Unold kettle is pretty much the same size and design as Bonavita kettle but with a style to boot.
When people think about buying the best travel pot, the first thing on our mind is a small size and weight. However, the design of a travel kettle is actually more important if you use it frequently enough, and here is where the Unold travel kettle dominates.
The classiest travel kettle? You’ll be the judge.
If you travel a lot or even use a travel water heater in the office, you will pretty much see it on the table every day and it should look beautiful. Yes, being smaller than a classic electric kettle is nice and all, but aesthetics plays an important role.
Unold Travel Kettle Review – Best High-End Electric Kettle For Travel?
Everybody is their own judge when it comes to a design of a travel kettle so here is a quick look at Unold electric kettle to see how it looks like. You can also compare it to other kettles for travel to see which one is the best looking:
The beautiful design of Unold water heater is the main reason why it lands in the high-end kettle category. Don’t worry about the price – it’s not above $50 or anything. Oh, and it has 1000 W of power. This makes it the most powerful electric kettle for travel around (translation: you’ll get your coffee or tea about 10-20 seconds quicker than with other kettles).
Deciding for Unold kettle is pretty easy and it does like this – if you like it, you get it. Being high-end means you’ll probably spend $10 more for a kettle but it will be solid, durable and look beautiful (again, here you are the last judge).
Freshware kettle can collapse in a teeny-tiny travel kettle; perfect for backpacking and camping.
What is really fascinating about the Freshware PT-100 travel kettle is its sheer size – it’s the smallest travel kettle you can find (if somebody finds a smaller one, please do include it in the comments). You can check out the best travel kettle list here.
It is absurdly mini – only 114 inches3 – and it weighs less than a pound (0.8 pounds to be exact). This, of course, makes it perfect for hiking because the whole point of hiking kettles is being light-weight.
Oh, have I mentioned it doesn’t need electricity? When you’re out in the wild, there is no electricity. Freshware travel kettle is heated up on a stovetop. A stovetop is probably something you have with you already when camping or hiking.
Freshware Collapsible Kettle Review – The Smallest (Mini) Travel Kettle Perfect For Hiking And Camping
Is this mini travel kettle for making anything above espresso size? You betcha!
Here is where the collapsible travel steamer design comes into play (it can actually make 5 small cups of coffee in one sitting):
Despite being such a mini travel kettle, it is durable and affordable.
Just an important reminder: Freshware kettle is almost exclusively used for camping and hiking. Basically to help you get out of the tent in the morning and up the hill.
What kind of waffle maker should you use to impress even a world-class food critic like Anthony Bourdain?
Waffles are pretty much the most delicious thing in the world. Here’s a recipe for a perfect Belgian waffle (cause, of course, we’re making thick and fluffy Belgian waffles, they are the best):
Right waffle batter
Best waffle maker
… lot’s of love!
(and the No. 1 and No. 2 secret only the best waffle machines have – we’ll reveal that in buyer’s guide)
When it comes down to making waffles, we find plenty of love (who doesn’t love waffles?) and the batter is a no-brainer. Just go ahead to our beloved Martha Steward for an easy waffle batter recipe.
The tricky part is how to pick the best waffle maker. If you are into yummy and fluffy waffles, you should be getting some flip-waffle action and browning with your waffle machine.
Why?
Well, making a consistent and well-browned Belgian waffle mostly depends on what kind of waffle iron you’re using.
A waffle is like a pancake with a syrup trap. (Mitch Hedberg)
If you pick a wrong waffle machine, your waffles might be unevenly baked and the last thing you want to offer your kids is a raw waffle batter on one side and a churned piece of waffle on the other.
Bad vs Great Waffle. Let’s learn how to make the one on the right, shall we?
What makes the best waffle maker is the ability to make consistently fluffy and delicious. That does require a waffle iron having a browning program, a flip-waffle mode and so on – there is one waffle iron which has both the browning and flip mode, and it’s not a wonder that is the best overall rated waffle maker.
Of course, in the end, the best waffle iron should not be difficult to clean and shouldn’t cost as much as a new Ferrari. On top of that, when cleaning a waffle maker it should just fall apart – look for high-quality materials like stainless steel waffle machines.
We’re going to make the Top 5 Belgian waffle iron review but first, let’s have a look at features that actually make the best waffle machines the best.
Best Waffle Maker Reviews – Top 5 List
As it a standard at Top5er, we use the buyer’s guide outlines and pick the best 5 waffle makers. Here’s the list:
#1 Cuisinart WAF-F20 Double Belgian Waffle Maker Review – Best Waffle Maker Overall (By Far!)
Now, usually, when we make the Top 5 reviews (like for example for best crepe pans) you have one that is best-selling and another that is great for experts, one that is the best quality and so on.
With Cuisinart WAF-F20 double waffle maker we have all of those great titles rolled into one (plus it’s a Cuisinart machine, they have a great reputation with the kitchen appliances).
Even before we look at the browning control, flip-mode, easiness to clean and sheer power we know that Cuisinart WAF-F20 double waffle maker is by far the best waffle iron out there.
Cuisinart WAF-F20 is the best-overall waffle maker. By far! (think browning, flipping, double waffles, easy clean and 1400W of power for quick waffles)
No. 1 Secret – Browning Control (And Not Just The 1)
Let’s start with the No. 1 secret to great waffles – browning control. Do you remember how that sugary light crust tastes like? Everybody would be lucky if their waffle irons would have a browning option. That is 1 browning option.
Cuisinart WAF-F20 double waffle maker has 6 browning options.
It goes from a really light crust to a crispy sugary crust. It’s as easy as turning a browning control button with Cuisinart WAF-F20 model.
No. 2 Secret – Flip-Mode (Double Flip Mode, To Be Exact)
The flip-mode is all about making waffles fluffy. Baked from both sides will make the air bubbles in the waffles grown, turning them extra fluffy.
I don’t know about you, but when I want waffles I want them fluffy as a cloud!
Flip-mode is an advanced option that will make even a bad waffle batter taste amazing. Couple that with browning, and you already have everything you needed.
But there’s more…
How To Make 2 Waffles At One Really Fast With Cuisinart WAF-F20?
Well, easy.
Cuisinart WAF-F20 double waffle maker doesn’t have ‘double’ in the name for no reason. It has 2 set of stainless steel plates that makes two 1-inch thick and fluffy waffles at the same time.
It also makes them really fast thanks to 1400W of power. The next best waffle maker has 1100W and majority of waffle irons are powered by less than 1000W. The better then engine, the quicker it’ll go – it’s the same when it comes to making waffles.
High-quality stainless still waffle maker plates also ensures that Cuisinart WAF-F20 is easy to clean. To top that, you have those plates coated with a non-stick coating. The batter, if there is any left at all, just slides off.
Perfectly golden brown waffles every time. Sounds yummy.
Ok, so what are the shortcoming? Honestly, it’s really hard to find any with the best waffle maker but some reviewers did talk about being harder to clean and some can come with a glitch and stop working (of course you get that refunded).
Another thing is the price of Cuisinart WAF-F20 double waffle. As you know, the better the waffle maker, the higher the price – and this is, of course, true here as well. You’ll get a standard waffle maker for less than $100 easily ($30 for example). However, with the quality and great waffles that Cuisinart deliver, they are not shy about the price. This is a waffle maker under $100 but not by much.
#2 Presto 03510 FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker – For The Fluffiest Waffles
Presto 03510 FlipSide did a really neat thing and put their best quality in the name. Yes, it is flipside.
As we’ve learned thus far, if you want to capture those air bubbles inside a waffle and make it the fluffiest in the world, you need to flip the waffle. And you bet Presto 03510 FlipSide Belgian waffle maker can make that very well (otherwise they wouldn’t put it in the name).
One special thing about the Presto waffle maker is that is has a ceramic finish on top of stainless steel plates. This gives it an edge when it comes to cleaning the waffle maker but if the cleaning your main concern, wait for the #3 on our list.
Here is how the Presto 03510 FlipSide Belgian waffle maker looks like:
Presto 03510 FlipSide makes the fluffiest waffles. Comes with a timer and ceramic non-stick finish for easy cleaning.
The timer is useful. It takes about 4-5 minutes to heat up a waffle maker and from there on about 2-3 minutes for every waffle to be made. With a timer, you don’t have to stand by the waffle maker all the time or look if it’s finished or not. Just time how much time it takes to make waffles once and after that set that on a timer. Easy peasy!
Presto 03510 FlipSide waffle iron is powered by 1100W which is less than the Cuisinart model. That being said, we should acknowledge that Cuisinart waffle maker is a class for itself and that no waffle machine will come close. 1100W is, however, higher power than a standard sub-1000W waffle maker power.
In short, it Presto waffle maker waffles pretty quickly (but not as quickly as Cuisinart model).
You can see from Phillip’s review that he can add less batter for lighter waffles. This is exactly how flipside works – when you flip the waffle, air bubbles inside are enlarged. This means you’ll need less waffle batter and the fluffiest waffles.
On the other hand, some reviewers complained about the heat being unadjustable. This is, unfortunately, a property that all best waffle makers share. On top of that, most importantly, there is no browning control – this is why Presto waffle maker is priced below $50.
Some Presto waffle makers also stopped working or the battery in the timer went out and needed to be replaced. Yeah, that will happen if you use waffle maker timer for a long time – it’s the same with any battery – just the nature of batteries, really.
Most of the guys use used it are happy with the non-stickiness but some reviews of Presto 03510 FlipSide waffle maker point out that the ceramic non-stick finish doesn’t do the business as it should.
#3 Hamilton Beach Flip Belgian Waffle Maker Review – Easy Clean Waffle Maker
In fact, the dishwasher safe grids and drip tray are the least of the phenomenal things the Hamilton Beach 26030 flip waffle maker offer. Yes, the removable plates are great addition, especially when it comes to cleaning.
Hamilton Beach 26030 has browning control. Admittedly, only 1 program, but it is the only other waffle maker in the top 5 list that offers browning. Cuisinart has 6 programs for browning, but hey, we all know that is the single greatest waffle maker on the market (with a high-end price, of course).
It flips! Just look at how easy it is to flip a waffle in the 26030 model:
Hamilton Beach 26030 isn’t only the easiest to clean (dishwasher ready). It flips and it browns!
That handle right there is also quite interesting. It’s a cool-touch handle (obviously it shouldn’t be hot) and it also folds back when you’re finished with waffle maker. Why? Simply to save space and can fit in pretty much any kitchen cabinet. Without a fold-back handle, it is actually quite big.
The Hamilton Beach waffle maker is the only one besides the Cuisinart model that has both browning control and flip-waffle action.
Oh yeah, Hamilton Beach 26030 waffle maker is one bulky waffle iron. It is heavy and bigger than the others. This translates in it being durable but the designers had to solve some problem of it being bigger – the fold-back handle is an example of that.
If we look at Cuisinart vs Presto vs Hamilton Beach waffle makers, the Hamilton is a bit slow. This comes largely from its size – it harder to heat up a big waffle machine. This means you’ll have to wait for 2-3 minutes longer for your waffles.
#4 Oster CKSTWF2000 Belgian Waffle Maker Review – Best Budget Waffle Maker
Do you know about those cheap kitchen appliances you buy for a few bucks just to try it out? Like that cheap toaster you bought once. Well, Oster CKSTWF2000 Belgian waffle maker is kind of like that for waffles.
First of all, it costs less than $20 and is the best-selling waffle maker. Despite being the low-price option, most of the folks that bought the maker for waffles are actually satisfied with it.
This just in for low-price kitchen applianced: they make satisfactory dishes, sometimes. Oster CKSTWF2000 Belgian waffle maker is one of those ‘sometimes’ but, mostly because of its low price, it shouldn’t be underestimated:
Oster waffle maker price (under $20) is the reason it is actually the best-selling waffle maker.
Of course, it doesn’t have any browning control or flipside option. The best Oster waffle maker can offer is adjustable heat control – if you master it, you can make decent fluffy or crispy waffles. It’s not as easy as with an in-built browning control program.
There is a green-red light that tells you when waffles are finished. Honestly, it works so-so. You have to check for yourself if they’re really finished.
There have been some complaints, however.
The power cord of the Oster waffle maker is a bit short. Well, low-budget means shorter cord.
On the other hand, it seems that the waffle maker does a well-enough job in the center of the waffle but edges are a problem. They can remain a bit raw, according to few reviews.
Is the Oster waffle maker easy to clean? Not really. You can’t put it in a dishwasher and the batter does stick quite a bit. If you’re looking to make waffles regularly, this is definitely something you should consider before buying.
In short, it not the best but hey it’s only 20 bucks.
#5 Hamilton Beach 26020 4-Piece Belgian Waffle Maker Review – The Big Waffle Maker For Whole Family
If you and your family you just can’t get enough waffles, the 4-piece Belgian waffle maker by Hamilton Beach might just be the thing you need.
I would advise people who already have some experiences with waffle machines to look at the 4-piece maker. This is definitely not for a beginner at making waffles. Why?
Well, you can make square waffles here. First, do the easy round ones with one of the conventional ones, and if you and the love waffles, decide for this 26020 4-piece model:
4-piece waffle iron for 4 pieces of thick fluffy iron. Best for families.
Each waffle is 4×5 inches big. That’s quite a mouthful. You can even exchange maple syrup or Nutella with honey. It’s an easy switch and a healthier choice for the kids.
The point of 4-piece Hamilton Beach waffle maker is that everybody gets a piece. Don’t wait for a second batch (but I’m sure you will, very eagerly). It’s a bit easier with some waffle already in your stomach.
It’s actually quite easy to handle – square waffles are easier than round ones. It does heat up a bit slower than the quickest waffle irons but when it does, it is a waffle powerhouse.
Yeah, you can freeze waffles as well. With the 4-piece waffle machine, you’ll be able to make tons of them in record time and if the kids don’t eat them all, you can just throw them in the fridge.
Some reviewers, on the other hand, pointed out that it can break down in as little as 6 months. It also doesn’t have browning control or flip-waffle action.
But all in all, if your family likes some square waffles, this is the best tool for you.
Buyer’s Guide To Waffle Makers (Top Features The Review Is Based On)
Quite recently the famous chef and food critic Anthony Bourdain visited the Waffle House. Now, if you know anything about chef Bourdain, it is that his standard even for waffles is high. Really high.
What did he say about those waffles he tasted? “Indeed marvelous.”
Waffles chefs would kill for such a review but if you ask Bourdain, he’ll probably say that ‘hey, a regular Joe with the best waffle iron can make the best waffles, it’s as simple as that’.
Here are the top waffle maker features we’ll be looking into:
Waffle Maker Size – what size of waffles does a waffle iron make? In short, 7 inches. This is the standard Belgian waffle size. The waffle thickness is about 1 inch (that’s because they’re Belgian). The Cuisinart waffle maker (best overall waffle iron, look for #1) is especially great at making those big fluffy waffles. You see the 6-inch to 8-inch sizes but this is pretty much it. However, if you’re looking to make really small (and funny shaped) waffles for the kids, you should check out a mini waffle maker – here is one by, you’ll never guess, Disney for Mickey Mouse waffles.
Waffle Browning – does a waffle maker have an option for browning? If it has, you’ll always be using that, I assure you. Browning adds the nice sugary crust at the end at the top and the bottom of a waffle. There are few secrets of how to make great waffles and having a waffle iron with waffle browning is probably the No. 1 secret.
How Many Waffles Can You Prepare In One Setting? If you enjoy lengthy breakfast, this is not an issue. You can just make one after another. However, if you want to save some time (or are just a fast waffle eater) you might want to make more than one waffle per set. With the best waffle machine you can make 2 waffles at the same time and if that is not enough, check out the big waffle maker (takes the #5 spot in this waffle iron review).
Flip-Mode – does waffle maker flip waffles? This is the No. 2 secret to a great waffle. Standard waffle makers don’t turn the waffle. The best waffle makers do offer that option, which makes waffles much more fluffy. How? It’s a gravity thing, actually. Gravity pulls the batter down to the lower waffle iron but if you flip the waffle, the gravity pulls the batter back to the previously upper waffle iron. This expands the air bubbles inside the waffle maker creating the fluffiest possible effect.
How Easy Is It To Clean A Waffle Maker? If you’re planning to make waffles every other day, you should worry a bit about how to clean a waffle maker. If you have a plastic waffle maker with lots of sticky surfaces, you’re in for a lot of cleaning. On the other hand, stainless steel waffles machines are the easiest to clean – the leftover waffle batter comes right of. The #3 pick in our waffle maker review even has a removable dishwasher ready grid and tray (that’s pretty much the easiest waffle maker to clean).
Quality And Price Of A Waffle Maker. Well, nothing new here, with a higher price of a waffle maker you get better quality. Just avoid plastic parts because they’re difficult to clean in favor of stainless steel. Here we’re talking a price range of $20-$100. If you just want to try a waffle maker out, go for low-budget version but if you like waffles, do yourself a favor and get the high-end one for best waffles you’ve ever tasted.
Back To Waffle Enthusiasts
Do you love waffles?
Tell us. Tell us how you like them, how you make them. We need both recipes and waffle machines you’re using.
And if you have any secret waffle recipe to share, that would be perfect.
Is there anything better than waking up to the smell of fresh crepes and coffee from the kitchen? We provided you with the best cappuccino maker reviews, now it’s time we try to fry something with the best crepe pan comparison.
The best plate of breakfast pancakes with maple syrup simply needs the best crepe pan. I’m talking cast-iron here, the non-stick Teflon and even that French Le Creuset pan which makes making crepes a pure delight.
One thing to remember here is that making a great pancake is not the first step to making the best breakfast – it’s the most vital one.
Everybody can put some strawberries or blueberries on a crepe or smudge it with Nutella and cream (by the way, here are some ideas what to fill crepes with) but the crepe itself is the essential – the soft yummy delight if you will – is the basis.
If you can master how to make a good crepe, you can make someone smile even at 6 AM in the morning.
A master chef can make great crepes pretty much with any pan. I even once saw a chef made one of the best pancakes I ever tasted in a wok. Of course, every chef’s dream is the Le Creuset crepe pan.
To become a master chef will take years of error-and-failure pancake making and nobody has time for that. But this is certain:
You don’t need to be a master crepe chef to make a great crepe. You just need the right equipment.
We’ll go into what the ‘right equipment’ for making pancakes means – albeit you’ve probably figured it out – its the crepe batter and the crepe pan.
We’ll cover the top crepe pans but if you need some solid pancake batter recipes, you can go right ahead and read how Martha Stewart does it.
By the way, she uses butter and non-stick crepe skillet to make those yummy things.
Top 5 Best Crepe Pan Reviews – What Do We Want? Non-Stick And Cast Iron!
Here are the individual best crepe pan reviews. We start with the pancakes pans that have the highest score on Amazon reviews – that kind of means that people bought and used the crepe pan are most happy with it.
No. 1 Crepe Pan Pick
1. Le Creuset Crepe Pan Review – French Pan For Crepe Experts
Le Creuset fantastique crepe pan is so French it comes in a cherry red color. Italians make the best coffee and the French make the best crepes, and for a very good reason:
They both cook with heart and, even more importantly, they have the best equipment on the planet.
When it comes to crepes, Le Creuset is the to-go pan if you want to really make those tasty crepes. It is hands down the best crepe pan in the world.
I’m not even kidding with this review of Le Creuset. Just look at it – this is no ordinary pancake pan:
Le Creuset crepe pan is used by the French crepe experts.
Where to start? It’s pretty much every chef’s dream to get one of these cast-iron Le Creuset pans in his kitchen. This is not really something you use to make your kid’s breakfast pancakes, to say the least.
The secret behind the fantastic pancakes made with Le Creuset pan is the enameled iron-cast surface. That’s iron-cast pan, with an added enameled surface. You can be pretty sure that nothing will stick to it.
If you think the French will let you stick this crepe pan in a dishwasher, you have another thing coming. Best way to clean this crepe pan is with soap and water – by hand. It is a delicate piece of kitchen art and should be treated as such.
It does make art-worthy pancakes if you know how to use it. Newsflash: you’ll need to master the wooden spreader that comes along with Le Creuset crepe pan.
This is not just another pan in your kitchen. It has tradition.
Now, you’ll rarely see a piece of kitchen dishware that people would ‘collect’.
Le Creuset is, hands-down, the finest crepe pan there is. Of course, it does cost a considerable amount more than ordinary crepe pans.
But you’re not buying an ordinary crepe pan if you go for Le Creuset. You’re buying an extraordinary experience and, possibly, a life-long or 4-or-more generation long passion for making crepes.
2. Cuisinart 623-24 Crepe Pan Review – Best Selling Crepe Pan This Moment
Most of us are not that demanding when it comes to making pancakes. Cuisinart classic pan is a solid and standard crepe pan that we can all use and make great pancakes with.
It’s not for a ‘best crepe in the world’ competition kind of frying pan. It’s more for people use just need to make quick and tasty pancakes for their family in the morning. How do we want them?
Simple to make.
Fluffy as angel hair.
Homemade with lots of love.
This is everything the Cuisinart standard crepe pan has to do, and it does it very well. No wonder it is by far the best selling pancake-making pan – who doesn’t want simple, fluffy and easy to make crepes for their breakfast?
The best-selling Cuisinart 623-24 standard crepe pan. A ‘must’ for every kitchen.
With this pancake pan, you get some very great perks as well. One of the most important things when using a crepe pan is that the crepes we’re making don’t stick. You don’t want to peel the pancake off the pan, it has to slide out of it when it’s just right.
Crepe pan makers coat the aluminum pans with a hard-anodized layer. This does a very good job making them not stick to the surface or the pan’s walls.
Mind you, it’s not as good and reliable as iron-cast crepe pans, but if you read through some of Cuisinart 623-24 crepe pan reviews you notice that people have rarely problems with pancakes sticking to the anodized surface layer.
In fact, most of Cuisinart crepe pan reviews are very upbeat and positive. It’s obvious that the majority of reviewers made some great pancakes before writing a review.
This one is interesting. Now, I use Cuisinart for crepes quite frequently and never had such a bad experience. I would think that the problem here is either too much milk in the pancake batter or too little butter on the surface.
In either case, however, we at Top5er find it important to point out the negative reviews of something like a crepe pan as well. We need to look at the good and the bad before really knowing which crepe pan is the best, right?
Let’s look at the pros and cons of the Cuisinart pancake griddle:
3. Lodge L9OG3 Crepe Griddle Review – Best Budget Pan For Pancakes (And Everything Else)
The majority of crepe pans are specially made to fry some crepes. However, Lodge L9OG3 goes in another direction entirely.
Made out of tough cast-iron, it was designed to be one of the most versatile(and cheap) pans out there. Yes, you can make tortillas and omelets, even grill some vegetables and beans with it. As a great extra – Lodge L9OG3 can also be used to make great pancakes.
Because you can use Lodge L9OG3 to fry such a variety of dishes, you don’t really need all those specialized pans. This saves you both kitchen space and, above all, money.
Lodge’s crepe griddle is the best-budget pan. You can use it not only for crepes – think omelets, tortillas and some fried veggies as well.
It comes with a lifetime warranty (no wonder since its cast-iron – you should never have problems with that).
The Lodge L9OG3 crepe pan can be cleaned in a dishwasher. This is quite neat since the cleaning of crepe pans can be challenging – Teflon coating, for example, must never be scraped with metal objects.
I don’t know about you but I think that a bossy Italian wife would have something very harsh to say in her review of Lodge crepe pan if anything were out of the ordinary.
Nonetheless, we have some negative reviews as well, but overall the positive vs. negative reviews on Amazon is 88%. So, in short, almost 9 people out of 10 who used Lodge crepe pan to actually make crepes were very satisfied with it.
If you like good crepes and want to look cool while doing it, Future Q28 crepe tava is the right choice.
It’s lightning-fast in making pancakes because it is so very cool.
Mind you, this is not a pan, it’s tawa (is this spelled with a ‘v’ or ‘w’?). Is there some difference between crepe pan and tawa? Sure there is but a very small one. However, people who like to use Futura Q28 are very into ‘tawa’ – because it sounds, um, well, hipster I guess.
Futura Q28 makes pancakes in record time. Why? Look how thin it is.
One thing about Futura Q28 is actually phenomenal – just look how very thin it is.
4.88mm thickness. That’s 1/6 of an inch. So cool, right?
Well, to be honest, Futura Q28 crepe pan is very cool. Like, cold, you know? Because it’s so very thin it dissipates heat very efficiently and will become hot and cool down in record time.
It’s actually quite impressive to see – iron-cast crepe pan will need minutes to heat up mainly because you’re heating up, well, a pound of iron.
Futura Q28 will heat up in under 1 minute.
Because it’s so thin, it requires a considerably smaller amount of energy to heat up to pancake-making temperature.
A downside is that, well, there are no edges to it – literally.
You’ll need some skills handling this crepe pan but if you can manage it, you’ll have pancakes made in under 5 minutes.
5. MNK Crepe Pan Review – Best Crepe Pan For The Whole Family
This one is as simple as a piece of crepe.
MNK (just short for Maxi Nature Kitchenware) crepe pan is a homely pan that makes decent pancakes as well as everything else you can think about.
It is a large crepe pan that kids will love – because the bigger the pancakes, the better, right? You can fill it all with veggies as well from time to time to make a healthy and hearty meal.
Large MNK crepe pan for the whole family. Hint: switch maple syrup for honey – a healthier choice for the kids.
All in all, if you need a reliable and not out of the extraordinary crepe pan, this is a good choice. Your kids will love crepes and you’ll love how easy it is to clean it – and how cheap it is.
When picking the best crepe pan, we have to look out for several factors – this should work as the best crepe pan’sbuyer’s guide. In this best crepe pan reviews, we focus on the following factors:
Material (determines quality) – out of which material is a crepe pan made out of? This is the main thing that separates crepe pans – lower quality ones are made out of aluminum (very light material). Aluminum is usually anodized which in simple terms just means that it a non-stick design. The higher quality crepe pans are made out of cast iron – they are heavy and hard, and when you pick it up, you can feel the quality. Cast iron is notoriously non-stick (no need to anodize it or anything).
Size – what is the size of the best crepe pan?10 inches. Yeah, this one is pretty much simple. Standard pancakes are made with 10-inch crepe pans. If you want some sort of micro-pancakes or giant ones, you’ll need another set of tools. Giant ones – which can have more than 2000 kcal (look at the size of this crepe!) – are usually made with rice cookers. Don’t worry, all five best crepe pans in our review are 10-inches or very close to that.
Price – how much does a crepe pan cost? The best ones can cost anything between $14 and $140. The high-end crepe pans are the ones used by master crepe chefs.
For crepes only – can you make an omelet or tortillas in a crepe pan? With every crepe pan, you can make crepes, that makes sense, right? But with some, you can also make other things that are great for breakfast like omelets. That’s great if you want to keep the cost of pans down or if you don’t have anywhere to put them (better use 2-in-1 crepe pan for crepes AND omelets).
Back To You Guys – Which Is The Best Crepe Pan For You?
You’re welcome to share some experiences with your favorite crepe pans.
If you have an interesting story about that one time that you ate so many crepes you almost ‘creped’ all over yourself, share it in the comments as well.
Let me just start by saying that we decided to do the Top 5 best manual coffee grinder reviews just because I fell in love with my own grinder.
It’s not an ordinary hand coffee grinder mind you; it is an art piece of the kitchen. Even the hand crank is made out of cast iron and forged steel.
This is the whole point of best manual coffee grinders – we don’t get them because they grind the coffee more efficiently or are easier to clean (electric grinder is both of those things) – we get them because we like the experience of having a ‘hands-on’ approach of grinding our own coffee like a true gentleman.
With an electric grinder, you pretty much just get some coffee beans and push the button. But using the manual coffee grinder is a new experience entirely.
You get to pick the best coffee beans and grind them bean by bean. Have you ever smelled the aroma of fresh hand ground coffee? You should.
Top 5 Best Manual Coffee Grinder Reviews
In the spirit of Top5er, here are the best manual coffee grinder side-by-side so you can compare them for yourself.
1. Bialetti – The Best Italian Manual Coffee Grinder Review
There is absolutely no surprise that the best manual coffee grinder comes from Italy. Italy is well-known to be that one place in the world where you can get the best coffee in pretty much every coffee shop.
It is also very unsurprising that the Bialetti Italian manual coffee grinder takes the No. 1 place. Bialetti is a synonym for good coffee in Italy and most of the Italians can’t live without having a Bialetti in their kitchen:
No authentic Italian kitchen is perfect without the Bialetti – the most popular Italian hand crank coffee grinder.
As every Italian will tell you, the Bialetti is completely manually operated. It has no cord or batteries; all that it really needs is a coffee-loving heart.
The grinding burr that actually grinds the coffee beans is made out of ceramic; the finest choice of material for a burr.
The Bialetti is quite a big coffee grinder. Of course, it’s because of the Italian families being big and everybody loves coffee. Nonetheless, operating the grinding wheel is simple and doesn’t need a lot of force; remember, Italians know that the hand holds the wheel, but the heart grinds the beans.
The authentic Bialetti Italian manual coffee grinder is moderately priced so that every Italian household can afford one. You can check it out here:
JavaPresse is the most well known modern American hand coffee grinder. It’s a neat and small piece that can do pretty much anything.
Do you need a manual grinder for camping? Do you need your coffee ground for espresso or Turkish coffee?
Javapresse is the easy and quick everyday grinder for espresso, Turkish coffee, Aeropress and basically every imaginable way of brewing coffee. It’s small enough to take it with you on travel (weights less than 10 ounces!) and convenient enough to use it on workdays (especially useful if you have a small kitchen – it doesn’t take much space).
It’s actually quite of fun playing around with it. You don’t need to think too much with JavaPresse; after all, it has 18 different grinding settings that can be switched between with just a click.
The best-selling JavaPresse manual hand grinder.
Above all, JavaPresse is versatile and affordable. There are pretty much the main two reasons why JavaPresse is the best-selling manual hand coffee grinders.
Where it lacks compares with other hand coffee grinders is the quality. It is made out of stainless steel which is not as tough as brushed nickel or cast iron for example. But don’t worry about the burr – the JavaPresse burr is made out of high-quality ceramic. This is a new standard for all modern manual grinders because it is way sharper and durable than the classic stainless steel burr.
It also takes more time to ground coffee than other grinders. Why? Well, because it’s a small hand grinder, that’s why. And you have to be a bit more gentle with the crank not to break the whole thing apart.
A bit crumbly, maybe, but there is not a handheld coffee grinder that even comes close to the coffee grinding functionally for such an affordable price.
This best-selling manual coffee grinder might not be a piece of art but it does the job of making a rough or fine coffee powder from coffee beans and does it well. If you are lucky enough to buy JavaPresse manual hand grinder on a sale, you’ll likely spend less than $50 for it:
3. Peugeot Coffe Grinder Review – Best For French Press (Coarse Grind)
This is not about French cars. It is about French coffee.
The French are known to make everything with style, and yes, they like to grind their own coffee with style as well. Just one look at the Peugeot manual coffee grinder and you’ll see that they used a bit of what they knew about building cars into the design of this grinder.
The beautifully furnished exterior is made out of luxury woods. The prime examples are the Peugeot hand grinder constructed out of walnut wood, and even more the one from beech wood.
It is a timeless piece on the kitchen counter. It also grinds some good coffee too boost.
“J’aime boire le café” or “I love coffee”. This grinder is so French it even wants to surrender to you.
It’s only natural that the French would make a hand grinder that makes the best coffee powder for the French press. The trouble is that the French press usually needs quite a lot of coffee to brew. For example, the best-selling French press made 34 oz of coffee per single brew.
If you like French press coffee, this is an excellent gift. The grinding definitely has a way of connecting the family together on Sunday mornings. But, as stated by Dan, it is a bit of hard work to grind 10-cups worth of coffee. But then again, no one buys a manual coffee grinder instead of electric coffee grinder if he or she’s looking to make less effort at making coffee.
The Peugeot manual coffee mill is not so moderately priced; mostly because it is a beautiful piece of kitchen interior (in addition to grinding coffee, of course). It does, however, come with a lifelong warranty for the exterior wood and a 5-year warranty for the burr. I’m pretty sure this is the French boasting how long their grinders last, but fortunately this is actually not an empty boast at all.
4. Hario Skerton Manual Coffee Grinder Review – The Mini Grinder
‘コーヒー‘ is the Japanese word for coffee and ‘Hario Skerton‘ is a Japanese word (actually two of them) for a coffee grinder.
Hario Skerton is a Japanese producer of coffee grinders and it’s best selling one is actually the smallest of the bunch.
Everything about Hario manual coffee grinder is easy. Want to clean it? It’s easy. Want to pack it in a suitcase? A piece of cake, you can put right next to a travel kettle. Never used a manual coffee grinder before and don’t know how to use it? Don’t worry, Hario’s mini grinder makes it easy for you.
Hario grinder is barely larger than an iPhone. Perfect for travel.
It is made out of durable plastic (making it extra-light) but doesn’t worry about the performance. The single most important piece is the burr and the Japanese put a state-of-the-art ceramic burr into the Hario hand grinder. The burr would be the very last thing to break, actually.
Just be careful about one this – we all know that great Japanese products are many cloned by companies that use lower-quality materials.
The price of this hand grinder is very affordable but please do make sure you are buying the grinder from a reputable source like Amazon or Hairo company. Below you can check the price on Amazon (just make sure you buy a new one, not one by a reseller cause reseller might have a fake Hairo grinder):
5. Handground Precision Coffee Grinder Review – Best For Espresso
Italians make the best espresso, right? Well, yeah, but Americans make the best manual coffee grinder for espresso.
The Handground Precision grinder is loved above all by espresso lovers. They are the ones who understand the importance of fine grind for espresso.
Espresso makers all operate with 15 or so bars of pressure. This means that you can (and should!) grind the beans into a fine powder through which espresso machines push the hot water and extract the flavor. By the way, espresso machines are actually the same as cappuccino makers and you can check out the list of Top 5 cappuccino makers here to get some insight.
Where does Handground Precision manual grinder come in in all of this? Well, it is made out of brushed nickel for a reason. There is not a grinder that would make a better fine grind than Handground Precision hand grinder.
Its burr is designed to completely crush and fine grind the coffee beans.
Stylish Handground Precision grinder for the best espresso grind you will ever grind by your hand.
What I really like about it is the modern design with the old-school aroma. The glass and nickel are a perfect combination and the fact that you can see in the manual coffee grinder is amazing. You can literally observe the fruits of your grinding efforts in real-time!
Of course, when you look at electric grinder vs hand grinder, the electric is a more efficient one. Nothing beats the ‘hands-on’ approach of grinding your own coffee, however.
The price of Handground Precision is a bit high but you get some extras like the Brew Magnet which makes the cleaning of manual coffee grinder a pleasure. Either way, if you like to grind your own beans and drink a handmade espresso, this is the best hand coffee grinder choice:
What is the makeup of the best hand coffee grinder? Well, it really depends on what kind you’re looking for. As for myself, for example, I love to hold the gritty cast iron crank of MoMa Exclusive grinder (that’s the air piece I was talking about).
Here are some features we used as the basis for Top5er best hand coffee grinder reviews:
Size – how much coffee would a coffee grinder ground if a coffee grinder could ground coffee? (hopefully, you sang that one). Most of the hand coffee grinders grind up to 2-cups worth of coffee per set. That is more than enough on a Saturday morning for you as your lady but grinding coffee on a workday can take away some minutes from your morning. If you want to have ground coffee prepared, you can use a small grinder several times and make a coffee stock or use a bigger one once. Note:There is nothing quite like fresh ground coffee – choosing the smaller-sized manual coffee grinder is usually the smart choice here.
Weight – how much does a manual coffee grinder weight? If you want to take a coffee grinder on the plane, choose a lighter one. If, however, you are going to use it at home, pick the heavier one. Heavier ones are more reliable and robust, and you feel like a real man operating the crank of a heavy hand coffee grinder.
Nationality – Italians make the best coffee, right? Or is it the French? There is a whole philosophy about how coffee should be ground, depending on which country you’re in. Italians have their own way as well as the French (think espresso vs. French press here). The US is known for its superior production techniques and the Japanese are detail-oriented when it comes to design. This is also reflected in the design of manual coffee grinders.
Price – how much does a manual coffee grinder cost? The price range is anywhere between $20 and $300. It all comes down to the materials and quality of hand coffee grinder design – obviously cast iron or nickel brushing costs more than stainless steel or plastics. However, the pricier coffee grinders don’t only serve the function of grinding the coffee beans, they can also be used as vital pieces of interior design.
Is manual coffee grinder old-school? Sure. Is it also a very very cool thing to have in your kitchen?For people with style, absolutely.
A classic manual coffee grinder for men with exquisite style.
Do You Need A Manual Coffee Grinder (Alternatives)
Ok, let’s ask ourselves ‘Do I really need a manual coffee grinder?’.
If the answer is ‘yes’, you know what to do. If it’s a ‘no’, you know what not to do. If you’re somewhere in between, here are some manual coffee grinder alternatives to ponder upon:
Use pre-grinded coffee. Every store sells it and, in fact, it is the most mainstream way of buying coffee. Grinding your coffee is a luxury but, damn, it does feel nice!
Use an electric coffee grinder. The electric is definitely more efficient and faster. It will give you the same aroma of freshly ground coffee but will it give you the same satisfaction as cranking one off yourself in the morning? I doubt it.
Drink tea instead. No grinding there. Less satisfaction almost guaranteed as well.
What Manual Coffee Grinder Do You Guys Use?
Everybody is bound to have a preference as far as coffee grinders go. Give us some insight into what you think is the best hand coffee grinder, what kind of coffee do you enjoy and what kind of grind do you make for yourself.
This is what I would order the moment when I wake up. Unfortunately, without a cappuccino maker, most of us have to drink a regular black coffee upon waking up. It does taste awful but it also takes us some time to make. And it’s followed by a lengthy commute to work.
Mornings are not the best of times for most people, but with some small thing like a cappuccino maker, the whole morning experience can be a bit more cheerful. This prompted us to make a collection of best cappuccino machines. Why?
Well, cappuccino maker is very useful. Not only does it make a tasty cappuccino in a record time, it can also make your morning – and saves you $100/month in coffee shop bills. Every cappuccino maker can make espresso as well (this goes without saying).
No morning is perfect without a good cup of coffee.
A cappuccino will give you a bit more focus on your commute (please do drink (coffee) and drive in the morning for your sake and the sake of other people). It will make you more upbeat and successful in the workplace.
We make a first impression to our coworkers and a boss every day. A good cappuccino is just a shortcut to a morning smile and smile is the best tool to make a good impression.
Top 5 Best Cappuccino Maker Reviews
We made a quick comparison of Top 5 cappuccino maker reviews so that you can see them side by side and compare for yourself. Below you’ll find reviews of each cappuccino maker as well.
Note: We limited our reviews on a single boiler cappuccino makers because, honestly, dual boiler cappuccino system tend to be very expensive are more used as a commercial cappuccino machine (the ones for big coffee shops (think Starbucks).
Everybody should choose a cappuccino machine that best suits their needs. Need a cappuccino fast? Are you looking for a cheap cappuccino maker? Are you a cappuccino enthusiast and want to make a different cappuccino every time? Here are the individual best cappuccino maker reviews to help you find the best machine that suits your needs:
Breville BES870XL is really a dream for cappuccino lovers who like to make their own coffee. With super-automatic machines, you just press a button but with Breville BES870XL you can try out some cool features to make your cappuccino better (the built-in coffee grinder is a BIG bonus here).
Here are some Breville BES870XL features you can try out:
Fresh Grinding – you can set grinding size and quantity. For best cappuccino try out the finest grinding.
Water Temperature – you can go up or down with water temperature for making cappuccino (Breville BES870XL allows you 1-2 degrees jumps). Higher the temp, the more thoroughly you extract the freshly-grinded coffee beans.
Single Or Double Shot – you never know when you’ll need a double shot espresso or cappuccino.
Milk Frothing – Breville BES870XL has a special milk steamer for ‘hands-on’ approach. That’s how you can make it more creamy or full or steamy foam – whichever way you like it.
Breville BES870XL is a cappuccino-making dream machine.
It is a single boiler machine, but what gives Breville BES870XL cappuccino maker an edge is extra heat exchange feature(an upgrade from simple single boiler machines). It holds 67 oz. of water which is more than enough and boasts 1700W of power (creating full 15 bars of pressure for espresso extraction).
The Breville guy really explains in-depth what you can actually do with the BES870XL. You can check his video here.
Even the worst Breville BES870XL reviews are not bad at all. This is usually the fool-proof indication that this truly is one of the best cappuccino makers out there.
The Breville cappuccino maker is the priciest on our Top 5 list. If you’re a cappuccino enthusiast it’s well worth the price, especially because you get a coffee grinder free of charge with it (they can cost up to $200). You can check out the current Breville BES870XL price below:
#2 Mr. Coffee ECMP1000 Review – The Absolute Best-Selling Cappuccino Maker
Mr. Coffee is the ‘Apple’ of espresso and cappuccino makers. ECMP1000 model of their cappuccino maker is their No. 1 selling machine and it’s easy to see why so many people make it their first choice.
Unlike Breville machines, it is super-automated. That means it has this neat principle of ‘press this one button andcome back in a minute or so. Your cappuccino will be waiting for you’. It also accommodates the big travel mugs so you can get out of the door asap. If you have to make coffee on the move, do check out Top5er Top5 list of best travel kettles.
Do you want an espresso? A double espresso? Or double cappuccino?
No problem, just press the button and get a tasty coffee shop grade cappuccino. The point of Mr. Coffee ECMP1000 is its absolute simplicity and speed.
Simple and easy one-touch approach is perfect for a sleepy morning person.
The bonus here is the built-in milk frother. A decent milk frother costs $10 but getting it along with the Mr. Coffee ECMP1000 is just simpler and more convenient.
If you’ve ever waited for more than 5 minutes at Starbucks for a coffee, you can understand that excitement in the Mr. Coffee ECMP1000 review. ‘I can now magically create a cappuccino by myself!’
Joking aside, Mr. Coffee ECMP1000 is an affordable and reliable cappuccino maker that keeps on giving. If this is your first time buying an espresso/cappuccino maker, maybe you should start with this one – the majority of people do.
#3 Mr. Coffee ECMP50 Review – Perfect For Company Of Two
When it comes to the best cappuccino makers, you’ll see that usually, you can make 1 cup at a time. Mr. Coffee ECMP50, however, is designed to make 2 cups at a time. This is very useful if you and your SO wake up at the same time and have to go to work at the same time. Why?
If you drink a cappuccino in the late afternoon, it’s no problem waiting for a cup. In the morning, however, speed is everything and making one cup after another is a waste of time. If you and your SO needs cappuccino or espresso at the same time, Mr. Coffee ECMP50 can help you out.
This will also relieve you of the argument ‘No, first cappuccino is mine, not yours. I’m more of a hurry than you’. Don’t let the love of cappuccino be a divider in a relationship. We all know that coffee is love.
Cappuccino for two.
Other than making two shots of cappuccino at the same time, Mr. Coffee ECMP50 has all the basics covered. It is super-automated for a single-button ‘make me some cappuccino’ push and has 15 bars of pressure to boot.
As usual with kitchen appliances, some noise is involved and as we see in this review of Mr. Coffee ECMP50 noise can be a significant con. The auto stop is another matter: you can set it yourself with the use of Mr. Coffee ECMP50 manual, or simply use bigger cups.
On the positive side, the price of Mr. Coffee ECMP50 is very affordable. In fact, this is one of the cheap cappuccino makers that you can just buy and try out and buy another one if this one doesn’t reach your expectations. There is also usually a discount on Mr. Coffee ECMP50 original price:
#4 DeLonghi EC155 Review – Best Budget Cappucino Maker
DeLonghi EC155 is one of the best-known Italian cappuccino makers. The fact that it has more than 5000 Amazon reviews speaks volumes – it is a ‘golden standard’ of cappuccino makers.
Even though it is conveniently super-automated, it has the option of using pods. Personally, I prefer fresh ground coffee to pods, but using pods makes everything (including DeLonghi EC155 cleaning) easier. Pods are quite expensive, though, something like $1 per pod – you can check pod prices here.
DeLonghi EC155 – Italian espresso/cappuccino maker.
With such an abundance of DeLonghi EC155 reviews, it’s not hard to find the classic ‘yeah, I love it’ or ‘no, I hate’ reviews. By now there are more than 3500 positive reviews and more than 1700 negative reviews. Quick note: to understand this review of EC155, you have to assume the reviewer is making Italian hand gestures.
Overall, yes, there are some negative things about DeLonghi EC155 but if you’re looking for a cheap cappuccino maker, the EC155 is the best budget choice. I just hope it doesn’t break too quickly.
#5 Keurig Rivo Review – The Fastest Cappuccino Maker For One
Keurig Rivo is actually quite a neat cappuccino maker. It’s not for two, because the Keurig is bound to only make single-serve coffee machines, but it is FAST. Like really fast.
Keurig Rivo brews a cappuccino in under 1 minute. That less than that it takes to brush your teeth in the morning.
This is absolutely for active people who want a lightning-fast cappuccino and be on their way asap.
Aside from being the fastest cappuccino maker, it can create a latte or even cold froth as well. Do notice that it uses pods, and not just any pods, to make a cappuccino. Keurig Rivo uses LavAzza pods which do cost about $1 per pod. You can check the latest pod prices here.
The fastest cappuccino maker in the world – Keurig Rivo.
What is really surprising about the Rivo model by Keurig is that Keurig Rivo reviews are not overly positive. Currently, the average Keurig Rivo review score stands at 3.7 out of 5. Why is this?
If you go through a few Keurig Rivo reviews, you notice that quality is lacking. Keurig Rivo is made more or less out of hard plastic and it does break more frequently than, say, stainless steel.
Nonetheless, it has no rival when it comes to speed and thus convenience. This is why many people who bought the Rivo and broke it in a few years, still go ahead and buy another Keurig Rivo, cappuccino maker. This is of course partly because of the affordable price:
What Features To Look For When Buying The Best Cappuccino Maker?
Pretty much everybody agrees that a cappuccino in a coffee shop is better than the coffee we make at home. This is simply because in a coffee shop they have the best semi-automated cappuccino makers. And more experience making it.
However, if you can get the best cappuccino maker, you can make a great cappuccino as well. What is even more, with the best cappuccino machines you can rig the settings to make the best-tasting cappuccino especially for you (in coffee shops they usually have one default setting that brews ‘mainstream’ coffee – the kind everybody should love).
Automation, Speed, Boiler, And Price
Several factors that make the best cappuccino makers the best are important but none is more vital than the level of automation of the cappuccino machine. Here is a quick insight into what cappuccino makers differ on:
Level Of Automatic – is a cappuccino maker semi-automatic, super-automatic or does it just uses pods?
Pods: A cappuccino machine that uses pods is the simplest and the most consistent one – but it makes regular cappuccino. You might want to avoid that if you want to make a cappuccino with a decent taste. You will also have to buy the expensive pods, adding to the cost of using a cappuccino maker.
Semi-automatic: This is the one baristas use. It has a variety of different settings and you can play around with them to brew the coffee that best tastes to you. You can even froth your own milk. It’s like making your own brand of coffee! However, if you want something simple and easy, steer clear from semi-automatic cappuccino makers. They are perfect for cappuccino enthusiasts but if you want to grab a cappuccino in the morning in 2 minutes, go for super-automatic cappuccino machines.
Super-automatic: Push-one-button cappuccino makers. The best super-automated cappuccino machines are completely automated. Everything from fresh coffee grinding to milk frothing is taken care of. This is perfect for active people who want to grab a tasty cappuccino as quickly as possible and be out the door in minutes.
Speed – how quickly does a cappuccino machine make a cappuccino? A big thing about making coffee in the morning is that it is quick. The quicker it is, the longer you can sleep, right? The super fast cappuccino maker Keurig Rivo, for example, can easily make a cappuccino in less than a minute.
Boiler And Price – how much do cappuccino makers cost and what determines the price? Cappuccino machines can cost from under $100 to over $1.000. What makes the above $1.000 Breville BES920XL different from the best-selling cappuccino maker Mr. Coffee ECMP1000? Mainly, the boiler. The best single boiler cappuccino machines are reasonably priced and a majority of people will go for a single boiler. Dual boiler, on the other hand, can steam milk with one boiler and extract espresso (for cappuccino making) with the other. The downside? Dual boiler cappuccino makers are crazy expensive – usually above $1.000.
Do You Need A Cappuccino Maker (Alternatives)
Here is the section that kind of prevent impulsive buys. We at Top5er also ask you the question ‘do you really need this’?
This is not to say we don’t want you to choose one of many great cappuccino makers. If you drink coffee on a daily basis, that is a good idea, but if you just want to try cappuccino this one time or something, please go to the local coffee shop and order one. A nice barista will also show you how it’s made if you ask nicely.
Anyhow, here are some alternatives to buying a cappuccino maker:
Swap cappuccino for tea. If you’re drinking cappuccino for focus, black tea might be a solution. It is the one richest in caffeine and gives a hefty boost (it’s nothing like coffee but still).
Make a regular coffee and use milk thother for the cream. This is a cheap version of making a cappuccino. You won’t get a ‘real’ cappuccino but a milk frother doesn’t cost much.
Maybe you already have a cappuccino maker. Some people who own espresso makers fail to notice these same machines can also make a cappuccino. Yeah, it happens.
Stop drinking coffee altogether. Alright, this is a terrible idea.
Do You Have Experience With Cappuccino Makers?
If you own a cappuccino maker and would like to share some pros and cons, please go right ahead. We welcome every piece of advice that could help Top5er readers make a better decision.
Have you ever woke up on a trip without the ability to make coffee? About 100% of people who love coffee pretty much hate having to wake up without one.
To make coffee (or tea) we need just one thing: boiling water. An electric travel kettle is designed to fulfill that singular purpose: to boil water.
In order to find the best way to bring water to a boil to enjoy that much needed morning coffee on the trip we had only one question to answer:
What is the best travel kettle to buy in 2020?
We went through a mountain of electric, stove, dual voltage, collapsible travel kettles to you the Top 5 best travel kettle choices; and the No. 1 pick is – not surprisingly – Gourmia GK320.
Gourmia is the most popular brand of electric kettles. Its GK320 dual voltage model can be folded and thus requires the least amount of space, leaving you plenty of room in the backpack or suitcase. Pretty much everybody loves it because it’s, well, a perfect little travel kettle.
The best dual voltage travel kettle of 2019 – Gourmia GK320.
5 Best Travel Kettle Reviews
This is a comparison table of the best travel kettles so that you quickly get an idea of what a good kettle should look like. Of course, you’re welcome to read the individual travel kettle reviews later on:
Let us do a review of the best travel kettles. Here at Top5er we always start with the #1 product based on average Amazon rating – cause it seems fair and smart to listen to the people:
No. 1 Travel Kettle Pick
1. Gourmia GK320 Review – Best Travel Kettle Of 2019
Gourmia dual voltage kettle for travel is both one of the smallest and light-weight kettles out there. This makes it perfect for taking it with you on a trip. But the main thing people love is the foldability.
The dual-voltage electric travel kettle can be folded inside itself – making it a small electric travel kettle. When you bring it out, it expands from 4 inches in height to about 7-8 inches in total. It kind of doubles in size:
Gourmia GK320 is the best small dual voltage kettle for travel. It can be folded
This little kettle packs quite a lot of power as well. Even more importantly, you can plug it in 120V or 240V outlets. This means that if you go around the US, you’ll have no problems with it. Wanna go to Japan or Europe? The little Gourmia GK320 dual voltage kettle goes with you!
Wanna go for a car trip across the US?
Well, think again about this one. One drawback of Gourmia electric travel kettle is that it cannot be used in a car. But luckily you can use it at any gas station, hotel, campsite and so on.
That’s obviously very important for the majority of people buying travel pots. It should look nice, right? It’s a small and little device that brings coffee to life – it should be absolutely adorable. Fortunately, it is:
That’s a Saturday morning coffee on a trip that’s well worth bringing a travel kettle with you.
All in all, Gourmia GK320 is lives up to the reputation of being the best the small travel kettle:
2. Loutytuo Foldable Dual Voltage Travel Kettle (Premium Choice)
The Loutytuo is the most versatile high-end travel kettle. If you pick the blue-colored one, it can even be the thing in your backpack you’re most proud of. In short, it looks amazing and it is amazing:
The Loutytuo travel kettle in blue. The blue color is really nice. All the cords are white.
Of course, with the dual voltage, you can use it both in the US (110 V) and in Europe/Asia (220V).
It is made out of safe food-grade protective silicone. What is more, the lid and the heating plate are made out of high-quality 304 stainless steel. The addition of steel and the beautiful design make this the best premium travel kettle.
However, the use of steel also makes the Loutytuo kettle a bit, well, heavy. It does weigh more than 2 pounds which is not ideal for a travel kettle you want to take with you hiking or backpacking.
It can be folded into such a small size that it will fit in your arm. The total volume of the folded kettle is 186 cubic inches; this is a surprisingly small volume for a kettle that can boil more than half a liter of water in one go.
All that beautiful design does come at a higher price. You can check the current price of Loutytuo kettle here:
Bonavita kettle is a classic travel pot. If you’ve seen another traveler making coffee with a portable kettle, he or she has probably used Bonavita.
Everything about travel electric kettle by Bonavita is ‘standard’. Don’t think this is the same as ‘boring’. I mean, does it look boring?
Elegant and classic – Bonavita travel kettle.
Classic electric kettle only means that it is a very reliable travel kettle with pretty much everything you would expect a solid kettle to have:
Dual voltage.
Stainless steel makes it durable.
700 W of energy is more than enough.
Honestly, if you are buying your first travel steamer and will use it in hotels, Bonavita is the smartest choice. It is a reliable choice, albeit it can be a bit boring.
It doesn’t have that ‘wow’ effect with other travelers because most of the travelers who have seen a travel kettle in action, it was the Bonviva 0.5L kettle.
The CMDREAM is not one of those crazy foldable, collapsible kettles that you have to squeeze together to make them smaller. This is a standard kettle that you already probably have at home; you can take it up, put water in it, plug in 110V and you’ll have boiling water in 3-5 minutes.
It has a capacity of 0.5 liters; however, the CMDREAM kettle is so mini not a single dimension extends beyond 7 inches. Here is how 6.5 x 6.1 x 6.5 inches kettle looks like:
A small and standard non-foldable CMDREAM travel kettle. No folding, no fuss; just add water, plug it in and you’ll drink coffee in 3-5 minutes.
With the 800W of power, this little travel kettle can boil half a liter of water in about 5 minutes. If you want just one cup, the boiling water will be ready in 3-4 minutes.
However, it has one big drawback; it only works in the US. The CMDREAM can only use 110V plugs which are the US standard. If you are travel to Europe or Asia, picking a dual voltage kettle is a better option.
If you’re traveling in the US and need some old-fashioned no-fuss travel kettle, you can get CMDREAMS kettle here:
#5 Lyty Pink Foldable Travel Kettle For Boiling Water, Coffee And Milk
The Lyty foldable travel kettle is a bit special. And it’s not just that it’s pink. It’s kind of high-tech as well.
Do you know those standard kettles that heat water? The Lyty kettle does heat water, of course. But it also has two additional settings. It can heat water for coffee (for a perfect coffee, you should heat water about 10 degrees F below the boiling temperature) and it can heat water to baby-milk temperature.
You can see the three different settings for heating up water on the bottom of the kettle:
On the bottom of the Lyfy kettle you can see 3 settings: 1) Boil, 2) Coffee, 3) Milk.
The Lyfy weighs less than 2 pounds, is dual voltage and you can get it here:
It doesn’t really matter where we are, we want to bring that piece of home-brewed coffee with us. The best mini electric kettle shouldn’t take a lot of space and should be as light as possible. Nobody would use even the best kettles for travel in 2018 if they would take up half the suitcase, would they?
This foldable travel kettle is smaller than iPhone 7 Plus. Pocket-size?
Here is a quick list of travel water kettle features we considered when choosing the best travel kettles (5 of them to be exact, this is Top5er after all):
Size – how small travel kettle are we talking about? Most of the best small kettles can boil about 0.5L of water. The smaller it is, the better (you can always heat water twice instead of leaving home with one too few knickers). Foldable kettles are great as well.
Weight – what is the weight of a travel pot? The suitcases and backpacks are usually heavy enough. Let’s lighten the load here with low-weight kettles.
Material – what is the travel kettle made out of? You can have stainless steel water heaters or ones made out of silicone. Stainless steel is more durable but silicon is lighter.
Voltage – what outlet can you plug your electric travel cauldron in? In the US, we have 120 V outlets. However, if you travel to the UK (the tea-drinking-people country) for example, they have 230 V outlets. 230 V does boil the water much quicker than 120 V in the US, but can travel electric kettle take that voltage?
Do You Need A Travel Kettle (Alternatives)
Of course, you also have to consider some alternatives to buying a kettle for travel. Here at Top5er we also encourage you to think about ‘do I really need this’.
One this is abundantly certain: Coffee is life. (we also try to be funny on occasion)
In any case, here are some alternatives to investing in travel vessels:
Don’t drink coffee or tea. Admittedly, this is not always possible because we’re all pretty much caffeine addicts, but wouldn’t it be nice if we wouldn’t be? Nonetheless, when hiking, additional caffeine improves focus so we don’t fall off the mountain.
Check if your hotel has a kettle already. Some hotels also provide you with a kettle in your room – you can quickly check this by finding your hotel at Booking (check the detailed description of your hotel suite). Yes, this will make a hotel room more expensive, but if the kettle is already there, there is little point to buy a travel one. Note: Don’t invest in travel kettle for a just 1-time trip.
Just get somebody else to bring a kettle. If you go on a trip with a bunch of people, there are chances somebody has a travel electric kettle already. Check before going with the group so you won’t bring two of them. You obviously only need one. Bonus note: If you share this Top5er list on FB or Twitter, some of your friends will get one and you won’t have to buy it yourself. Just sayin’.
Your Suggestions Of Kettles For Travel
We hope that this Top 5 list gave you enough insight into what the best kettle features are and which one is best for you.
If you have any comments or ideas about travel kettles, you’re welcome to share them in the comments.
You can share a good or bad experience (and fun ones) with this or that kettle and even talk about where did you go on your vacation (with the kettle, obviously). We want everybody to be involved in these reviews in order to share experiences and good practices about, well, all interesting things.
