Review: Hario Air Kettle 

I've just watched, and enjoyed, a review of a plastic jug

Hario is a funny company. When I lived in Japan I would visit the coffee corner at Tokyu Hands two or three times a month, and almost every month Hario would release a new product. Whether they were good or bad is subjective, but I often found that, rather than being good or bad, they were just something that nobody had really been asking for. Some would be a hit and remain in stock while others would slowly disappeared never to be seen again. Hario has a strong heritage and will always be one of the biggest names in brewing accessories, but I get the impression that over the last few years, with a growing number of competitors, Hario is pushing to be innovative where innovation may not be needed. The one good thing I can say for certain is that they are typically very affordable products. I'd rather see attempts of low-cost innovations like these than more pseudo-smart devices that costs an arm and a leg.

Not going to lie, when I saw the title I thought this was going to be something akin to an air fryer but for water

There is something pleasing about the fact Hario has a range of options for a number of their products, that makes coffee so accessible at different price points.

I’m “new” to coffee and have been using a plastic measuring jug for my V60’s because it’s all I had. Now I realise I was just an early adopter!

I think this one makes a lot of sense in Japan where most people already have a sort of waterboiler/dispenser that keeps the temperature at a constant level. Mine dose 98,90,80 or 70 degrees. These are usually used for instant noodles or green tea. When you have hot water like that you’d only need something to pore to make a good drip coffee. But then again, I have seen a lot of gooseneck kettles in the stores here in Kyoto but never one of these.

This seems like a great option for students or beginners on a budget. I only really got into v60 recently as when I tried it in my student apartments, the kettles always had abysmal pouring spouts. I know a pouring kettle isn't a requirement but these things couldn't pour slowly without dripping an equal amount over the counter. A nice, cheap option like this really opens up new techniques for people who are limited on space or money, I think it could really lower the entry barrier too, especially in the case where someone is gifted one of those beginner sets with everything you need for a V60 aside from a kettle

James is the kind of person who can make an 8 minute long video about a kettle and feel a difference

Never thought I'd hear a lid be called "an interesting addition"

I have the Hario Air Kettle. I usually make 200ml cups, so the capacity is fine. The control is easier, too, as you noted. I also use a tea/coffee thermometer and I am at sea level (in Japan). The peak temp for me is about 96°C when I pour a freshly boiled pot into it. I tend to initiate the brew when I pour at 93-92° for the bolder roasts I like. One factor for me that you did not mention (understandably) is how tight Japanese kitchens can be, so the design is welcome when I want to put it away or somewhere nearby for easy reach. I admittedly want a beautiful metal pouring kettle, but the Hario Air Kettle works quite well for me. Thank you for your tests!

This is the only channel i feel could do an entire movie about a measuring cup and have my attention the entire time. And I would enjoy every second of it

One note is that hot water dispensers are very popular in Japan for tea and coffee (and ramen)--so this streamlines the process incredibly for very cheap. Dispense hot water (no need to wait for a kettle to boil), then brew coffee. If you are going to boil water anyway, an electric kettle with a gooseneck may make more sense, so I completely understand that approach. Great review and cool piece of coffee gear.

i can definitely see the rationale behind this. asian households tend to have an electric airpot which allows hot boiling water at all times. piped hot water (if it exists at all) is usually channelled only to showers in bathrooms, so airpots are large enough to have water readily available not just for beverages but also for much of food preparation (rehydrating, soaking, soups, instant noodles...). when i first got the V60, i got the gooseneck kettle along with it as well, because i could boil water on the stove, and use the same vessel to pour the very hot and freshly boiled water immediately on the V60. i'm not a fan of transferring hot water, but this air kettle is definitely interesting and has its place for those who need to do so : students in dormitories where hot water is piped through a water filter in a shared kitchen is one good possibility, and camping or travelling with it is another.

I have been binging your videos during quarantine and I must say that I now have this profound appreciation for coffee and the instruments used for it thanks to you. ☕️

I could see this as being great for travel or a camping kit, or for students that live in small/communal spaces. Being compact, inexpensive, and durable are all great features, especially when it's the spout that's making the difference for steady, controlled pouring. An interesting and simple piece of equipment! Thanks for sharing this with us!

I can absolutely see this as a great starter option, as you said, for someone who is not yet invested enough to buy a pouring kettle. It would also be a good addition to a travel/camping brew setup.

Hey James, Since I started watching your videos and as I've gotten older, I've come to the conclusion that my body really doesn't like coffee. I used to be able to drink it, but even small amounts make me feel super uncomfortable. That being said, I still love coffee. The simplicity and art of making a single cup of coffee without the use of an automatic brewer is still exciting to me. Your videos remind me of that love and I just wanted to thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

The real question for me: Does a aero press fit inside of it, for storage purposes?

7:29 “it looks a little bit like a bird, a little bit like a plague doctor” that’s how you know this was filmed during COVID-19

it's something that I'd definitely buy. Whenever I go visit my girlfriend or have to travel, I have to bring my v60, coffee, filters, grinder, cup and so on. Bringing my pouring kettle would be a bit too much due to the size, but this, this is easy to pack and take with you. Def a buy for me.

The best description about a kettle I've heard in my life: "It looks a little bit like a plague doctor..."

I never realised how little I knew about coffee since discovering this channel

That would resolve at least some of my problems with travelling with coffee equipment. Although I generally prefer pour-overs, when travelling I've always opted for aeropress as I don't have the dexterity to prepare a v60 with a regular electric kettle and travelling with my own gooseneck kettle seems a little bit extreme even for me. This would give me an opportunity to use a regular kettle and pack relatively light (you could put your coffee beans inside the jug before you put it in your suitcase).

They should make a bigger version of this, made of metal, and they could even make it electric for extra convenience.

I'm living in a van right now, so this might be a good option for me making v60 coffee again, I stopped and went to French press. I'd top this kettle up after the adding the bloom water.

I'd love to see you do a video all about metal coffee filters and what grind settings you recommend. And probably brew techniques as well

Useful for packing in bags as well. Light, won't trigger security at airports, can be used in a microwave. Definitely an elegant solution to traveling with coffee.

This is especially relevant to me, as I am drinking coffee, and watching a review of yet another gadget, as I try and psych myself up to clean out my "isle of misfit toys". That is, the cabinet in which I keep all of the cooking gadgets I have bought over the past 15 years. They are not all junk, as this air kettle is not junk. But sometimes you just can't keep adding stuff.

Interestingly, word "air" in Bahasa Indonesia / Bahasa Melayu means water.

6:55 "Poor science" or "pour science"?

"it looks a little bit like a plague doctor" - 😄 Hoffman gold!

I work in a hospital, and it’s just like the patient water jugs I use for pouring (and catching) my V60s on night shifts 😂

It's actually the perfect camping companion for pour-overs. Light, small and less fragile. Awesome

Honestly love how unusual it looks, and I actually think I'll get one. I have an electric pour over kettle as well as a normal kettle, and to be honest it takes up a lot of space considering how rarely it's used.

Somehow you just made me watch an in-depth review of a plastic measuring cup that can pour nice....you have a gift

As an exchange student spending half a year in Japan, the Hario air is awesome for me. Much cheaper than an electric kettle(most of which would also be unusable back at home with 230V) and much more convenient than a stovetop kettle due to japanese-style water boilers being available in the communal kitchen of my dorm. A Hario air + a small plastic V60 means that I have a wonderful setup to make coffee here for very little money. Not perfect, but any real improvement would cost several times as much.

This video gives me lots of ideas, excellent as ever! In the middle of all the events going on in the world, what do you think of making a quick video about the history and colonial roots of coffee growing, harvesting, labour practices and it's transportation (or any one of these elements), similar to the birth of espresso video? Or perhaps an exploration of coffee ethics in the modern day even after the formal end of colonialism. I think that would be very eye opening. Much love ❤️

If anything, I appreciate that Hario is pushing the boundaries of design and creativity.

I've been using this jug for the start of my V60 journey for about a couple months now and, trying to get good coffee without over spending, this coupled with a digital thermometer has made my learning really nice and fun. I will one day upgrade to an electric one, but I don't feel pressured to do it anytime soon, so I can actually save for the kettle that I want.

I just got one as part of Hario's V60 kit (Wilfa Svart, 02 Plastic dripper and the AIR) and I have to say I like it, it's very noticaable to me how much more gently it pours and how much control I have. Can also see as others have said it being a good travel option. Away for a single overnight for example I'd measure my beans and store them in my hand grinder, which fits in the AIR and put the V60 on top and filters around the grinder. It would require a refill but doing 300ml then 200ml would be easy to measure without taking a scale. Definitely agree with what James said though, slightly larger (Hario consider a cup 175ml judging from the markings on the side, so at least 525ml to work with an 03 dripper as well, and Hario bundle the AIR with the Drip Decanter too) and a lid would make it even better.

I can see myself buying one for my office. Our break room has coffee and tea service with an electric kettle so I've been using that to make V60s. This would be a nice addition to my office set up.

Misread the title as "Haribo Air Kettle". Not exactly sure what I was expecting :)

Actualy, everything about this vídeos was New to me, not only the product, enjoying everything! Amazing vídeo!

The lid of my Hario 600ml Clear Range Server fits in the void at the top of my Air Kettle perfectly. FYI, for those of you with one of those servers laying around....and a lidless Air Kettle.

I've gotten so used to the Squarespace sponsor bit that it now feels weird not hearing it in an episode 😞

Interesting that you don't need a gooseneck for precision pouring. I'd be interested to see what kettle manufacturers could do if they adapted the existing spouts from kitchen kettles to be more suited for accurate water flow, while retaining their usefulness in a standard kitchen environment.

Why do I want to Like every James Hoffmann video already right after seeing the intro? I guess I know it's always going to be a solid and interesting review.

I’ve been trying this plastic kettle for 1 month and I decided to bring it as part of my travel kit. Too small for home use, but its lightness has its perk. Pour Control is ok, though you need to adjust after years using metal kettle

I’m more than happy with my Fellow kettle for coffee, but I might be tempted to pick one of these up as a measuring jug for baking as a much more controllable way of combining wet and dry ingredients. FWIW I really like the pelican looking design too.

This may be the American in me, but I would love to see this used in a microwave as a super basic place to start making good coffee. A microwave would skip decanting as well. Many students In the us have microwaves but not kettles.

The man who made me rediscover coffee.

This is great, I've been using a teapot since I got into doing pour overs correctly and it's a bit cumbersome. I've been poking holes in my arguments with myself over needing to get either an electric or hob pouring kettle; but the main issues were expense (to get a decent one) and space. This seems to solve all those problems though. I wish it was a bit bigger but I only tend to brew a cup at a time so it's not the end of the world. They're already showing on the UK website so I've bought one. Thanks for the review. Your content gave me a new appreciation for coffee back when I was just using it as fuel as well as teaching me that you can't just dump all the hot water in at once.

Looks like the perfect travel appliance. Own a Kinu, so I just need the Hario Air to have a complete travel coffee set.

Me currently living in Japan: Hmmm... Looks like I'm risking this sickness.

I just bought one and love it - excellent water control for my morning pour over. This is absolutely a single serving and use your scale to get the water volume you need.

Once again, watching at 1.5 speed is a highly caffeinated comical genius. Glorious video as usual.

The Hario Air Kettle: A solution for a problem thats never existed.

James, please come to my house and read me bedtime stories. Your voice is SO soothing, I could literally listen to you all day.

We got one after this video. Didnt know this existed, but its exactly what we needed. We have a quooker at home, so boiling water from the tap is always immediately available. It makes no sense to buy a kettle just for pour overs. Now i just fill the air kettle with bouling water twice so the temp stays pretty high. Def easier experience than the measuring jug we were using😆

I bought one of these to use at work. I already have the Michael extracted from me for hand grinding coffee and brewing with a V60 (until the result is shared with and appreciated by those same people) - but I was never going to get away with an electric pouring kettle, and we don't have a hob. I fill the jug initially to rinse my filter paper, which in turns preheats the jug. Then boil fresh water for the brew. I like pouring with it. It is, as James says, light, and not as 'nice' as pouring with a kettle, but it's still good. For larger brews (36g:600ml) I just refill half way through with no real issues. At home I have the Hario pouring kettle that I put on our indiction hob, but for office use, my little £9 funny looking plastic jug is just the ticket.

My first thought was "He's going to make coffee with a fat separator", but then it lead to this question: Do you think that if they designed the Air Kettle to pour from the bottom of the water column vs the top of the water surface, the thermals would be appreciably different?

Who gets to drink all the coffee that you make for these videos? Asking because I’m jealous.

And here am I, after waiting one week, exited for the review of a fancy plastic cup. Awesome job! I bought your book!

I've got the air for my travel setup atm with an origami air. The comandante grinder, which I keep in a little crocheted bag, fits perfectly into it

I would love to have a microwave-safe glass version of this for my office.

I've always used a milk jug for my V60 brews. I find that you just get more precision than pouring straight from a kettle. The only issues that I can see are that you have to top up and I wouldn't imagine that the heat retention is great but over all I would say that it's a very similar solution to the Air Kettle. I'd love to hear someone's thoughts on the differences between the Air Kettle and just using a milk jug (which most coffee people already have). Great video as always :)

Love the hiss noise of the bloom... Coffee asmr at its finest!

Hi James. Thanks for this interesting review of the Hario plastic jug. I think this product is interesting for beginning consumer. A lot of them are interested in starting doing drip coffee at home but the fancy kettle is a kind of deal breaker on a budget. I see this as a good opportunity to help more consumers to adopt this coffee brew method and lower the required investment.

I would have loved using this product when I first started getting into coffee! It seems like a great budget option for beginners who want to develop pour over skills before making the investment in an electric pouring kettle. I wonder if Hario will make a larger size in the future.

Nice video! I must admit I am hesitant to increase the amount of plastic in my coffee brewing due to concerns of chemicals leaching. It would also be more expensive imported as you mentioned. Personally, I was able to get an electric pouring kettle for less than 30 USD shipped and am satisfied with it.

I think it's best use is heating water in a microwave. That way it's both measuring and a pouring tool.

0:04 with a tuck-away/disappearing spout? I’m sold!

Morning James, lovely video to watch while sipping my coffee but I have an enquiry about my coffee; in our house we have had a debate about kettles. We live in the Cotswolds and have quite hard water, with lots of lime scale even when softened. However, we have found that a cheap camping kettle on the gas stove not only tastes 'better' than an electric kettle, but also doesn't deteriorate with lime scale when used. Do you have any thoughts or preferences when it comes to gas / induction kettles over electric? Many thanks :)

"Looks a little bit like a plague doctor" Yep.

I have just discovered this channel a few weeks ago and I'm hooked. I have also discovered I apparently know nothing. I get the feeling after all these years, I am not even close to creating what amounts to a fine cup of coffee.

I would love to travel with that. I am using a pot at my current AirBnB (and I'll be here for months thanks to COVID) to make a Kalita pour-over but this would be a lot better!

I could see this as part of a travel kit. I mean, if we ever travel again. *sadness*

Very concerned that boiling water is going to be held in a plastic vessel, with no information as to whether the PCT plastic has shown to have no/negligible endocrine disruption or estrogenic activity.

This has found its way into my kit for work. We have an instant hot-water tap and the hario air drip kettle is perfect for getting the amount of water I need from that tap to pour into my aeropress as pouring directly from the tap is not possible. The pour is even and overall it’s just nice to use. It’s also very light which is great for portability. Love it.

I don't even drink coffee but I enjoy your videos. I have bought some stuff from your review videos for other people who do enjoy coffee.

The design would have been totally fine, but you have doomed this product to be forever known as the Plague Doctor Kettle.

This could be used with a jetboil for great coffee on-the-go

I think you should run for Prime Minister. So articulate, logical, and comprehensive. Always a pleasure to hear you unleash your coffee knowledge.

Well, here's a data point: the pouring kettle I bought a couple weeks ago was US$20 with free 2-day shipping from Amazon. It holds a full liter, goes directly on the range (ought to work equally well on gas, electric, radiant, or induction, being stainless steel), and when I boil the water in it, its own thermometer stays well above 200 F (93 C) through the entire V60 pour (likely the brew doesn't get quite that hot; I don't have the kettle capacity to do a proper preheat on my glass dripper). This vs. $14 or so for a 350 ml plastic jug that can't be directly heated (except perhaps in a microwave). I dislike the feel of plastic for what should be precision tools. I doubt this will last the way a stainless kettle will. Yes, it's pretty -- but so is my pouring kettle, and it won't get scratched up from repeated washings anything like as quickly.

Price: $1 Shipping: $200 Tax: $500

8:30 James "I'd love it to be bigger" Hoffmann ;)

Hello James, I really enjoy your video's. Very informative,, without all the useless chatter. The new air kettle very different from any other kettle on the market. I look forward to using one.

You are the David Attenborough of the coffee world. Your voice is like a siren luring coffee fanatics in to spend their money on new equipment. And I'm not mad about it.

A thing you didn't considered is that it can be warm up in the microwave (I think)

This would be a very nice travel kettle. I can imagine having this along a stainless steel Kalita wave 155 for making good coffee while on a business trip

i’ve used it all the time at work. its fantastic

Thanks for the review. The nice demo of water flow and the issue of lack of lid hit the points!! Yet the portability and robustness seem to be unbeatable. But for those who do not feel the agitation of coffee during pour-over, this kettle makes no sense and hence is not for them. I wish Hario makes a stainless steel version for direct heating up and pouring without water transferring.

“Plague doctor” has my crying hahaha

So it's a plastic jug? I'm so confused.

before watching this channel I had no idea just how fast water dropped in temperature. Knowing that has kind of helped my cooking skills in general

one important thing to the budget consumer is that i've seen many people buy knock off hario kettles for the pour over, and those are made of materials that rust when you don't dry them properly. So this is a good alternative for the rust free budget consumer too.

This reminds me of the Orphan Pico silicone pouring jug that I use at home: www.oehandgrinders.com/OE-Pico-Travel-Pouring-Pitcher-with-Lid_p_95.html I've been saving up to justify an electric pourover kettle, but it's been a perfectly adequate solution in the meantime. And it's got a lid!

@0:04 that crop really must have annoyed you.

Looks like a great addition to the camping pourover for the backcountry. Small, lightweight, plastic.

I ordered one from Hario USA today...cannot wait to try it.