A precision kettle
In the UK electric kettles are everywhere. Everyone has one in their home, every hotel room has one, the king has a golden one, and every policeman is legally required to keep one underneath their big fluffy hat.
In the USA very few people own an electric kettle. Instead people get hot water by burning fossil fuels, microwaving a cup, or directly from old faithful.
There are a few reasons for this difference:
- The USA has lower voltage than the UK so it takes longer to boil water with electricity.
- US Americans don't drink that much tea. Although the number of tea drinkers is increasing.1
As a life long electric kettle haver I wanted to share how much better it is to have a precision electric kettle, but most of my audience are in the USA.
My precision kettle is probably my favourite consumer product I've ever owned. Instead of just boiling water, it heats it to the exact temperature of your choosing. It's also very good looking and delightful to use. Ironically it's made by a US company.
Affiliate links for Fellow Kettle
Amazon – Fellow Corvo – classic precision kettle (for tea drinkers)
Amazon – Fellow EKG Pro – gooseneck precision kettle (for coffee drinkers)
If you use these links to buy a kettle I will make a small amount of money at no extra cost to you. You will also be financing the interplanetary dreams of the world's richest man.
Benefits of a precision kettle
- Better tasting tea and coffee
A precision kettle gets you better results from your brews. Coffee is best brewed at93°C / 199°Fand depending on the tea the optimal temperature can be between60°C / 140°Fand100°C / 212°F. Green tea particularly should not be brewed at high temperatures or it will taste bitter. - Saving time
You save time by not boiling the water all the way, and you save time waiting for the water to cool down before you can drink it. You also save time and electricity having to reheat your tea because you forgot it while you were waiting for it to cool down in the first place. This can become a infinite loop. - Preventing unwanted moisture
Precision kettles don't produce steam unless you set them to100°C / 212°C. If you live somewhere that traps damp this can actually be an issue. - Reduces the chance of burning your tongue or worse
Boiling water is dangerous and if you burn your tongue you won't be able to taste your tea. If you burn your worse you may have to go to hospital and leave your tea at home. - Saving money
Precision kettles use less electricity, though not enough to offset the cost of the kettle itself. You can use the tool below to find out exactly how much money you can save. Sadly, it is not very much. I built the tool before I did the calculation and now I feel foolish.