Best variable temperature kettles available now?

[ethan]

Please help me think. There have been posts about electric kettles for variable temperatures, but it would be helpful to get uptodate advice. I would like to hear now about your experience & thoughts, especially on these:

Bonavita came out w/ two @ $90 that sound ideal (except for the price). Has it lived up to its hype? Do you have the 1.7 liter or the gooseneck spout?

Adagio 3 Utilitea sounds excellent & seems the best value for $, but noise has been mentioned. Is it terribly noisy?

Pino --excellent but breaks down; then bad customer service. Has your kettle lasted or were you serviced well?

Thanks.

[AMH004]

I have been using a Pino kettle for a year and a half without any problems so far.

[tinols]

Get the bonavita. They have a good track record even though the company hasn't been around for a long time. Most people in the coffee forums love the Bonavita. It's precise by 2+- degrees F. Other variable kettles are 10+- degrees. It's expensive, but it'll last.

[debunix]

If one of my Pino kettles dies, I'll be trying a Bonavita--love the idea of the improved control I'll have pouring through that gooseneck spout--much less mess for my tea trays to contend with.

[ethan]

Thanks, everyone. Bonavita's gooseneck spout & ability to dial any temp accurately is probably going to win me over quite soon. I looked over credit card records today & saw that I haven't spent > $65 on anything for myself in a year.

[phoenixK]

I have used the Pino on a daily basis for over a year and it has worked very well. I like that it tells you the temperature at all times. The only downside of it is, when the water level gets low, the temperature swing is very large when reheating.

The Bonavita seems to have a long goose neck. Do you think that will cool the water adversely when pouring?

[ethan]

Bonavita offers 2: 1 liter w/ gooseneck & 1.7 liter w/ normal spout. I just ordered the gooseneck because I often spill when pouring & hope it will be easier to be neat & a couple of other features led me to choose it.

Adagio Utilitea owners say they are quite satisfied w/ theirs; so, I took a long time to decide. After my Bonavita comes & I get to use it, I'll tell you whether I am happy w/ it.

[campfire]

No one's mentioned the Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp kettle. I've been using it for about a year and have had zero issues so far. The only downside to it is that it can't go under 160F, but if I want less than that I just pour the water into another device and let it cool until it reaches the temp I desire.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17- ... B003KYSLNQ

[MacGuffin]

As cool as I think these pots are, isn't there a school of thought to the effect that water should invariably be boiled, then cooled to the wanted temperature?

[debunix]

In places where water safety is uncertain, a full boil first may be a very good idea, but with my reasonably safe tap water, I've not bothered and still enjoy my tea.

[theredbaron]

As cool as I think these pots are, isn't there a school of thought to the effect that water should invariably be boiled, then cooled to the wanted temperature?

Yes.

That's why a Yusamashi is used.

[debunix]

That's why a Yusamashi is used.

Mine get the most use keeping cooled water handy to dilute tea that is both too hot to drink yet and a bit overly strongly brewed.....perhaps not what they were intended for, but it keeps me happy and my tea more drinkable.

[theredbaron]

That's why a Yusamashi is used.

Mine get the most use keeping cooled water handy to dilute tea that is both too hot to drink yet and a bit overly strongly brewed.....perhaps not what they were intended for, but it keeps me happy and my tea more drinkable.

When i drink Japanese tea i love touching the Yusamashi to see if the temperature is right yet. For me this is part of the ritual, i would miss something if i would not do this.

[the_economist]

^+1
Testing water temperature with just touching is hard though. Takes practice...

[theredbaron]

^+1
Testing water temperature with just touching is hard though. Takes practice...

That is for me the joy of drinking tea, years and years of practice, always something more to learn about it, and slowly but steadily improving.