Over the month of December, our homes are often filled with people as we host holiday events. We treasure these special times, but after the holidays pass we like to take some time to ourselves and reflect on the year past and the year to come. With great memories made with friends over coffee throughout the holidays, we like to make a single cup for ourselves as we kick back.
In the world of single-cup pour overs, there are many options to choose from. From the V60, Kalita, and even a smaller Chemex that is available for single cup brews, it can be a tough decision for the coffee enthusiast. For us at Madcap, we’ve landed on the Kalita Wave. In our experience, the flat bottom, unique to the Kalita Wave, yields a more consist cup, providing excellent extraction and a balanced product. In our cafes, this is the single-cup brewer of choice.
In 1958, Kalita was formed in Tokyo, Japan. Early on, Kalita focused on making paper filters for coffee brewers, perfecting the art of paper filters and selling them around the world. Over the years, their product line evolved, expanding into brewing essentials and peripheral accessories. Today, they are perhaps best known for their Kalita Wave brewer. The unique, flat bottom promotes even extraction and is our brewer of choice at Madcap.
Here are a few tips when making a single cup:
- Use filtered water. Water is the main ingredient in brewed coffee. The quality of your water will have a prominent impact on the flavor of your brewed coffee. If you are interested in tweaking the profile of your water, check out this article here from Barista Hustle.
- Grind right before use. A burr grinder will give you the most even results. If the coffee drains too slow and tastes strong, try a coarse grind. If the coffee filters through too fast and tastes weak, try a finer grind.
- Have a snack. From our travels across the globe, coffee is accompanied by a snack in nearly every culture. Whether it’s popcorn in Ethiopia, a panela sweet in Colombia, or farm fresh cheese in Costa Rica, coffee is always shared alongside something to eat.
- Use your favorite drinkware. Your favorite cup can add a personal aspect to the hosting experience.
- Have fun! Brewing coffee is about what you like. Try tweaking the recipe a bit. Or brew two different coffees and try them both out side-by-side.
A single cup of coffee can be a relaxing and enjoyable treat. In the wake of the holidays, it is nice to enjoy some still, quiet moments accompanied by a fresh cup as you consider the year past and the year to come.
“In the wake of the holidays, it is nice to enjoy some still, quiet moments”
The recipe below is perfect for one person. If you use this recipe and have any questions as you go along, shoot us an email at info@madcapcoffee.com or give us a call at 800-866-9091 and we can help troubleshoot.
Brewing with the Kalita:
Yields 1 — 10 oz cups
What you need:
- 355ml of Filtered Water
- 21 grams of ground Madcap Coffee (medium grind)
- Kalita Wave 185
- Kalita Wave 185 Filters
- Scale
- Gooseneck Kettle
Instructions:
- Place filter in Kalita Wave
- Rinse filter
- Empty decanter of rinse water
- Weigh out coffee
- Grind in metal shaker tin
- Pour grounds into filter
- Shake to level
- Fill pouring kettle
- Start timer at the beginning of the first pour
- First pour is 50g of water
- After a 15 second bloom pour another 50g of water
- Watch slurry. When the water level starts to drop below the grounds, pour another 50g of water.
- Typically about every 25 seconds
- Pouring should be in circles slowly working its way out from the middle
- On the second-to-last pour, 250-300, pour one rotation over the ridges on the edge of the filter to incorporate trapped grounds
- The final pour is a 55g gram pour, making the end brew weight 355g
- The final pour should end around 2:30 with the brew ending between 3:15-3:45
- Throw out filter and spent grounds
- Enjoy a perfectly brewed cup of coffee
