Boiling hot water on a stovetop is easy enough. Surely, you don’t need a dedicated appliance for that. However, if you find yourself boiling water multiple times a day, whether to make hot tea, pour-over coffee, or an MSG-filled cup of instant ramen, an electric kettle just might prove to be a quicker, more efficient way to get your hot water fix.
What makes electric kettles better than boiling on a stovetop? For one, they’re faster. The best electric kettles can get your room temperature water boiling at around two thirds of the time (sometimes, as much half) compared to a stovetop, all while being safer, since they automatically shut off, sparing you from a potential fire hazard during those times you forget you left a pot on the stovetop (it happens to more people a lot more often than you probably think). Ever made a mess pouring hot water from a pot? Rarely happens with electric kettles, whose pots come with tight spouts that let you pour them cleanly onto big and small containers alike.
The best electric kettles also let you dial in precise temperatures, complete with the option of maintaining those temperatures while it waits for you to pick up the pot. Sure, it’s not a feature available to every electric kettle on this list, but it sure is something you won’t get when boiling on a stovetop. Electric kettles also emit less heat, which make them suitable for use even in dorm rooms, while the dedicated function lets you leave your pots untouched for cooking later.
Whether you like simple and straightforward electric kettles that just boil water or more complex ones with extra features onboard, there’s likely a model or two in this list that will meet your particular requirements. Be sure to check out reviews of any electric kettles you consider, by the way, as longevity has long been an issue with these devices, since boiling water over and over does tend to take its toll. With that said, there are a handful of these countertop kettles that have a proven track record of durability in the list that you can consider.
These are the best electric kettles to satisfy your daily hot water needs.
Hamilton Beach Electric Tea Kettle
We always look to Hamilton Beach when we want countertop appliances that strike a balance between economical and functional. Their electric kettle definitely straddles that line well, delivering 1500W of heating power to quickly get up to 1.7L of water to a boil. It doesn’t have much in the way of features, so you won’t be able to dial in precise temperatures, but it does heat fast taking just over seven minutes to boil a full kettle and automatically turns off, so you don’t have to keep a close watch. There’s no beeping sound to alert you when it’s done, though, so you’ll have to keep time yourself and come back to your freshly-boiled pot. It has a push-button lid to prevent spills, a drip-free spout, and a water level window, so you know how much water you have left at all times.
Cosori Speed-Boil Electric Kettle
There’s something about the clear glass walls of this electric kettle that makes it feel more premium than its price indicates. It’s just a nice-looking appliance to have sitting on the counter. It doesn’t boil as fast as the speedier kettles on the list, although it didn’t take that long, either at around 8.5 minutes with a full 1.7 liters inside. Being an economical model, there’s no variable temperature adjustment here, so it’s all about bringing the water to a boil and automatically shutting off soon as it’s done. There’s also a LED indicator all around the base that lights up in blue when the water inside boils, so there’s a visual indicator that lets you know it’s ready for your tea or pour-over coffee. Do note, the kettle does leave a slight off-color taste on the water during the first few uses, so you might want to clean it thoroughly and run a few boils to make sure the taste is gone when you first get it.
Willow & Everett Gooseneck Electric Kettle
We love the classic aesthetic of goose neck kettles. They just give the erstwhile modern electric kettle a stylish vintage look. More than the good looks, though, we love that this affordably-priced electric kettle has five temperature settings, allowing you to set it at either 180, 195, 200, 205, or 212 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can get exact heat levels for whatever drink you’re making. There’s also a simmer setting to keep water warm when you’re not ready to drink yet. The inside is a little hard to clean as the top opening isn’t as big, so you might want to use a brush if you have bigger hands. Features include food-grade stainless steel body, BPA-free plastic elements, and a one-liter capacity that it’s able to bring to a boil in around six minutes.
Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp
This electric kettle has six preset temperatures, namely 160, 175, 185, 190, and 200 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as a “boil” and a “keep warm” setting that simmers it for 30 minutes before automatically turning off. We’re highly impressed with the “keep warm” setting, which precisely maintains the water at any of the six temperatures you’ve set. It defaults to the “keep warm” setting turned on, too, so it will always maintain the desired temperature unless you specifically turn it off. The kettle also doesn’t reset when you lift it off the heating plate, instead resuming the previous operation, so long as you don’t take it off for more than two minutes. It holds up to 1.7 liters of water in the main chamber, which it’s able to bring to a boil in around seven minutes, so it heats up fast, while a 360-swivel base, blue led boil indicators, and a wide ergonomic handle allow for convenient use. The best part is you get all those features for under $100, which we find to be an excellent value. Something to note, by the way, is that this electric kettle comes with a three year warranty, so it sounds like it’s built for the long haul.
Breville Soft Top Pure Electric Kettle
Despite being pretty pricey at just under $100, this electric kettle doesn’t have variable temperature settings. Instead, it’s just a straightforward water heater that brings its 1.7-liter content to a boil in around 7.6 minutes. It is well-made, though, with a safe pour spot, an ergonomic handle, and a soft top lid that gently releases steam without splashing. There are dual windows on opposite sides, so you can monitor water levels, while an auto shutoff features ensures it doesn’t keep heating when the water reaches a boil. While the lack of features make this pretty unattractive for the price, the real demographic here seems to be Breville fans who prefer the outfit’s products over the competition. There’s also a pricier electric kettle from the outfit down below for those who want a more feature-packed device.
Cuisinart KG-1 Digital Goose Neck Kettle
If you’re buying an electric kettle for pour-over coffee, getting one with a goose neck spout makes perfect sense, as it affords you greater control when pouring compared to other spouts. This goose neck model from Cuisinart is one of our favorites, with its matte black stainless steel body and semi-retro charm giving it a stylish aesthetic that blends well with most kitchens. More than the good looks, though, it offers a superb feature set, including a digital temperature display, precise temperature controls from 140 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (five degree increments), and a 30-minute keep warm function that holds the water at a steady temperature. It has a one-liter capacity that it brings to boil in five or so minutes, so this heats up fast, and even comes with a notification sound to let you know when it’s come to a boil, which is nice, although the shrill beeping sound is not pleasant.
Bonavita Variable Temperature Electric Kettle
It’s not the prettiest goose neck electric kettle we’ve seen. What it lacks in aesthetic appeal, though, it makes up for in overall features, as it offers precise temperature adjustments from 140 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit in one degree increments, a 60-minute “keep warm” setting, and even a number of preset temperature you can cycle through using a single button control. Yep, it has some nice adjustments available to make up for the less-than-stellar looks. It holds a liter of water and boils a full one in around six minutes, with a number of safety features that ensure you don’t end up burning anything (e.g. if you’re poured water out and hit the “hold” button again, it will only set it for seven minutes, instead of 60), which we found very helpful (and pretty clever) during day-to-day use.
Fellow Corvo EKG
Fellow is kind of the big swinging gorilla in the electric kettle space. They’ve been the gold standard since they first came out a few years ago and have kept their place since. This is their non-gooseneck model, which comes with a sleek pointed spout for quickly and cleanly pouring water onto your tea, soup, or hot chocolate drink. The heating base comes with a dial control for precise temperature adjustments between 135 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit, complete with the option to have it maintain temperatures for up to 60 minutes. Construction is 304 stainless steel, so this is pretty sturdy, while counterbalanced handle ensures a steady hold even when it is full. Do note, the kettle only holds 0.9L of water, so it might prove too small if you like to make more than three cups of tea at a time.
Breville IQ Kettle
For Breville fans who want the most feature-laden electric kettle in the outfit’s lineup, this one holds 1.7 liters of water in a German Schott Glass container that it can heat to a boil in around seven minutes (give or take). It has five preset temperature settings, namely 175, 185, 195, 200, and 212 degrees Fahrenheit, with a “keep warm” setting that maintains the temperature for up to 20 minutes. We love the open handle on this electric kettle, which feels very comfortable even with a full container of piping hot water inside, while the soft lid enables gentle release of steam with none of the splashing that can make for a dangerous mess. It has the standard safety features, such as an auto-shutoff and the boil dry protection, while the all-metal base and buttons combined with the glass jug make for an overall appealing aesthetic. We do wish it was more affordable, though, since the features don’t really measure up when compared to other electric kettles in this price range.
Fellow Stagg EKG
Fellow’s origjnal electric kettle, this one is nearly the same as the Corvo, with the difference being the goose neck spout that makes it ideal for pour-over coffee. In fact, they designed the goose neck specifically for that purpose, with an optimized flow of water that’s supposedly the perfect rate for the fancy brewing method. Other than the spout, it’s, pretty much, the same as the Corvo, so much so that they use the same heating base, with the same temperature settings and features. And yes, you can use both kettle models with the same base unit, so long as they’re from the same generation. The base, by the way, comes with a built-in stopwatch that’s designed to help you time your coffee extraction for pour-over, we all know the demographic this kettle was designed to serve.
