Let’s not beat around the bush – at first glance, a gooseneck kettle looks like a hip accessory for would-be baristas, an unnecessarily ornate piece of kitchen frippery that impresses visitors, but whose purpose is, at best, ill-defined.
But in fact, the gooseneck kettle is a crucial ingredient in the quest for every coffee lover’s holy grail – the perfectly evenly extracted beverage.
Many agree that the pour-over method of making their favourite drink results in the best tasting coffee. The popular technique involves pouring hot water through coffee grounds in a filter into a carafe or mug.
In comparison to other brewing methods, pour-over is renowned for highlighting intricate flavour notes and producing a clean, clear cup of coffee as the filter catches and keeps a lot of the natural oils.
But if you just dump your scalding hot water straight onto the coffee grounds it agitates them, water doesn’t pass through them evenly, and some inevitably sloshes out of the filter. You should add the water gently and accurately – and that’s where your gooseneck kettle comes into its own.
What’s good for the gooseneck…
The gooseneck boils water like any other kettle. But that’s really where the similarities end. While most kettles are just there to get the water to temperature and then just glop out their contents, the gooseneck is designed for precision.
When making pour-over coffee, it’s best to slowly pour the water over the grounds in a circular motion. The gooseneck kettle's long curved neck allows you to control the speed at which the water flows.
Ergonomic Handle design
The handle of a gooseneck kettle gives you a more comfortable grip while you pour. The Brewista Artisan 1L Gooseneck Variable kettle is a perfect example of this, with an ergonomically designed handle. You get a full grip, and the gap between the handle and the kettle is wide enough to keep your hand at a safe distance.
The user has complete control of the rate at which water emerges from the spout - a crucial tool in the box for pour-over fans.
The flow targets much more than with an ordinary kettle, and the user can pour slowly or quickly, offering a level of control over the brew that you wouldn’t find with a conventional appliance.
Incredible Look
The Fellow Stagg Pour-Over kettle, for example, allows you to pour the desired amount of water at a controlled speed to hit all the coffee grounds evenly. And it looks incredible.
A gooseneck kettle gives you the power to get the brew you’re after consistently. When all the coffee grounds produce the same amount of flavour, you get the same taste every time, something that’s simply impossible to guarantee with a standard kettle.
Pour-over brewers require precision
Pour-over is the only coffee-making process that requires a gooseneck kettle, which makes them a bit of a luxury item. That said, many popular manual pour-over brewers such as the Hario V60 need precision pouring to achieve the best outcome and the only way to guarantee that is with a gooseneck kettle.
Both the Brewista Artisan 1L Gooseneck Variable Kettle and the Fellow Stagg EKG kettle also have a handy hold function to keep the water at optimum temperature for up to 60 minutes.
So the gooseneck is not only a stylish piece of kitchenware; it is practical too and is fast becoming the most immediately recognisable symbol of the brew-at-home coffee movement. The striking swan necks, ultra-modern handles and tapered spouts result in a potent combination of style and functionality, making it the must-have accessory for every discerning coffee lover.
