Make Perfect Cups of Tea with These Quality Kettles
We can live without a stove, but take away our water boilers and we can’t carry on – or maybe that’s just us. It’s not even as though they carry out a range of tasks, they just boil water, turning cold water into hot water. But without that hot water, we couldn’t have coffee, tea, soup and so much more – so kettles are important.
However, there are several factors to consider when buying a new kettle.
The initial decision is how long it takes to boil. There is several minutes difference between the fastest boiler and the slowest on the market and this can add up to a lot of time and energy spent waiting for that kettle.
The speed of boiling is dependent on the power, with most kettles ranging from 1.7kw to 3kw; the 3kw kettles are classed as ‘rapid boil’ and will generally boil in under 2.5 minutes. Unfortunately, being rapid boil also means that they tend to be louder.
Kettles hold between 1.5 and 1.7 liters of water and should be able to boil 6-7 cups at a time. But in order to save power, remember to only boil as much as you need. For example, to fill a french press, you will only need around 12 ounces.
Here we’ve reviewed the best performing kettles of 2023:
1) COSORI Electric Kettle
Overview
This is a stunning kettle – beautiful styling coupled with efficient energy usage. It feels solid and well made, and it arrived nicely packaged, on time.
What We Like
We love that this kettle, even when full, is comfortable to hold, with the handle slightly grippy to help. It has never dripped once, and the lights situated in the base are an ingenious way to give it that extra special something. Another bonus is that being glass, the water isn’t tainted by the taste of plastic and retains its clean and fresh flavor.
What Need Improving
On unpacking, there was a strong plasticy smell, but after rinsing and boiling, it disappeared.
2) Secura Stainless Steel Kettle
Overview
Secura have made a very sleek kettle with this double walled model. It has straight, sophisticated lines, and a nice comfortable, solid feeling handle.
What We Like
This is a great size for a kettle, perfect if you have friends round or like us, drink lots of coffee. But despite the size, it’s very comfortable to lift, hold and pour. The lid opens wide enough for easy cleaning too. The Secura kettle is made of durable stainless steel and comes with a 2 year warranty.
What Needs Improving
Our only issue that could be improved is that when it’s boiled, and the cut off kicks in, there isn’t a beep that can be heard from another room to alert you to this. But that’s us being picky!
3) Ovente Kettle
Overview
This BPA-free 1.5L kettle is made from high quality glass, is nicely designed, and looks great on a kitchen countertop. It arrived promptly and was packaged extremely effectively.
What We Like
Nothing on the outside of this kettle gets hot, which is perfect if you have children around. It boils quickly, pours like a dream and is available in a color to suit every kitchen. It’s also easy to see the measures on the side to indicate how many cups worth of water is contained within. This kettle is free from nasty chemicals, which makes it a great non-toxic choice.
What Needs Improving
The excess power cord is stored in the base of the kettle, and fitting it in there is a tight squeeze, so that could have been designed a little better, but it’s certainly not a deal breaker.
$20.99 in stock
7 used from $13.40
4) Hamilton Beach Electric Kettle
Overview
This kettle is decently sturdy, not too heavy and ergonomically designed with comfort and ease of use in mind.
What We Like
The large handle is perfectly balanced for picking up and carrying, even if you have aching joints, and even if the kettle’s full – great design idea. It boils quickly, switches off and keeps the water hot for when it’s required, all at a good price. The mesh filter catches any hard water deposits that build up over time, ensuring they don’t end up in your beverage, causing it to be crunchy.
What Needs Improving
This kettle doesn’t have a warmer to keep the water hot once boiled; however, it doesn’t really need one as the water stays hot for a long time anyway.
$32.75 in stock
5) Stariver Electric Kettle
Overview
This surprisingly sleek and sophisticated kettle arrived, well packaged, ahead of schedule. Stariverhave produced a great kettle at a very reasonable price. Ergonomically designed to be comfortable to hold, even when full, this rapid boil, cordless model is a good addition to any modern kitchen.
What We Like
The glass body is lovely – so easy to wipe over and keep spotless, it always looks high quality. This kettle has plenty of features to admire. It uses rapid boil to get your water hot in seconds, and has an automatic shut off. With a concealed element, removable filter, and stainless steel fittings, it’s a lovely item to have in your kitchen. The lid opens fully to allow for easy filling and cleaning, and with the clear body, it’s simple to see how full it is. You only boil what you require, thus saving energy. Pouring water for your hot drink is always spill free, too. The low price is an added bonus.
What Needs Improving
When coming to the boil this kettle is a little loud, but for such a bargain, that is a very small complaint.
$24.99 in stock
Check out these nifty tips on how to brew the best tasting coffee using a kettle depending on which method and type of coffee you have.
If you enjoyed this review, take a look at our other favorites: