Filter test: Orea wave vs Kalita wave

Wave filter from Kalita has long been my (or our) default filter when using flat bottom drippers. I tested it with some alternatives in the market before (see here if you interested), but either they are too hard to purchase or too expensive, which could not be a good alternative choice. On the other hand, Orea has launched their own wave filter, both accessibility and price point are nice. So, I bought one and did some test with Kalita wave filter.

Shape: The “wave” part of Kalita’s wave is wider than Orea’s. That’s probably the most direct way to separate them, and it does change the characteristics of two filters, we will talk about it later.

Material: Both filters are good quality paper (much better than April’s in my opinion). The fiber in Orea’s wave looks denser than the Kalita one.

In the brew: Put subjective things like flavour on the side, the paper smell of Orea’s wave is much much less than the Kalita, especially after rinsed by water. Makes you worry less about the paper smell & taste will affect your coffee.

On flow rate side, I used Origami and Timemore B75 for testing. As the result, Orea’s wave is a little slower than Kalita’s when using Origami and both have identical flow rate when on Timemore B75. The reason that Orea’s wave is slower on Origami might due to the shape of wave like I mentioned above. You can see from above pictures that the “wave” part on Orea’s fits the dripper very well. The seal will only get firmer when the filter get wet and during the brew. On the other hand, when pairing them with fast and narrow, new style flat bottom drippers like B75, they have identical result.

Flavour: In terms of flavour they have very similar result in my opinion. The cup from Orea + Origami has stronger acidity and sweetness due to a longer brew time and less side flow. Overall I think you can taste higher acidity when using Orea’s wave while Kalita’s wave has more noticeable and longer aftertaste.

Personal thoughts: If you are willing to pay a little extra to avoid the paper small & taste, or if you are an Orea dripper owner, then I think Orea’s wave filter will be a good option for you (I always recommend to pair dripper with filter from its brand). Otherwise, Orea’s wave filter is a good filter to try, but not a must have.