Electric Kettles

[belewfripp]

Recently I purchased a Bonavita 1.7L since that seems to be fairly popular, it was on sale and it has by-degree temperature settings. It also seems to actually boil and reboil, as opposed to my previous kettle (A Cuisanart PerfecTemp) which I would swear only reached 212°F/100°C on the initial boil. A few degrees one way or another shouldn't make too much difference in most cases, but the digital readout (even with the margin of error) is really convenient. I am still getting the hang of the goose neck though - I am kind of a messy, semi-imprecise person (despite the amateur experiments with water) and am definitely even messier now with this thing.

If the pandemic ever lets up, the Cuisinart will probably find a new home at the office. I do like the volume gauge that is visible from the outside of the kettle - it's nice being able to see where the fill is at without shoving your face in the sink or risking a steamed eyeball. The minimum volume level of .5L meant I also mostly used up all the water before a refill, which should also come in handy at work.

[Ethan Kurland]

... I am still getting the hang of the goose neck though - I am kind of a messy, semi-imprecise person (despite the amateur experiments with water) and am definitely even messier now with this thing.

That's a surprise! I am messy with almost everything but immediately found a gooseneck spout enabled me to pour hot water without spilling any. The 1 L kettle is easier to handle for me than the 1.7 L is, of course, I have used both without making a mess. I don't think it will take you long to pour neatly.

[belewfripp]

... I am still getting the hang of the goose neck though - I am kind of a messy, semi-imprecise person (despite the amateur experiments with water) and am definitely even messier now with this thing.

That's a surprise! I am messy with almost everything but immediately found a gooseneck spout enabled me to pour hot water without spilling any. The 1 L kettle is easier to handle for me than the 1.7 L is, of course, I have used both without making a mess. I don't think it will take you long to pour neatly.

I think it's one of those things where you get used to the blunt instrument and so when you move to something more precise it's counter-intuitively a bit of an adjustment at first - kind of like how the record player I had as a kid never skipped on my scratchy LPs, not because it was good, but because the needle was too lousy to notice them. But then you play the same LPs on a good system and they sounded terrible.

The fact that there is still water pouring out even when I move away, because the length it travels is longer, is I think the issue - I'm used to pulling away only when the water is where i want it. Now, I think i need to time it differently, like firing ahead of a moving target.

[Janice]

When you’re ready to stop pouring water return the kettle to vertical and the water in the spout will run back into the kettle instead of onto the table and floor. I have the 1l gooseneck and that works for me.

[mbanu]

As the idea of a spout that is not easy to clean makes me uneasy, I avoided a gooseneck when I decided to get an electric kettle. Instead, maybe I fell for another pitfall, old-fashioned looks. I ended up getting the steel kettle that Imperial Tea Court sells. I think they may be new old-stock, because the brand listed on the box, Geibee (吉柲茶業副品行有限公司), does not seem to have a working website anymore, although the store in Taiwan is still getting Google reviews. The kettle itself is also made in Taiwan, and has done a good job for me so far, although I am an infrequent electric kettle user as I only bring it out when I am going to be somewhere that has electricity but no means of heating water for tea. The plugs and voltages used in Taiwan seem to be good for use in the U.S.; the kettle is 110V/60Hz, while U.S. standard is 120V/60Hz. The plugs are the same type.

[belewfripp]

When you’re ready to stop pouring water return the kettle to vertical and the water in the spout will run back into the kettle instead of onto the table and floor. I have the 1l gooseneck and that works for me.

Thanks, it definitely doesn't take as much of an angle to get water out of a gooseneck, compared to something with its spout at the top of the kettle. I think I am somewhat used to not having to be quite so conscious of that.

As the idea of a spout that is not easy to clean makes me uneasy, I avoided a gooseneck when I decided to get an electric kettle. Instead, maybe I fell for another pitfall, old-fashioned looks. :) I ended up getting the steel kettle that Imperial Tea Court sells. I think they may be new old-stock, because the brand listed on the box, Geibee (吉柲茶業副品行有限公司), does not seem to have a working website anymore, although the store in Taiwan is still getting Google reviews. The kettle itself is also made in Taiwan, and has done a good job for me so far, although I am an infrequent electric kettle user as I only bring it out when I am going to be somewhere that has electricity but no means of heating water for tea. The plugs and voltages used in Taiwan seem to be good for use in the U.S.; the kettle is 110V/60Hz, while U.S. standard is 120V/60Hz. The plugs are the same type.

Nice looking kettle - a pale copper (or rhodium-plated) look in the lighting of that photo.

[mbanu]

The lighting is odd, which along with the limited info on it might have deterred online folks. It really is made of steel -- I'd say a more accurate photo than the stock one used by their website would be this.

[stillc]

Hi everyone, I need advice. My dad is a real tea fan and I want to buy him a new kettle because his is really old. Can you recommend any? I know nothing about it, but I thought that one of these might be good.

[Victoria]

Hi everyone, I need advice. My dad is a real tea fan and I want to buy him a new kettle because his is really old. Can you recommend any? I know nothing about it, but I thought that one of these might be good.

Welcome to TeaForum @stillc. I recommend you look through this thread. Many members like variable temperature kettles because the temperature can be calibrated exactly for each tea. Bonavita is a favorite, as is Stagg, while others prefer Brewista Stout Spout.

Electric Kettle Reviews also discusses various gooseneck and shorter spout variable temp kettles.

[stillc]

Hi everyone, I need advice. My dad is a real tea fan and I want to buy him a new kettle because his is really old. Can you recommend any? I know nothing about it, but I thought that one of these might be good.

Welcome to TeaForum stillc. I recommend you look through this thread. Many members like variable temperature kettles because the temperature can be calibrated exactly for each tea. Bonavita is a favorite, as is Stagg, while others prefer Brewista Stout Spout.

Electric Kettle Reviews also discusses various gooseneck and shorter spout variable temp kettles.

Oh great! Thank you for your guidance, gonna read it.

[tea-licious]

Hi all, im new here and iv been reading up here about the best electric kettle for the (starting) tea enthusiast. Thanks for the info
My top 5 for now is; Fellow Stag EKG, Breville Tea Maker BTM800XL, Bonavita, Cosori Smart Electric Gooseneck and the OXO Brew.
The Fellow stag seems to be the most popular.. am I missing one I should consider?

[nightowl]

Hi all, im new here and iv been reading up here about the best electric kettle for the (starting) tea enthusiast. Thanks for the info
My top 5 for now is; Fellow Stag EKG, Breville Tea Maker BTM800XL, Bonavita, Cosori Smart Electric Gooseneck and the OXO Brew.
The Fellow stag seems to be the most popular.. am I missing one I should consider?

I have Breville Tea Maker BTM800XL and it works great!

[Baisao]

The lighting is odd, which along with the limited info on it might have deterred online folks. It really is made of steel -- I'd say a more accurate photo than the stock one used by their website would be this.

I have this one as well as the Stagg EKG and prefer its pour to the Stagg. I can get a thin drizzle or a forceful pour from it. I can also get the spout lower to the tea than with the Stagg, so the gall is only as disturbed as I want it to be. The Stagg churns the gall more than I’d like. This control is useful for gfc.

The Stagg is a great kettle and one Id recommend. It’s faster than the Taiwanese/Chinese one above and has a variable temperature control. For my purposes the Stagg will stay at my coffee station and the kettle above will remain at my tea table.

[DCrunner]

Has anyone used the kettle sold here?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Beautiful-1- ... /587407613

I found it intriguing that it has settings for different types of tea and it looks aesthetically appealing.

[Baisao]

Has anyone used the kettle sold here?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Beautiful-1- ... /587407613

I found it intriguing that it has settings for different types of tea and it looks aesthetically appealing.

I haven’t used it but a couple of possible issues come to mind. The large volume of 1.7L will make it heavier than ideal and may lead to some clumsiness. The spout exit is high on the body and may cause an imprecise pour.

The temp settings offer a good spread though I may not use them as labeled.