A handmade Japanese iron kettle can cost over $300. For centuries, artisans have made kettles by pouring molten iron into molds and hammering them out once they’ve cooled. These kettles often have beautiful designs, but they’re only used for boiling water. You can buy a mass-produced stove top kettle for $20, so what makes these kettles unique? And why are they so expensive?

Remembering Barbara Roufs
Barbara Roufs was a favorite trophy girl in the Southern California drag racing back in the ’70s. As a 29-year-old mother of two at the