Top 5 compared
The best electric kettles
Hot water for tea, coffee, oatmeal or instant noodles in a few minutes, without a pot on the stove.
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The top 5 at a glance
An electric kettle heats water on its own powered base and switches off at the boil, so there’s nothing to watch. Most are cordless: the kettle lifts off a base that stays plugged in, so it can be poured at the table. The body is glass, which shows the water as it heats, or stainless steel.
On a standard 120-volt outlet most kettles draw about 1,500 watts, so a full one takes several minutes to boil. Hard water leaves white spots inside: boiling a little white vinegar or lemon juice with water every few weeks lifts them.
What matters
- A water window or markings you can read while filling.
- A filter in the spout that catches flakes of limescale.
- Temperature settings, if green tea or pour-over is a habit.
- Keep-warm, for a second cup that comes later.
#1Amazon Basics Glass Electric Kettle (1.7 L)
$30–$50
Its clear glass body holds 1.7 litres, so the water level shows from any side and you can watch it come to the boil under a blue light. A Strix thermostat switches it off at the boil, and boil-dry protection cuts the power if it’s switched on empty.
What owners say: Owners call it quick, good-looking and simple to use and clean, and they like the size and the blue light; how well it boils is where opinions split.
A closer look: Glass shows every bit of limescale, which makes it plain when a descaling boil is due. The markings on the glass make it easy to heat just one mug’s worth, and the wide top lets a bottle brush reach right to the bottom.
- Glows blue while it boils
- Wide opening for cleaning
- Boil-dry protection
Best for: Single mugs and full teapots
- Capacity
- 1.7 L (57 oz)
- Power
- 1,500W
- Temperature settings
- Boil only
- Keep warm
- No
- Limescale filter
- Removable mesh
- Water level
- Glass body, markings
- Body
- Glass
#2Amazon Basics Stainless Steel Electric Kettle (1 L)
$30–$50
A small stainless steel kettle that holds a litre, enough for three or four mugs, so it suits a small kitchen, a student residence or an office shelf. It has boil-dry protection, an indicator shows the water level, and the wide opening makes it easy to fill.
What owners say: A handy little kettle that boils quickly and cleans easily, owners say, and the size suits them; durability is the weak point for some.
A closer look: With the same 1,500 watts as a full-size kettle and only a litre to heat, it’s quick for a mug of tea or a cup of instant soup at a desk. Wipe the steel dry after filling to keep water spots off the finish.
- Boil-dry protection
- Wide opening for filling
Best for: Small kitchens, residences and offices
- Capacity
- 1 L (34 oz)
- Power
- 1,500W
- Temperature settings
- Boil only
- Keep warm
- No
- Limescale filter
- –
- Water level
- Level indicator
- Body
- Stainless steel
#3Breville IQ Kettle (BKE820XL, 1.8 L)
$100–$150
Five one-touch settings heat water to the right temperature for each kind of tea and for French press coffee, from 79°C (175°F) for green tea to a full boil for black, and a keep-warm button holds it for 20 minutes. Breville takes its name from its founders, Bill O’Brien and Harry Norville, who started the company in 1932.
What owners say: Owners value the temperature settings and the keep-warm button, and some have had theirs going for seven years; it’s easy to use and boils quickly. The price is where opinions split.
A closer look: Green tea turns bitter in boiling water, which is why its setting stops at 79°C (175°F). Keep-warm can be switched on before, during or after heating, so the kettle can wait on its base while a pot of loose-leaf tea brews, ready to refill the pot at the same heat. The soft-opening lid lets the steam out gently, and the cord wraps into the base.
- One-touch button per tea type
- Soft-opening lid
- Cord wraps into the base
Best for: Green tea and French press
- Capacity
- 1.8 L (61 oz)
- Power
- 1,500W
- Temperature settings
- 5 presets, 79–100°C (175–212°F)
- Keep warm
- 20 min
- Limescale filter
- Removable
- Water level
- Windows on both sides
- Body
- Brushed stainless steel
#4Elite Gourmet EKT1001 Glass Electric Kettle (1 L)
$20–$30
A one-litre glass kettle, about four cups, lit blue inside as it heats, with a mesh filter in the spout. It lifts off a 360° base that hides the cord, and switches itself off at the boil and if it runs dry.
What owners say: Owners say it boils two cups in under two minutes and like its size for a small kitchen and its looks; the durability and the quality of the materials worry some.
A closer look: Hand wash the glass rather than putting it in the dishwasher, and rinse the spout filter now and then, as it catches flakes of limescale. At a litre it suits one or two people; a household boiling for a pot of tea several times a day will want a bigger kettle.
- Blue light while it heats
- Cord tucks into the base
Best for: Couples and people living alone
- Capacity
- 1 L (34 oz)
- Power
- 1,100W
- Temperature settings
- Boil only
- Keep warm
- No
- Limescale filter
- Mesh, in the spout
- Water level
- Glass body, level indicator
- Body
- Glass
#5COMFEE’ Stainless Steel Electric Kettle (1.7 L)
$30–$50
Brushed stainless steel outside and a 304 steel inner pot, so the water sits in steel, plus a water window, a removable nylon filter and a cool-touch handle. A pop-up lid opens with a button, and it shuts off at the boil and won’t run dry.
What owners say: Owners call it a good everyday kettle that boils fast, switches itself off reliably and keeps the water away from plastic. Many find it loud, and reports differ on how hot the outside gets.
A closer look: COMFEE says a full 1.7 litres takes five to seven minutes to boil, so it’s worth switching it on before the cups and tea come out. Lift it by the cool-touch handle and it sits back down on the 360° base from any angle.
- Stainless steel inner pot
- Cool-touch handle
- Push-button pop-up lid
- 360° swivel base
Best for: Households that prefer steel to glass
- Capacity
- 1.7 L (57 oz)
- Power
- 1,500W
- Temperature settings
- Boil only
- Keep warm
- No
- Limescale filter
- Removable nylon
- Water level
- Water window
- Body
- Stainless steel
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Amazon Basics 1.7 L glass | #2Amazon Basics 1 L steel | #3Breville IQ | #4Elite Gourmet EKT1001 | #5COMFEE’ 1.7 L steel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best temp control | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.7 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $100–$150 | $20–$30 | $30–$50 |
| Capacity | 1.7 L (57 oz) | 1 L (34 oz) | 1.8 L (61 oz) | 1 L (34 oz) | 1.7 L (57 oz) |
| Power | 1,500W | 1,500W | 1,500W | 1,100W | 1,500W |
| Temperature settings | Boil only | Boil only | 5 presets, 79–100°C (175–212°F) | Boil only | Boil only |
| Keep warm | No | No | 20 min | No | No |
| Limescale filter | Removable mesh | – | Removable | Mesh, in the spout | Removable nylon |
| Water level | Glass body, markings | Level indicator | Windows on both sides | Glass body, level indicator | Water window |
| Body | Glass | Stainless steel | Brushed stainless steel | Glass | Stainless steel |
| Best for | Single mugs and full teapots | Small kitchens, residences and offices | Green tea and French press | Couples and people living alone | Households that prefer steel to glass |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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