Método Tótem: Official Recipe and Step-by-Step Brew Guide
Arta Cerámica's official Método Tótem recipe for one or two cups: 20 g of coffee, 320 g of water and three pours. Plus grind size, filters and care.
In this guide9
The Método Tótem is a flat-bottom dripper for filter coffee, designed and made in Mexico City by Arta Cerámica.
| At a glance | Método Tótem |
|---|---|
| Pieces | Dripper, server, cup and base, which stack |
| Capacity | 300 ml server and 118 ml cup |
| Material | High-temperature ceramic |
| Filter | Kalita Wave 155 |
| Makes | 1 or 2 cups |
| Official recipe | 20 g of coffee, 320 g of water and three pours |
You brew it like any flat-bottom dripper, with two details of its own: the ceramic needs preheating, and the dripper has a bump in the center that spreads the water over the coffee.
What comes with the Tótem and how it fits together
The set is four ceramic pieces that store stacked. To brew, you take them apart and each one has a job:
| Piece | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Dripper | Holds the filter and the coffee. Flat bottom, four holes and a bump in the center |
| Server | Catches the coffee: it sits on the scale with the dripper on top. Holds 300 ml |
| Base | Somewhere to rest the dripper once the water has drained |
| Cup | For drinking the coffee. Holds 118 ml |
The bump is what sets the dripper apart from a Kalita the most: if you finish each pour in the center, the water spreads over the whole coffee bed instead of cutting a channel in one spot.
The official Tótem recipe
This is Arta Cerámica's official recipe: 20 g of coffee and 320 g of water, a 1:16 ratio, with a medium-fine grind and three pours. It makes two cups. For one, use half.
| Recipe | 1 cup | 2 cups |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | 10 g | 20 g |
| Water | 160 g | 320 g |
| Ratio | 1:16 | 1:16 |
| Grind | Medium-fine | Medium-fine |
| Temperature | 86-100 °C | 86-100 °C |
| Pours | 3 | 3 |
| Filter | Kalita Wave 155 | Kalita Wave 155 |
Water just off the boil works too: in Mexico City, because of the altitude, water boils at 92-93 °C. The three pours are the bloom and two more, and the water finishes draining at around 3 minutes.
What grind size to use for the Tótem
The official recipe calls for a medium-fine grind. It feels like table salt: coarser than for a Moka Pot and a good deal finer than for a French Press. If you buy your coffee pre-ground, ask for a V60 or Kalita grind.
There's no universal number for your grinder: the setting depends on the grinder and on the coffee. Start in that range and let the cup tell you which way to move. If it comes out sour or watery, grind finer. If it comes out bitter or dry, grind coarser.
Change the grind a little at a time and leave the rest of the recipe alone. If the dose or the timing changes from one cup to the next, you won't know what the grind did. Once you find your setting, write it down: it'll work for the next coffee with the same process and roast.
Every coffee needs its own grind.
Scan the bag and Coffee Master gives you a base recipe for that coffee: grind, temperature and pours. Free on iOS and Android.
How to brew with the Tótem, step by step
- Heat filtered water to between 86 and 100 °C. If you're not sure what your water at home is like, compare it with the standard for coffee in the water quality analyzer.
- Rinse the filter. Put the Kalita 155 filter in the dripper and pour hot water over it to preheat the ceramic. Pour that water away.
- Set the Tótem up on the scale: server at the bottom, dripper on top. Tare the scale.
- Grind the coffee right before you start: 20 g for two cups or 10 g for one, medium-fine. Tip it into the filter and give the dripper a gentle shake to level the bed.
- Bloom. Wet all the coffee with two to three times its weight in water (40-60 g for two cups) and wait about 30-40 seconds while it releases its gas.
- First and second pour. Pour the rest of the water up to 320 g (160 g for one cup). Pour in circles and finish in the center, over the dripper's bump.
- Once the bed is dry, lift the dripper off and rest it on its base. Stir the coffee in circles or with a spoon and serve it in the cup, warmed first with a splash of hot water.
Pro tip
Warm the cup and the server too. They're thick ceramic and, if they're cold, they knock a few degrees off the coffee as soon as you pour it. The water from rinsing the filter is enough.
Tótem, Kalita Wave or V60: how they differ
| What changes | Tótem | Kalita Wave 155 | V60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Flat bottom | Flat bottom | Cone |
| Filter | Kalita Wave 155 | Kalita Wave 155 | V60 cone filter |
| Material | High-temperature ceramic | Steel, glass or ceramic | Plastic, glass, ceramic or metal |
| What's included | Dripper, server, cup and base | Just the dripper | Just the dripper |
The Tótem and the Kalita Wave share the shape and the filter. The difference is the high-temperature ceramic, and that the Tótem is a complete set, from dripper to cup.
Next to a V60, a flat bottom is more forgiving. In a cone, where and how you pour changes the cup; in a flat bed, the water passes through the coffee more evenly even if your pour isn't perfect. That's why flat-bottom drippers make a good first method for anyone starting out with filter coffee.
Filters for the Tótem
The Tótem takes Kalita Wave 155 filters, the wave filters for one or two cups. Kalita 185 filters are for bigger drippers and don't sit well.
The paper only touches the wall at its folds, so the water runs down through the coffee and not down the sides. When you rinse it, pour into the center and let the water settle it. Don't flatten it with your fingers.
How to care for the ceramic
- Wash it with warm water and mild soap, no abrasive scourers.
- Avoid sudden temperature changes: don't rinse it with cold water right after brewing, or pour boiling water into it when it's cold.
- Dry it completely before stacking the pieces.
- Always preheat it before brewing, with the water from rinsing the filter.
Common problems
It comes out sour or watery
Grind finer and check that you preheated the Tótem: cold ceramic drops the water's temperature right in the bloom, when it matters most.
It comes out bitter or dry
Grind coarser. If you were already grinding coarse, look at your pour: a heavy stream in the center kicks up fines and clogs the filter.
The bed ends up with a crater in the center
Pours that are too aggressive in the same spot. Pour lower, in wide circles, and level the bed with a gentle shake of the dripper before the bloom.
The coffee comes out lukewarm
You skipped the preheat. Rinse the filter with hot water, let it warm the dripper and the server, and pour a little into the cup before serving. With thick ceramic you notice the difference in the first sip.
The filter sticks to the wall or collapses
When you rinse it, pour into the center and let the water settle it; don't press on it. The waves need to stay open so the water runs through the coffee and not down the sides.
The water takes too long to drain
The grind is too fine, or fines have clogged the filter. Grind a step coarser and pour with a gentler stream, without stirring up the coffee bed.
The water drains too fast
The grind is too coarse: grind a step finer. Also check that the filter is seated properly in the dripper; if it folds, the water escapes down the sides without passing through the coffee.
Your next coffee, with its own recipe.
The official recipe is the starting point. Scan each new bag and Coffee Master adjusts the grind, temperature and pours to that bean. Free on iOS and Android.
Frequently asked questions
What is the official Método Tótem recipe?
Arta Cerámica's: 20 g of coffee, 320 g of water and three pours, a 1:16 ratio. It makes two cups. For one, use half: 10 g of coffee and 160 g of water.
What water temperature does the Tótem need?
Between 86 and 100 °C. Water just off the boil works too; in Mexico City, because of the altitude, water boils at 92-93 °C.
What grind size does the Tótem need?
The official recipe calls for a medium-fine grind. From there, adjust by taste: if the cup comes out sour or watery, grind finer; if it comes out bitter or dry, grind coarser.
What filter does the Método Tótem use?
Kalita Wave 155 filters, the wave filters for one or two cups. Kalita 185 filters are a larger size and don't sit well.
Is the Tótem the same as a Kalita Wave?
They share the flat-bottom shape and the Kalita Wave 155 filter. What changes is the material, high-temperature ceramic, and what comes in the box: the Tótem is a complete set with a server, a cup and a base.
Do I need to preheat the Tótem?
Yes. Rinse the filter with hot water to preheat the ceramic, then pour that water away. Warm the cup too: cold ceramic steals heat from the coffee.
Why is it called the Mexican coffee method?
Because it's designed and made in Mexico, by Arta Cerámica, a Mexico City studio that presents it as the first filter coffee method of Mexican design.
How do I wash the Tótem?
With warm water and mild soap, no abrasive scourers. Dry it completely before stacking the pieces, and avoid sudden temperature changes, which are what crack ceramic.