Thrift Store Finds, Plastic Fixes, and What’s Next

Quick kettle update as we continue to tune, test, and improve:

Latest shipment:

• We shipped out 15 units recently.

• 3 were exchanged by customers — we’re covering those quickly.

• Each kettle was tested three times during assembly, and 8 of 15 were re-tested stateside before shipment.

Plastic part breakthrough:

• We discovered the factory had changed the plastic used in the shuttle valve.

• We sourced our own high-quality plastic and re-shot the mold.

• Early signs show this is delivering higher yield and better reliability.

Vintage inspiration:

• A customer found a 1987 kettle at a thrift store in Michigan.

• I took it apart — it had melted through, but I’m comparing its internal parts against our current versions (weight, dimensions, feel, and finish) to guide improvements.

Next production run:

• We’re kicking off a batch of 100 more kettles (about 400 lbs of steel) for U.S. delivery.

• These will incorporate our latest part updates and process changes.

Post-purchase experience:

• A few customers mentioned the QR code for the troubleshooting video expired (it was tied to a paid service).

• The updated troubleshooting video is now freely available here: Watch the video

Looking ahead:

• I’ve started engaging UC Berkeley and Stanford to recruit Mandarin-speaking engineers for a stack-tolerancing analysis.

• Goal: make the kettle even more reliable — and tune the whistle for a richer, more robust sound.

Thanks again for following the journey — and for your continued support as we scale thoughtfully.

– Christian