This Review examines 25 Electric Kettles that we consider the best value for money in year 2019. They are divided into the following 5 categories:
- Premium High-End Products
- High-End Products
- Mid-Range Products
- Economy Products
- Budget Products
5 Best Premium High-End Kettles
| Criteria / Product | Breville BKE820XL Variable-Temperature 1.8-Liter Kettle | Chef's Choice 688 SmartKettle Cordless 1-3/4-Quart Electric Kettle | Bonavita 1-Liter Variable Temperature Digital Electric Gooseneck Kettle | Frigidaire Professional Programmable Water Kettle | DeLonghi Kmix 54-Ounce Kettle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture |  |  |  |  |  |
| Our score | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 (Best) | 5 |
| More Details |  | | | | |
| User Rating* | 3.8 out of 5 | 3.8 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.6 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 |
| No of Reviews* | 170+ Reviews | 80+ Reviews | 190+ Reviews | 10+ Reviews | 100+ Reviews |
| Volume in Quarts | 2-Quart | 1.75-Quart | 1-Quart | 1.8-Quart | 1.7-Quart |
| Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Stainless steel (interior) |
| Variable Temperature | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Other Features | 1500-Watt, Hold temp button (20 min.), Boil dry protection | 1500-Watt, Digital Display, Keep warm mode, Boil dry protection | 1000-Watt, Digital Display, Keep warm mode, BPA-Free | 1500-Watt, Keep warm function (30 min.) | Durable, Quality materials, Expert craftsmanship |
| Shipping Weight | 6 Pounds | 4 Pounds | 3 Pounds | 4 Pounds | 10 Pounds |
5 Best High-End Kettles
| Criteria / Product | Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle | Chef'sChoice M679 Cordless Electric Glass Kettle | Adagio Teas 30 oz. utiliTEA Variable Temperature Electric Kettle | Nesco 1.8 qt. Electric Water Kettle | Chef's Choice M681 International Cordless Electric Kettle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture |  |  |  |  |  |
| Our score | 2 | 4 | 1 (Best) | 5 | 3 |
| More Details | | | | | |
| User Rating* | 3.9 out of 5 | 4 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 3.8 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 |
| No of Reviews* | 1000+ Reviews | 80+ Reviews | 320+ Reviews | 80+ Reviews | 260+ Reviews |
| Volume in Quarts | 1.8-Quart | 1.75-Quart | 0.9-Quart | 1.8-Quart | 1.75-Quart |
| Material | Stainless steel | Glass | Stainless steel | Glass | Stainless steel |
| Variable Temperature | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Other Features | 1500-Watt, 6 heat settings, Keep warm function (30 min.), Boil-dry protection | 1500-Watt, Dual boil-dry protection, Lid-lock | 1500-Watt, Knob temperature control, BPA Free | 1500-Watt, Boil-dry protection | 1500-Watt, Boil-dry protection |
| Shipping Weight | 4 Pounds | 4 Pounds | 3 Pounds | 4 Pounds | 3 Pounds |
5 Most Popular Mid-Range Kettles
| Criteria / Product | Hamilton Beach 40898 Cool-Touch 8-Cup Cordless Electric Kettle | Bodum 11451-294US 17-Ounce Electric Water Kettle, Red | Melitta 40994 1.7-Liter Kettle | Chef's Choice 673 Cordless Compact Electric Kettle | Ovente KG83 Series 1.5L Glass Electric Kettle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture |  |  |  |  |  |
| Our score | 5 | 4 | 1 (Best) | 3 | 2 |
| More Details | | | | | |
| User Rating* | 3.8 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 |
| No of Reviews* | 580+ Reviews | 70+ Reviews | 100+ Reviews | 90+ Reviews | 110+ Reviews |
| Volume in Quarts | 1.25-Quart | 0.5-Quart | 1.8-Quart | 1-Quart | 1.6-Quart |
| Material | Stainless steel | Plastic | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Borosilicate glass |
| Variable Temperature | No | No | No | No | No |
| Other Features | 1500 Watts | 700-Watt, BPA Free | 1500-Watt, Boil-dry protection | 1500-Watt, Boil-dry protection | 1100-Watt, Boil-dry protection |
| Shipping Weight | 2 Pounds | 3 Pounds | 4 Pounds | 3 Pounds | 4 Pounds |
5 Best Economy Kettles
| Criteria / Product | AROMA AWK-125R 7-Cup Stainless Steel Electric Kettle | Hamilton Beach 40996 Programmable Kettle, 1.7-Liter | T-fal BF650003 Vitesses 1.7L Electric Kettle with Variable Temperature | Hamilton Beach 1.7L Electric Kettle | Aroma AWK-115S Hot H20 X-Press 1-1/2-Liter Cordless Water Kettle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture |  |  |  |  |  |
| Our score | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 (Best) | 3 |
| More Details | | | | | |
| User Rating* | 4.7 out of 5 | 3.9 out of 5 | 4.2 out of 5 | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.1 out of 5 |
| No of Reviews* | 40+ Reviews | 190+ Reviews | 400+ Reviews | 420+ Reviews | 1700+ Reviews |
| Volume in Quarts | 1.8-Quart | 1.8-Quart | 1.8-Quart | 1.8-Quart | 1.6-Quart |
| Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Plastic | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Variable Temperature | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Other Features | 1500-Watt | 1500-Watt, Keep warm mode, Digital Display, Programable (wake-up ready hot) | 1750-Watt, Temperature control knob, Boil-dry protection | 1500-Watt, Boil-dry protection | 1500-Watt |
| Shipping Weight | 3 Pounds | 3 Pounds | 3 Pounds | 4 Pounds | 3 Pounds |
5 Best Budget Kettles
| Criteria / Product | T-fal BF6138US Balanced Living Electric Mini Kettle | Hamilton Beach Stainless Steel Ensemble Electric Kettle, 10-Cup | Hamilton Beach K6080 Large Cordless Kettle | Brentwood 1.2L SS Cordless Tea Kettle Brushed | Hamilton Beach Brands K2070 1-Qt. Electric Kettle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture |  |  |  |  |  |
| Our score | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 (Best) | 5 |
| More Details | | | | | |
| User Rating* | 4.6 out of 5 | 4.1 out of 5 | 4.1 out of 5 | 4.1 out of 5 | 4.2 out of 5 |
| No of Reviews* | 300+ Reviews | 460+ Reviews | 410+ Reviews | 680+ Reviews | 1700+ Reviews |
| Volume in Quarts | 1-Quart | 2.5-Quart | 1.9-Quart | 1.6-Quart | 1-Quart |
| Material | Plastic | Stainless steel | Plastic | Stainless steel | Plastic |
| Variable Temperature | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Other Features | 1750-Watt, Temperature control knob | 1500-Watts | 1500-Watts, Biol-dry protection | 1000-Watt, Biol-dry protection | 1000-Watt, Boil-dry protection, Imersed heating element |
| Shipping Weight | 3 Pounds | 4 Pounds | 3 Pounds | 2 Pounds | 2 Pounds |
*Note: Values in fields “User Rating” and “No of Reviews” may change with time. These charts show information valid as of the publication date of this Review.
What To Look for When Buying an Electric Kettle
Before you choose to buy particular Kettle, consider few of the product features first. Selecting the right Kettle will help you avoid quite common post-purchase disappointment and second thoughts.
You also won’t be tempted to buy some better product later down the road. You may have already heard a saying “I can’t afford to buy cheap stuff”. So, it’s better to choose once and wisely than dmaking impulsive purchases many times over and over again..
You should look at the following 3 areas:
- General Product Features
- Features Specific to Your Requirements
- Other Things
1. General Product Features
We advise you to evaluate the following 4 general criteria. They normally apply to any model; regardless of what you intend to use it for.
Kettle Material
Kettles are produced from 3 common materials. Cheaper models are made of Plastic. From own experience these are also the least durable.
Some recent studies even suggested that plastic may leach harmful substances into the water. These Kettles are cheap, but think if it’s worth saving few dollars and risk your health.
In some cases plastic is a convenient material. It’s lightweight, so it’s very good for traveling. If you travel often and need to take your Kettle with you then plastic ones may be a good choice. Aim for plastic that is BPA-Free.
Plastic Kettles usually have exposed heating element which may get rusty or water stones may form on its surface. For that reason they require more maintenance than other types.
Better quality Kettles are produced from Stainless Steel. These are better than plastic ones and they also look way better. Most stainless steel Kettles are fitted with covered heating element. This will protect it from water damage.
You should be aware of one more thing. Many stainless steel Kettles have few plastic parts embedded in them, the most common is the transparent water level scale.
Make sure that your Kettle is using a non-toxic plastic. Recently there has been some ongoing discussion regarding this issue. Look for Kettles which have all parts that come in contact with water from BPA-Free materials.
The most premium Kettles are made of Glass. Well, not completely from glass – the heating surface is still made of stainless steel while the surrounding walls are from glass.
These Kettles not only look good, but have many practical advantages, too. The main one is that you can easily see exactly how much water is in it. The second important thing is that glass doesn’t leach any harmful chemicals into the water.
Even though Stainless Steel Kettles don’t leach chemicals, they can still deposit iron into the water.
While small amount of iron are not dangerous, some people may be allergic to elemental iron or to iron oxides. This is different than iron from food which is normally bound into organic molecules. Glass Kettles should ease these types of concerns.
Power
The most common power output used in Kettles is usually 1500 Watts. This will ensure quick boiling even with larger volumes of water.
Some cheaper or smaller models come with less power, usually in the range of 700 to 1300 Watts.
The most powerful models have 1750 Watts. With this power you should be able to boil water in no time. Be careful to pour enough water into Kettle, otherwise it may get easily overheated, even with the boil-dry control function.
Cordless and 360 Degree Rotation
Almost all modern kettles are cordless. They have base connected with cord to electricity and then the Kettle itself if attached to the base.
You should consider one safety feature here. Good Kettles do not have wires directly exposed on the base. If they do and you or your child accidentally touches it, it can give you an electric shock.
Some models come with safety locks. They should prevent the Kettle detaching from the base.
Another handy feature is 360 degrees rotation ability. The only models that do not offer this function are the cheapest Electric Kettles usually made from plastic.
Warranty
Most products come with standard 1-Year Warranty, although few offer up to 3-Year Warranty, especially Cuisinart Kettles.
Electric Kettles aren’t expensive appliances, so even if they stop working after one year, it shouldn’t cost a fortune to replace them.
However, if you are environmentally aware or prefer not to buy new appliances every year or so, then choosing model with longer warranty will make sense.
2. Features Specific to Your Requirements
Temperature Control
Better models offer variable temperature controls which allow setting your desired temperature precisely on Digital Displays in degrees Fahrenheit.
Other models have got pre-set temperatures incorporated in their temperature controls. These settings are generally for boiling water, green tea, hot chocolate and so on.
Some Electric Kettles come with heat controls clock-style knob, letting you choose any temperature on the scale. These Kettles, however, do not show exact number in degrees.
Volume
If you plan to use your Hot Water or Tea Kettle at home for just one or two people then small volume of 0.5 to 1-Quart (or litres) will be more than enough.
For restaurants, larger families or if you require larger volumes of hot water we recommend a product with volume of 1.5 to 2 Quarts. This will let you serving hot drinks at the same time.
Programmability
Programmability is a very handy feature. Some Kettles can be programmed to keep the water warm for a period of time, usually 30 minutes.
Other can be pre-programmed to heat the water at specific times of the day. For example you may set them to boil water at 7:00am in the morning. So, when you wake up, the water is ready for your tea or coffee.
3. Others Things
We would like to mention one last thing, which may speak about the product quality, usability and its lifespan.
It is country where the product was manufactured. Products made in the USA or Europe (countries like Germany, France, Switzerland or Italy) are usually of better quality than those made in China.
I know there are just few last manufacturing plants left in the developed world these days, however they still exist. If you can get product from one of those countries, then it should be a good choice.
However, take this rule just as a general guide. Chinese products might have been of substandard quality in the past. However, these days they are getting better. Many higher-end products manufactured in China recently are of good quality.
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