Gooseneck coffee kettles are all the rage right now in cafes and in homes thanks to the popularity of pour over coffee brewing.
But what is the point of a gooseneck kettle and do you really need one?
If you are unsure of the function and benefits of a pour over kettle, this article is for you.
We answer the common queries of ‘why use a pour over kettle’ and ‘can you make pour over coffee without a gooseneck kettle’, as well as many other burning gooseneck kettle questions.

What Is A Gooseneck Kettle?
Gooseneck kettles are slightly different to normal kettles, thanks to their design.
They have an elegant and long swan neck, with a tapered spout and ergonomic handle.
Pour over kettles are not only a stylish coffee accessory, with a rather modern appeal. They are also highly functional, used for precision brewing.
What Is The Point Of A Gooseneck Kettle?
To make the best pour over coffee possible, it’s important to add the water in a gentle and precise way. This ensures the coffee is saturated and extracted evenly during the pour.
Sure, normal kettles can work just fine when making a regular coffee, but they tend to pour water in a heavy handed and clumsy manner.
This can disrupt the coffee grounds and cause the brewing process to be uneven, which is not ideal for pour over brewing methods.
So the point of a gooseneck kettle is to make precision brewing a lot simpler. They improve the control you have over the flow rate of water over your coffee grounds and the consistency with which you can saturate and extract your coffee.
The gooseneck allows you to alter the flow rate with just a small wrist movement, while it would take a bigger forearm movement with a normal kettle.
A normal kettle is also heavier, and as it doesn’t have the gooseneck spout, you simply don’t have the same amount of control.
The way in which the gooseneck kettle and spout is designed allows you to have more control and precision over the flow of water that you’re pouring into the filter.
You can pour the right amount of water in the exact spot you’re aiming for, every time.

Can You Put A Gooseneck Kettle On The Stovetop?
Traditional steel gooseneck kettles are suitable for use on a stovetop, but electric gooseneck kettles are not.
It is important that you always check the product description to ensure that the product is suitable for stovetops if that is the use that you have in mind.
Also note it is worth checking whether the product you have in mind is suitable for gas, electric and/or induction stovetops, as this will vary depending on the product.
To make sure that the gooseneck kettle can be used on a stovetop, we recommend looking for one that is made out of stainless steel, or for one that has a multiple-layered base.
These are designed for use on a stovetop and are durable enough to avoid being damaged when heated on the stove.
In addition to stovetop gooseneck coffee kettles, there are also electric pour over kettles available.
With built in temperature controls and timers they are a great alternative to traditional pour over kettles. We review the best electric gooseneck kettle options here.

Do You Need A Gooseneck Kettle For Aeropress?
The Aeropress is a popular type of coffee press using a unique method of brewing coffee, which is quickly gaining popularity thanks to the excellent results!
This method uses a fast and complete immersion, which is then extracted under pressure into your cup.
The result is a smooth and full-flavored coffee, without any bitterness or low acidity.
It tastes quite similar to the coffee made with a French press, but it’s slightly cleaner thanks to the paper filter in the press.
But do you need a gooseneck kettle when using an Aeropress? Well, a gooseneck kettle would come in handy and help with an accurate pour, it’s not actually necessary.
That is one of the reasons why the Aeropress is becoming so popular. It delivers great results and doesn’t require other fancy coffee accessories (unless you want to use them, of course).
This way, the Aeropress is a lot more affordable, and a lot simpler to use both at home and away.
It’s also important to remember that the gooseneck kettle is never strictly necessary when brewing coffee. You can do without it perfectly fine.
The gooseneck kettle is just a way of improving the coffee brewing process so that it’s easier to get more professional results, much like a coffee scale does.

Can You Make Pour Over Coffee Without A Gooseneck Kettle?
Pour over coffee has become one of the most sought-after methods in manual coffee brewing.
It’s usually considered to be pretty fancy, but it is one of our favorite brewing methods.
The main thing that sets it apart from automatic pour over coffee makers is that you manually pour the hot water through the filter and coffee grounds.
This technique has actually been used since the 1900s, but it’s recently had a new rise in popularity and has come back into fashion.
Usually, it is highly recommended that you use a gooseneck kettle for making pour over coffee.
This is because pour over coffee is all about pouring the water in a controlled and precise way, to get a perfectly balanced and flavorful coffee.
But can you make it without the help of a gooseneck kettle? Yes, you can!
A gooseneck kettle is a specialized coffee item that can come in very handy (and is the perfect gift idea for the coffee lover) and it certainly makes the task a lot easier.
But it’s not necessary. You can make pour over coffee with a completely normal and average kettle.
Although keep in mind that it will be a little harder to achieve the same results. Don’t ever let not having a gooseneck kettle get in the way of trying different coffee brewing methods!
Can You Use A Gooseneck Kettle For Tea?
Gooseneck kettles are designed specifically for brewing coffee in a more precise and controlled way, allowing for more professional results.
However, they are still essentially just a kettle, with the main difference being the way in which they pour the water.
Despite having been made for coffee, you can use gooseneck kettles for anything, making them a multi-purpose item that is versatile!
Tea doesn’t require as much precision when pouring the boiling hot water, it just needs you to pour in the water so that the tea brews.
And can a gooseneck kettle do that? Of course, it can – it’s a kettle, after all!
So if you’re debating whether to get a gooseneck kettle or not, because you drink tea just as often, or even more so than coffee, there’s no need to worry.
You can get the gooseneck kettle, so that your coffees are the best they can be, and also use it for your tea, which will brew just as well.
In fact, there might be some types of tea that will benefit from the higher precision offered by the gooseneck kettle (and temperature accuracy too).
So it is a win-win to help improve the quality of your tea beverages, in the same way that it improves the coffee!

How Do You Descale A Gooseneck Kettle?
Over time, when using your gooseneck kettle regularly, it will build up dirt and limescale inside, just the way other normal kettles do, particularly if you live in an area with hard water.
And it’s of course important to regularly clean your kettle so that it’s in top condition, and it remains completely safe to use.
So how do you descale a gooseneck kettle?
Despite the different neck design, cleaning a gooseneck kettle isn’t that different from cleaning a normal kettle.
One of the easiest methods is to use a mixture of water and vinegar (vinegar is always the holy grail of cleaning, so it’s a pretty safe bet).
To clean the kettle simply mix equal portions of water and vinegar inside the kettle, filling the kettle up to around half way.
Then boil the kettle with the mixture inside it. Switch off the kettle and allow the solution to rest inside for around 15 minutes.
This will help loosen up all the dirt and limescale inside it, including the neck! Then you simply pour it all out and rinse the kettle a few times before using.
So we hope we have sufficiently answered the question “what is the point of a gooseneck kettle”.
And if there is a question that needs answering, leave us a comment below!
More pour over coffee articles
- Best coffee scales
- Top rated manual coffee grinders
- Best coffee beans
- How to make better tasting coffee
Find all our helpful brew guides here or if you are looking for new coffee gear, see our equipment reviews here.
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