Best Electric Tea Pot or Best Coffee Maker?

I really like using electric hot water dispensers for the convenience of having warm boiled water available at anytime at just the touch of a button.  A hot water kettle is great for tea, making instant noodles, or just mixing up some hot cocoa.  I have an electric water pot at work on my desk, at home in my room, and even in my living room.
However, there are some times where an electric water kettle just won't get the job done.  I've found that some drinks like brewing gyokuro green tea or making a great cup of kona coffee requires specialized equipment or at the very least a thermometer.  The problem is that the water coming from an electric kettle usually ends up either being too hot, close to boiling, or not hot enough.  This unpredictability can result in a bland cup of tea or coffee or a scorched bitter brew.  The solution is of course to use specialized electric perk coffee makers.

The great thing about having a separate machine for brewing coffee is that the coffee flavor will be preserved and extracted to the best of it's natural ability.  A coffee maker will extract the right flavors and oils at the correct temperatures so you'll get the best tasting cup of coffee possible.  Now of course the taste of your cup of joe will depend on what type of coffee beans you use to brew your coffee.  An expensive blend of Kona or Ethiopian or a delicious cup of Pinon Coffee will taste better than your run of the mill grocery store Maxwell House or Folgers ground coffee, but an electric coffee maker makes brewing the perfect cup of coffee that much easier.

Also, cleanup is easy and won't contaminate your water.  This way you'll have a great tasting cup of coffee without worrying about a rancid coffee taste in your tea or hot water.

Braun WK200W Electric Water Kettle

Yet another protable electric water kettle that separates from the heating unit. The Braun WK200W Electric Water Kettle can boil a cup of water in just 70 seconds and once it is picked up, the heating element automatically shuts off. This electric tea kettle has a capacity of 7 cups. It also has an anti-calcification filter to keep the kettle buildup free.

Pros

• Affordable.
• Separates from heating element.
• Small footprint of 9 1/5" X 7 5/9" so this would be a perfect office kettle.
• Visible water level indicator.
• Ergonomic non-slip handle.
• Perfect as an electric tea kettle as long as you're not making green or white teas.
• Perfect for french press coffee.
• Auto shutoff safety feature prevents the unit from boiling dry.

Cons

• Very small capacity of just 7 cups.
• Only boils water, there's no automatic temperature presets.
  

Technorati: Braun, coffee, tea, heater, hot water, electric water kettle

Chef's Choice 685 International Deluxe Cordless Electric Teakettle Review

This is a very stylish polished stainless steel tea pot by Chef's Choice. The Chef's Choice 685 International Deluxe Cordless electric tea kettle has a capacity of 1 1/3 quarts (1.5 liters) and brings water to a boil faster than a microwave. The hot water kettle swivels 360 degrees and is removable from the base for easy pouring and cleaning. Chef's Choice has made this electric tea pot with an auto shut off function to prevent the unit from boiling dry. The electric hot water kettle has a very small 9.4"x8.4" footprint so it's perfect for offices and dorm rooms. 

Pros

• Very stylish mirror finish and curved design.
• Kettle detaches from base for easy pouring and clean up.
• Interior is stainless steel so plastic does not come in contact with hot water.
• Heating element is completely concealed.
• Small size makes this kettle perfect for desks and dorm rooms.

Cons

• Expensive for the amount of functions offered.
• No timers, safety locks, or temperature slecvtion functions.
• Very small capacity so this kettle will have to be refilled often.

Technorati: chef's choice, coffee, tea, heater, hot water, kettle