Real owners lean toward the Kalita Wave 185: 73% of 240 owners recommend it, vs 45% of 33 for the December Dripper.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
“I have a December Dripper which is like a metal Kalita Wave but with adjustable flow rate.”— jja619 on Reddit
“For high altitude coffee, I can get insane floral notes in the December dripper.”— Anderz on Reddit
“I got a December Dripper that I nearly never brew with. It's just a less-useful, more complicated, Clever that's hard to handle while in use. Add in that I have to buy either grocer flat-bottom or Wave filters, it's just more work to make shine than it's worth.”— Anomander on Reddit
“The Kalita is so easy to use I’m loving it and glad to get the same brew every time,I highly recommend it.”— @russb3n on YouTube
“ain't nothing wrong with a good old Kalita Wave 185. It's quite forgiving as pourover drippers go.”— oneblackened on Reddit
“My stainless Kalita Wave 185 was clogging due to the filter collapsing onto the drainage holes. It seems to be a common problem in this model”— okfreedom on Reddit
Real owners lean toward the Kalita Wave 185: 73% of 240 owners recommend it, vs 45% of 33 for the December Dripper.
Owners point the December Dripper at kalita Wave users who want adjustable flow control, and tinkerers who like experimenting with coarse grinds.
Owners point the Kalita Wave 185 at pour-over beginners wanting a forgiving brewer, and anyone brewing 2-3 cups at once.
The most-cited downside of the December Dripper is leaks, especially early gasket issues. For the Kalita Wave 185, it's stalling, clogging and slow drawdown.