Things you need to know before buying:I used a regular pot with a pour spout 3 months before I purchased this kettle. The following points are based primarily on the differences I noticed between the regular pot and the kettle.
1. The pour control with the kettle is VASTLY superior to the control you get with a product with a normal "spout" area. The kettle''s thin spout and long distance the water has to travel gives you a small, smooth stream in which to pour on your coffee grounds.
2. Because of the points in #1, the kettle allows you to pour water over the coffee smoothly and at a consistent pace, therefore giving you an EVEN extraction of your coffee, which translates to a nice, consistent taste in your cup. This is what you''re going for.
3. The kettle holds enough water for about 5 regular cups of coffee (i.e. it holds ~40 ounces of water). I own the 40oz Chemex coffee maker, so for me, a full kettle = a full pot of coffee.
4. The kettle is SAFE to boil your water with. However, the conductivity of the kettle''s metal is not as good as a standard pot, so it will take you roughly twice as long to boil water in the kettle versus boiling it in a pot. (I bought a separate water kettle for this reason.)
5. As mentioned in other reviews, this kettle is hard to clean. The opening is hard to get your hand into, and the small spout makes everything but a pipe cleaner impossible to clean the inside. If you live in an area with hard water (like I do), then you''ll want to filter your water before using this kettle to cut down on the deposit build up.
Hands-down, this kettle gives you the control you need to make an excellent cup of coffee. If you brew your coffee through a pour over method (such as the Chemex), then this is the kettle for you. Other than the cleaning difficulty and long(ish) time it takes for this kettle to boil water, I highly recommend this product.
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Let me tell you. The Buono kettle is in a whole different league. The amount of control is amazing. I didn''t really think it would make that big of a difference. But I am now a true believer in what all the reviews say. I would almost go as far as recommending saving up to buy this kettle first, then buy your V60 or Chemex pour over brewing device second (not really...but you get what I am saying).
The only comment I would give, the kettle is pretty thin metal. The bottom is not like a regular kettle''s thickness. So I hear and think it is fine to put on a gas stove, but since I do not have to, I am going to hold out.
Also the kettle holds a constant temperature pretty well. Starting with a not preheated kettle. I poured boiling water in, put the lid on a 30 seconds later the temp was 206. Once it got down to 203 I started my pour. 2 minutes into my pour my temp was 200 and at the end of my pour it was down to about 198.
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This product has one thing--and only one thing--going for it: its spout, which allows you to control the flow of water when brewing coffee using the pour-over method.Otherwise, it has a few things going against it:
1. The price: it simply costs too much for what it offers.
2. The quality: it is very light-weight, flimsy stainless steel, and it rusts on the bottom (which is inexcusable for a tea kettle costing this much).
3. The design: It narrows toward the top, making it very inconvenient to wash and dry the inside (my had cannot fit through the top, and water gets trapped in the edges of the much wider base). If you fill the kettle and bring it to a rolling boil, water will actually boil out of the spout. Finally, it does not have any calibration lines on the inside indicating how many cups of water are in the kettle, which would have been handy.
Unless Hario happens to hold a patent on a kettle with a spout like this, there is room here for another company to design a much more solid, better designed product, in my opinion. Ideally, someone would make an electric kettle of this design (all stainless steel, no plastic of any kind anywhere, a narrow pour spout) that allowed you to set the temperature you want the water to reach and maintain. Hard to believe this is unavailable at any price, but I have yet to find it (please let me know in comments if you know of one!).
For now, we''re stuck with the Hario, which does the job adequately, if a bit expensively.
UPDATE: Our wait is over, folks; the perfect kettle has arrived: Bonavita 1-Liter Variable Temperature Digital Electric Gooseneck Kettle
Read Best Reviews of Hario VKB-120HSV V60 Coffee Drip Kettle Buono Here
I love this kettle, it is perfect for pour over coffee and it feels wonderful in the hand. There is one HUGE problem and that is RUST!!! On the inside of the kettle, around the seams at the base, rust has developed. Not a lot of rust, but after two weeks this should not have occured. Mind you, when I am finished using my kettle in the morning, I always wipe it down inside and out. I think Japanese made and that usually means impeccable quality, but somehow this kettle fails to perform. I love the design and feel of this kettle, but where is the quality control???UPDATE 2-17-2012: I checked at my local coffee shop, Catalina Coffee, and their Hario kettles are perfect with no rust. Maybe in their rush to make new kettles due to the popularity of the pourover, Hario''s quality control slipped a bit.
UPDATE 2-23-2012: I tried to return this with the company I purchased with on Amazon called M Deals, here is a segment of their response to me about my return request: "Unfortunately, we cannot accept return at this moment. You have been using this kettle for 3 weeks. The item you carry is exactly same item with the one from your local coffee shop. Hario kettle we are selling is the original made in Japan product. You need to use drinking water and clean it after each use. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you for contacting M Deals." WHAT?????!!!!!! I have used it for 3 weeks and it developed rust, and that''s acceptable to them? I need to use drinking water????!!!!! What do they think that I have been putting in there to make my coffee?? Unfortunately you run into a bad vendor on Amazon, and M DEALS DOES NOT STAND BEHIND WHAT THEY SELL and they do a horrible job of taking care of their customers. Buy the Hario kettle from anybody but M Deals!!!
UPDATE 5-20-2012: In March, I purchased a new non rusting Hario kettle from the nice folks at Seattle Coffee Gear. I love it!! My other rusting Hario kettle has been reassigned to watering herbs in my garden and for watering my Bonsai trees. It performs like a champ in its new job!!
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Purchased both Hario V60 and Bonavita BV3825ST non-electric gooseneck kettles from Amazon.Country of Origin:
Hario: Made in Japan.
Bonavita: Made in China.
Capacity:
Hario: Practical capacity: .8 liter. Full capacity 1.2 liters.
Bonavita: Capacity: 1 liter.
Spout:
Hario: Gooseneck spout attached to body at lower point. Less water remains pooled at the bottom after complete pouring.
Bonavita: Gooseneck spout attached to body at higher point. More water remains pooled at the bottom after complete pouring.
Ergonomics:
Hario: Straight handle. Ergonomics not optimal.
Bonavita: Curved handle. Ergonomics better.
Product Material:
Hario: Stainless steel heavier and thicker. Seems higher quality steel. Handle good.
Bonavita: Stainless steel lighter and thinner. Handle good.
Quality of Construction:
Hario: Spout and handle attached with quality hardware. Seems more secure.
Bonavita: Spout and handle securely attached, but hardware appears to be less durable.
Design:
Hario: Lid does not fit tight. Will fall out when tipped at certain angle.
Bonavita: Lid fits tight. Will not fall out when tipped at certain angle. Handle has two screws located on underside at top, which impact finger comfort. Body has unfinished/uncurved inside top lip, which impacts hand comfort when cleaning inside body.
Appearance: Both look nice. Bonavita sits about an inch taller because of the design of the lid.
Pour Rate: Practically the same.
Recommendation: Both Hario and Bonavita will get the job done. I chose to keep Hario, because of the quality. But if money or style is a factor, Bonavita will work just fine. An alternative to these kettles, which I have not tried but appears to be of a very high quality, is the Kalita Wave Pot Kettle from Japan, priced at $107.Kalita 52073 Wave Pot Kettle
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