Stovetop Gooseneck Kettle Made In Japan

Made In China Coffee Brewing Equipment

Unfortunately, nearly all coffee brewing equipment is made in China. Whether you’re looking for an electric coffee grinder, French Press, electric drip coffee maker, and yes even gooseneck kettles, a vast majority of them are made by slave labor in China. After much searching, I have found a few quality stovetop gooseneck kettles made in Italy and Japan. From a cursorily look online, the quality of these kettles seem to be very similar. As for price, the Italian kettles seem in general to be a little more expensive.

America has a long history of purchasing quality made products from our allies in Japan. Since Made In USA gooseneck kettles are not available, I choose one made in Japan.

Gooseneck Kettles From Japan

Hario is a Japanese company which makes a wide variety of coffee equipment. Some of their products are made in Japan and some are made in China. So, be diligent in your research. For instance, the 900ml Buono Stovetop Gooseneck Kettle is made in Japan, but the 1.2L Buono is made in China. Go figure.

Hario is a solid company. But typical of manufacturers today, the quality of many products can’t compare to Made In USA products. Often the metal isn’t as thick. The welding and seams aren’t as robust. The handles are usually plastic, which are often made in China. That being said, Hario makes some pretty darn good products.

Hario Stovetop Gooseneck Kettle

I recently purchased a Hario VKBN-90CP “Buono” Drip Kettle Copper. I love this kettle. It’s gorgeous and it’s copper sheen looks classy on my stovetop. It works well and best of all it’s 100% made in Japan. As I said earlier, I wish I could find one Made In USA, but as far as I can tell, one doesn’t exist. I you find one, I’ll review it.

Pros of the Hario Stovetop Gooseneck Kettle

• The copper outside makes this kettle look really classy.
• The handle is very solidly and classically bolted onto the kettle.
• The handle also has a very nice and thick silicone covering.
• Then end of the gooseneck spout is very pointy, making precisely directed pouring super easy.
• The connection of the spout to the kettle is very solid and reinforced.
• The inside is made of tin. That’s not a bad thing. You’re better off with tin against your water than copper.
• The lid has an OK wood knob.
• Additionally, the lid has 3 tiny holes for steam to escape.

Cons of the Hario Stovetop Gooseneck Kettle

• The biggest downside is that it’s a bit small at just 900ml (roughly 2 cups).
• If you put a full 900ml into the kettle and let it get to a rip roaring boil, then water comes bubbling out of the end of the spout, leaving water on your stove or counter top. That actually happened to me the first time I used this stovetop gooseneck kettle. Now, as the kettle heats on the stove, I keep my ear out listening for it boiling. Now that I know what I’m listening for, I can easily hear the kettle boiling the water. At that point, no water has dripped onto the counter or stove.
• Although the outside of the kettle is copper, the inside is made of tin. The downside of tin is that it’s just not as sturdy as stainless steel. But it seems to be working very well.
• At $110, it’s a bit expensive, BUT it is NOT made in China, so I’m willing to part with more money than give my money to communist China, using slave labor.

Stovetop vs. Electric Kettles

To me, stovetop kettles make a lot of sense. After all, the stove is right there in the kitchen near the sink. Stove tops are made to make things hot. My thinking is, so why not use what’s already there? Besides, some kettles are pretty cool looking, sitting there on your stove, just waiting to be used. Here’s the problem with stovetop kettles, they’re slow. For my measly 900ml kettle it takes me 14 minutes to take cold water and turn it into boiling water. I actually set the stove’s timer so I don’t forget it. The major upside of the stovetop kettles is that I have found a few that are not made in China.

As for electric kettles, they’re fast. They’re damn fast. Depending on the model of electric kettle and how much water I want to boil, I can take cold water and have it rip roaring boiling in 2-4 minutes. OK, they’re fast, but they’re butt ugly with the electric cord laying all over the counter top. Yet, the biggest downside of electric kettles, is that they’re all made in Communist China by slave labor. I won’t have one in my house. That’s why I have a stovetop gooseneck kettle.

Why Gooseneck Kettle Stovetop?

So, why even want a gooseneck kettle anyway? It really comes down to precision pouring. In most brewing methods you don’t need to be “that” precise, therefore any kettle that’ll boil water will suffice. Regardless of the kind of kettle that you’re looking for, it’s darn near impossible to find one that’s made outside of China.

Precise pouring, is essential for the slow pour-over method of brewing. My personal favorite brewing method is the AeroPress. Like the slow pour-over method, it’s really nice to have the precise pouring of a gooseneck kettle.

Advantages of Slow Pour-Over or AeroPress Brewing

One of the big advantages to the slow pour-over or AeroPress brewing methods is that they tend to produce a much smoother (less-bitter) cup of coffee. The operative words there is “tend to”. In other words, if you start with cheap bitter beans or your roaster has over roasted the beans, then no matter what your brewing method, you’re still going to end up with a cup of bitter coffee.

If you’re looking for smooth coffee, then I highly recommend coffee from Central America. The smoothest Central American coffees come from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica. The challenge with Nicaraguan and Honduran coffees are that they may be very smooth, but they have little flavor.

The Right Bean For Slow Pour-Over or AeroPress

Russell & Alisha in Costa Rica

If you’re looking for smooth coffee beans that taste fantastic, then I highly recommend Costa Rican coffee. It is both smooth (non-bitter) and has a very sophisticated flavor. I prefer Costa Rican coffee that comes from the Tarrazu region. The coffee from Tarrazu tends to be super smooth, sophisticated, well balanced, and with notes of chocolate.

How does coffee from the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica relate to using a Stove Top Gooseneck Kettle? Well, if you’re using either the slow pour-over method or the AeroPress, you’re probably looking for smooth coffee beans. In that case, coffee from the Tharrazu region of Costa Rica is your best bet.

Heck, I don’t care what coffee brewing method that you’re using, the beans from this region will be one of the very best choices that you can make. Even Koan coffee or Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee isn’t any better and these Costa Rican beans, yet the Costa Rican beans are about one quarter the price.

Lake City Coffee

Russell and Alisha

Alisha and I started Lake City Coffee because we love super smooth coffee that’s super fresh, with notes of chocolate. Even purchasing from our local coffee shops, we couldn’t find coffee that was roasted within the last month, much less roasted less than 72 hours ago. The difference between fresh roasted and coffee that’s been sitting around for months, like a vast majority of coffee sold in the US, that difference is amazing.

That’s why, each year we taste test over two dozen different coffee beans from around the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica. Out of those two dozen beans, we select just one bean that represents the smoothest and best tasting bean that money can buy.

Having the best bean that was roasted just hours ago is only half of the equation of making a great cup of coffee. The other half of the equation is how you brew those beans. That’s another reason why Lake City Coffee is here. Alisha and I will teach you how to make a super smooth and flavorful cup of coffee.