The Bonavita Electric Gooseneck Kettle Review
You could have ground the most exotic coffee beans and achieved the perfect grind size for your favourite pour-over method, but if the water temperature is wrong, and you mess up the agitation process… your brew would end up tasting like sadness.
The Bonavita Variable Temperature Kettle that we review today is one of the most popular Gooseneck kettles. But does it live up to its promise? Let’s find out now.
Summary: The Bonavita BV382510V Digital Variable Temperature Gooseneck Electric Kettle
- Set your desired water temperature for brewing coffee
- Hold function heats and keeps the water at the desired temperature
- Ergonomic handle makes pouring easy and comfortable
The Bonavita 1.0 Litre Digital Variable Temperature Gooseneck Kettle allows you to adjust temperature in one degree increments from 60 ̊C to 100 ̊C.
– Bonavita
Bonavita is a well-known manufacturer of specialty coffee equipment. It comes as no surprise that they would venture into the pour-over coffee equipment market with this variable temperature kettle. Let’s see if this kettle can indeed level-up your manual coffee brewing game.
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Design
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Features
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Performance
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Value For Money
Design – 4/5
This kettle isn’t as sleek as the new Hario Smart G. But this model is a more capable variant of Bonavita’s BV3825B standard electric kettle. While they’ve added exciting features, the company has chosen to maintain the functional design of the previous model. This 1-litre kettle is made of brushed stainless steel, with BPA-free plastic on the base, the handle, and lid knob. While the ergonomically designed handle is very comfortable to hold, we feel that the black plastic takes away from the stylishness of the brushed metal finish and makes the kettle look cheaper than it is.
This stainless steel kettle features a long gooseneck spout, a cordless 360° swivel base that makes it easy to grab and place back, and a removable lid with tension adjusters to ensure a tight fit.
Features – 4.5/5
We really like the upgrade and all the extra features as they are incredibly useful for pour-over coffee brewing. If you own a regular kettle or a gooseneck spout kettle that brings water to its boiling point, you might be tempted to pour it immediately rather than wait for it to cool down slightly. Yet, that would be a mistake:
Boiling water (212 F – 100 C) should never be used, as it will burn the coffee.
The Bonavita Electric Gooseneck Kettle saves you time while also saving your brew! Being a variable temperature kettle, you can choose your desired temperature with one-degree increments between 60 ̊C and 100 ̊C. This includes the 90 ̊C – 96 ̊C recommended hot water temperature range for coffee brewing (1). It is a great kettle for brewing tea as well as the lower temperatures are good for white, yellow, and green teas, and higher temperatures get the best results when brewing black teas (2).
You can simply pre-set your desired temperature and start preparing your coffee grounds, thanks to the automatic shut off feature. This Variable Temperature electric kettle has a 1000W heating element that will turn itself off as soon as it reaches temperature, without running the risk of over boiling it. Be aware that it might take up to 7 minutes to get a full pot of water up to 96 ̊C, which is quite a bit slower than some of our other favourite kettles.
The display lets you monitor the temperature in real-time, too. And make sure you keep an eye on that display because there are no audible alerts to let you know that the water has reached the set temperature. If, for some reason, you can’t brew immediately or you want to be able to enjoy a second brew after your first coffee of the day (been there!), that won’t be a problem.
The Bonavita Electric Kettle features a Hold Button that maintains the temperature between 60 ̊C and 98 ̊C for up to 60 minutes.
However, one thing to note is that the hold feature turns off after you lift the kettle off from the base. You need to remember to press the hold button after replacing the kettle. It’s just a minor niggle, but can get annoying if you use the hold feature regularly.
You can also choose between Fahrenheit and Celsius when setting the water temperature, and set the timer through the intuitive, user-friendly interface, which is particularly handy for pour-overs.
Performance – 4.5/5
The Bonavita name is a warranty in itself – after all, three of their drippers are SCAA certified (3) — and this gooseneck kettle doesn’t disappoint. Thanks to the temperature control, this product allows you to control and influence the extraction fully.
The little finger notch of the ergonomically designed handle makes it comfortable to hold for a few minutes, which is a blessing for pour-overs.
It also offers total control over the flow rate, allowing you to pour very slowly or much faster. We did notice that a few water droplets dribble down the gooseneck at slower pours, but it isn’t much of an issue. The consistent flow rate, combined with the fact that it holds a whole litre of water, makes it the perfect gooseneck kettle for the iconic Chemex.
Value For Money – 4/5
While it’s obviously more expensive than more basic kettles that don’t include variable temperatures, it’s great value for money when compared to similar models as it offers you full control and customizability at a reasonable price. Many users have had it for years and, if you look after it and descale it regularly, it will definitely last you for a while. You can’t go wrong with this variable temperature gooseneck electric kettle.
You’re after a more budget-friendly option – The Willow And Everett electric gooseneck kettle is a great device that comes with the same 1000W heating element that quickly boils the water, and shuts itself off. Its high-quality stainless steel construction and well-designed gooseneck spout make this a no-fuss electric kettle. Read our Willow and Everett kettle review to find out if its other features make up for its lack of precise temperature control.
You want to use it on your stovetop too – Do you want to achieve the best pour-over coffee without resorting to electric shenanigans? If that’s the case, we recommend the Coffee Gator kettle. It is compatible with gas, electric, and induction stove tops. You won’t be able to pre-set the temperature, but, thanks to the built-in thermometer, you can manually stop it when you see that it’s reached your desired temperature. Did we mention that it’s our absolute favourite?
You want the latest, high-tech electric kettle on the market – This is an easy recommendation to make. The Fellow Stagg EKG is one of the best electric gooseneck kettles out there. Sure, it’s quite expensive. But it makes up for it with its exquisite craftsmanship and precise temperature control. They even make a Bluetooth enabled variant of it! If that tickles your fancy, you can find out more about the Fellow Stagg kettle right here.
This Bonavita model is one of our favourite pour-over kettles. From the temperature control to the accuracy of the water flow to the high-levels of customizability, it’s a brilliant gooseneck kettle at a reasonable price.
The Bonavita 1.0L Electric Kettle is perfect for manual pour over methods. Its large capacity and meticulous precision make it ideal for the classic Chemex. If you’re someone who brews coffee manually quite frequently, you should definitely check out the Bonavita variable temperature electric kettle.
FAQs
To clean your Bonavita Electric Kettle, mix descaling powder (alternatively, you can use white vinegar) and lukewarm water. Pour it into the kettle, boil it and use the Keep Warm feature to maintain it hot for around 15 minutes, but not longer than an hour. You can then discard the boiling water and rinse the kettle. However, if you see black marks, you should probably do a second descaling process.
Bonavita kettles are made in China.
Yes, the Bonavita Electric Kettle comes with a one-year warranty.
References
- (n.d.). Brewing Guide. Retrieved from https://www.bluemindroasting.com/brew-guides
- (n.d.). Water Temperature For Tea. Retrieved from https://www.tealeafjournal.com/water-temperature.html
- (n.d.). SCA Certified Home Brewer Program. Retrieved from https://sca.coffee/certified-home-brewer
