Hario, makers of the iconic V60 filter-cone and Buono pouring kettle, were teasing this gorgeous pourover set last weekend in Seattle at the 2014 Specialty Coffee Association of America trade show. As I did a lighting jog of the floor, trying to take in the monster amount of new kit at the venue, this rosy-hued metallic glory called like a beacon–I saw it glinting down an obscure back aisle, and I knew that I must find out what its deal was.
These beauties were developed in-house by Hario in Japan, and though the most arresting detail is the bright copper-plating (the interior water contacting surfaces remain stainless steel), the venerable Buono shape has also gotten an update as well. Hario wanted to provide better pouring control, so they made a slightly wider base on this copper-clad kettle, and crucially, gave it a longer, thinner, flatter spout. The goal is a more precise, easier to vary stream of water.
The handles on both the kettle and the V60 are solid brass, with a wood top knob for the kettle. The look and feel is pleasantly weighty and purposeful, and even, dare we say,ย Edisanal.
Hario’s actually making these brew sets–this is no mere prototype–they’re just not for sale in the US yet, or at least not really. Right now you canย find them in a few places online likeย Ebayย orย Amazon, and in very limited quantities.ย If you’re lucky enough to live in the UK, it looks likeย CoffeeHit might be able to sort you out, andย The Cupping Room in Hong Kongย sell them too, although both distributors are completely sold out for the time being. Deeper digging into the availability of copper Buono kettles leads you to some dark corners of the internet. Truly, the current distribution status of these Hario products is the stuff of international intrigue.
So far, only two sets of the new Copper-plated Hario gear have made it into the States officially, to be given as gifts to the winners of the 2014 Big Western Coffee Competitions. Hario have set an MSRP though: $170 for the kettle, $70 for the V60; and they have stock. Coleman Garcia of Hario North America said that they are simply waiting on distributors to express interest.
So please, go bug your nearest Hario distributor. That wayย someone can buy one of these pourover sets, pair it with a Versalab grinder, and have the ultimate retro-future geek-swag coffee service to post all over Instagram.
Alex Bernson (@AlexBernson) is the Assistant Editor at Sprudge.com.ย Read more Bernson here.ย
