An electric kettle is one of those appliances that seems like a complete luxury, until you get one and ask yourself how you ever went without. Indeed, if you're a committed or, electric kettles come with serious perks: they boil water nearly twice as fast as conventional kettles, they have automatic shut-off controls that are a win for safety (and distractible types), and they don't emit a lot of heat. These days, many models also have variable temperature controls that make it easy to fine-tune the water temperature precisely to suit your drink of choice.
And yet, electric kettles come in a huge range of prices, from $15 to over $150, and a dizzying variety of sizes and materials. We originally put 10 models representing a spectrum of designs and price points to the test in 2018. For our 2019 update, we added three kettles we had previously overlooked and tested them against last year's winners. For two years in a row, OXO's Cordless Glass Adjustable Temperature kettle came out as the best electric kettle, but keeping in mind that the efficacy of a kettle depends on what you're using it for, we also picked a budget alternative, another that's great for pour-over coffee, and a few others. Read on for the best electric kettles of 2019; for the specifics of how we tested and what to look for in an electric kettle, scroll to the bottom of the page. The Best All-Purpose Electric Kettle: OXO Cordless Glass Adjustable Temperature Electric KettleAs a brand, OXO has long proven itself reliable for marrying good design with dependable performance, and this kettle is no different: throughout all of our tests, the attention to detail that was apparent in its construction and its ease of use made it very appealing. First, performance: the kettle brought four cups of water to a full boil in less than five minutes—among the speediest models we encountered—and was within one degree of accuracy when measured with the thermometer on the 175 F and 200 F temperature presets.
Portable Kettle 0.4-Liter Electric Small Travel JUG+2 Water Cups 600W 220V-240V. Electric kettles are the best time saver for busy office hours as well as for the small families living in the apartment style house. When you are looking for some of the best appliances to make your modern kitchen full of luxury and convenient solutions, Epica-6 Temperature Variable Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle appears the best.
We liked the pleasant beep that reminded us that the heating cycle had ended and the convenient hold setting that kept the water up to temperature for 30 minutes. When we tasted the water, we could not detect any unpleasant 'off' flavors—and pouring, while not as precise as a gooseneck kettle, was neat and easy, with a nice arch to the water flow and no leaking or spilling. When it came time to clean the kettle, it was a cinch to get our hand inside the carafe for a speedy wipe-down.As objects, both the base and the kettle itself feel solidly built and well-proportioned. The backlit dial on the base is clear to read and makes it easy to program in the temperature of your choice (between 170 F and 212 F). We loved that the heat-safe glass carafe made it easy to see what was going on inside and that the rubberized no-slip ergonomic grip felt great in the hand when filling or pivoting to pour. A whisper-soft, slow-open lid on the carafe lifts with a push and reduces risk of scalding from a splash or a quick release of steam. The size of the whole setup is generous: the carafe can hold 60 ounces—a bit more than the 1.7-liter capacity that is average on most models.The flipside is the OXO is not a compact kettle: the control knob on the base juts out a bit, making the footprint a bit bigger than some models, and if you have especially low cabinets, it could be tricky to tuck the tall carafe underneath.
Also, in an ideal world, we would have liked a wider range of manual temperature settings—down to 150 F at least. (Call us picky, but we prefer our a bit cooler—and if you ever make tea for kids, it can be nice to have the option of lower temps.) Still, these seemed like minor quibbles for an electric kettle that looks good, performs beautifully, and offers so many attractive bells and whistles.
And OXO's satisfaction guarantee, which allows customers to return problematic products for replacement or refund at any point, offers another layer of reassurance. $100 The Best Budget Kettle: Hamilton Beach Glass Electric KettleIf you're looking for a nothing-fancy electric kettle that performs well and is easy to use, this Hamilton Beach model is the best. It's arguably even easier to use than the OXO, since it has clearly labeled temperature buttons for a wide variety of functions like green, white, oolong, black and, as well as coffee and hot cocoa. No need to look up optimal brewing temperatures—just press a button and the kettle gives you the water temperature you need, speedily. It's easy to lift, pours well, and the handle is comfortable to grip. Sure, the machine doesn't have the sleekness of the OXO, but it boils water in under five minutes, can maintain temperature for up to thirty minutes, and just feels like a no-fluff classic that you'll be able to rely on for coffee, tea, and quickly boiling water when cooking.
The kettle lights up and casts a blue glow over the boiling water—some might find this tacky, but we found it charming! And it's about half the price of the OXO, making it a great budget alternative. $50 The Best Gooseneck Electric Kettle: Bonavita Digital Variable Temperature KettleIf you frequent the kind of artisan coffee shops where baristas think nothing of spending 10 minutes to prepare a cup of pour-over, chances are you may have seen this kettle in the wild. And indeed, if you are at all finicky about your coffee or tea—or even just aspire to have a little more control over your cuppa—this well-built, barista-quality gooseneck kettle offers such superior temperature precision and ease of use that, even at close to $70, it's a great value. Full disclosure: I have owned and used the Bonavita kettle in my home kitchen on a daily basis for three years—so, while we put it through the same test kitchen paces as all the other contenders, I also based my assessment on an extra layer of hands-on knowledge.
All my positive anecdotal experience was reinforced while testing: the Bonavita's digital control panel was intuitive to use and we appreciated the temperature presets as well as the ability to manually set temperatures ranging from 140 F to 212 F. And the optional clear plastic 'commercial cover' that is included for the base is a nice add-on if you expect your kettle to get a lot of wear and tear.With a one-liter capacity, the carafe feels compact and the base takes up mercifully little counter space. (That said, if you are looking for something a little bigger,.) Taking seven minutes to reach 212 F, the kettle was slower to boil than many of its competitors, but we liked that the setup remained stable and quiet and that when tested with a thermometer, the readings were spot-on accurate at both 200 F and 175 F. We also appreciated the extra generous hold setting that, when activated, can maintain the water temperature for one hour.The kettle felt good in our hands and had a comfortable molded plastic handle and ergonomic finger rest. The long, slender pour spout performed exactly as a gooseneck should: emitting a fine, even stream of water that's ideal for precision tasks like pouring steady circles into a pour-over or Chemex (or just not splashing all over your countertop). In end, we had just a few small quibbles: the cord on the base is annoyingly short, which could be an issue if your kitchen doesn't have a surfeit of outlets; the lid needs to be manually lifted and sometimes feels a little sticky; and the company's one-year warranty seems a little stingy for such a complex piece of equipment. We found it easy to get our hands into the kettle for a quick clean—but we recognize that are on the smaller side, so if you have large hands, it might be a tighter squeeze.
Still, our parting impression was that this is a great piece of equipment—and having personally put the machine through years of heavy daily use with nary a hiccup, I feel confident that the joy (and superior jolts of caffeine) it can bring to your life is worth every cent. $50 How We TestedTo arrive at a lineup of kettles, we surveyed recent recommendations from the Wirecutter, Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, and America's Test Kitchen. We also looked at the highest-rated models on Amazon and polled Epi editors for their personal recommendations.
We made sure that the final list of contenders represented models from all the major categories—basic, temperature control, and gooseneck. However, many of the models on the lower-priced end of the electric kettle spectrum are made from plastic, but given, we feel strongly—for both health and reasons—that it's best to when reasonably possible (and especially in situations when the plastic will be heated). We made the decision to exclude from our test any kettles whose carafes were made primarily of plastic. (Models with silicone or plastic handles were allowed given that hot water didn’t come in contact with plastic.) We were mindful to include a few budget-level stainless steel options among the candidates. Factors We Evaluated 1. How fast can the kettle boil water?We started by filling each kettle with four cups of cool tap water and clocking the amount of time it took to reach a boil. At the end of the boiling cycle we measured the temperature of the water with a to confirm that it really was 212 F.
Does the water taste good?We noticed that some Amazon reviewers complained of metallic-tasting water or other 'off flavors' coming through their kettles during brewing. So, after boiling, we let the water in each kettle cool slightly before drinking it and noted any unusual flavors. Is the temperature control setting accurate?When the models offered temperature control, either manual or preset, we tested the kettles at two different settings—175 F and 200 F—and measured the results of each with the Thermapen to gauge accuracy. How does the kettle pour water?
Is the spout precise?When you're dealing with boiling liquids, ease of pouring is not just an aesthetic issue, it's a safety one. When using each kettle, we considered how the carafe felt in our hands (was it balanced? Did it have a nice grip?) and also how easily it poured. Did it leak or spill? With the gooseneck kettles especially—since they're specifically meant to deliver more control when making pour-over, Chemex, and —we kept an eye on the precision and the consistency of the water flow. Is the kettle easy to clean?Yes, you're just boiling water. Nonetheless, electric kettles do get dirty over time—thanks mainly to mineral hard water build up—so is important.
With that in mind, we paid attention to how easily we could wipe down the carafes and whether we could easily get our hands inside to scrub hard to reach corners. Some inexpensive kettles have exposed heating elements (basically, a coil of tubing that can be cumbersome to clean), so as a rule we tried to avoid those. Does the build-quality feel sturdy and safe? Is the design thoughtful?On a basic level, we considered the construction of the kettles and the ease of use. Did they feel sturdy? Were they well-proportioned or bulky? Did they remain stable on the counter while boiling or did they wobble about?
Were the carafes easy to fill? And once filled, did they have a window or a fill-line that made it simple to see how much was inside? Did they offer any appealing extra features, like chimes that sound to signal the end of a cycle or preset temperature settings for common beverages like green tea, black tea, and pour-over coffee? Other Electric Kettles We Tested and Recommend A Simple Kettle: Capresso Plus Glass Water KettleThis basic kettle was recommended by Epi's food director, and while it lacks add-ons like temperature control and hold settings, if all you need is a simple kettle to boil water, there's a lot to like about the Capresso.
We were impressed with the speed at which it brought water to a boil (4:45 minutes to be exact), and tests with our Thermapen confirmed the reliability of its thermostat. The water had no 'off' flavors; the carafe is compact; and the base has a nice long cord for flexible countertop placement. We appreciated the clarity of the heat-proof glass carafe and liked being able to monitor the contents as they came to a boil. The narrow spout pours cleanly without dripping and, though not as precise as a gooseneck, offers a fair amount of control for a conventional kettle. Afterwards, we were pleased with how easy it was to wipe-down for a quick cleaning. $56 A Luxury Kettle: Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Pour-Over KettleShe's a beauty, huh? This kettle elicited audible sighs of admiration when we unboxed it in the test kitchen, and there's no doubt about it: the Stagg EKG is a fine piece of industrial design.
Of course, all that polish comes with a price tag: at about $150, this kettle costs 50 percent more than even our (relatively pricey) top pick. That said, we loved the sleek, matte black finish and the minimalist, turntable-esque design of the square base with its smooth radial knob and bright digital temperature readout. Though clocking in at 6:40 to 212 F, it wasn't the fastest kettle to boil, but its performance was in line with other kettles we liked.
We were impressed by additional features like the generous manual temperature control (at 135 F to 212 F, it offered the widest of the field), the 1-hour temperature hold setting, and the built-in 'brew stopwatch' that allows you to monitor how long your brew has steeped. The kettle performed consistently and accurately during temperature tests and the slender spout yielded a nice, even pour. When we first tested it in 2018, it was relatively new to the market and we couldn't speak to its long term reliability.
Now, our Commerce Editor Emily has had it in her kitchen for the past year, and reports that it holds up well even with frequent use. Is the Bonavita a better kettle?
At this point, given its reasonable price and what we know about its long-term performance, our call is yes. But if how a kettle looks on your counter really matters to you, this new addition seems worth giving a shot. $149We also tried—and quite liked— the While it doesn't offer the same degree of manual temperature control and the build quality is nowhere near as solid as our favorite gooseneck kettle, this model from Willow & Everett was its closest competitor in our tests and, with a host of excellent Amazon reviews, seems like it could be an acceptable alternative. We particularly liked that the touch-sensitive temperature preset buttons are labeled with suggestions for use (pour-over coffee, white tea, etc) and the smooth, easy-pouring flow of the gooseneck. In our 2018 review, the won our budget slot. However, when we updated the review in 2019, we found that the Hamilton Beach kettle performed just as well, and was around 20 dollars cheaper. Still, this is an effective, fast kettle with a variety of preset, one-touch temperature controls, a high-quality finish, and a great pouring mechanism.
You wouldn't go astray buying it.We tried the but found the lack of distinct temperature settings (and the somewhat cheap-feeling materials) to be a deal breaker. Similarly, the was eliminated since the interior water vessel was plastic—and we'd prefer heating in glass or metal.In our 2019 test we also tried the that looks identical to the luxury one featured above, but doesn't have the pour-over spout. It is beautifully designed and would look great on your counter—and has the same manual temperature control and ability to maintain temperature for a long time. It's a great kettle, but its small size makes it likely to be less appealing to cooks who want an all-purpose kettle for cooking, and more. The TakeawayBuy the if you're in the market for an all-purpose kettle that can ably handle all sorts of kitchen tasks, from filling teapots and French presses to making —and look good doing it.
But if making artfully calibrated coffee or tea is a big part of your daily routine—or you're just interested in having more control over the process—the is a great product at an attractive price. That said, if you're a design aficionado with some money to burn, you could also give the a shot. Want more product recommendations delivered right to your inbox?