What Are the Best Pour-Over Coffee Kettle Brands? Pros and Cons of Pour-Over vs. Regular Kettles

When choosing coffee equipment, opening shopping platforms reveals countless varieties of coffee tools that can leave one feeling overwhelmed. Take pour-over coffee kettles for example: while most are constructed from a spout, kettle body, handle, and lid, different shapes and structures result in different pouring effects.

Therefore, choosing the right pour-over coffee kettle is crucial. FrontStreet Coffee will share with you how to select the perfect pour-over coffee kettle.

Temperature-Controlled vs. Non-Temperature-Controlled Kettles

The first step in selecting a pour-over coffee kettle is choosing between temperature-controlled and non-temperature-controlled options. The advantages of temperature-controlled kettles are quite clear: ① Automatic temperature adjustment at any time; ② Built-in heating function, eliminating the need for thermometers and offering convenience; ③ Continued heat preservation during brewing intervals.

However, the drawbacks are also obvious: ① The heating module at the bottom shifts the kettle's center of gravity downward; ② The same heating module increases the overall weight of the kettle; ③ The price is about 300 yuan higher than the regular version (though this might not be considered a flaw for everyone).

Non-temperature-controlled kettles, which are conventional pour-over kettles, come in a wide variety of options and serve as the foundation for many equipment manufacturers' base models.

If your goal is simplicity, you can directly choose a temperature-controlled kettle. There aren't many types of temperature-controlled kettles to choose from, with the more common industry options being B-brand and F-brand. If you choose a non-temperature-controlled conventional kettle, please continue reading below.

Spout

The spout is the most critical factor affecting water stream formation. Spout types on the market can be roughly divided into narrow-necked goosenecks, wide-necked goosenecks, elephant trunk spouts, flat spouts, and hawk spouts. Each significantly affects pouring ease and operational space. The size difference of the outlet directly impacts the thickness range of the water stream.

For example, narrow-spout kettles are characterized by being easy to use and control, but offer limited operational space and cannot use large water flows. A representative is Takahiro's "Shizuku" kettle, nicknamed the "cheating kettle," with a 4mm spout that allows effortless water control.

Wide-spout kettles are relatively difficult to control in terms of water flow and require practice to master. However, their advantage is extremely high versatility. Once you master water flow control, you can freely manage both large and small water streams to meet various brewing requirements, and even the drop-by-drop method can be used. A representative is the Hario stainless steel cloud pour-over kettle, commonly known as the "water mine kettle." It has high operational difficulty but also offers high versatility, suitable for coffee enthusiasts who enjoy challenging difficulties.

Hawk spout kettles are named because their spout openings resemble a hawk's head when viewed from the side. Representatives include Kalita's Master kettle and Wave kettle. The Master kettle's spout opening is longer and pointed, somewhat resembling a pelican. The pouring water stream can be controlled very fine and long, or can produce a large water flow. The Wave kettle's spout opening is wider and shorter, providing a more stable water stream.

Flat spout kettles refer to those where the spout opening is nearly parallel to the horizontal plane, lacking a spout guide design. This tends to create a parabolic flow when pouring, making it difficult to form a vertical water stream. However, they are excellent tools for practicing water control. Once you can master this type of kettle, all other kettles will seem easy by comparison.

Hawk spout kettles feature a downward-curved guide design. Nearly all newly designed kettles in the past two to three years incorporate this design element. The benefit of this design is that it helps users more easily form vertical water streams when pouring. Additionally, the downward curve prevents backflow when using small water streams.

Kettle Body

What's there to consider about the kettle body? Generally two aspects: one is the water capacity issue, and the other is choosing between "fat" or "thin" designs.

Under normal circumstances, pour-over kettle capacities mostly range between 0.5-1.2L, with size selection based on individual strength considerations. The "fat" versus "thin" choice essentially relates to center of gravity. Short, stout pour-over kettles have a lower center of gravity when filled with water, making them more stable, though they require more effort to handle. Tall, slender pour-over kettles have a higher center of gravity and may feel unsteady when not sufficiently filled, so more water is typically used when handling tall, slender kettles.

There's also a type called the palace kettle, which has a structure similar to Aladdin's lamp. Currently, FrontStreet Coffee doesn't understand the advantages of this design—perhaps it's just for retro styling. Friends who know are welcome to share.

Handle

Each manufacturer's handles look different and feel different to hold, but almost every company claims their handle design is ergonomic and saves effort when promoting their products. This indirectly demonstrates that our hands have super adaptive capabilities.

A good handle design makes your hand comfortable to hold and better grasp the kettle's center of gravity when pouring—simply put, it saves effort and is easy to control. The handle designs of most modern pour-over kettles are generally problem-free.

Another point is that the choice of pour-over kettle is closely related to brewing methods. For example, traditional Japanese pour-over kettle designs mostly feature tall, slender bodies with ring-shaped handles, which aligns with their slow-pour brewing habits.

Materials

Most pour-over kettle materials include stainless steel, copper, enamel porcelain, and glass (though probably few people choose glass). From a performance perspective, FrontStreet Coffee recommends choosing copper kettles, as they offer the best insulation and quality. From a cost-performance perspective, choose stainless steel—it's beautiful and affordable. From an artistic perspective, consider enamel porcelain—it adds aesthetic appeal, though it's truly fragile and truly gets hot, but it's also truly beautiful.

Price

Pour-over kettle prices range from 30 yuan to over a thousand yuan. However, unlike grinders, pour-over kettles are different—with good technique, even a 30-yuan kettle can produce excellent results. Therefore, higher price doesn't necessarily mean better quality. When selecting, you can refer to the introductions above about spouts, kettle bodies, and handles.

However, another point to consider is that some online platforms offer exquisitely designed, unusually inexpensive pour-over kettles. Most of these are imitations that might achieve 99% similarity in appearance but will feel different in details and handling (though they're still usable). However, they might also become a reason for beginners to give up on coffee brewing.

Important Notice :

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