What Are the Benefits of a Gooseneck Kettle?
Gooseneck kettles give you unparalleled control over your pour, which gives you the best flavor and taste out of your coffee. You’ll achieve proper extraction with the help of a gooseneck kettle, giving you much better coffee than with a regular kettle.
What Should You Look for in the Best Gooseneck Kettle?
If you’re unfamiliar with pour over coffee, you might be unsure of what to look for in a gooseneck kettle and why. Do you need one that has all the bells and whistles? Do you need an electric kettle or will a stovetop model work just fine?
Here, we’ll go over the important options of a coffee kettle, and how to decide which one is the best option for you.
Electric or Stove Top
This is probably the most important decision to make when deciding on your pour over coffee kettle.
A gooseneck electric kettle is typically going to be the better option for crafting your pour over coffee. Electric kettles will mostly outperform stovetop models in getting up to temperature faster.
Another advantage of gooseneck kettles is their ability to boil water to your desired temperature. While this isn’t necessary, it will make things simpler in the long run.
With a stovetop pour over kettle, you’ll have to monitor the temperature of your water in order to get it just right.
That said, an electric pour over kettle can be more expensive than their stovetop counterparts, but if you plan to use your kettle once or twice a day, an electric option will be worth the investment.
Stovetop Kettle With a Thermometer
When choosing a stovetop kettle, it might be helpful to get one with a built-in thermometer. This can help you ensure that you’re reaching the exact temperature you desire for your coffee or tea.
However, if you don’t want to spend the extra money, you can still make pour over coffee without a thermometer.
The general rule is to bring water to a boil, take it off the heat, and let it sit for 30 seconds. Keep in mind that different factors, such as elevation and room temperature, can affect the final water temperature.
Setting the Temperature
Most electric gooseneck kettles will offer some type of variable temperature setting. If you want to make minor adjustments for fine-tuning your pour over, then look for a variable temperature gooseneck kettle that lets you adjust the temperature in one degree increments.
If you’re not as detail-oriented, some gooseneck electric kettles offer preset temperatures. These are predetermined temperature settings to accommodate various coffee and tea setups (i.e.: white tea or black tea), but they won’t give you precise control over your the exact temperature.
Capacity
When choosing a pour over kettle, you’ll need to decide what size works best for you. If you’re just making coffee for yourself, you can get by with a 0.8-liter kettle. If you’re making coffee for more people, you’ll want a bigger kettle, 1.2 liters or larger.
It’s also worth mentioning that you should consider the preheating stage of the pour over process when choosing a capacity for your gooseneck kettle.
Why? Well, certain coffee maker/brewers, namely glass and ceramic ones, have a higher thermal mass and will absorb much of your initial heat during the pour over process.
This will negatively affect your brew temperature and result in poor extraction of your coffee grounds, so it’s vital that you preheat these types of brewers.
So look for a kettle that holds more than you intend for your coffee. This way, you’ll have enough for this crucial preliminary step.
Water Flow Rate
When choosing a pour over kettle for your coffee maker, you usually want to find one with a slow water flow rate. This is because you want a controlled flow of water to filter through your coffee grounds, which will give you a better cup of coffee.
Too much agitation can lead to a less than an ideal cup of joe.
However, if you’re primarily using your pour over kettle for other purposes, such as tea, a kettle with a faster water flow rate will suit you better.
Get a Grip—Handle Considerations
When choosing a gooseneck kettle, the handle is also something to consider.
Some designs can get hot, especially with stovetop kettles. Look for a kettle with a handle that is made from a material that does not conduct heat. This is one nice thing about the Bonavita gooseneck kettles. They use comfortable rubber sleeves on their handles, which keep the handle cool to the touch, even after boiling.
If you have larger hands, choose a gooseneck kettle whose handle protrudes away from the body of the kettle. This way, the outside of the kettle won’t come into contact with your hand when pouring.
Another consideration, especially if you have arthritis or another condition that makes it difficult to grip objects, is an ergonomic handle. The best gooseneck kettles have a handle that is angled to ensure ergonomic use.
Best Electric Gooseneck Kettle in 2024
To follow are the best electric gooseneck kettles available in 2022. They’re tried and true, of sound quality, and made from high-grade materials such as stainless steel. Oh, and they’re highly rated amongst coffee drinkers.
