Bonavita bv382510 V – Electrical Kettle

Product Information

We were all taught that most brewers don’t get water hot enough or spit it out at the right rate,” said Katie Carguilo, western coffee manager at Counter Culture Coffee. The Lardera Smart Electric Kettle is a high-end option that fits any coffee lover's setup. And I mean "fit" literally because the kettle is compact and saves valuable counterspace. It measures 10 inches from spout to handle, and the base is about 6 inches on each side.

The other big bonus of electric is that many electric kettles let you set a specific target water temperature. This is a big win. Most fussy-coffee brew methods have a preferred temp to achieve an optimized extraction for a given brew method. For my pour over, it’s 205F. For Megan’s AeroPress preference, it’s 185F. Last, but not least, is the safety issues around shared items. If we can bring our own travel kettle it greatly reduces the risk of contamination or spreading of diseases. The relationship between Gross and his Chinese manufacturer began to sour. In 2020, Smartco sued Brian Gross for breach of contract and trademark infringement in relation to Brewista. Essentially, Smartco alleged that Gross was beginning to market Brewista as his own and had plans to spin out his own U.S.-based business, when the Chinese company was the rightful owner. Gross tried to fight these lawsuits, but ultimately filed for bankruptcy later in 2020 thus ending the legal battle and giving Smartco the keys to the brand. Most conventional stovetop and electric water kettles have a rather wide mouth for speedy pouring. And this works great for many applications, but not when we want control over where exactly our water comes out—and how much comes out at time. It’s very hard to direct a wide-mouth of water over the relatively small area of most pour-over brewing contraptions. Was this Reddit post correct? Is Bonavita calling it quits? Similar to the flavor profile of an Ethiopian single origin, the answer is complex. One version says that Bonavita never went out of business, but was instead hampered by its former U.S. distributor. Now, these stakeholders say, Bonavita is about to rise from the ashes like a phoenix and relaunch like never before: new products are on the horizon, along with old favorites.Seasoned travellers know that investing in travel kettles is a great way to ensure you have a steady supply of hot water whenever and wherever you go. You never know when you might need it, even if it is just to soak your feet at the end of the day after a long day exploring new places. The kettle has boil-dry protection that switches off the device when the water level is too low, so you do not need to worry about forgetting about turning off the kettle. Honestly, I have not (yet) done a side-by-side comparison to every comparable model. So, there may be a good alternatives out there. But the Bonavita is the one I see recommended everywhere—not to mention oftentimes sold in all the third wave coffee shops I visit who offer home-brewing supplies.

This is, in some ways, the easiest question. If you find yourself using or wishing for an electric kettle, you probably have a sense of the size you need. If you’re unsure, and you’re mostly making coffee (or tea) for yourself, the 1L will do you great. The only other significant area of criticism from long-term owners is one that many steel kettles face: rust. But some added TLC, like routine cleaning and towel drying, should stymie rust issues.It was pretty remarkable to see,” said Mark Hellweg, founder of the specialty coffee retailer Clive Coffee. His business has sold high-end coffee equipment to consumers since 2007. In Hellweg’s estimation, the rise of Bonavita — and nicer auto-drip brewing devices as a whole — was a natural after-effect of the third wave coffee shop culture. “It started with specialty cafés and roasters, and the home market followed,” he said. “People started thinking about their home gear more intently,” he said. And, having used it for about 6 months now, it’s a damn good kettle, full stop. It’s trivially easy to fill, the handle is comfortable and solid, and the charging base is super-solid and reasonably-intuitive. Espresso Supply was, for the most part, victorious in these legal disputes, but they took time — and almost certainly a lot of money. And, according to Peterson, there was a growing fear that the Bonavita business was stagnating as a result. “A commitment to newness was lost in the shuffle,” he said. With that came another realization on the Bonavita team that “to move the brand forward Smartco has got to hold it.” Pour spout: Standard | Temperature settings: Precise temperature control and hold | Volume: 1.5 liters Indeed, in 2013, there were 68% more coffeeshops in the U.S. compared to a decade previously, and overall coffee consumption had grown 4% in 2013 year-over-year, according to the SCA. “It was coffee shops that said to Espresso Supply that there’s business here — you have a retail business,” Peterson recounted.

For those hiking or camping outside, you would have to boil water on a heater or even start a campfire to just get a hot cup of tea or coffee. That’s where a travel kettle really comes in handy. Stovetop kettles can take a beating, particularly for those who have open-flame gas burners. But this simple stainless steel kettle from Coffee Gator is up to any task, and it comes at an affordable price. In addition to being durable and affordable, the stand-out features include a temperature gauge, finger-groove handle, and a precise, reliable spout that you can depend on to up your coffee or tea game for years to come. According to Jim Peterson, one of the first salespeople for the Bonavita account (who is now working with Smartco to relaunch the brand), Bonavita’s launch was perfectly timed with a growing coffee zeitgeist. Most of Espresso Supply’s sales were business-to-business, catering to the needs of baristas and coffee shops. But third wave (industry jargon for ‘craft’) coffee was increasingly popular among young people at the time, and demand was increasing for at-home rigs. According to Peterson, many of these companies were adding bells and whistles — like in-machine grinders — to make for a higher price-point. “To us, they were just adding intimidation factors to the consumer,” he said. But they were also adding validation of a new type category.Though quite a new brand, this dual voltage travel kettle from DCIGNA definitely seems to have quite a few fans. It could be it’s size, at only 0.5L, making it an easy travel accessory to bring along with you.

As a standalone item I like the Brewista kettle, although as TSK mentions the lid is attached and I've not owned a kettle with a push button lid that hasn't failed yet (I'm being extra careful with this one). The temp setting functionality is great, it's very easy to brew at a specific temperature. Carguilo did add that the real competitive marks for those startups are K-Cups and Nespresso — that is: ubiquitous, even simpler vehicles for drip coffee — not so much all automatic drip rigs. Still, the fact that they are turning professionals’ heads indicates that mainstream coffee consumption patterns and expectations are changing. And it could mean a more difficult market for the new Bonavita.

The final legal battle

Nigel Price is the founder and owner ofDrip Coffee Makersin New York City. Nigel has worked in the coffee industry for more than a decade. Established in 2015, Drip now has multiple locations. My current tool of choice for that is the Wirecutter-recommended Kalita Wave. The Wave is a forgiving intro-to-manual-pour-over brewer. It’s less in need of exacting pouring than something like the famous Chemex (which I admittedly aspire to buy when both money and time-to-learn are high enough).