Kinto SCS-S02 Brass and Walnut Pour Over. $200. Purchase.
Fellow Stag EKG Pro Gooseneck Electric Kettle in White and Maple. $200. Purchase.
I purchased this Kinto SCS-S02 in July 2019 and have been using it daily for the past 7 years. I have tried other brewers, such as the Cilio Ceramic Dripper #4, Hario Switch, and Kalita Wave 185 but I always return to the Kinto. Sometimes I use the included small “4 cups” (2 mugs) pitcher, but typically I brew it straight into a mug as shown.
Every morning I use a conical burr grinder to grind light roasted coffee beans in a 1:17 ratio. I used to roast my own green coffee beans that I sourced from Sweet Maria’s, but now I’ve taken the easy route and am subscribed to Trade, which does an amazing job combining freshness, my preferred roast profile, and variety.
My ideal cup of coffee doesn’t have an oily mouth feel, so rather than using the metal filter it comes with I use a Hario V60 02 paper filter. I find this setup makes an excellent cup of coffee and appreciate that all the water must flow through the grinds (unlike the Hario Switch which allows water to bypass the grind stack once released). I also appreciate the thin glass doesn’t have significant thermal mass, which allows the water to stay hot as it brews the coffee and negates a significant pre-heating process, such as that required by the Hario Switch.
I first learned about Kinto from a Blue Bottle coffee shop in Oakland that served their to-stay coffee in strikingly beautiful Kinta 8290 Unita mugs. I purchased a set of four that same day. A few years later I noticed Kinto had released the SCS-S02 and decided to give it a shot. I still believe it is the best pour over on the market for both taste and countertop refinement. I now have over 20 pieces of Kinto glass wear, including their water glasses and insulated whiskey glasses. For maintenance I use a little cutting board oil on the walnut base every 6 to 12 months.
I purchased my first Fellow Stagg Electric Gooseneck Kettle in November 2022, my second in August 2025, and have gifted it to my mom and good friends. Gooseneck kettles serve one purpose (or maybe two if you’re like me and also water your house plants with it) and that’s to make pour over coffee. If you just want hot water for tea you should go with a kettle that pours much faster. That said I do enjoy how I can easily lower the target temperature when I am making tea.
My first Fellow Stagg Kettle was the base model and I actually prefer its handle—it is unbranded and a bit more matte. That kettle also has a nice simplicity to it, the control knob only presses in and twists for on/off and temperature target. The benefit of my newer “pro” kettle, pictured here, is the ability to schedule it to be boiling by the time I arrive to the kitchen on early mornings—a critical feature for early morning dawn patrols. The pro also has a new lid design that helps it attach and detach more easily, a clock, and max boil temperatures based on elevation, which is helpful for house guests so they don’t crank it to 212F and find the kettle nearly jumping from boiling so hard. For maintenance I (A) do an overnight diluted vinegar soak every 3-6 months since we have very hard water and the deposits build up fairly rapidly and (B) oil the maple lid and handle at the same time to ensure they don’t dry out and crack.
All in all I believe this is the ultimate morning pour over setup that maximizes both the quality of your coffee and the aesthetic of your countertop.
