I tested iconic coffee brand Hario’s gooseneck kettle, and it’s left me a little confused

For specialty coffee enthusiasts, gooseneck kettles like the Hario V60 Buono are a must-have. Most of the best electric kettles aren’t designed for specialty coffee use, but not the Hario V60 Buono. It’s got “pour-over companion” written all over it — or at least, it thinks it does.

Those familiar with coffee will certainly recognise the Hario V60 moniker: the V60 Dripper is arguably the most famous pour-over accessory available today. Although the V60 Buono kettle shares a name with the iconic dripper, it would also work just as well with a Kalita Wave, Wacaco Cuppamoka, or Chemex.

At $115, it’s not exactly the cheapest gooseneck kettle on the market. There’s no precise temperature or temperature display, which are key features on specialized kettles. But it does look the part, and the pouring feel is top-notch. I’ll discuss every aspect of the kettle in the Hario V60 Buono gooseneck kettle review.

Hario V60 Buono kettle review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? An electric gooseneck kettle, with stovetop versions too
• Who is it for? Pour-over coffee, and pour-over coffee only
• What does it cost? It’s a better deal if you’re in the U.S.: $86 / £115. Stovetop versions start from $46
• What do we like? Pouring is so satisfying and easy to control, ideal for pour-over
• What don’t we like? There’s no temperature monitor or dial

Hario V60 Buono kettle review: Specs

Hario V60 Buono kettle review: Price & availability

There are multiple versions of the Hario V60 Buono gooseneck kettle: stovetop, electric, and electric with a temperature dial (imported from Japan, not sold in the U.S.), all in various sizes.

I tested the 800ml basic electric Hario V60 Buono, which is $86 direct from Hario U.S., and £115 direct from Hario U.K.. It’s unclear why there’s such a price discrepancy between the two identical kettles.

Hario’s stovetop version of the Buono is $47 for 700ml, and Buono 1 liter is $52.

This is a mid-range gooseneck kettle: Fellow’s iconic Stagg EKG gooseneck kettle is a whopping $165-$195.

Hario’s own precise temperature Buono is $165 from Amazon U.S., but be warned: it’s imported from Japan so it only uses °C, the user manual is only available in Japanese, and the voltage is not designed for 120V outlets.

At $104, OXO’s gooseneck kettle isn’t the priciest option, and could be a good choice for those requiring precise temperature control.

One of the cheapest goosenecks I’ve seen is the $39 Bodum gooseneck kettle, which could be good option for a budget purchase.

Hario V60 Buono kettle review: Design & features

Given Hario’s reputation in the specialty coffee world, you’d expect its gooseneck kettle to look the part. It’s a relief that the V60 Buono kettle lives up to its brand’s reputation, then.

The Hario V60 Buono’s got the rustic 2012-hipster vibe down pat, thanks to the ribbed handle and exposed metal finish. The V60 Buono would look right at home in the background of a Portlandia episode, or in a Brooklyn cafe with exposed brick and industrial pipes.

The gooseneck spout is sturdy and made of thick metal to prevent warping. There’s an orange light on the bottom of the kettle that comes on during boiling, and switches itself off once the water has reached 212°F.

Unfortunately, the V60 Buono doesn’t really have any features. There’s no live temperature gauge, unlike the Ninja Precision Temperature, Fellow EKG Stagg, and Fellow EKG Corvo. It doesn’t have a precise temperature setting, unlike the three aforementioned kettles.

And there’s no hold temp setting — a major flaw.

For an $86 speciality brewing kettle, I would at least expect one or two of these features to be included. A temperature setting is the most imperative feature on a specialty coffee kettle.

Coffee requires water no hotter than 200°F, so if the Hario V60 Buono is boiling water to 212°F, I risk burning my coffee unless I use a food thermometer.

Hario V60 Buono kettle review: Performance

As with all kettle reviews, here I’ll discuss ease of use, boiling speed, operating volume, external temperature, and water temperature post-boiling. To give the V60 Buono a thorough test, I used the kettle with multiple different brewing methods.

I used the kettle with tea, Kalita Wave, and Wacaco Cuppamoka. Here are my results.

Wacaco Cuppamoka

If you’re not familiar with the Wacaco Cuppamoka, it’s essentially a Hario V60 Dripper and a travel mug in one. It has a conical funnel dripper atop a coffee cup and uses the same filter papers as a V60 Dripper, so it works pretty identically to the Hario pour-over.

I heated 300ml of water, which took 2 minutes and 13 seconds. After waiting two minutes for the water to cool to around 200°C, I soaked the Cuppamoka’s filter paper and filled it with 20g of medium-ground coffee. I poured in 1 ounce of water to ‘bloom’ the coffee, and then I slowly poured in the final 10 ounces of water in 30 second intervals.

The Hario Buono’s pour was so smooth and controlled, and I felt like the master of my coffee. The pouring feel is definitely comparable to the Fellow EKG Stagg.

Kalita Wave

Next, I used the V60 Buono with my Kalita Wave. Following the instructions on the Acaia Brewguide app, I added 13g of medium-coarse medium roast coffee to the filter paper.

I slowly poured in 40g of water to bloom the coffee, which was very easy with the V60 Buono’s gooseneck spout. I waited thirty seconds, then filled the dripper with the last 160g (for the full 200g water).

I controlled my pour with ease, but still, I can’t be confident that the water I used wasn’t above 200°F. Water hotter than 200°F risks burning the coffee, and because of the Buono’s lack of water temperature setting, this is a very valid concern.

Everyday use

Finally, I replaced my standard, everyday kettle with the V60 Buono for a couple of days. The 27 ounce capacity meant it wasn’t a great kitchen assistant, as it couldn’t boil water for pasta, gravies, or soups as well as my Ninja Precision Temperature.

The gooseneck spout means you can’t pour quickly, but this is obviously a feature, not a bug. This kettle is designed for specialized use: coffee.

Boiling speed

The Hario V60 Buono isn’t the fastest kettle I’ve ever tested. It has no rapid boiling technology, unlike the Ninja Precision Temperature (which can boil 1 cup in 50 seconds).

The Fellow EKG Stagg and Corvo took five minutes and ten seconds to boil 30 ounces, and user reviews report that the Bodum gooseneck kettle takes 5 ½ minutes to boil 27 ounces.

As you can see, the Hario V60 Buono took 5 minutes and 53 seconds to boil its full capacity of 27 ounces, which is slower than the Fellow models. I’m not overly impressed with the Buono’s speed — cheaper options are actually faster.

However, for a gooseneck, this speed isn’t slow enough to be considered snail-paced.

Noise level

As will all my kettle reviews, I measured the usage volume at certain intervals using my DecibelX app. Unfortunately, I couldn’t measure volume at specific temperatures as the Hario V60 Buono kettle doesn’t have a live temperature monitor, unlike the Ninja Precision Temperature, Fellow Stagg, or Fellow Corvo. I measured at various time intervals instead.

For context, the Fellow Stagg peaked at 69dB, and the Ninja kettle peaked at just 67dB. As you can see, the V60 Buono was never particularly deafening, but louder than competitors.

However, I will note that it rattles metallically at high temperatures, like a constant ‘clinking’ sound.

Temperature

The V60 Buono gets hot. After boiling, I had to remove the lid with my sleeve. The plastic knob wasn’t hot, but my fingers brushed against the metal the first time.

I quickly learnt my lesson and didn’t make that mistake again. After an hour, the exterior of the kettle was still too hot to touch, and the water inside was around 185°F.

As mentioned above, there’s no hold temperature setting, but because the kettle stays so warm anyway, it wasn’t majorly missed.

Hario V60 Buono kettle review: Storage & maintenance

Given its relatively small size, the Hario V60 Buono would be easy to store, even in a small kitchen. The cord can be stored under the base if you don’t need the full 35-inch length.

Hario recommends descaling with citric acid powder, and warns that the V60 Buono is not dishwasher safe — but I don’t think anyone’s running a kettle through the dishwasher anyway.

Should you buy the Hario V60 Buono kettle?

If you want the best of the best, then no. I’d recommend the Fellow EKG Stagg, which has a live temperature monitor, precise temperature dial, and hold temperature setting. It’s also a beauty, especially the walnut and maple colorways.

However, if $195 is just too steep for an electric kettle (don’t blame you), you’re a V60 Dripper-slash-Chemex enthusiast, you own a food thermometer (to check water temp), and you’re a fan of that rustic metal aesthetic, then the Hario V60 Buono gooseneck kettle is a decent buy.

The pouring feel is easy, satisfying, and controllable, and won’t disappoint if you’re after a basic gooseneck. Just be warned that you’ll need to manually take the water temperature, lest your pour-over risk tasting burnt.