Electric kettles are designed to make your life easier. They tend to follow two heating options: heating the water until boiling point or heating the water to a specific temperature set up by you.
Either way, you don’t have to worry about the kettle boiling over.
Because you can control the temperature of the water, electric kettles have become the ultimate choice for all tea drinkers, including Japanese tea.
Electric Kettles Are Superior For Brewing Tea
As all tea drinkers know, getting the right temperature for your brew will release the best flavours.
Many classical western teas only need to reach boiling point (100 degrees Celsius). However, more defined teas like oolong should be steeping in 90 degrees Celsius water, and delicate white teas should be soaking in 80 degrees Celsius water.
Not all electric kettles will be able to balance these exact temperatures, however, every electric kettle will stop boiling at 100 degrees Celsius. This means that most of your Japanese tea options will find a perfect brewing temperature in a standard electric kettle.
Because every electric kettle will stop at 100 degrees, you don’t have to watch and wait for the water to boil. It only takes a couple of minutes to reach the right temperature too. This means you put the kettle on, walk away and come back to a clean and prepared brewing environment.
Electric kettles will not overflow or heat their handles, creating safer equipment for you to use. As they don’t have to worry about being near a hot hob, the handle can be on the kettle’s side. This makes the process of pouring the water easier to manage.
For all of these reasons, electric kettles are the best option for tea drinkers.
The Best Electric Kettles For Brewing Japanese Tea
Although all electric kettles are perfect for brewing tea, these 5 below are the best.
The Brewista Artisan Gooseneck Kettle 1.0L
Aesthetic
The Brewista Artisan Gooseneck kettle is arguable the prettiest kettle on our list. It has a sleek minimalist design with a delicate but sturdy spout. The spout has an elegant goose-like neck, which is both beautiful and functional.
User-Friendly
This goose-neck design allows the water to tip in a smooth glide, preventing splashbacks and giving the pourer complete control.
The Brewista also has an easy to use precise digital temperature function, ranging from 60 degrees Celsius to 99 degrees Celsius. This level of precision is why it is perfect for Japanese tea, as you can boil the water to your exact needs.
Ease of Cleaning
Cleaning the Bewista is easy, too, as the touch panel screen is made out of durable tempered glass. Without a lot of buttons for you to push, you can simply wipe the surface and not have to worry about loose tea leaves getting stuck in the panel.
Special Features
Although accurate temperature control is Brewista’s best function, it does have more special features.
The temperature display allows you to monitor the degrees of the water as it boils, and the timer can allow you to set the kettle up for a specific time.
There is also a Super Boil function which will boil the water to 100 degrees without changing the temperature dial. This is best for quick boils when brewing less delicate flavours.
Pros And Cons
Pro
- Precise Digital Temperature Dial - 60 to 99 degrees Celsius
- Goose-Neck Spout
- Easy To Clean
- Keep Warm Function (Water remains at temperature for 1 hour)
- Easy Grip Handle
Cons
Hario V60 Buono Kettle with Temperature Adjustment
Aesthetic
The Hario V60 Buono kettle has a similar design to the Brewista. However, it sticks to an ergonomic and traditional metal template. The metal outline doesn’t release more heat than the other kettles in our list, however, you should not touch the barrel while it is boiling.
User-Friendly
To allow you to pour the kettle with comfort, the handle is made out of heat prediction rubber. This will stop any of the heat from harming your hands. The neck of the kettle also has the same goose-like design as the Brewista.
Again, this means that you can pour the water with ease. There will not be a splashback of boiling water, and you will have complete control over the water rate.
Ease of Cleaning
The Hario also has an LED screen to tell you the exact temperature. Alongside the screen are four buttons, two of which move the temperature up and down, one for a super boil and the off button. These buttons have a plastic covering, which means you can easily wipe over the surface without hurting the electronics.
Special Features
The Hario also has a Keep Warm Function, but this one only lasts for 15 minutes. This shorter time will probably be long enough to enjoy a second cup of tea from the same boil, but ideally, we would have liked a longer warming time.
Pros And Cons
Pro
- Precise Digital Temperature Dial - 60 to 96 degrees Celsius
- Goose-Neck Spout
- Easy To Clean
- Keep Warm Function (Water remains at temperature for 15 minutes)
- Easy Grip Handle
- Affordable
Cons
- Fully Metal
- Short Keep Warm Time
Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Kettle
Aesthetic
The Stagg kettle’s aesthetic goes back to a minimalist design. This time, Stagg opted for a hard border to create a striking shape. The handle, for example, is designed to separate your fingers for optimal grip, however, it looks as though the top part is missing.
The top area simply isn’t needed, which is why Stagg hasn’t included it, but still, the lack of visual balance produces a staggering asymmetrical beauty.
User-Friendly
To match this hard and direct design, the spout doesn’t have a goose-neck shape. Instead, the thin tube is almost square to fit the aesthetic, but the slight curve keeps it functional.
This thin and angled sprout gives you precision pouring parallel to the handle.
Ease Of Cleaning
Although the Stagg is minimalist in design, the dial and screen are slightly raised away from the base. This means that crumbs and loose tea could easily get stuck under the equipment. Unfortunately, you cannot take these elements apart to clean, so instead, the user will need to be careful not to clog these areas.
Special Features
Unlike the other controlled temperature kettles on this list, the Stagg can reach an unusual low of 57 degrees Celsius and push up to 100 degrees Celsius without using a Super Boil feature.
Pros And Cons
Pro
- Precise Digital Temperature Dial - 57 to 100 degrees Celsius
- Precision Pour Spout
- Hold Option (Water remains at temperature for 1 hour)
- Easy Grip Handle
- Small Design
Cons
- Expensive
- Easy To Get Dirty
- No Super Boil Feature
Alessi Plisse Electric Kettle
Aesthetic
The main reason why this kettle is so highly rated is because of its beautiful design. It is also super simple to use.
Available in white, black, grey and red, this kettle is tall and slender. Its pleated plastic pattern makes it look as though you were viewing fabric. The delicate ins and outs of the kettle create a beautiful centrepiece all by itself.
User-Friendly
The Plisse is the easiest kettle to use out of all of our 5 top choices. To turn it on, you simply need to flick and switch, and after a couple of minutes, the water will be boiled.
However, simplicity comes at a cost. You cannot precisely control the temperature of this kettle. Instead, it will reach 100 degrees Celsius and then stop boiling.
It also cannot keep the water warm, nor does it have an LED screen to tell you what the temperature is.
The spout of the kettle isn’t designed to be precise either. Instead, the kettle prioritises fashion and simplicity over delicate usage.
Ease Of Cleaning
Although there are no screens to worry about, the pleated folds can hold dust. However, the material is made out of plastic, so it can quickly be wiped clean.
Special Features
There is an anti-limescale filter in the kettle to make the machine last for years after purchase, and it has a thermal insulation base which means you can put the kettle on a sensitive surface without worrying about it burning or melting.
Pros And Cons
Pro
- Simple To Use
- Easy To Clean
- Easy Grip Handle
- Elegant Design
- Anti-Limescale Filter
Cons
- Expensive
- No Ability To Hold Temperature
- No Temperature Precision
- No Precision Pour Spout
Fellow Corvo EKG Electric Kettle
Aesthetic
The Corvo is very similar to the other Fellow on our list, the Stagg. It has a similar minimalist design however, the Corvo is a lot smaller.
This kettle is designed for a one-person household.
User-Friendly
Unlike the Stagg, the Corvo doesn’t have a precision pouring spout, instead opting for a larger pour for quicker results. Although this spout is faster to pour, it can result in splashbacks.
Ease Of Cleaning
Just like the Stagg, the Corvo has a temperature dial and an LED screen. However, as the kettle is smaller, the Corvo has a tighter design, meaning that small particles from tea leaves will be less likely to get stuck.
This makes the cleaning process easier.
Special Features
Unlike the Plisse, this simpler design still has the important features that tea drinks desire. It has a temperature control dial and a hold feature to keep the water hot.
Pros And Cons
Pro
- Precise Digital Temperature Dial
- Hold Option (Water remains at temperature)
- Counter Balance Handle
- Small Design
- Affordable
Cons
Summary
These are the 5 best electric kettles for Japanese tea drinkers.
Most of them have the rare ability to control the exact temperature of your water, which is super important for delicate teas. All of them will quickly reach boiling point to make the experience easier. And many of them can keep your water hot ready for a second cup of tea.
