Experience the Joy of a Temperature Controlled Glass Kettle

If you’re looking for a new kettle, a temperature controlled glass kettle might be a nice change. For everyday tea drinkers or those who enjoy pour over coffee, a variable temperature glass kettle is very useful. You can also use them for instant and low temperature food preparation. These are all good reasons to spend a little more on a better quality and more versatile kettle, but there are other advantages and disadvantages to consider.

Guide to Buying a Variable Temperature Glass Kettle 

Broadly speaking, there are two types of variable temperature glass kettles. Those for boiling water or brewing beverages at varying degrees and making watery food preparations, and those designed as specialized micro brewers or multipots.

Temperature Controlled Kettles:

Micro Brewers and Multipots:

Specs and Features Vary from Kettle to Kettle

A basic variable temperature glass kettle can just be for boiling water. However, a kettle with a detachable steeper and an easy to remove lid makes it better for brewing teas, warming milk, and cleaning after making other foodstuffs.

Like any other kettle, there are likely be overheating and low volume protection mechanisms, but few kettles have control locks.

Some kettles just have set temperatures for beverages such as coffee, green, or oolong tea. With others, you can actually set your own temperature, or a temperature within 5℃ increments up to 100℃. For more precise temperatures, there are kettles with 1℃ increment adjustments.

The keep warm function also tends to vary. Many temperature controlled glass kettles have an automatic 24 hour keep warm for temperatures below 100℃. A few models have an adjustable keep warm period.

If you need to do continuous boiling for making certain kinds of tea, then you should check whether the kettle has a continuous boil function – usually from 1 to 10 minutes. For making natural herbal remedies or kanpoyaku [漢方薬], you’re betting off with a more specialized micro brewer.

Save on Energy and Boiling Times

The obvious advantage of a temperature controlled kettle is boiling water to the exact temperature you need. You don’t have to wait for water to cool down to make green tea, pour over coffee, or low temperature foodstuffs. You can save time and also reduce energy consumption. 

Odor and Plastic Free

Another key advantage of a glass kettle is it doesn’t easily absorb odors between different types of brews or foods. Additionally, with glass, there are no trace plastic compounds to worry about, and the base heating plate is usually high grade stainless steel. These health features are favored by mothers with infants. One thing you do need to check is that the spout doesn’t have a filter with a plastic frame.

See our post on other Electric Kettles

Disadvantages of a Glass Kettle

• Hot to touch if no jacket
• Heavier than plastic
• More pricey
• Can break easily

The edges of a glass jug kettle can get quite hot. However, this depends on manufacturing quality and if the jug has an outer silicone or plastic jacket.

A glass kettle is heavier than a typical plastic one. Depending on grip, weight, and design, they may or may not be suitable for elderly or frail individuals.

Temperature controlled kettles are in general pricier, but the glass design is more stylish. It’s also easier to spot and clean away water grime. You must, however, take care when washing them because glass, after all, is breakable. 

Product Lifespan of a Temperature Controlled Glass Kettle

Regardless of the type of variable temperature kettle you purchase, they have a much shorter product lifespan than your average electric kettle. This is largely due to additional working parts. It pays therefore, in the long run, to purchase a higher quality kettle rather than the cheapest or most affordable.

Best Variable Temperature Glass Kettle Selection in Japan

1. Hey Value – Best for singles, couples & mums
2. Yurnero – Best runner-up for a breast pot
3. t-Fal – Best for families and tea brewers
4. Thanko – A Chinese pot kettle
5. Iris Oyama – Drink presets & good pourer
6. Hagoogi – A basic 1L water boiler
7. Zwilling – For quality and volume

HV HeyValue – Best for Singles, Couples & Mums

Things we like about this glass kettle are the comfortable base sleeve, secure fitting lid, and current and target temperature display. Apart from increased safety in a nursery, its jacket design is great if you have your kettle on a table.

Once the kettle is plugged in, you have to push the power button on the left [電源] and then use the right function [機能] button. Pressing the power button again will switch off the display.

There are three function buttons – Keep Warm [保存], Boil [沸どう], and the Timer [予定]. To boil, you just press the [沸どう] button and after boiling it automatically goes to 45℃ Keep Warm unless you set another temperature before boiling.

To bypass boiling, you simply select the Keep Warm [保存] function and it will heat the water to the degree you set. The kettle will remember you temperature settings as long as you don’t unplug the device – which will erase the memory.

Keep Warm is an automatic 24-hour function unless you use the Timer [予定] from 1 to 24 hours.

Yurnero – Best Runner Up for a Breast Pot

The Yurnero is a nice temperature controlled kettle for it’s size, design, and price. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and the base is quite comfortable and secure. The lid removes for cleaning and has a stainless steel base.

The 1℃ incremental adjustment and 1-minute boil also make it ideal as a nursery ‘breast pot’. A key convenient feature are preset temperatures for fast operation.

One drawback is you must hold the lid when pouring, otherwise it will fall off. There are no sounds, the keep warm is automatic, but the display is always on unless you unplug the device. This kettle doesn’t come with a tea steeper or infuser basket, but the energy consumption is very favorable.

t-Fal – Best for Families and Tea Brewers

t-Fal is a trusted name in kettles, so its glass temperature controlled kettle is a welcomed choice. Although solid quality with a handy to lift steeper, it is on the heavy side.

The nicest feature is the keep warm timer which you can set between 5 min and 1 hour for auto-off. It cannot boil just one cup (500 ml and up only), so it’s ideally meant for larger gatherings, busy families, or making sizeable batches of tea.

There is also a long boil function which not all kettles have. By pressing the [煮出し] button after reaching boil, you can set a continuous boil timer from 1 to 10 minutes. An extra is their tea recipe book (日本語) which is also available online (PDF).

Thanko – A Chinese Style Pot Kettle

Not without it’s merits, the Thanko has cooking modes for soups, rice porridge, noodles, eggs, and herbal concoctions. The controls are in English with a Japanese manual. It’s a typical Chinese pot-kettle and for its size and versatility the price is not too bad. There is no timer for auto-off so you have to be careful.

Iris Oyama – Drink Presets & Good Pourer

People like this glass kettle for it’s look and the brand name. The steeping basket is very convenient, but the jug handle grip is a bit narrow. The jug is also quite heavy to lift when full (2 kg) and some people feel the beep is a little noisy.

If you’re a drip coffee lover, it pours really well. The temperature range starts from 60℃, is it’s more for standard beverages with one touch settings for boil, coffee, and Japanese tea.

Hagoogi – Good 1-Liter Boiler

Hagoogi is not a bad choice is all you want to do is boil water. Settings below boil will automatically maintain the temperature of 24 hours. These kettles are comparatively cool to touch, but it’s kind of difficult to pour in water due to the lid design unless it’s straight from the faucet. Cleaning inside is not so easy, so it’s best not to use this kettle for milk-based drinks.

Zwilling – High Quality and Volume

The Zwilling brand comes at a price, but also promises longer lasting quality and local customer service. The key functions are very similar to the t-Fal, except that this is one of the best sized glass kettles for large brews. It can be a little heavy when full, but for its volume, the weight is quite very reasonable. The main draw back may be the short cord, but the steeper has a nice resting tray and you also get a recipe book thrown in.

Best Yakuzen Multi-Pots & Brewers

There are other types of glass kettles with more specialized functions. A yakuzen pot for making herbal remedies and traditional kanpou-yaku (漢方薬) concoctions tends to have more variable time settings than temperature settings.

Some multi-pots have a double boiler like a Baine Marie and are good for baby foods, boiling eggs, okayu rice porridge, oat meal porridge, or proofing yogurt. The Hario Micro Brewer has brew cycle settings using low and high boiling together with simmer, as does the Tochimoto.

Tochimoto Yakuzen Pot

If you are looking for a specialized brewer, these Tachimoto pots by Zojirushi are as good as you get. The instructions are all in Japanese, but the device is fairly simply to operate. They’re good for boiling up about 240g of herbs or medications. This product, as well as related products and herbal ingredients are also sold on the associated Halenova Online Shop.

Buydeem Multi Cookers

There are 10 min, 60min, and 120min timers to tumble boil herbal or fruit teas, soups, gruel, congee, and more. There’s an additional 70℃ keep warm function for 2hrs. You can read more in the online English manual.

These Buydeems can be up to twice the average price of cheaper multi-pot kettles or more, however, they are excellent value especially if their specialized usage is really what you’re looking for.

Hario HMJ3 Micro Brewer

How the Hario Multi Brewer Works

The design is built around three modes — Automatic [自動], High [強], and Low [弱] — which are set to a selected time from 10 to 90 min in 10 min intervals.

On Low mode, the contents will be boiled for 20 min, and the remaining time left to simmer on low heat. There’s a count down timer followed by automatic shut down and three beeps.

On High mode it will partly low boil and then high boil. If set to 60min, low boil will be up to 25min followed by high boil for 35min. There is the usual countdown, three beeps, and auto shutdown.

On Automatic mode it will low boil for 40 min, and for the remaining time it will cycle between on and off in one minute intervals. You’ll see the countdown and hear the beeps followed by auto shutdown.

Setting your brew cycle up is quite easy too. First you choose your preferred brewing mode [1], then you selected the time you need to brew for [2], and finally just press start [3].