Amazon reviews of Fellow EKG kettles are good, but there are also some really negative ones. Do you think it is just a matter of high expectation?
I enjoy mine a lot. It has a completely stainless interior, so no plastic comes in contact with boiling water or steam. Depending how much tea you drink, the capacity is a little small, but, it fills quickly and also heats to the set temperature quickly. There’s a switch to hold the set temperature for an hour. It can be a little quirky to see the max-fill line in the interior for water, but after a few uses, you can tell.
One drawback is that it doesn’t have a protection against heating an empty kettle. So, you have to be mindful if the kettle is empty that the base/heater is turned off. Some kettles will sense an empty kettle and turn off automatically.
Overall I think it’s a great kettle.
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My daily kettle, by the way, is a stainless Oster I bought at Walmart 10 years ago. Still works like a champ and iives on my counter
Oxo used to make a gooseneck version of this that is great.
I don’t know about spill-proof - I wouldn’t have a kettle right on my desk, though,
Amazon sells Russell Hobbs adapted to 110 volts. That is where we got ours.
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Indeed, the ones sold in Ireland (and the rest of the EU, for that matter) tend to be ~3000W, which makes a huge difference in boiling times. I own an all-glass Breville model, as well. It’s outstanding: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0716XVNZB/
Growing up in a Chinese family, these things are a requirement in the Chinese household! The family had a Tiger for many years, and we moved on to a Zojirushi when that model when we outgrew it. As we now head up our own homes, we all have stuck with the Zojirushi brand. When we’ve upgraded, it’s for more capacity or more functionality rather than issues, so we’ve had luck with this brand. The Zojirushi models typically come with a plug that easily detaches from the unit for cleaning.
My 4L unit that offers 4 temperature settings - 208, 195, 175 and 160, so it works great regardless of what type of tea you drink most often. The newer models also allow you to control the dispense speed so you don’t have really hot waters splashing all over the place as you dispense water. My prior model (I think) only had 3 temp settings, so if you need a specific temp for your tea, I would double check the spec sheet to confirm that model offers that temp. Of course, Zojirushi often comes at a premium, so if you don’t want to spend the $$, I find the National and Tiger brands all to be quite good and the brands usually have simpler models in addition to the fancier lines with more controls.
Thanks for all your suggestions. Between many answers here and also the other post about Teflon, I have decided to get a Zojirushi electric kettle – not the water boiler and warmer dispenser, but more the typical electric kettle.
I would have never bought it years ago because previously I only wanted a full stainless steel kettle. This one has nonstick (Teflon) coating, but I am giving it a try. I was and had been really interested in the Fellow EKG, but maybe next time.
I have a couple of zojirushi dispensers like yours but the interior is plastic which never bothered me but now I am interested to switch them out for stainless dispensers if possible. I like the zojirushi brand but if they don’t offer a stainless interior option I may try another company.
The only zojirushi model I could find with a stainless interior is not made in Japan but in China (big drawback at this price point) and also lacks the magnetic electric cord attachment, which makes unplugging and moving to fill with water more difficult.
The kettles take too long to boil. Ever since I’ve gotten used to instant dispensed boiling water, waiting for even a minute for hot water seems unnecessary.
Correct. Also the stainless steel model is one of their oldest models. Yeah, all the newer models for Zojirushi has nonstick Teflon coating. I think sometime we also forget the challenge of stainless steel water kettle as they can pit and rust over time.
I have the stainless steel one, and yes I miss the ease magnetic cord, but I can’t say that it’s a deal breaker. It still unplugs without a lot of effort before cleaning. The stainless steal is nice, but it doesn’t seem to offer any pluses over the teflon one I had before, and I share @Chemicalkinetics’ concerns about rusting long term.
I personally have never had a big issue if something is Made in China; for me, it all depends on the quality and reputation of the brand and what materials they are putting in the specs of their product. iPhones are made in China, but it still commands the ultra premium pricing. I think consumers give a lot of flack to the country when they see the label, but it’s the company that drives the QA and inspection of the quality of the materials and build, and then giving the the ok before selling. Any company saying they don’t QC the product or approve the product before being sold is either lying or a poorly run company, or both.
Amazon Lemon Factor (ALF)[1] for the Corvo is 12%, pretty high. Primary complaints seem to be premature death (entirely - within a few weeks or months) or of the on/off switch going bad rapidly, and unreliable temp control for those who don’t want to boil tea water, but it boils anyway. Or who want water to boil, but it doesn’t. Premature rusting/corrosion was mentioned in quite a few.
Several complaints of bad tasting water blamed on the small plastic washer or grommet around the interior temp sensor (this is a tiny thing; I have my doubts about these complaints but who knows).
OTOH, 85% of the purchasers were very happy with it. Spin the wheel and take your chances, which are very good that you’ll get one of the non-lemons.
[1] CK’s already seen this but “ALF” is my completely fabricated and somewhat non-serious term for the combined percentages of 1- and 2-star product reviews.
My google happened to recommend this Fellow EKG review from Kitchn. It is a great praising review.
Fellow Corvo EKG Electric Kettle Review | Kitchn (thekitchn.com)
Quote: " In the three months that I’ve had this kettle, it’s become one of my most-used and most-loved things in my kitchen. Instead of the normal 10-ish minutes that it takes to boil water, it now takes five minutes to reach 212°F. This might not seem like a huge change, but it’s the difference between me enjoying three cups of tea a day, versus just one. I also love how simple the temperature control knob is, and how the digital display makes it easy to see the current temperature of the water…"
I did not know there is a game on the kettle control screen…
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I am not particularly teflonphobic, but can’t imagine why an appliance that is only meant for boiling water is made with teflon… sounds like an April Fool’s joke.
I bought an electric kettle a four years ago because my microwave died and my 43yr old electric stove is down to two functioning burners. It was about $20, IIRC, boils 1.7 liters in under 5 minutes. About 2 minutes for the 16 oz that is my usual amoiunt. I like the glass, so I can shut it off if I don’t need a full rolling boil.
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It has been almost a year, so I like to give a review on the Zojirushi electric kettle. It works great and deliver as I have expected. Its greatest feature is about safety. It is not hot to touch. It has very limited steam, and it is fully water sealed in normal setting, which means if the kettle is toppled, no hot water will be spilled.
Its weaknesses if you will are: no precision water pouring, and no precise temperature control.
Iconically, just today, a young gentleman from the office is giving me his Fellow Stagg EKG. It is beautiful of course. Precise water control and precise temperature heating. Now they are side by side.
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A little late to the party, but for tea brewing I recommend the Cuisinart electric kettle: PerfecTemp® Cordless Electric Kettle - Cuisinart.com. It has several presets for different types of tea.
The Fellow Stagg kettles are lovely, but are really meant for making pourover coffee.
Mine is over 30 years old. I gave one to a friend, her husband put it on the stove to boil. She replaced with another brand. Another friend was visiting, phone rang, my friend went in another room to answer, that friend put kettle on stove!
Justifiable homicide 
.
My first electric kettle was a Russell Hobbes - lasted a long time, but I don’t remember what happened to it.
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