We recently reviewed the newer Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Studio Edition but didn't find it to be worth its significantly higher price. Ashley Rodriguezhas been in the coffee industry since 2010, having worked as a barista, shop manager, and coffee trainer. Even though you’re only boiling water in your kettle, you’ll occasionally want to make sure you’re removing any built-up scale residue. Kettles with a large opening may let you fit your whole hand into the pot for cleaning, while a smaller opening might require a brush. Some stainless steel kettles are also prone to rust if not properly maintained. Accuracy Tests: For variable temperature kettles, program each to four different temperatures: 175°F, 185°F, 190°F, and 200°F, taking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. If the kettle had pre-programmed settings different from the temperatures noted here, I set the temperatures to whatever ones were the closest.

The thermometer is fastened to the lid and has a shaded area over the optimal brewing temperature of 195 to 205 degrees. Customers add that the spout has a consistent flow rate and is easy to maneuver. There's also a great deal of praise for the handle, which is sturdy, ergonomic, and always stays cool to the touch. Blooming is an important step in the brewing process where coffee grounds are lightly saturated with water before the rest of the water is poured. It makes the coffee release CO2, also known as "degassing," which leads to a purer taste.Bonavita Variable Temperature Electric Kettle: A great variable temperature kettle with a comfortable handle (it had a little divot for your thumb to hold) but the “keep warm” button had to be repressed every time I lifted the kettle. Even though you can program custom temperatures, you have to toggle through +/- buttons to set the temperature versus the EKG’s twisting temperature knob. Stagg Pour-Over Kettle: The Stagg is not induction-friendly and takes much longer to reach boiling than the Hario. I liked the built-in thermometer on the lid, but for almost double the price of the Hario kettle, it isn’t enough to justify the cost. We found this kettle’s nonslip rubber handle comfortable and appreciated some of the safety features, including a red light that lets you know when the kettle is on and steam vents on the rim of the kettle versus on the lid to help prevent potential steam burns. Nigel Price is the founder and owner ofDrip Coffee Makersin New York City. Nigel has worked in the coffee industry for more than a decade. Established in 2015, Drip now has multiple locations. Pourover Coffee Tests: Brew pourover coffee, using each kettle at least twice to evaluate how smoothly water pours out, how much control it offers,and how the handle feels when pouring.

Stovetop kettles can take a beating, particularly for those who have open-flame gas burners. But this simple stainless steel kettle from Coffee Gator is up to any task, and it comes at an affordable price. In addition to being durable and affordable, the stand-out features include a temperature gauge, finger-groove handle, and a precise, reliable spout that you can depend on to up your coffee or tea game for years to come. Materials: All electric kettles that we tested had stainless steel on the interior and exterior. Some stainless steel models are double-walled which helps the kettle retain heat even once the kettle has been turned off. Glass models allow you to monitor the boiling of your water; we find stainless steel models more durable and easy-to-clean. There are also a few ceramic models on the market as well, which are less durable than stainless steel models, but resemble traditional tea kettles in design and style. In testing, this kettle received high scores in speed and temperature accuracy of boiling water and the control panel was bright and easy to follow. One thing we noticed in testing is that the steam is released through a small oval hole in the lid and the consumers should use caution around the hole when the kettle is boiling water to prevent any steam burns. Keep Warm" Test: Press the “keep warm” function (if the kettle has one) and assess how long a kettle is able to keep 200°F water warm, taking the temperature after 15 and 30 minutes with an instant-read thermometer.

Editorial Director Taysha Murtaugh received a sample to test and found the kettle easy to control, with a steady flow rate. "This kettle is comparable to my old Hario model, with one significant advantage: I love that I'm able to control the temperature of each drink, which is critical to my morning French press or pour-over," she says. "When heating up, it does create a louder 'whirring' sound than others I've tried, but if you can even call that a con, it's a small one for great coffee." The temperature can be adjusted between 100 and 212 degrees. A downside to the manual buttons, however, is that you have to press them for every degree you want to change. For instance, if the kettle is set to 170 degrees but you want the water to be 200 degrees, you have to press the button 30 times. While this is more frustrating than using a dial, I've personally never had an issue with it after testing the kettle for a month. I primarily brew pour-over coffee between 198 and 203 degrees, so I don't need to adjust the temperature too often or too drastically. There have been times that I made matcha with 176-degree water, but even then it wasn't much of a hassle to adjust the temperature. I also consider this one of the easiest-to-use kettles that I've tested because the display is so intuitive. You can unbox the kettle and understand all the features right away, unlike some kettles that require a glance at the instruction manual first. Pour over coffee makers are a method of coffee brewing where ground coffee is placed into a paper filter (usually conical or flat bottomed) that sits in a similar sized dripper. Water is then poured over the grounds in intervals and the brewed coffee is collected in the server (jug/carafe) below. Taste Test: After boiling and discarding the water several times, pour a sample of water from each kettle to determine if there are any off-flavors.

This piece was written by Derek Rose, the coffee and tea expert for The Spruce Eats. He researches a variety of coffee products, from measuring scoops to commercial espresso machines, and interviews field experts for their insight. He's a fan of non-electric coffee makers, typically using the Bodum Brazil French Press at home.Aside from that, the Lardera Smart Electric Kettle offers its weight (light as that is) in style, performance, and quality of materials. It's also one of the smoothest-pouring kettles I've used. From French press users to Chemex lovers, two subtle factors make a drastic difference in the quality of your coffee: water temperature and the evenness of the pour. The Coffee Gator Coffee Brewing Kettle covers both these areas thanks to a built-in temperature gauge and a precision-flow spout. If you drink quality specialty coffee and you want to extract the best possible brew then a pour over kettle is certainly necessary. The best water for brewing coffee is usually between 90 and 95 degrees C. This changes between brew methods and recipes.