Welcome to Gear of the month, our monthly series on coffee hardware. These are pieces of coffee tech that we really love, that we've used a lot in the past month. While not always new, they’re great, and we want to show them to you! This month’s gear of the month is the Stagg EKG+, from Fellow. The EKG+ is the new update to the existing EKG, and it may never leave our pourover counter. Winner of the 2018 Red Dot Design Award, The Stagg EKG+ is a phenomenal new electric kettle from Fellow. It offers an iOS app, Acaia integration, and frankly stunning ergonomics and aesthetics. Overall this kettle is about as loaded with features as is possible for a simple piece of hardware. Though for $200, it better be.
Look and feel
Before we dive into the connected features of this device, is it good at it’s most important function? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Definitely yes. The design of the Stagg EKG+ is about more than just looks. You may scoff at the idea of a nuanced kettle, but we think this one may change your mind. The EKG+’s design ergonomically distributes weight where you want it, and the handles makes flow control from the spout very easy. Even the shakiest of hands should be able to get the perfect pour rate out of this kettle, whether it’s full or nearly empty.
Beyond solid control, it just feels great in your hand. If we have any complaints about the build at all we would say that the lid could be a touch easier to remove. That said, it’s not something we'd knock the kettle for in the end, and it's comparable to other models. Maybe even more impressive than the usability of the EKG+ is how elegantly Fellow managed to pair ergonomics with aesthetics. This kettle is a thing of beauty, in fact, we feel like we need an entire kitchen renovation to do it justice. The Bold lines of the pot married to a striking handle design and satisfying curve to the spout leave a serious impression. That’s saying something for a piece of hardware that is normally quite utilitarian.
Connectivity Covered
But the aesthetics and feel of the EKG+ are virtually identical to it’s older brother, the EKG. Minor differences in texture and coloring are present, but that alone wouldn’t be enough for us to be excited about a $200 kettle. The plus adds connected features that really make it worth the extra price if you don’t already own an EKG. The first of these features is the Fellow EKG+ App, which allows you to set temp and control on/off functions remotely. The app also tells you if the kettle is off of the base. This is a basic but awesome feature for those prone to misplacing gear (like we can be sometimes). It’s simple, but we enjoyed being able to control and monitor temperature from our desks. The downside is that this app is only currently available on iOS, and there's no timeline on and Android release. Even more exciting is the way that the EKG+ integrates with Acaia’s Brewbar app. We’ll do a more in depth feature on Brewbar down the road, but if you’re already using it, the EKG+’s integration might be the most exciting thing about it. Brewbar allows you to save every single parameter that goes into your pourover recipes. Things like temp, grind, weight, and flow rate. The app can store your temp data and set those parameters on the kettle with a touch of a button. It’s a very useful feature if you brew a lot of pourover, because it easily automates a prep step. Again, the rub here is that the app is only available on iPad. We're not aware of any plans for it to hit other devices.
The Verdict
At the end of the day, we feel the tweaks to the EKG+’s appearance and added connected features justify the increase in price. With that said, $200 is a lot for a kettle, and existing EKG owners may find the upgrade cost to be a tough pill to swallow. If Brewbar is intriguing to you and you’re already working with Acaia products, we think it’s a much easier sell. If you're interested in purchasing the EKG+, check it out
here!
Thanks, and remember to make coffee you love!
