The Fellow Stagg EKG is a 0.9 litre electric gooseneck kettle built for one job: giving you slow, controlled, accurately heated water for pour-over coffee and loose-leaf tea. At roughly £150 to £165 on Amazon.co.uk it costs many times more than an ordinary kettle, so the honest question is whether the precision earns its place on your worktop. This review is written by Ben, the Kitchen Kit editor, based on several weeks of daily use with pour-over coffee and tea.
Weighing up the options? See our round-up of the best kettles in the UK.
Prices are approximate and move around by colour and retailer, so check the live listing before you buy.
How the Stagg EKG compares to the alternatives
There are three realistic alternatives. A standard fast-boil kettle is faster, holds far more water and costs a fraction of the price, but it pours in a gush and cannot hold a set temperature. A variable-temperature kettle from a mainstream brand gives you temperature presets and a bigger capacity, but the spout is wide and pouring over a V60 is a lottery. A stovetop gooseneck is cheaper again and gives good pour control, but you have to watch a thermometer and manage the heat yourself.
The Stagg EKG sits in the middle of the specialist end of the market. It is the one to choose if you want a proper gooseneck, settable to the degree, with a hold function, and you are prepared to pay for good design. The Stagg EKG Pro adds a larger LCD, a stopwatch and altitude adjustment for a higher price; most home brewers will not miss those extras.
Design and pour: the reason most people buy it
The gooseneck spout is the whole point. It is narrow and curved, so water leaves in a thin, steady stream you can aim at the centre of the coffee bed or spiral outwards. The handle is counterbalanced, which means the kettle feels lighter and steadier in the hand than its weight suggests, even when full. After a few days you stop thinking about it, which is the best compliment a pouring tool can earn.
The build is 304 stainless steel with a solid base, and the finish looks at home on a modern worktop. The matte finishes do show fingerprints, so keep a cloth to hand. The trade-off of a narrow spout is a slow pour: filling a big cafetiere or a teapot takes longer than you are used to.
Temperature control and accuracy
A single dial sets the temperature in one-degree steps, and a small LCD on the base shows the current and target reading. In our use it reached the set temperature accurately, typically within a degree, which is what matters when you are brewing a delicate green tea at 80 degrees or a light-roast filter coffee at 93. The hold function keeps the water at your target for up to an hour, so you can pour a second cup without starting again.
Heating is quick for a kettle this size, but do not expect a full boil in the time a 3kW jug takes. If you want to make a quick instant coffee, this is the wrong tool.
Tea as well as coffee
Tea drinkers get as much from this kettle as coffee fans. Being able to choose 70, 80 or 95 degrees without a thermometer makes the difference between a bitter and a sweet cup of green, white or oolong. For everyday builder’s tea it is overkill, and 0.9 litres is only enough for two or three cups.
Living with it day to day
- Capacity: 0.9 litres, so plan for regular refills if you are making drinks for a household.
- Footprint: compact and tidy, with a small base that suits a coffee corner.
- Cleaning: descale as you would any kettle; the narrow spout means you will rely on a descaling solution rather than a brush.
- Noise: quiet and steady when heating.
- Fill rate: the narrow spout also makes filling slow, so fill from a jug if you are in a hurry.
Is the Stagg EKG worth it?
If you brew pour-over coffee or loose-leaf tea most days and you care about consistency, yes: it is the most convincing electric gooseneck you can buy for the money, and it is a genuine pleasure to use. If you mostly drink instant coffee, teabags or filter machine coffee, a standard kettle will serve you better and save you well over £100.
Pair it with a decent burr grinder such as the Baratza Encore, as fresh, evenly ground beans matter as much as the water. Our best burr grinders under £200 for the UK roundup covers the options.
Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle 0.9L
The standard Stagg EKG is a 0.9 litre stainless steel gooseneck with one-degree temperature control, an hour-long hold function and a counterbalanced handle. The Amazon.co.uk listing was in stock at about £156 with a 4.5 out of 5 rating from over 200 reviews at the time of checking, but colours vary in price, so check the live listing.
FAQ
Who tested this and how
Ben, the Kitchen Kit editor, used the kettle daily for several weeks for pour-over coffee and loose-leaf tea.
Is the Fellow Stagg EKG worth the money?
For regular pour-over and loose-leaf tea drinkers, yes. For occasional or instant drinkers, no.
What is the difference between the Stagg EKG and the Stagg EKG Pro?
The Pro costs more and adds a larger LCD screen and features such as a stopwatch and altitude adjustment. The core kettle, gooseneck and temperature accuracy are the same.
Does the Stagg EKG hold water at a set temperature?
Yes, for up to an hour.
Is the Stagg EKG good for tea as well as coffee?
Yes, particularly green, white and oolong teas where the water temperature matters.
Is the Stagg EKG slow to boil large amounts of water?
It is a 0.9 litre kettle with a narrow spout, so it is not built for large volumes. Filling and pouring are slower than a standard kettle.
