The trusty kettle is a true staple of any household and arguably gets the most use when compared to other kitchen appliances. From making teas and coffees to boiling water for cooking and cleaning, a decent kettle keeps the household in good running order.
As with most appliances, choosing the best kettle for your requirements needs a bit of thought beforehand. Consider factors such as size, efficiency and features that could make your life that much easier.
If you’re part of a big household and constantly putting the kettle on, then you’ll probably need a larger capacity pick than what a smaller household could get away with. Although most kettles tend to hold around 1.5l litres of water, some options can hold more like 1.7 – 2l.
Another factor to consider is the kettle’s efficiency. Ideally, you would want your kettle to boil as quickly as possible without using too much energy. Some kettles are higher-powered than others, and subsequently boil water faster, but may use more power to do so. In either case, we make sure we assess how much power both faster and slower kettles use in the boiling process.
More kettles now also offer smart features, including variable and adjustable temperatures. This is a really impressive feature, as the usual one-size-fits-all policy isn’t always sufficient for the job at hand. Different drinks, including coffee and some herbal teas, shouldn’t be made with boiling water as this affects their taste. A multi-temperature kettle is also useful for other jobs, such as making up a baby’s bottle.
To ensure we thoroughly test each kettle that arrives at our offices, we use them consistently for at least a week. As part of our test, we time how long it takes to boil, how long it holds hot water for, and note any particular features that are worth considering. We also note how heavy the kettle actually is and how easy it is to use.
Best kettles at a glance
How We Test
We use every kettle we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll see how quick it is at boiling water, how easy it is to use and if any special features stand out from the rest. We measure how long kettles hold water hot for, to save money on reboiling.
We’ll also check its cable length to see if it can be stowed easily and that it isn’t too heavy.
Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle KT200UK
The best overall kettle
Pros
- Low minimum boil level
- Excellent temperature selection range
- Easy to see fill levels
- Pours well
Cons
- Looks a bit functional
- Beeps a touch annoying
Offering the option to boil just 250ml of water, the Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle KT200UK can efficiently deliver hot water for one, while the competition’s minimum is usually twice that amount. With preset and manual temperature controls, the kettle is supremely flexible, allowing tea and coffee lovers to brew their drinks at the correct temperature.
Available in black or stainless steel (the KT201UK), it’s a traditional jug kettle. The maximum capacity of 1.7 litres is marked on the outside and the inside of the kettle. The LCD screen shows the set temperature, but once the kettle has finished heating, it also shows the current temperature of the water. This is helpful, as you can see at a glance if the water is hot enough to use. There’s a keep-warm feature, too, which will maintain the water temperature you’ve set for up to 30 minutes.
Inside, you’ll find a stainless steel limescale filter, which can be removed for cleaning. Given its tough build quality, this should prove robust and reliable.
This is a 3kW kettle, which means it boils as fast as UK electricity will allow. It boiled 250ml of water in just 48 seconds, from start to finish.
There are better-looking kettles available, but few come close to delivering the Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle KT200UK’s mixture of features and performance.
Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full review: Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle KT200UK review
Russell Hobbs Structure Kettle
The best budget kettle
Pros
- Will boil a single cup in less than a minute
- Reasonable price
- Water level is accurate
- Removeable limescale filter
Cons
- Mostly cup measurements
- Lid has to be removed to fill
- Exposed element
Kettle design seems to be taking centre stage on this list, and the Russell Hobbs Structure Kettle is no exception to the rule. It offers a more minimalistic overall look, characterised by some architectural lines that makes it look modern and fit well with any forward-thinking kitchen.
Moreover, its 1.7-litre capacity is great for gatherings big and small, as is the fact it can boil one cup at a time for ultimate precision, or if things need to be done on a person-by-person basis. The Structure Kettle is also a fast boiler, taking roughly two and a half minutes for a litre, four minutes for full capacity and for one cup, just 45 seconds.
There’s only one small niggle with the Structure kettle overall – the simple fact you’ve got to remove the lid to fill it up, but other than that, it’s a great and rather affordable all-rounder that looks great.
Reviewer: Rachel Ogden
Full review: Russell Hobbs Structure Kettle review
WeeKett Smart Wi-Fi Kettle
The best smart kettle
Pros
- Reasonably quick and efficient
- Smart steel finish
- Dual water gauges
Cons
- Could be a little more practical
- Can be a very messy pourer
Does a smart kettle really make life easier? The WeeKett Smart Wi-Fi Kettle certainly hopes so, although if you ignore its smart features and just focus on its other features, including multiple temperatures, this is a still a great kettle.
Taking a maximum of 1.7-litres, with a minimum boil of 500ml, this is a good-sized kettle. It can be hard to see the fill lines on the side of kettle, which are marked in litres only, not cups. From the front, there are buttons to select the temperature you want: 70°C, 80°C, 90°C and 100°C.
That range takes in pretty much every type of hot drink. Get the kettle connected to the app and there’s a wider choice of temperatures: you can pick everything from 40°C to 100°C in 1°C increments. And, you can even do the same with Alexa or the Google Assistant: “Alexa, heat the kettle to 40°C.”
Of course, you have to have the kettle filled with water and ready to go before remotely starting the kettle to boil. If you do, then it can be neat arriving to a freshly boiled kettle.
There’s only a 2.2kW heating element here, so this is isn’t the fastest kettle. In our tests it took 1m 40s to boil 500ml of water. More impressive, the WeeKett Smart Wi-Fi Kettle retains heat well, so you won’t have to reboil it often.
Well priced for a multi-temperature kettle, this is a good kettle in its own right, with the smart features a handy bonus.
Reviewer: Simon Handby
Full review: WeeKett Smart Wi-Fi Kettle review
Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5
The best multi-temperature kettle
Pros
- 250ml minimum boil
- Easy to pour
- Multiple temperatures
Cons
- Have to remove lid to fill
- Only available in one colour
Whether you fancy yourself a tea connoisseur and enjoy trying different blends or you tend to use your kettle for various purposes, the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 is a great choice.
With eight temperature options to choose from, ranging from just 20°C up to 100°C, the kettle even remembers the last temperature setting you used for quick reheating.
Having such a wide range of temperature options is useful for a few reasons. Not only does it mean you can adjust the temperature depending on the type of drink you’re making, for example green tea requires a much lower temperature than black tea, but you can save energy by not having to heat water past the required temperature.
Although it boasts a large 1.7-litre maximum capacity, a great feature of the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 is its 250ml minimum boil, which is about enough for a single cup of tea and is half the usual minimum found on most kettles.
To test the speed and efficiency of the appliance, we first boiled 1.5 litres of water and this took three minutes and 44 seconds and used a total of 0.16kWh of power. We then filled the kettle at its minimum level (250ml) and found this took just over one minute to boil and used just 0.046kWh of power.
A slightly fiddly but still workable feature of the kettle is that the fill-level markings are found on the inside, which means you have to remove the lid to fill it up. A flip-up lid is preferable, as this makes it much easier to fill the kettle up, however this really isn’t a huge issue.
For the style conscious, the kettle comes in a sleek, obsidian black colour and can be paired with Haier’s other Series 5 products for a matching kitchen set.
Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full review: Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5
Dualit Pour Over Kettle
The best pour-over kettle
Pros
- Multiple temperature selection
- Can hold temperature for five minutes
- Concealed element
Cons
- Small capacity
- Slow to boil
If you want total control over the temperature of your kettle, say if you drink pour-over coffee or specialist teas that should be made at a specific temperature, then the Dualit Pour Over Kettle is the perfect appliance for you.
The Dualit Pour Over kettle allows users complete control of the temperature selection as it goes up in one degree increments rather than the less flexible 10° increments of other kettles, such as the Smeg KLF04.
Rather than a standard on-off lever, the Dualit has a control panel on its base with a dial for choosing your water temperature, a button to switch between Celsius and Farenheit and a clear digital display.
The digital screen is especially useful as it shows the temperature of the water as it boils, so you can constantly monitor it. The screen also displays the time remaining until the water reaches the correct temperature, negating the need to hang around waiting for the kettle to boil.
This is especially useful as the kettle isn’t particularly fast, taking four minutes and 24 seconds to boil its full capacity of 800ml of water from 19°C. However because of the long boil time the kettle is impressively quiet with no audible bubbling and minimal steam produced. In fact, as the spout is low down it doesn’t emit much steam at all.
The spout is situated towards the base of the kettle so it only needs to be tipped at a slight angle to pour. It’s worth noting that because the spout is slim, there’s no limescale filter present so if you live in a hard-water area you’ll have to descale this kettle regularly to prevent any unsightly limescale clogging the spout.
Open up the kettle and you’ll find minimum and maximum fill lines, although there’s no markings in-between which does mean it can be difficult to determine how much water you’re boiling.
Despite being slow to boil and only offering up to 800ml, the Dualit Pour Over Kettle is perfect for those who enjoy specialist teas and coffees that need to be made at a specific temperature.
Reviewer: Rachel Ogden
Full review: Dualit Pour Over Kettle review
Smeg KLF03 50’s Style Kettle
The best retro kettle
Pros
- Fingerprint-proof matte finish
- Soft-opening lid to minimise sudden release of steam
- Washable limescale filter
- Drip-free spout
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy, especially when full
Smeg appliances have a reputation for their stylish, retro-inspired design and the Smeg KLF03 50’s Style Kettle is no exception. With a sleek shape, chrome detailing and matte finish which comes in a choice of three colours, the KLF03 will take pride of place in any kitchen.
Although it is stylish, more importantly the KLF03 is practical too thanks to its quick boil and easy-pour spout. There’s also a slow rising lid which prevents you from being greeted with a face-full of steam when refilling the kettle after boiling.
It’s worth noting that at over 1.2kg, the kettle is undoubtedly heavier than others and this is exacerbated when filled to its maximum 1.7L capacity.
The inside has a stainless-steel interior which is easy to keep clean, and if you live in a hard water area then you’ll appreciate the removable and washable stainless-steel filter which helps keep limescale away from your cup of tea.
Other thoughtful touches include its illuminated lever which brightly displays when the kettle is switched on. Although conspicuous and chunky, its design doesn’t look out of place and prevents you from accidentally switching the kettle on or off without realising.
Its water window displays a measure for cups and litres so you can avoid overfilling, however as the kettle’s minimum capacity is 500ml you may need to boil more water than needed if you’re making just one cup of tea.
Its 3kW element means the KLF03 is quick to boil from cold, with a litre of water taking just two minutes and 18 seconds to boil while a full 1.7L kettle took three minutes and 44 seconds.
We appreciated that there’s no bubbling or splashing at the spout, reducing the chance of any accidents, plus pouring out was smooth with no drips or dribbles either.
If you’re looking for a stylish, retro-finish kettle that boils quickly with no spillage, then the Smeg KLF03 50’s Style kettle is a great choice. Just keep in mind that it’s much heavier than other kettles.
Reviewer: Rachel Ogden
Full review: Smeg KLF03 50’s Style Kettle review
FAQs
Kettles come in two main types: jug style and traditional. Which you opt for will largely be down to preference and which looks best in your kitchen.
In both instances, ergonomics have a vital role to play. We tell you how comfortable each kettle is to hold, and if the handle offers a good grip. We also explain how easy each kettle is to pour.
All of the kettles reviewed here feature a stand on which the kettle sits for power. We explain how easy it is to drop the kettle onto its stand.
The ease with which you can open the lid and fill a kettle shouldn’t be overestimated. This is particularly true when refilling an already-hot kettle; there’s nothing worse than getting your hand caught in the steam. A kettle with a push-button flip-top lid is often a good choice, and makes refilling simpler.
Ignore anything you read about faster-boiling kettles. Converting electricity into heat is extremely easy, so all kettles will have similar efficiency figures. And since UK plugs house a maximum of a 13-amp fuse, the most energy a kettle can draw is 3kW.
The main differences are with regards to how quickly a kettle takes to boil, which is defined by two factors: power usage and the auto shut-off.
For power usage, kettles that draw more power will boil faster; lower-rated kettles will take longer to get your water to boiling point. However, the total power usage remains the same to heat water to boiling point. Really, then, the choice for power usage comes down to how quickly you want your boiling water.
The automatic shut-off has a part to play: the faster the kettle can recognise that it has hit the boiling point, the quicker it will shut off and stop using power. To that end, our reviews list how much power a kettle draws and the time taken to heat 1-litre of water.
To ensure that each kettle works properly, we measure the time to boil 1-litre of water and the kettle when full.
There are two main ways to save electricity when using a kettle. First, only boil the amount of water you need. As such, a kettle that has a clear window and water scale makes it easier to fill to the level you need.
Secondly, stopping the kettle boiling sooner saves energy. Some kettles have adjustable temperature sensors for different jobs, although you can manually stop any kettle with a lower degree of accuracy.
For example, if you’re making coffee in a french press, the ideal water temperature is somewhere between 88ºC and 96ºC, depending on the blend and personal taste (remember, coffee boiled is coffee spoiled).
Using filtered water, particularly in a hard water area, can help to reduce limescale build-up. Some kettles have integrated water filters, but using filtered water from a jug or filtering tap is just as good.
Most kettles will have an integrated limescale filter. This prevents limescale being poured into your drink, but it doesn’t prevent the build-up of limescale. This filter, along with the kettle, will need descaling to keep everything in tip-top condition. How often you do this will depend on the type of water in your area.
