The Stagg EKG is a piece of work. It is absolutely a gadget. No way I could say this is essential coffee gear. It just isn’t. This one is for the geeks.
First, it is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. There is simply nothing in the gooseneck kettle that comes close to this level of design quality. Is has a distinctly minimalist look, but it breathes luxury at the same time. Available in matte black, glossy copper, and polished stainless steel.
The pouring spout is designed for the optimal pour-over flow rate. The fluted tip of the kettle ensures to-the-drop precision with no drip back. The handle is probably the most comfortable on the market with a counterbalanced design to the center of mass back towards your hand – encouraging a more relaxed, slower pouring action.
Heating water with the Stagg EKG is blazing fast. 1200 watts for a 0.9 liter (or 30 oz) capacity means lightning fast. The temperature control allows you to dial in the desired temperature to the degree (in both Fahrenheit and Celsius). Finally, it has a HOLD-mode. This will keep your water at the temperature you want for 60 minutes!
The geek-part of this kettle comes with the Bluetooth version of the kettle. This allows you to turn the device on and off from your phone and enables you to track recipes and set temperature remotely. And last but not least, you can use the Stagg EKG+ with the Acaia Brewbar App. This app helps you dial-in your pour-overs and consistently replicate coffee recipes. It connects several types of Bluetooth kitchen scales and compatible grinders at the same time. Too much functionality to explain here, but if you are interested, you can check them out here.
There is really only one downside. The Fellow Stagg EKG+ is only useable on a 120v network and might not work properly outside the U.S. and Canada.
And, full disclosure, some customers report problems with the kettle after a couple of months of use. It’s a relatively new product, so maybe there have been some start-up issues.
I would be inclined to give the Stagg EKG+ the benefit of the doubt.