If you are a coffee snob and you practice one of the pour-over preparation methods, i.e. Chemex, Melitta or Hario , than you know that achieving the right kind of pour onto the grounds is an essential part of the process. The problem is that most water kettles on the market have these wide spouts that create a large and splashy pour — the opposite of the thin, controlled stream you want onto your precious beans.
Enter the Hario Buono V60 Drip Kettle. Yes, it is a $60 tin can with a spout, get over it. It's a one-time investment that will pay dividends every stinking time you make your cup of joe.
My coffee has gone from just okay to fantastic now that I can finely control the precise interaction of the water and the grounds with the Hario into my Chemex. It definitely takes practice and you will not achieve the perfect results every time. The key all the coffee bloggers say is achieving "bloom" with the initial quick pour, allowing the mixture to rest for 90 seconds or so, and then doing a slow, circular pour until you get the desired amount of coffee. Very Zen. I mess it up about one in five times, but when it works it is very satisfying.
Right now, I'm drinking a robust and smooth cup of my current favorite roast, "Jacob's Wonderbar" from Philz in Soma, San Francisco. Thanks, Hario, Philz and Chemex! Get yours and stop drinking that nasty coffee you have in your hands right now.