30 grams for any of our Single Origins. The grind setting you use should be a medium grind. Many grinders will retain a small amount of coffee, so your output may be about 1 gram less than your input. Because of this, you may want to grind an extra gram or two of coffee, so make sure you have the correct amount of ground coffee.

Step 3: Add Your Coffee

Pour your ground coffee into the filter.  If it's unbalanced, shake and move it around to achieve a level surface.

Step 4: Brew Your Coffee

Start your timer, and pour approximately 100 grams of hot water onto the coffee. Use a zigzag motion from top to bottom, ensuring you wet all of the coffee (it’s more important to get all the coffee wet than to hit exactly 100 grams). This stage is called the bloom; Allowing the coffee to sit with a small amount of water helps the coffee release some of its natural gases, which in turn helps the coffee brew more readily. At 30 seconds, slowly pour 300 grams of water onto the coffee, spiraling out from the center and then back into the center (continue going in and out until you have used up your 300g of water). Make sure to pour the water directly onto the coffee and not onto the paper filter, as the water will drain directly into your decanter, without brewing any coffee. The water should completely drain out at around 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Discard the coffee grounds, pour the coffee is to your favorite mug, grab a good book, sip & enjoy.

Notes & Troubleshooting

If the brewing process takes longer than 3:30, it means your grind setting is too fine. Coarsen the grind as much as needed to hit the 3:30 target. Conversely, if the brewing process takes less than 3:30, your grind setting is too coarse. Adjust your grind as finely as needed. Keep in mind that the 3:30 target is an approximate target; if you are over or under by 15 seconds, for example, the coffee will likely still taste delicious.