The best electric kettles of 2024, tried and tested

No stovetop? No problem. Electric tea kettles are a convenient tool for boiling water without a flame. If you’re making tea in a dorm or have little patience for a traditional kettle, these appliances quickly heat water in a matter of minutes. An electric kettle is great for steeping pour-over coffee, piping-hot chai and other comforting beverages, especially when the weather starts cooling down.

We put various electric tea kettles of different shapes and sizes to the test to find top-performing options for every taste and budget. After countless cups of tea and coffee, we discovered four of the best electric kettles you can buy.

Best electric kettle: Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp Cordless Electric Kettle

The sleek Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp Cordless Electric Kettle is a simple-to-use electric kettle that has the best combination of capacity, features and control, with useful temperature settings and auditory cues to indicate the beginning and end of its heating cycle — features that other kettles either lacked or didn’t handle as gracefully. This 1.7-liter electric kettle heated faster than others of similar capacity (and as quickly as many smaller kettles). The only fault we could find is that the Cuisinart isn’t suitable for people hoping to prepare well-extracted pour-over coffees or tea services that require precision pouring, as the spout is wide and stout.

We appreciated this model’s simple, functional design which is far above what others offer. When powered on, the control panel (with six temperature settings, a start button and a keep-warm function) illuminates. The capacity measure, gracefully hidden behind its handle, is also illuminated in blue light, so you can easily see how much water has been added. At the beginning and end of each cycle, the Cuisinart kettle beeps, conveniently indicating that warming has begun and finished. The keep-warm setting stays active for 30 minutes.

The Cuisinart was one of the fastest electric kettles we tried. It heated to a 212-degree Fahrenheit boil at full capacity in under six minutes. Many similarly sized competitors took upwards of 10 minutes to heat. Although this might not be a big deal, the speed is notable when you’re looking for hot water right away. Plus, the larger capacity is great for situations where more people will be using the kettle, whether in the office or to serve a house full of tea drinkers. We also found the temperature settings to be accurate overall. When the keep-warm setting was activated, the Cuisinart occasionally heated slightly above the marked temperature setting, but otherwise, we had no issues.

Although certainly not a deal breaker, the Cuisinart’s large, blunt and wide spout may disappoint people who regularly drink pour-over coffees, or otherwise require slow, higher-precision pouring. We had no issues using it to dispense water into mugs generally, but you can’t pour as slowly and carefully as you can with a gooseneck kettle.

Best gooseneck electric kettle: Willow & Everett Gooseneck Electric Kettle

The Willow & Everett Gooseneck Electric Kettle was one of the best gooseneck electric kettles we tested, and at $40 it was easily the best value among them. This kettle was easier to use than many others we tested, with intuitive and straightforward settings. The heating element is among the quickest we tried, with one of the highest degrees of accuracy. Plus, the design of the heating element and gooseneck is clean and looks good displayed on a kitchen counter.

The Willow & Everett comes with the features you’d expect from a top-performing kettle, including five preset heat settings and a keep-warm function that maintains your chosen temperature for up to half an hour. Like the Cuisinart, each preset temperature displays a legend describing what beverage it’s best suited for. We preferred the Willow & Everett’s preset temperature settings because they let us prepare drinks without the fussiness of dealing with the more granular settings available on the more customizable kettles such as the Fellow Stagg.

With a capacity of only 1 liter, this kettle is smaller than many others we tried, but it was also quicker to heat and its temperature settings were more accurate. The Willow & Everett heated the water to within 1 degree of its stated setting on every test. Additionally, it fully heated the maximum water capacity (1 liter) in around five and a half minutes, which was among the quickest we tried, even among other small-capacity kettles.

We tested a number of gooseneck kettles for this piece, and among them, the Willow & Everett provided the best combination of features, value and aesthetics. Other models — across the price spectrum — offered far fewer features, didn’t have variable temperature control and were overall slower to heat.

Best budget electric kettle: Amazon Basics Stainless Steel Electric Kettle

For boiling water for a quick cup of tea, you can’t beat the ​​Amazon Basics Stainless Steel Electric Kettle. It’s small and has a capacity of just 1 liter — or about 4 cups — but that’s enough water for a few mugs or a typical pot of tea. There are no settings on this kettle, not even one to keep water warm. However, it has a water window that’s marked with maximum and minimum fill lines and a button that pops open the lid. To turn on the kettle, you press a large plastic lever, which glows red until the water’s boiled.

In our boil-off, the Amazon Basics was the fastest of all the kettles we tested. Compact in size and resembling a plain old-fashioned stovetop percolator, it’s unobtrusive on a countertop. Tea drinkers who make just a cup or two at a time and don’t come back often for refills will appreciate this speedy, no-frills and affordable model.

Best splurge electric kettle: Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line kettle that offers finer-grained control over temperature, quieter performance and the best looks of anything we tested, the Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle is the best choice. Starting at $165 (some fancier finishes cost $20 or $30 more), this kettle isn’t for most people. For those who are particular about the temperature at which they brew coffee or tea and value the ability to adjust the temperature in single-degree increments up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the Fellow is worth the investment. Along with that adjustability, you get a hold/keep-warm setting and the ability to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit readings.

The Fellow wasn’t the fastest kettle we tested, but it performed well, heating water to a boil in about six minutes. It was also quieter and emitted less steam than every other kettle we tested. The boil seemed to exude a level of calm that no other kettle could achieve, and it barely rumbled or shook when it reached the boiling point. While some kettles were very noisy and steamy during their heating process, the Fellow was nearly silent — a sort of jet-black water-heating spaceship. It also has a keep-warm feature that remains active for 60 minutes, one of the longest of any we tried.

Of course, a big part of the appeal of this kettle is that its appearance will please design-minded users. The kettle comes in 11 finishes (12, if you count the brand’s Broccoli green collaboration with Great Jones). Unlike other kettles, the Fellow Stagg EKG sits on a minimalist square heating element marked by two cleanly integrated circles. The leftmost circle is a small digitized screen that displays the temperature settings in the metric of your choosing (Celsius or Fahrenheit). During heating, it shows what temperature the kettle has already heated the water to, and after heating, it displays what temperature the remaining water is at. The circle on the right is a knob that powers the kettle on with a tap and then spins to adjust to the desired temperature. Along the back of the heating element are two switches: one that activates the keep-warm functionality and another that toggles between temperature metrics (Celsius or Fahrenheit).

The Fellow Stagg EKG’s handle and spout are placed at slightly different angles from most other gooseneck kettles we tested, but it is pleasant to use and handles comfortably. It poured hot water smoothly at a slow but even pace, perfectly suited to making pour-over coffee. We had some issues initially with sputtering but found that keeping the lid’s ventilation holes pointed toward the handle let water flow smoothly.

While we expect to see more user complaints from an expensive item like this, we noted some users reported that their Fellow Stagg EKG kettles failed out of the blue after only a few months, while others encountered temperature screen glitches or failures. That said, the kettle is covered by a one-year warranty.

How we tested

We tested each electric kettle by filling it to its maximum fill line and setting it to boil (for most kettles we tested this was the only setting). We noted how long each kettle took to boil when filled and checked the temperature of the water using a probe thermometer immediately after each heating cycle was completed. This resulted in many cups of tea throughout our testing. One tester even watered their plants with hot water to avoid wasting resources.

For kettles that had multiple temperature settings, we tested each level individually, filling the kettle with cold tap water each time and measuring the temperature of the water immediately after the heating cycle was completed. We also tested the keep-warm setting on kettles that had one by waiting around 10 minutes after the initial warm-up and periodically checking the temperature of the water with a probe thermometer for consistency. Beyond functionality tests, we also assessed the following:

How to pick an electric kettle

All the models we tested brought water to a boil and didn’t leak. It took most of them between four and six minutes to boil 900 grams, or about three and three-quarters cups, of water. That means, unless you are in a huge time crunch, there’s not a huge difference in how long it takes them to come to a boil. What distinguishes electric kettles are the features they offer and their designs. Below are things to think about before you make a purchase.

Consider what you’ll make with an electric kettle

If you’re strictly a tea drinker and stick to steeping traditional black tea bags or leaves, you don’t need a fancy kettle with a gooseneck spout and various temperature settings. On the other hand, if you regularly brew pour-over coffee, you’ll love the way a thin, curvy spout lets you direct the water slowly and precisely over ground coffee in a filter. Tea gourmets who want to brew specific varietals at optimal temperatures will appreciate a kettle with multiple temperature settings.

Every kitchen has limited counter space

Most electric kettles are generously sized, and we’re guessing you’ll use yours regularly, so you’ll want to give it dedicated space on your countertop near an electrical outlet. Plus, the larger the capacity, the heavier the kettle. If you primarily make a mug or two of tea, look for a smaller model that will take up less of your precious countertop real estate and be easier to lift and pour.

What else to consider

A keep-warm setting is a real benefit for a household of tea drinkers who don’t sit down to breakfast together and come back to refill their cups.

On most electric tea kettles, the body becomes too hot to touch. If you use your kettle throughout the day and are concerned about accidental contact burns, opt for a kettle with an insulated stay-cool surface.

The voltage of an electric kettle can impact other electric tools you use. We learned this when attempting to test two kettles at the same time. One testing writer accidentally tripped a circuit in their kitchen.

Lastly, the aesthetics of the kettle are a personal choice. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth paying top dollar for a stylish appliance. While a well-designed kettle may also be more durable, you could replace a basic model several times for the price of some of the fancier kettles.

Other electric kettles we tested

This kettle looks like it belongs on the countertop of an Architectural Digest kitchen spread. The bold yet functional style is a major selling point of the Fellow Clyde Electric Kettle. The handle hovers over the top of the pot and is made of heat-resistant materials. No steam or heat burned our writer’s skin while pouring hot water for tea. While the handle does not move, it was easy to refill the kettle since there is an opening left from this unique hook design. The materials feel high quality, and the kettle has a 1.5-liter capacity with clear markers on the inside that go up by 0.5 increments.

Design aside, the Clyde Kettle is simple in terms of boiling temperature, which is why it hasn’t topped our best-tested recommendations. There are no temperature presets or keep-warm capabilities from this electric kettle. We feel it’s at a high price point for a tool that only boils water. But it is a stunning piece of equipment that has a wraparound cord base for convenient storage.

The Bodum Ottoni Electric Water Kettle impressed our tester with its quick boil time. After filling the kettle to the water capacity (around 1 liter), it consistently reached a boil in slightly under or around five minutes. Its design lets it stand out in our testing pool for its eclectic appearance. Not sleek, but bold and fun. The wooden handle accents the industrial steel finish, and the blue bulbs for the power switch and the top of the cap give a pop of color. The triangular spout pours on the wider side, yet it’s still controllable. This piece is a conversation starter for those who like a bolder look to their kitchen appliances.

While we loved the appearance of this electric kettle, certain elements of the unique design were not intuitive. The wooden handle does not bend to the side, which was a bit of a hassle to deal with during cleaning. It was also hot to the touch once the water was boiled, something we had to be careful about while taking it off the base and carrying it around the kitchen.

The Bodum Ottoni Electric Kettle doen’t have any additional temperature features besides its sole functionality of bringing water to a boil; therefore, it did not outrank others in the same price pool that offered more.

The stainless steel Ninja Precision Temperature Kettle KT200 was a very close runner-up as the best electric kettle. Reasonably priced yet solidly constructed, it has almost everything you could want in a kettle. It missed the ultimate cut because it’s slightly less stylish than the Cuisinart PerfecTemp, and the control panel is on the base, where it’s a little harder to read than on the handle. Of the 1.7-liter/7-cup kettles we tested, it’s the most compact in width and height. In addition to tea, coffee, boil and hold-temp settings, it has pads to adjust the temperature in five-degree increments. While it’s heating, the Ninja displays the water temperature as it rises, so if you want to “watch the kettle boil,” you can. The fill marks are easy to read and marked in cups and liters, and there are also easy-to-see max- and min-fill lines inside. The lid snaps open with the push of a button, and when a heat cycle is complete, the kettle sounds a low beep.

As to performance, the Ninja was among the fastest kettles we tested and extremely accurate at each of its settings. On its 30-minute hold-temp setting, it kept water just under a boil.

We can highly recommend this kettle to just about anyone and particularly to those who want a large capacity but are looking to conserve as much countertop space as possible.

From the minute you lift it out of the box, you can sense that the 1.7-liter (7-cup) Breville Smart Kettle Luxe is a high-quality product. It’s beautifully finished in stainless steel with a handle that looks like it could open a fridge. When you press a button, the lid rises slowly and smoothly. The design of the spout helps water to flow out in a thin, directed stream. While you can’t pour as slowly and steadily as from a gooseneck, this kettle would be a fine choice in homes where coffee and tea are often served. On the control panel, there’s a choice of four temperature settings in addition to boiling and a 20-minute keep-warm button.

However, the Breville’s performance was just average in terms of speed and accuracy of temperature settings. And then there are definite downsides. Yes, it’s well constructed, but it’s also heavy. We love that the measurement markings on one of the water windows are in cups but they are difficult to see. And lastly, the Breville costs more than twice as much as the Cuisinart. You have to love its look and feel to pay $200 for what is essentially a “pot to boil water.” In addition to stainless steel, there are eight more sophisticated finishes, including Red Velvet Cake, Champagne and Damson Blue.

The Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Programmable Temperature Kettle offers a lot for the money. As soon as you plug it in, an electronic control panel appears right on the body of the kettle, where it’s easy to see and program. You’re given a choice of 212 degrees Fahrenheit or three other preset temperatures and you can also adjust the temperature in 5-degree increments as well as activate a keep-warm setting for 30 minutes. While the water heats, the rising temperature is displayed so you can track the water’s progress.

With a matte finish in a choice of black, white or five other colors and a gold-accented handle, this kettle is attractive, although we’ll leave it up to you to decide if it’s beautiful. It’s also very well insulated and one of only two models we tested with an exterior that stays cool to the touch. However, this is a tall and bulky kettle, and at about 6.5 pounds filled, is heavier than most.

Although the Zwilling Enfinigy Cool-Touch Kettle Pro has a sleek carafe and a slightly smaller volume (about 6.5 cups) than many kettles, it’s one of the tallest we tested. Plus, it has a control panel that protrudes from the base, so it takes up more room on the countertop. The selection of six settings includes one for warming a baby bottle and a half-hour keep-warm cycle. As the spout is small and the kettle is tall, it’s a little awkward to pour in a steady stream from this model. However, the Zwilling offers a big benefit in that the surface doesn’t get too hot to touch. The carafe is offered in black, silver, gold and rose gold.

The Smeg electric kettle is one gorgeous appliance. It comes in 17 finishes, including an ultra-pricey Dolce & Gabbana design. However, although it’s solidly constructed, it has no special features and costs $182 or more depending on which color you choose. In our tests, it was one of the fastest at heating up, and we loved the way it poured water beautifully in a thin stream. It holds 57 ounces, or about 7 cups. Our only quibble is that the fill lines behind the handle are difficult to see. If you simply want to boil water but want to do it in style and have the dough, go ahead and splurge.

The Aarke Electric Kettle is exquisite: In a world of angular and boxy kettles, the silo-shaped kettle — which looks as if it’s been formed out of a single piece of shiny stainless steel — is a gleaming outlier.

The electric kettle (like its sibling, the Aarke Carbonator Pro) is well designed and feels sturdy at nearly 4 pounds. It’s hefty yet not too heavy to hold while pouring. The lid releases with the push of a button, and there’s an easy-to-see max-fill line to make sure you don’t add more than 40 ounces (1.2 liters) of water. The wide spout pours evenly and without dripping, though its shape and size are more suited to filling mugs or bowls than a pour-over coffee setup, limiting its utility a bit compared to high-end competitors like the Fellow Stagg EKG (which is also considerably less expensive).

Once plugged in, you use the toggle to pick a temperature (five options between 100 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit). The kettle warms with a light whooshing, and an LED indicator pulses before going solid at the desired temperature. A full kettle reached 212 degrees Fahrenheit in under six minutes. As time passes and the water cools, the temperature updates on the base so you know if it needs to be reheated. There’s also an automatic shutoff if all your water boils off.

The Aarke isn’t exactly easy to clean — it’s a fingerprint magnet — but the included microfiber cloth does a good job of eliminating smudges and dust. Inside, It has a built-in descaling filter that is dishwasher-safe, but the manufacturer recommends a descaling once every two months.

The only real downside is that like a sports car with plenty of chrome, you’ll likely suffer some sticker shock at seeing an appliance twice the price of many kettles. But if you like the look and you’re willing to pay for it (and you aren’t into pour-over coffee or other slow preparation methods) it does the job admirably.

We liked theBreville Crystal Clear Electric Kettleand nearly recommended it, but the price is a bit high for such a simplistic kettle, and we have read multiple user complaints about the lid breaking after only a few years of use (plus, it’s expensive to replace). That said, if you’re looking for a glass kettle that looks attractive, has simple features and heats up moderately quickly, the Breville is a great option. We liked that the soft-hinge top pops open silently with the push of a button. And the Breville isn’t fussy to use, with a simple on-off switch below the handle. With a one-year warranty (and extended warranty purchase options from Breville), this kettle is great for light use if you aren’t worried about the hinging lid breaking.

We loved the look and features of the Oxo Brew Cordless Glass Electric Kettle, but it was the slowest to heat of any we tested, and the kettle is likely too tall for most kitchens. At 11.5 inches tall, it is clunky under most kitchen cabinets, and some reviewers even report the height makes this kettle unstable. The Oxo also heated water slower than any other we tested, and it seemed to run a bit hot, often reading three to five degrees above the set temperature when its heating cycle was complete.

The KitchenAid KEK1222PT electric kettle was pleasing to look at in its signature minty green color, but its construction was too irritating to overlook. Like a stovetop kettle, this one has a handle that sweeps across the top, but, annoyingly, it doesn’t hinge to either side for cleaning or filling. So, in order to access the kettle’s opening, you’re always battling the stationary handle going across the top. If you can overlook this, the KitchenAid kettle is a reasonable 1.25 liters and performed well in our tests, heating water in just under six minutes.

The Bodum Melior Gooseneck is a good value and looks attractive. It doesn’t have any special features, but it pours smoothly for a great pour-over. We found that despite the handle and lid-pull made from cork, the Bodum felt flimsy when handling, like many of the cheaper kettles we tested.

If you want a solidly made, no-frills gooseneck kettle that holds its own among pricier options, the Hario V60 Buono Drip Kettle is a decent choice. It doesn’t have multiple temperature settings or a keep-warm function, and it was solidly average on heating time (around six and a half minutes), but it is well built and, if you don’t mind the basic functions, a good choice.

If you’re on a budget and you don’t need multiple temperatures or a keep-warm setting but do want a large capacity, the 1.7-liter (7-cup) Hamilton Beach Glass Electric Tea Kettle is worth your consideration. It heats water quickly but costs half the price of most we tested. With its clear glass carafe, it also looks better than other inexpensive models.

The Hamilton Beach has a simple-to-use on-off lever and a hinged lid that releases when you pinch buttons on both sides of the lid at once. To keep it in the open position, you have to press the lid back firmly. While the kettle heats, an attractive ring of blue light appears at the bottom of the carafe and shuts off when the water boils. The Hamilton Beach has a pointy spout that dispenses water thinly, but the kettle is bottom-heavy and doesn’t feel well balanced as you pour. All in all, if price is a priority and you like being able to watch your water boil, you’ll be happy with this kettle.

The Capresso H2O Plus Glass Water Kettle felt poorly made overall. The lid felt like it was about to break off when we opened the kettle. We also noticed that after a few rounds of testing the heating element was already discolored despite being basically brand new.

We liked the Hamilton Beach 40880 Electric Kettle, but it didn’t stand out in any notable ways. The heating was average and the materials felt fine. If you’ve been considering this kettle over the other Hamilton Beach we recommend, it would be a good alternative option. With a 1.7-liter capacity, this kettle’s capability goes a bit further with every use.

The Cosori Speed-Boil Electric Kettle is decently attractive, but it was among the slowest kettles to heat up water that we tested.

Another glass kettle, the Mueller Ultra Kettle took nearly 10 minutes to heat to boiling at full capacity. With a simple design and no other notable features, we’d recommend our top picks instead.

Although the tea basket that comes with the Chefman Electric Glass Kettle is novel, it also took more than nine minutes to fully heat up. This kettle works well, though, and if you want something a bit cheaper than our budget recommendation from Hamilton Beach or need a kettle with greater capacity, it might be for you.

FAQs