Kalita Wave 155 vs 185: Which Size Should You Buy?

As an Amazon Associate, TidyJapan earns from qualifying purchases. Links marked ‘Check price’ are affiliate links.

Short answer: Get the Kalita Wave 155 if you usually brew one mug, and the Kalita Wave 185 if you usually brew two mugs or more. Both use the same flat-bottom, three-hole Wave design. The 185 costs only $3-4 more at Kalita USA ($39 glass or $42 stainless steel, versus $36 or $38). Over time, the real difference is filters: each size takes its own Wave filters, at $12 (155) or $13 (185) per 100.

How we compare: every spec in this article comes from official manufacturer specifications and product pages (starting with Kalita USA’s Wave 155 stainless steel page and Kalita USA’s Wave 185 stainless steel page), all listed under Sources below. We don’t run hands-on tests, and if a spec isn’t published, we say so. Last updated: October 2026.

Check price: Kalita Wave 155 Dripper

Check price: Kalita Wave 185 Dripper

I live in Japan, where the Wave is one of Kalita’s best-known product lines. The numbers in the model names are filter sizes, not years or versions: “155” and “185” tell you which Wave filter the dripper takes. So the decision is mostly about how much coffee you brew at once.

I haven’t tested these side by side. Everything below comes from the manufacturers’ official product pages, linked at the end. If a spec isn’t published, I say so instead of guessing.

Quick Comparison Table

Spec	Kalita Wave 155	Kalita Wave 185
Kalita’s rating	1-2 cups	2-4 cups
Volume (Kalita USA, Tsubame version)	About 350-450 mL	About 500-700 mL
Bottom	Flat, 3 holes	Flat, 3 holes
Filters	Wave 155 filters only	Wave 185 filters only
Filters, 100 ct (Kalita USA)	$12 (about 12¢ per brew)	$13 (about 13¢ per brew)
US price, stainless steel	$38	$42
US price, glass	$36	$39
Glass size (Kalita Japan)	115 x 110 x 65 mm	130 x 110 x 82 mm
Glass height / collar (Kalita USA)	2.5 in / 4.25 in	3.5 in / 4.25 in
Glass dripper weight (Kalita Japan)	80 g	120 g
Made in	Stainless: Japan. Glass: China	Stainless: Japan. Glass: China
Dishwasher safe (Kalita USA)	Yes	Yes
Japan price, glass / stainless	¥3,080 / ¥4,950	¥3,520 / ¥5,500

Figures are from Kalita USA and Kalita Japan product pages, checked October 2026. US prices are Kalita USA’s own store prices, not Amazon prices. Kalita USA’s mL figures appear on its Tsubame stainless versions, which use the same 155 and 185 filters; its standard pages list cups only. Kalita USA and Kalita Japan measure the glass drippers differently, so we show both. Neither publishes a body size for the standard stainless models.

Key differences at a glance

Batch size: Kalita rates the 155 for 1-2 cups and the 185 for 2-4 cups. Kalita USA puts them at about 350-450 mL and 500-700 mL.
Filters: Each size takes its own filters. A 100-count box costs $12 for the 155 and $13 for the 185 at Kalita USA.
Size: In glass, the 185 is 17 mm taller and 40 g heavier (130 x 110 x 82 mm and 120 g, versus 115 x 110 x 65 mm and 80 g), per Kalita Japan.
Price: The 185 costs $3-4 more: $36 vs $39 in glass, $38 vs $42 in stainless steel.
What stays the same: The flat bottom, three holes, 20-wave filter design, and dishwasher-safe rating are the same on both sizes.

The 4 Differences That Matter

1. How much coffee you brew at once

This is the main difference. Kalita rates the 155 for 1-2 cups and the 185 for 2-4 cups. Going by Kalita USA’s own mL figures, a Kalita “cup” is smaller than a typical 12 oz American mug, so the mL numbers help more. Kalita USA lists about 350-450 mL for the 155 size and about 500-700 mL for the 185 size (on its Tsubame versions, which take the same filters). A single 12 oz (355 mL) mug fits the 155. Two mugs, a 16 oz travel mug, or a pot for the table points to the 185.

2. Filters and running cost

Kalita says each Wave dripper needs the filter that shares its name, so the size you buy locks in the filters you’ll keep buying. At Kalita USA, Wave 155 filters are $12 per 100 and Wave 185 filters are $13 per 100, or about 12¢ and 13¢ per brew. Both are white, FSC certified, and made in Japan.

3. Size and weight

Kalita Japan lists the glass 155 at 115 x 110 x 65 mm and 80 g, and the glass 185 at 130 x 110 x 82 mm and 120 g. Kalita USA lists the same 4.25 in collar width for both glass drippers, so the larger 185 is taller and deeper, not wider at the brim. Kalita USA calls the stainless steel 155 its most popular choice for camping and travel.

4. Price

The gap is small. At Kalita USA, the 155 is $36 in glass and $38 in stainless steel. The 185 is $39 in glass and $42 in stainless steel. Pick the size that matches how much you brew, not the cheaper one, since you’ll keep buying filters for whichever you choose.

What’s the same

Both sizes use Kalita’s Wave system. A 20-wave paper filter limits contact with the dripper wall, and a flat bed with three small holes keeps water from pooling, so the brew stays even. Kalita USA lists both sizes as dishwasher safe, and suggests warming the dripper before you brew.

Glass or stainless steel?

Within each size, the material changes the price and where it’s made, not the brew design. The stainless steel drippers ($38 / $42) are made in Japan, and Kalita USA says cafés love the stainless 155 for its durability. The glass drippers ($36 / $39) are heat-resistant glass with a polypropylene brim and are made in China. They let you watch the coffee bed as it brews. Kalita USA also sells a Tsubame stainless line, made in Japan from heavy-gauge steel for better heat retention, at $51 (155) and $61 (185).

Who Should Buy Which?

Choose the Kalita Wave 155 if you:

Brew one mug at a time, up to about 12 oz
Want the smaller, lighter dripper for travel or camping
Want the lowest price and the cheapest filters

Choose the Kalita Wave 185 if you:

Brew two mugs, a large travel mug, or a small pot
Want room for bigger coffee doses
Want one dripper that covers 2-4 cups

The View from Japan

Kalita Japan describes the Wave series as its own original line, built so that anyone from a beginner to a professional barista can get a good cup easily. Its official explanation lists three parts: 20 waves that keep the filter off the dripper wall, a flat “wave zone” that wets the grounds evenly even if you pour off-center, and Kalita’s three holes, which keep coffee from sitting in the filter and pulling out off-flavors.

In Japan, Kalita sells the standard stainless Wave Dripper 155 S at ¥4,950 and the 185 S at ¥5,500. The glass drippers are ¥3,080 (155) and ¥3,520 (185). The Made in Tsubame WDS-155 and WDS-185 are ¥7,700 and ¥8,250. Kalita Japan lists the WDS-155 at 120 g and the WDS-185 at 140 g. The price gap between sizes is small in Japan too, so Japanese buyers also choose by batch size.

Japanese reviewers agree the 155 and 185 can taste different with the same recipe, but they disagree on which way. The coffee blog D’s CAFE Style measured the side walls at about 70 degrees on the 155 and about 60 degrees on the 185. With identical recipes, it found the 155 stronger and the 185 cleaner, and evened them out by grinding slightly coarser for the 155. Ouchi Coffee, citing a Japanese coffee YouTuber, describes the opposite: a lighter cup from the 155 and more body from the 185, because a larger batch drains more slowly. It says both have the same 3.5 mm holes and that matched recipes taste nearly the same. Its mL guide is more conservative than Kalita USA’s, at about 140-300 mL for the 155 and 280-600 mL for the 185. The coffee company Yamatoya Coffee found the Wave 155 S clearer and more balanced than Kalita’s classic 102-D in a same-recipe tasting, and recommends it for steady results. (Third-party reviews, not our own testing.)

Still deciding between a Wave and Kalita’s classic wedge dripper, or a cone? See Kalita 102 vs Hario V60 02.

Kalita Wave 155 vs 185: Frequently Asked Questions

Should I get the Kalita Wave 155 or 185 for one cup?

Get the 155 if you almost always brew a single mug. Kalita rates it for 1-2 cups, and Kalita USA lists about 350-450 mL for the 155 size, which covers one 12 oz (355 mL) mug. Get the 185 if you regularly brew two mugs or want room for bigger doses.

Can I brew a 12 oz mug with the Kalita Wave 155?

Yes, according to Kalita USA’s volume figure of about 350-450 mL for the 155 size, a 12 oz (355 mL) mug is within range. It is near the low end, so if you fill a 16 oz mug or brew two mugs, the 185 (about 500-700 mL) is the better fit.

Do the Kalita Wave 155 and 185 use the same filters?

No. Kalita says each dripper requires its own filter: Wave 155 filters for the 155 and Wave 185 filters for the 185. At Kalita USA, 100 filters cost $12 for the 155 and $13 for the 185.

Is the Kalita Wave made in Japan?

The stainless steel versions are made in Japan, and so are the Wave filters. The glass versions are made in China, according to both Kalita USA and Kalita Japan.

Is the Kalita Wave dishwasher safe?

Kalita USA lists both the glass and stainless steel Wave 155 and 185 drippers as dishwasher safe.

How much coffee should I use in a Kalita Wave?

Kalita USA’s general pour-over recipe is 20 g of coffee to 320 g of water at 195-205°F, with a 60 g bloom for 30-45 seconds and a 2-3 minute brew. It suggests staying between a 1:16 and 1:18 coffee-to-water ratio.

Can I use Wave 155 filters in the 185?

Kalita labels each filter as dedicated to its own dripper size, so the official answer is no. One Japanese blogger (D’s CAFE Style) reports using 155 filters in a 185 for one or two cups, and warns that 185 filters stick out above a 155. That’s a user workaround, not a Kalita recommendation.

Check current listings

Prices and colors change often, so check the current listing before buying. Need filters too? Search for Wave 155 filters or Wave 185 filters.