Friday, March 15, 2013

Water Taste Experiments - Hario Buono vs Paico

After wistfully reading Petr's lovely series on Heating Water on Charcoal, I vow to get an outside setup going.  But for this fine spring day, I have to make do with what I have. Today I'm trying to see if there is a difference between gas stove boiled water vs. electrically heated water. It's a battle of the goosenecks in my house today.  


You may be surprised to see the much maligned electric Hario Buono on the left after my repeated tirades of it producing burnt plastic water. I finally figured out how to get rid of this deal breaking toxic taste. After a few minutes of persistent wiggling, I was finally able to pop off the toxic smelling plastic cap which prevents water from dripping into the heating element. Ironically water was condensing on the cap dripping into pot which ruined the water.  I had tried multiple times previously to pop it off but I was afraid to damage the heating element and I wasn't sure how it was attached so I didn't exert enough pressure.

I looked through all my drawers to see if could fashion a stainless steel version of this top cap even bending a silver spoon and a cookie cutter.  After being so easily defeated, I repeatedly poured hot water and baking soda on the cap until the smell was no longer noticeable.   My husband who came home just now offered to make me a new metal cap but since I had already spent two hours willing the toxic residue out if it, I declined.  I am happy to report this teapot is now back in service just in time to replace the rusting Kamjove which I had bought to replace this Hario Buono.

To make sure the Hario Buono was acceptable, I sipped just plain hot water in various cups as well as "brew" the water in teapots. While I could not taste any stainless steel residue in the various ceramic cups, there is a particularly drying quality to the hot water which lessens as it cools down. I also drank the water in stainless steel cups and you could definitely taste the iron and metals. The more water you sip, the more you become attuned and the sweeter the water tasted. Even with my unreliable palate, I could taste ever minute differences between each of the cups of the same water.

The other shiny bell shaped stovetop kettle is a Paico which arrived two hours ago hot from Kowloon to expand this experiment.  I do detect a subtle difference between stovetop and electric heated water but since the two kettles are different despite them being stainless steel, I cannot definitively attribute the taste difference to either mode. The stovetop water has a less drying taste- more refreshing but not as refreshing as the stone pot.

A few days ago in a fit of late night bleary eyed impulse, I ordered this bell shaped stainless steel Paico stovetop kettle. When I showed the ebay listing to my husband the next morning, he rolled his eyes and promptly dinged me on two counts- aesthetics and function. He said it had the wrong kind of flourish and he could already see that the handle and top would be too hot to touch. He was right of course.


8 comments:

  1. Gooseneck and gooseneck. I thought you were looking for something to brew tea in rather than a kettle.

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    1. Oh I was. I bought the Paico for brewing when I realized just the sheer silliness of such a notion. Mostly the interior of a gooseneck is very tedious to clean so it's best only to use it for water.

      h

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  2. Oh, I understand now. I hope you are able to use it for something.

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  3. Hi, would you mind elaborating on how you fixed the plastic quality of the Hario's water? You mentioned baking soda, hot water, and lots of time--I think I know what you did, but I'd really really appreciate more of an explanation! Thanks! Will

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    1. Hi William,

      Even after my efforts of rinsing with vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, the water still tastes awful so I've given up for now and use the Hario Buono kettle to water plants.

      H

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    2. H,
      I took your idea and took it to the extreme. Instead of rinsing, I soaked the plastic cap in a strong vinegar and baking soda solution for 12 hours at a time. I did this twice, and my water is really nice.
      Hope that helps,
      William

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    3. Thank you William!

      I have renewed my efforts and have dunk the cap in the vinegar all night. My replacement kamjove is looking a bit ratty so I would love to restore the hario buono.

      Do you find that even with the plastic cap fixed, the water has a slight electric burnt taste to it?

      H

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    4. Yes, I think you're right. Perhaps the water is boiled too long before the auto-off kicks in. It gets de-oxygenated too much?

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