Water Kettle

A water kettle is an essential tool for coffee lovers, providing hot water quickly and efficiently for coffee making and preparation. Learn more about its benefits and how to choose the right one for your brewing needs.   

  If you are using any of the coffee brewing methods that require you to manually heat up the water ahead of the brewing (Aeropress, french press, manual pour-over) then you may find it convenient to use an electric kettle.  I have found that a goose neck style gives me more control over the pour than just dumping it from a pot.  The electric kettles typically heat up the water quicker than a stove will.  Some kettle styles allow you to heat up the water on the stove, or fire for people who want an old-fashioned way to make coffee.

    Probably the most common reason for using an electric kettle is the speed bonus.  You definitely want to consider how long a kettle takes to get to the temperature before making a purchase.  These should all be less than five minutes, but every second you have to wait for your coffee could seem like forever.

    One feature to look at is temperature control.  For coffee, the ideal is around 200 degrees, or just below boiling.  Some kettles allow you to set the temperature, and among those, some have a greater range than others.  Mine does not have that, I just push the lever and wait for it to get to a boil and then wait about thirty seconds for it to cool.  The biggest key to quality coffee is consistency however you make it happen.

    Capacity is the next item on your list to look at.  Some smaller ones may not be large enough to make enough coffee at one time, totally not cool.  Larger ones may have a minimum fill line that is way more than you want to use.  The latter is less of a problem when you just let the water cool and then pour it into the reservoir of your standard coffee maker, so it is there waiting for its next use.

    Thermal insulation may be a problem for some people.  I like to set my kettle on the counter near my coffee station and require at least the bottom to be cool, so it doesn't mess up the countertop.  I also like NOT burning my arm on accident too.

    The last thing I will be mentioning is appearance.  Aesthetics are becoming more important in the kitchen with color-coordinating appliances and styles.  This may not matter if you plan on storing it away between uses, but just leaving it out as a decoration is also an option.

    If you have a favorite kettle please be sure to tell us about it in a comment and why you like it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Drink Coffee?

Image
Why Drink Coffee? One of the problems I have been noticing is a collection of studies that all seem to contradict each other.  I remember reading about how bad coffee is for you and then another one that discusses the health benefits.  So which is it?  Should I drink it or not?  Not being a scientist I really am not qualified to give a definitive answer, but being armed with some amount of common sense, I can tell you that most of the contradictions are based on flawed studies.  If we look at a population that drinks a pot of coffee to stay awake because they are up all night, then notice that they are on average less healthy than those that get a good night of rest.   It would be easy to conclude that coffee is contributing to this disparity if you fail to consider the difference in lifestyle.  Some of the studies that are more favorable to coffee take this into account for more of an apples-to-apples comparison. Benefits of Coffee 1....
Read more

Emotional Attachments to Coffee

Image
Discover the emotional attachments people have to coffee and the impact it can have on their mental and emotional health. Explore the relationship between coffee and emotions, as well as coping with loss and grief through coffee rituals.  I have been watching a show with my wife called "This is us" on NBC lately.  In one episode a character makes coffee for herself and her husband because that is how her mornings usually went.  After filling up his cup the realization that he just died hits her again.  Fortunately, I have not shared that experience yet, but it made me think.        When talking about the term ritual many think about religion.  One of the definitions according to Webster is "an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner".  When I wake up, making coffee is part of my morning ritual.  How it is done exactly is also a ritual.  I know exactly how much of each ingredient to use.  I mak...
Read more

The Secrets of Coffee: Growing and Processing Beans

Image
     Discover the captivating journey of coffee beans, bringing the rich aroma and exquisite taste of freshly brewed coffee to the world.      To ensure that you can trace the origin of your coffee and avoid any potential supply chain issues, growing your coffee is the best way to go. While it is generally true that coffee is grown in tropical regions at altitudes above 2,500 feet, this should not stop you from growing your own for personal consumption. Growing coffee from seeds takes about three years for the coffee tree to bear fruit.  Each tree yields about one pound of coffee beans per year.      Once it is ready, you will need to  pick the cherries. crush the cherries. soak them in a bucket of water for a day. separate the pulp from the beans. spread the beans out on a tarp or cookie sheet in the sun stirring regularly during the two-day drying process.       Once complete, the finished product is ready for ...
Read more