James Hoffman getting upset with a square lid is the premium content I'm here for.

“…and fans of Pythagoras may already be ahead of the curve on this one” 🤣🤣

“I don’t want to stroke my kettle.” Well said, well said.

As a Fellow kettle owner, can attest you won't need a second kettle for flow rate. It easily pours 1lt/sec through the lid for French press or self defence purposes.

This got way nerdier than I initially thought it would. best way to describe this whole channel, really :)

“I don’t want to stroke my Kettle” -J.H.

7:46 James : "I don't want to own two kettles" *Currently showing 8 kettles*

I think the Felicita’s square lid is a feature, not a bug. It makes it much easier to perform my daily boiling of the kettle lid.

"I don't want to stroke my kettle" - J Hoffman 2021

“I don’t want to own two kettles” says James while standing in front of 8

"You ca't make water hotter than 100C ...at sea level" is a JH classic

I bought the Bonavita about 2 months ago after my cheapo electric kettle decided to stay on all night with no water in it and melted the plastic bottom, which I feel extremely lucky that it didn't set my kitchen on fire. Seeing James say the Bonavita was the benchmark really made me happy that all the research I did on electric gooseneck kettles paid off. James has helped me make a better cup of coffee over the last year after starting off with a french press, then convincing me to move to a pour over. Thank you James, if I ever find myself in the UK wherever you may live, it would be an honor of mine to buy you lunch.

The laminar flow breakup point seems really important if pouring your v60 from a stepladder.

I enjoyed James dropping the lid into the kettle way more than I should have.

I love this video so much. The data, the frustration, the fact that this is a video comparing kettles. I love all of it.

My family has the Bonavita 1L and 1.7L. I feel like your descriptions of the Bonavita is spot on. It was the best quality for our budget and we use it for pour over coffee, classic European tea brewing, and gong fu tea brewing. It works very well. My wife even bought the non-electrical version for watering plants because she likes the way they pour.

There is an important test not seen in the video: temperature accuracy for each of the kettles.

Im imagining James sitting at home, quietly weeping about all the waterstains in the closeup views at the beginning!

I use my home Bunn machine's carafe. Pours surprisingly well and the water is always instantly hot. I use it as intended for drip coffee if I'm making for a lot of people AND the whole machine is about the same price as these 👍 I do love these over the top specific gear review videos though, always informational and enjoyable.

Had a Dualit for three weeks which couldn’t hit the selected temps below 100 & refused to heat back to 100 if it had cooled down & you pushed the button again. It would also turn off for up to 10 secs when it reached 95 from cold, before eventually kicking back on to get higher. I returned it to Amazon as faulty & got a replacement. Thankfully it behaves as it should & is lovely to use, looks good in the kitchen & was one of the least expensive quality brand goosenecks. I’m really happy with it.

"Fellow Stagg EKG is nice to pour, has intuitive design" Me: ok i guess "It also let you play Snake on it" Me: _Fellow really outdid themselves this time_

“At sea level” Yes, just yes….this is what I came here for.

I've had my Bonavita for about 8 years now. My first kettle and it has held up quite well. Another little hidden feature is if you press the hold button when you are pouring, it acts as a brew timer in case your scale doesn't have one. I've grown accustomed to the handle shape with the index finger rest, and I feel it lends me to pour more precisely in a circular motion. Definitely recommend.

All of my coffee nerd friends absolutely love the Fellow Stagg and have always recommended it to me, but I ended up going for something a bit cheaper since I was new to making my own pourovers so I just opted for the Bonavita, and I have 0 regrets doing so. I also love making tea in a gaiwan or just in a steel infuser if I'm feeling lazy and the Bonavita is perfect for that as well. I will say that the Stagg does make nailing down the pour technique for something like a V60 a lot more trivial given its restrictive flow compared to the Bonavita (you definitely have to be a bit more delicate or you risk pouring too fast) but I don't think it justifies the cost when it's just something to get used to and isn't really problematic after some practice.

I’d swear that listening to this guy talk makes coffee taste better

This was a good reminder of James's strengths as a reviewer. The objective comparison of the pour pattern was inspired. I also like it that he commented on the length of the shorter cord on the Bonavita, which is of great practical concern, even for those who live in teeny, tiny homes.

Hi James, thank you so much for finally made this video! I waited quite a while for this content. I have the felicita square at home, and your comments are totally what I experienced. I also quite dislike the base, and the lid (i once accidentally dropped the lid inside for misplacing it). The temperature overshoot also somehow frustate me, too. So, usually I set and hold it at 1-2 degrees lower of targeted temperature, and now I’m very used to it. Like you have mentioned about its flow rate, i like it. It is easy to adjust whether to be very fast or slow for pour over. I bought it because it is cheaper than the stagg (which I also wanted to have) and it’s not bad to be displayed in my kitchen. Thanks again james! Always love your videos!

I’m really stressed out about an upcoming home move, mostly due to the multitude of decisions that have to be made. One of those decisions is getting a new electric kettle for my pour overs and Aram espresso machine… this video allowed me to quiet all that stress and find a happy place. Cheers!!

“It beeps, quite a lot of beep. Perhaps too much beep, but still a beep.” I enjoyed this bit quite a lot.☺️

Minor addition: When it comes to gaming, Fellow Stagg DESTROYS its counterparts.

Thanks James for posting. Your content is always amusing and helpful. I understand and appreciate coffee in new ways! I so look forward to my morning cup!

time to find out whether or not i like my kettle!

The empirical test you missed was accuracy of the temperature settings.

I think this is one of the best reviews of anything on youtube. Thanks James!

As an owner of the Stagg EKG, I can definitely recommend it for gongfu cha. It is almost certainly is overkill for making a cup of tea, but for tea ceremonies it certainly provides the correct amount of control when pouring into a gaiwan/tea pot.

"I like a beep - as long as it is a good beep" - captures the essence of why I love your videos! Amazing, how you are casually geek away with something as "simple" as a kettle.

I've owned the Fellow Stagg for about a year and a half now, and there's a few things that are definitely worth mentioning for the home brewer: 1. The click/scroll-wheel is extremely susceptible to grease. If you keep it near your stove and you cook with products such as olive oil, tiny oil particles will make their way underneath the wheel and cause it to get sticky. You'll regularly want to wipe down the base to keep it clean. 2. The kettle by default will hold the temperature for five minutes, and setting it to the "HOLD" mode increases that up to an hour maximum. That's why it will keep the water at a running boil if you set it to 100 degrees. It also means that you probably never have to use the "HOLD" mode. 3. As clearly shown here, the pour is astronomically slower than other kettles. If you're used to pouring with the Stagg on the daily, and you then switch to something like the Bonavita at a friend's house, you'll probably spill a bunch of water because of the vastly faster flow rate. 4. Holding the click/scroll-wheel will also start a timer with a countdown, which is nice if you don't have scales with a timer. But if you're looking at an electric kettle, you should already own one of those. Or buy that first. Seriously, get a nice set of scales before you even consider buying this kettle. 5. The switches at the back feel a little flimsy and honestly should be better for the price you're paying for the brewer. 6. It is the best looking electric kettle on the market and nothing comes close, it genuinely makes your kitchen look nicer. It's also the primary reason why I bought mine - I use it on the regular when I take photos for a client of mine, a coffee roaster, and it's already made its money back.

I really appreciate the depth of evaluation you put into this . Well thought out ! Thank you

That comparison of breakup length and the way different streams agitate the coffee slurry were very eye-opening and well put together!

16:15 ... And now you all know why sewer lids/manhole covers are all circles.

I have the Dualit and have been using it for several months. I'm really happy with it and couldn't imagine spending more money for a different pouring rate/style - it's a great kettle for pour overs, French press, and all-round usage.

I've recently gotten into pourover coffee and have mostly been working with my parents' "normal" kettle and that's worked well enough. My own kettle, however, has a hopeless spout to pour from, so I finally took the step and got the cheapest gooseneck kettle I could find because that's all my budget would allow. It's like night and day, I didn't think it would matter as much as all that but it's a whole other world of control! Thank you for your informative reviews, @James Hoffmann !

I've had the Bonavita kettle for 8 years now. It's fantastic for my daily pour over as well as for french press on the weekends and my evening cup of tea. The volume of the kettle is ideal, in my opinion. Can't recommend it enough.

"I like a beep." "Doing this for a living kind of has broken my mind, I suspect." - J. Hofmann (2021)

Of all the other uses for a kettle, instant ramen was the last thing I'd expect James to say

Clicked this wanting a review, what I got is a review and the science that underlie the review, power curves, flow profiles, laminar flow tests. My inner geek is swooning with joy right now and I'm only a third through it. Been thinking of getting one of these since i have the stovetop Hario right no so the timing couldn't be more right. Same with the aeropress series, was thinking about it and found James channel when looking at it, perfect timing. Whenever I see a new video from James, I know my day is going to be good.

This is a surprisingly good comparison which is fantastic. The approach to the heating speeds was a lot more interesting than it needed to be.

"Its a long length of unbroken water". This is on another level. This is officially the deepest coffee channel out there 😮

“I don’t want to stroke my kettle.” Have you ever taken the time to ask your kettle if it wants to be stroked though?

Another great review. A real talent for ergonomics - I wish the various makers would request your assistance when it comes to create a new device.

A random quirk with the Bonavita is that when filled to the max and pouring, some water can drip out of the top. Otherwise, an excellent product! I use it everyday for tea and coffee. It's also $50 USD in the US, which is a stellar deal!

I've bought the same Hario V60 decanter after your advice, James, and can't thank you enough-the best coffee-wise decision so far! I love my Ethiopia brewed in it, and I use a standard, thick-necked kettle with it. These are fancy-looking, though.

Never thought I'd not only watch but be interested in how flow rates compare between popular options of a type of kettle I'm probably not actually going to buy. The level of this in-depth analysis on a product which on the surface just basically heats up water is impressive, informative, and entertaining. I appreciate this kind of information and unbiased analysis of competing products is now out there, but just the fact that he makes it interesting and explains why he's critical of a certain point is impressive in its own right. I feel like I could watch this guy narrate paint drying and still be interested in what he has to say about it. Absolute gem of a channel.

That has to be the most in-depth and involved kettle review I've ever seen, and I loved every minute of it! Sadly the Cosori kettle I bought a couple years ago wasn't included. I love its separate temperature preset buttons for quick setting and not having to remember what temp is need for the coffee or tea I'm making. I admit to testing its pour quality after watching your video.

I've used the both the Bonavita and the Stagg quite extensively. The Stagg feels much better overall but like you said, i only use it for pour overs due to the crazy slow pour. The downside to the Bonavita is that the inside floor oxidized a tad and i just don't like the idea of boiling water with with a kettle that could be corroding. Great review!

"I don't want to stroke my kettle" might be the weirdest, but truest (yes, that's a word) thing I heard today. I actually asked for a video on kettles (comparisons, what factors might play a role) a while ago. So I really appreciate this one. I kinda like the square one. The shape of the lid might not be the most practical thing, but it looks nice to me. Plus I like the idea of having this dial to set the temperature instead of a button I have to press over and over again (and even more when I accidentally miss my desired temperature)...watching this channel long enough made me appreciate some weirdly specific things.

This has to be the most niche title I've ever seen 😂 love it

Thank you for making the exact video I needed six days before I needed it. I loved the way you explained everything so cleverly and it appealed to my scientific side and my coffee obsession.

I own a Bonavita and just found this channel while researching whether there was something better. I've used it for years, and while I generally favor a "if it isn't broke don't fix it" approach to equipment, sometimes you just get that itch to nerd out and upgrade some gear. After watching this though, it kind of feels like I've got one of the best kettles already. The only real solid upgrade that doesn't come with its own downsides is probably the Hario, but given the price I'm just not sure it's worth it. So thank you, you've saved me from unnecessarily upgrading equipment that doesn't need an upgrade. And now I can instead spend that money on something new :) Maybe I'll upgrade my grinder instead or something.

"I like a beep...if it's a good beep." "Too much beep." As someone with an aversion to the blinkification and beepification of everything these days, I'm so grateful you let us hear the beeps. And three of them is for sure two beeps too many.

Just when I thought I couldn't love this man any more. So fun, pedantic and charming. Who doesn't need to laugh...I too like my kettle to beep at me.

I appreciate how you approach everything scientifically and analytically; you aim for high-quality content, which is not universally true for all coffee-related vlogs. Your cheeky, irreverent commentary is always a plus. I own the Fellow Stagg EKG+ kettle, which I like quite a lot. As I only use it for pourovers and brewing individual cups of tea, it’s slower pour rate is not a problem. I like its high-quality, unfussy design, remote connectivity via the iOS Fellow app, as well as its accuracy. At $199 here in the US, it’s not an incidental purchase, but I’m a coffee geek who likes gadgets that perform well.

Highly appreciate the flow rate comparison for tea and other things! Nicely done

I love your reasonably objective measure of pouring quality, but I'd really have liked to see it done with hot water instead of cold. The viscosity of water changes quite markedly at different temperatures, so that would definitely affect the stream of water leaving the spout.

I have the Bonavita, and as a coffee & tea drinker I really love it.

Love your attention to ergonomics - a man after my own heart. More important than many other bells and whistles. Gotta love the interaction with things in life.

Love my bonavita. Really simple to use and I think the flow is really easy to control.

I have the Bonavita and there are a couple things I’d like to add: Firstly, there is a timer, though you can only use it when the kettle isn’t on the base. When you remove the kettle, the display turns to 00:00, and the timer starts if you press the + button. The one downside to this is that as soon as you place the kettle back on the base, the timer immediately goes away. The kettle comes with a plastic cover to put on the base to make it a bit more water resistant. I think it makes it look… cheaper… but interestingly enough, I find that the display is actually easier to read through the plastic cover than without it on. Bonavita also sells a silicone flow restrictor that fits into the spout from the inside - I got a 2-pack (they didn’t sell in singles) for $1.50 CAD, so it’s a fairly cheap option that makes it a lot easier to pour at a slow flow rate. It can definitely pour pretty fast if you’re not careful, and if you’re only ever using it for pourovers it’s a very cheap thing to try out that might prove helpful. I will say though, it’s an absolute pain to put in, since you need to reach into the kettle to stick it in. I don’t have small hands, and my hand definitely doesn’t fit through that opening, so I’ve used long-nosed tweezers to try and shove it in or pry it out. A friend of mine who has a Fellow Stagg tried it and said that with the flow restrictor, the maximum flow is about the same as that of the Stagg. I agree with you on a couple of the negatives: the cord is far too short (and because it’s “hidden” by winding it inside the base, you only really have a few different lengths it can reasonably be), and the lack of beep is annoying. I only ever use the “hold” function because that way I know I won’t have to reboil it after missing it finishing. Also, the handle being attached on the top and bottom does make it feel more sturdy, but it doesn’t feel as comfortable to hold as something like a Buono or a Stagg. Having said that, Bonavita is a fairly major brand that has a decent presence in major home retailers, so it’s fairly easy to return or replace if something goes wrong. I picked up that kettle on sale for $78 CAD (about £45 or $62 USD), but it regularly retails on Amazon.ca for around $90 which is pretty reasonable.

I mean, who are we all kidding, we're getting the Stagg purely for Wormy.

Thank you so much for the review. Just hearing your criteria was really helpful! Really appreciate your thoughtful content!

I personally don't enjoy coffee, though I do enjoy a nice cup of tea. My wife loves it and brews a cup of pour over every morning, and I bought her the fellow kettle for Christmas last year. There was literally no reason for me to sit here and watch a 28 minute long video comparison of different kettles, but here I am. I think you could read that incredibly dense book and go into minute details about laminar flow and I would still sit here and enjoy the entire hour. You've got a gift man.

I researched all of these then bought the oxo, it is brilliant. No regrets after 2 years of use.

I enjoy how nerdy this is. There is no way I would've thought of all these variables to study for my kettle.

I have the Diguo and honestly it feels like a step up from my Hario stove top kettle. It heats the water quickly and it pours perfectly well into my V60 and Flair. Budget winner.

I had the brewista for 6 months - I really like it. No complaints what so ever and for me that is rare.

There’s also a built in stop watch on the Fellow Stagg, which personally I find very convenient

i was expecting Destin from SmarterEveryDay to jump into frame and yell: "Laminar flow"!

This videos is well made. It give me overview idea of science and design of electrical kettle which is surprisingly wonderful.

I’m looking for a new kettle. I was hoping you reviewed kettles, and perfect! But I just had to say I love that you cite “physics of pour over coffee” it’s a small detail but you’re really fabulous with the details, and I really like the way you create videos.

Really appreciate you testing for actual drawn wattage, since this is quite important due to different heating elements beeing used in these kettles. Therefore the resistance, volts and amps differ and probably would have thrown off your chart.

I've had the bonavita for almost a decade and it's still as good as new except for a ding in the lid and a bit of discolouration where the stainless meets plastic. Yes, the heating is slower than every "dumb" kettle I've ever tried, but it never overshoots the set temperature.

The “B” logo hidden in the handle of the Bonavita is why you have the the finger lip. I love mine mainly because it’s 1L which is easy math, and it remembers my temp preference.

I have the Timemore scale, and I just absolutely freaking love how it matches the base of the kettle. Two black squares with no buttons whatsoever.

Thanks, James, for another entertaining engaging, and throrough review! I don’t personally own any of these kettles. I own the OXO BREW pouring kettle, which was purchased for $100 USD in early 2020. While I haven’t actually measured the pouring distance or speed, it certainly heats very quickly. It has a single dial to change the temperature from C to F. The same dial also sets the desired temperature with a button on the middle, and an actual temperature readout via an analog readout just behind the dial button. It beeps when your desired temperature as been reached, then holds Your desired temperature for 30 minutes before beeping again as it shuts itself off. I like this hold feature as sometimes I’m multi-tasking (ie making breakfast on the stove) while making coffee as well and this way I don’t have to reheat the water. I just go from where it left off. I think the UI & UX is really just excellent. I sometimes use it for cooking and baking as well ecause the rapid boil is way faster than boiling water in a pan on the stove. It’s advertised volume is 1 liter. The pricepoint was a bit much for me at the time, but I really enojoy using it. I think it’s qualities seem to beat a lot of the other kettles reviewed in this video (and is still low-medium in the price range of $85-125). And it has no extra frills. No games. Just a 3-4’ cord, their classic black silicone-style handle, a ROUND lid, one control knob and an easy to read and understand, green number readout, almost like that of a classic Timex or Casio watch. A future review of this kettle would be appreciated! I’m quite satsfied with it. While I have no desire myself to change at all, I think others could benefit from knowing of it’s existance. I expressed a similar a comments regarding this kettle after seeing review of the Fellow Stagg kettle. (This comment is a bit more detailed however.)

The Bonavita everyday. Much more versatile, and it wont break the bank.

I settled on the Stagg Studio. It does pour slower but that's fine for my pour over. Love James' videos and have learned soooo much from his knowledge. Half way through his World Atlas and recommend to everyone. No sponsorship or connection... just love reading about coffee!

I got the Dugio, bought from 2 years ago. Brewed over 30 filter coffee bags and im still using it until now. Love it! :)

After several videos I finally figured out why I like this channel so much; it's a science channel in disguise

I've had the stovetop version of the Fellow Stagg for a long while now. I've owned the temp adjusted Brewista in the past too. I enjoy the slow flow rate of the Stagg; I've never splashed anything I've been pouring into, never overfilled a baking recipe that calls for precise amounts of water, it doesn't overfill my flair espresso maker either. Everyone seems to enjoy tea made with it too, I'm able to get a decent amount of aeration/agitation with a controlled long pour. I enjoy how the handle design prevents me from brushing my knuckles against the heated metal of the main body like a lot of kettles seem to. I've already replaced the lid's handle with one I made from a rare endemic timber, and will likely make a few more. It looks great on the kitchen bench, and I never put it away. There's something to be said for slowing down and enjoying the almost meditative rate of flow too. We can't give in to the agitated-coffee-drinker stereotype, James!

I love your videos. You have every case, every equipment, every comment, every time, every video. 5 stars

Such a nice review! Thank you so much, James! 😊

When I was going research for which variable kettle to buy, it seemed like the consensus was to just go with the bonavita. I would agree with what you said about the benchmark, it's simple, effective, and has some nice utilities without any gimics. The other kettle that most recommended as a upgrade was the fellow stagg. I think one thing that maybe could have been evaluated as well is just the look and design. I know this is widely subjective, but I know a lot of people love the stagg because it just looks really cool and elegantly minimalist. May seem absurd, but as I get deeper in my coffee and tea journey, I am realizing more and more that people will pay a premium price for something that looks sexy haha.

One feature that is useful, if you have a Flair espresso maker, is the ability to make continuous steam. I use the double funnel method to heat the brew chamber and portafilter. The Fellow does a good job of this.

This is an amazing video! Thank you so much for making it!

Good on you James. I loved it. Thanks for your valuable explanation

I have the OXO pourover kettle, I'm pretty happy with it. Good power, good price. I do have a bit of leak from the lid if I want to pour a lot, but that's my only complaint.

I've owned the bonavita for about 7 years now and it still feels brand new despite it being used twice daily. Mine came with a plastic cover for the base to protect it from water splash which I feel could be an issue with some of the other models with a wheel.

I've got the Brewista and thoroughly enjoy using it in my espresso bar. Pretty intuitive. It looks good on the counter. People want to know about it and want to talk about it. It's a great way to start a conversation about pour overs.

Thank you for this content, especially to know which ones don't beep. 💜

Love a good graph. One little recommendation for again, plot the y-axis on a log scale and the relative difference in kettle performance would have been more obvious.