Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Review: a pricey kettle that finally treats coffee nerds right

I’ve been using the Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Matte Black for a few weeks now, mainly for pour-over coffee and the occasional tea. Before this, I had a basic $40 electric kettle with no real temperature control and a very clumsy spout. So when I hit “buy” on this thing, the price felt a bit stupid for “just a kettle.” I went into it half-expecting to regret the purchase.

Day to day though, it does feel like a different category of product compared to my old one. The first morning I used it, I noticed two things right away: the precise temperature control actually works, and the pour is slow and very controlled. If you’re used to dumping boiling water quickly, this will feel weird at first. But for pour-over, it’s clearly better. I could hit 205°F, 200°F, 96°C, whatever, and it was dead on every time.

That said, it’s not perfect. The capacity is only 0.9L, so if you’re making coffee for more than one or two people, you’re doing at least two rounds. Also, for this price, I’m not super relaxed about the long-term durability. I’ve read enough reviews about units dying or acting up that I’m keeping the box and the warranty info close by. Mine has been fine so far, but for this money, I want it to last years, not months.

Overall, my first impression is: it’s a niche tool that makes sense if you care about pour-over or tea temperature, and probably overkill if you just want hot water for instant coffee or random tea bags. I like using it, I like how it looks on the counter, but I’m also very aware that there are cheaper kettles that boil water just as well if you don’t need all the controls.

Let’s talk about the awkward part: the price. This kettle sits firmly in the “premium” zone for something that, at the end of the day, just heats water. If you compare it to a basic electric kettle from a generic brand, you’re paying several times more. So the real question is: are the extra features and the nicer design worth that difference for you personally?

If you’re into pour-over coffee or precise tea brewing, I’d say the value is there, but it’s not cheap. You’re paying for: accurate temperature control, a very controlled pour, a clean look, and some quality-of-life features like scheduling, hold mode, and a built-in timer. All of those do make daily coffee brewing smoother and more consistent. My coffee is more repeatable now, and I don’t have to guess if the water is too hot or too cool. Compared to my old kettle, that’s a real upgrade in daily use.

If you just want hot water quickly for random uses—instant coffee, ramen, basic tea bags—then honestly, this is overkill. A much cheaper kettle will do the job just fine, and you won’t fully take advantage of what you’re paying for here. Also, given the mixed reports on long-term reliability, I don’t think you’re paying for a guaranteed decade of use. You’re basically paying for performance and design now, not for indestructibility later.

So in terms of value, I’d call it good but very targeted. For coffee and tea nerds who care about their routine and want control, it’s a justifiable splurge. For casual users or people on a tighter budget, there’s better bang for your buck elsewhere, especially if you’re willing to sacrifice the fancy screen and super-precise pour.

Design-wise, this thing is clearly meant to sit on a counter and be seen. The matte black finish looks clean and modern, and it doesn’t scream “appliance” the way a lot of shiny stainless kettles do. The footprint is pretty compact: roughly 10.3" x 6.8" x 7.9", so it doesn’t eat your entire countertop. The base is low-profile, and the cable is about 2 feet long, which is okay but not generous. If your outlet is far, you’ll probably need an extension.

The gooseneck spout is the main design feature that actually matters. It’s narrow and has a restrictive flow, which gives you very controlled pours. For pour-over, that’s exactly what you want. For quickly filling a big mug or pot, it’s honestly annoying because it’s slow. If you try to force it by tilting the kettle too far, you’ll get some awkward dribbles and maybe a bit of water coming from the lid area. That’s not really a defect, more just the trade-off of this kind of design.

The full-color screen on the base is simple but clear. No nonsense graphics, just basic menus and numbers that are easy to read early in the morning. The dial has a decent clicky feel. It’s not super premium like a high-end stereo knob, but it’s good enough that you don’t feel like you’re going to break it. The UI is pretty straightforward: turn to select temp, push to start. Dive one level deeper and you get settings for scheduling, hold, chime, etc.

Overall, in terms of design, I’d say: it looks good, feels intentional, and is clearly built for pour-over nerds. It’s not the most practical shape if you mainly want to boil lots of water fast. But if your morning ritual involves weighing beans and timing pours, the design choices here actually make sense and help instead of getting in the way.

In terms of comfort and ergonomics, this is where the Stagg EKG Pro actually shines for me. The handle shape is well thought-out: it’s angled and has enough distance from the body that your fingers don’t feel the heat, and it’s easy to control the pour with your wrist. I’ve done multiple 3–4 minute pour-overs back to back, and my hand never felt strained or awkward. Compared to my old bulky kettle, this one feels much more precise and lighter in use.

The heat-resistant handle does its job. Even after bringing water close to boiling, the handle stays cool enough that you don’t think about it. The kettle itself is not double-walled, so the metal body gets hot, but that’s normal. As long as you grab it by the handle like a normal person, you’re fine. The lid pull is also plastic and doesn’t get too hot, but again, it doesn’t feel premium; just functional.

Usability-wise, the interface is mostly simple. Turn the dial, pick a temp, push to start. There are some extra taps needed if you want to mess with scheduling or settings, but that’s not something you do every day. Where it can get a bit annoying is when you just want hot water fast and you’re not in “coffee ritual mode.” The restricted gooseneck flow and smaller capacity mean you’re standing there longer to fill a big mug or a French press. So comfort is high for careful brewing, and a bit low if you’re just rushing.

Overall, from a comfort point of view, I’d say: great for deliberate, slow brewing; a bit overcomplicated for casual use. If you’re the type who likes the process of brewing and doesn’t mind taking a couple of extra minutes, you’ll enjoy using it. If you just want to slam hot water into a cup and get on with your day, you might get slightly annoyed by how “proper” this kettle wants you to be.

The kettle body is made from 304 18/8 stainless steel, which is pretty standard for decent kitchen gear. The finish is matte, not glossy, so fingerprints don’t show as badly as on polished metal. The handle and lid pull are plastic, and there’s food-grade silicone used externally (it doesn’t touch the water). There are optional wooden accents on some models, but mine is the basic matte black plastic/metal combo.

In the hand, it feels pretty solid. The body doesn’t flex, and the base doesn’t feel hollow or super cheap. That said, it doesn’t give the same tank-like vibe as some simpler kettles I’ve owned that had almost no electronics. The lid is probably the weakest-feeling part. It works, but for something you touch every single time, it could be sturdier. I’ve seen other users mention rust on the lid area over the long term. I haven’t had that yet, but I’m keeping an eye on it and drying it off instead of leaving water to sit there.

The internal finish looks clean, and after a few weeks of daily use with filtered water, there’s no major mineral buildup yet. Fellow does warn that you’ll get mineral stains over time and that you should descale regularly. That’s normal for any kettle, but it matters more here because you’re paying a premium and you don’t want it looking rough after six months. Also, it’s not dishwasher safe, so you’re stuck with hand cleaning and descaling.

My honest take: materials are good but not bulletproof. It’s clearly nicer than a bargain kettle, but with the amount of electronics in the base and the reports of some units dying, I don’t get the feeling this will last forever. If you’re okay with that and you treat it gently, it should be fine. But if you want a kettle that you can beat up for 10 years without thinking about it, this might not be the best match.

Durability is the part where I’m a bit cautious. I haven’t owned this kettle for years, so I can’t pretend I know how it will age long-term. But between my own use and digging through other user reviews, the story seems mixed. Some people report several years of daily use with no major issues, while others talk about units that refused to heat, dead displays, or needing to jiggle wires inside the base to get it working again. For a premium-priced kettle, that doesn’t inspire total confidence.

On the positive side, the stainless steel body and general construction feel decent. Nothing rattles, and the base sits flat and stable. The automatic shut-off and other safety features seem to work properly. I haven’t had any random shut-offs or strange behavior so far. The cable is a bit short, but that’s more of a usability thing than a durability problem. Using filtered water and descaling regularly should help keep the interior in good shape, and Fellow clearly expects people to do that.

On the negative side, there are weak points. The lid is one I’m not fully confident about: it works, but it doesn’t feel like it will survive rough treatment for years. Some users mention rust around that area and a lack of good replacement parts or support once the warranty is over. Speaking of warranty, you do get 2 years standard, plus 1 extra year if you register in the US, which is better than nothing but still not huge for a product at this price point. It’s nice that they at least stand behind it for a while.

So my honest view: it’s built well enough, but it doesn’t feel indestructible, and the electronics mean there’s more that can go wrong compared to a basic kettle. If you buy it, I’d treat it like a semi-premium gadget, not like a $20 appliance you can just toss around. Keep your receipt, register the warranty, and expect to descale and care for it if you want it to last.

Performance is where the Stagg EKG Pro actually justifies a lot of its price. The to-the-degree temperature control is not a gimmick. I tested it with a separate thermometer, and it was usually within 1–2°F of the target, which is plenty accurate for coffee and tea. Going from room temp to around 205°F with a typical pour-over amount of water (around 600 ml) took me roughly 3 minutes, sometimes a bit less. It’s not the absolute fastest kettle I’ve ever used, but it’s consistent and doesn’t overshoot wildly.

The hold mode is very handy. I often set it to 205°F, grind my beans, and then maybe get distracted for a couple of minutes. When I come back, the water is still at temp and ready to go. You can also tweak how long it holds, which is a nice detail. The brew timer built into the base is also practical. I use it to time my pour-over instead of pulling out my phone. It’s basic but does the job: start, count up, stop.

The pour performance is clearly tuned for slow, precise brewing. Flow is restricted, which means you can easily hit a consistent spiral pour or controlled pulses without flooding your coffee bed. For pour-over, this is great. For anything else, it can be a bit of a pain. If you’re trying to fill a big thermos or a large teapot, you’ll be standing there for a while. And as mentioned, if you tilt too aggressively to speed it up, you risk water dribbling or splashing out around the lid area.

Overall, in terms of performance, I’d call it very solid for its target use: pour-over and temperature-sensitive tea. It heats fast enough, stays at temp, pours slowly and predictably, and the screen plus dial combo makes it easy to repeat the same process every day. For general-purpose kitchen use, you’re paying for features you probably won’t fully use, but for coffee and tea nerds, the performance lines up well with what you actually need.

On paper, the Stagg EKG Pro is basically an electric gooseneck kettle with to-the-degree temperature control, a full-color screen, scheduling, hold mode, and a brew timer. Capacity is 0.9L, which is fine for one big mug or two smaller coffees. It’s clearly built for pour-over and more serious tea drinkers, not for filling a big teapot for a family of five. The base has a dial that controls everything: temperature, settings, timer, and all the little options like chime volume and units (°F/°C).

In practice, the main things I actually use are: set temp, start, hold mode, and the built-in timer. The fancy stuff like WiFi firmware updates and scheduling are nice to have, but I’d say they’re secondary. I did try scheduling once (set it to be ready at 7:15 in the morning), and yes, it worked. Water was hot when I walked into the kitchen, which is handy when you’re half asleep. But after a few days, I went back to just turning it on manually because my wake-up time isn’t always the same.

Heat-up time is pretty quick for the size. From room temperature to around 205°F took roughly 3 minutes for me with about 600–700 ml of water. It’s not instant, but it’s definitely faster and more consistent than my old cheap kettle that had no readout and just vaguely boiled. The hold mode is actually one of the most useful parts: you can keep the water at your chosen temperature for a good while, which is very handy if you’re grinding beans or doing other stuff and don’t want to reheat.

So if I sum it up, the Stagg EKG Pro is basically: a small, precise, pour-friendly kettle with a lot of smart features that you may or may not use fully. If you just need water boiled and don’t care about 195°F vs 205°F, it’s overkill. But if you’ve been annoyed by overshooting temperatures and clumsy pouring, this is the kind of product that actually fixes those problems in daily use.