Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I enjoy experimenting with pour over recipes at home. To sip with my breakfast or lunch, I usually make 350ml~450ml of coffee at a time. This pot keeps my coffee warm throughout the meal, which is to say, it does what I wanted it to do. According to another reviewer, Nancy J. Brower: "What it doesn't do is retain heat. Within 30 minutes the coffee comes out lukewarm. That's when I put my coffee cup in the microwave." As I was contemplating this purchase, Nancy's 2 star review was a cause for some hesitation. Heat retention was one of the primary features I was looking for. Thankfully, thus far, my experience with the Hario VHS-60B has dispelled this concern. Perhaps Nancy's was defective, or else her definition of "lukewarm" is different from my own. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer(at the WHO), the regular drinking of very hot beverages(65 degrees celsius/149 Fahrenheit or above) is a probable carcinogen. I am not interested in developing esophageal cancer, so my ideal sipping temperature may be lower than Nancy's. For the purposes of this review, to clarify the Hario VHS-60's actual capabilities, I ran a simple test. I hope you find the data and my opinion useful. First, heat retention/insulation test: I started out with 500ml of 90 degree celsius water. As shown in the picture, pouring it into the pot cooled it down to 85 degrees. I immediately closed the lid after this measurement. I opened the lid to measure the temperature every 30 minutes after that. I concluded this experiment at 3 hours and 30 minutes in order to go to bed. At each reading, the lid was open for about 20 seconds, during which time the temperature dropped at least an extra half a degree(celsius) or so. Thus, in real use, it may hold a higher temperature for longer; although, I did not simulate consumption by gradually pouring the contents out during this experiment. 500ml remained in the pot until the end. The temperatures below are listed in celsius. Here's the data... 1st reading : 85.8 2nd (30minutes in) : 81.2 3rd (60 min.) : 78.1 4th (90 min.) : 75.2 5th (120 min.) : 72.9 6th (150 min.) : 70.3 7th (180 min.) : 68.0 8th (210 min.) : 66.0 After 3 and 1/2 hours, at 66 degrees celsius(150.8 Fahrenheit), it was still warmer than what I would call "lukewarm." Second, Size and weight: Height : roughly 14cm or 5.5" Width at base : 12.7cm or 5" Weight : 492.7 grams or 17.37 oz Third, pouring characteristics: As other reviews have noted, it's a tad awkward to pour(hence one less star). Filled with 500ml(I ran the experiment with 500ml of water), it began to pour at around a 75 degree angle. Rapidly, to continue the flow rate, I increased that angle to 90 degrees. After maintaining this 90 degree angle for about 350ml, I had to angle my pour at 110~120 degrees in order to empty the remaining 150ml. If you don't increase the angle at the end, it will behave as though it's empty, which is a bit weird at first. I quickly got used to it, so I don't consider this to be a deal breaker. Your mileage may vary. Final thoughts: This is a stylish little pot that keeps its contents warm for a reasonable duration. Its short stature and wide base make it well suited as a pour over platform. My Hario v60(02 size) fits snugly on top. I don't think there are many competitive options in its designated role as a stainless steel, small portion pour over coffee receiver that is double wall/insulated. There are more affordable insulated stainless coffee carafes on Amazon, but they are all taller with a larger capacity(mostly 1.5liters). In this size/shape class, there are a few double wall glass carafe's. If this one doesn't suit your particular requirements, those may be your best bet. I would like to see improved pouring characteristics in future versions(without sacrificing the current insulation characteristics), but, this iteration works well enough for me to recommend.