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 sits on a powered base while it heats, then lifts off to pour. On a standard 120-volt outlet most draw about 1,500 watts, so a full one takes several minutes. Most have a steel body; glass ones let you watch the water come to the boil, and temperature-control models stop short of boiling for green tea and French press coffee.
Every kettle here has a removable filter that keeps flakes of limescale out of the cup, which matters in hard-water areas, and boiling a little white vinegar or lemon juice with water every few weeks lifts the spots inside. A wide opening makes the inside easier to reach with a brush.
What matters
- A water window or clear markings, to heat just a mug’s worth.
- A soft-opening or push-button lid.
- Keep-warm, if the second cup comes a while after the first.
- Auto shut-off and boil-dry protection, named on the listing.
#1Breville Soft Top Pure Kettle (BKE700BSS)
$75–$100
A brushed stainless steel kettle with a soft-opening lid that lets steam out gently instead of in a burst, water windows on both sides and a removable scale filter. The 1.7-liter kettle lifts off a 360-degree base with cord storage.
What owners say: Quick to boil, easy to fill and a clean pour, owners say, and the retro look is a big part of the appeal, with one still using theirs daily after 12 years. A few had the glass in the lid break within months.
A closer look: The lid release sits on the handle beside the lit power button, so the lid opens one-handed under the faucet. Spare cord winds under the base to keep the counter tidy, and when white flecks show up in the cup, the scale filter lifts out for a rinse.
- Soft-opening lid
- Lid opens one-handed
- Cord wraps under the base
- Illuminated power button
- Concealed heating element
Best for: Filling and pouring without a steam blast
- Capacity
- 1.7L
- Power
- 1,800W
- Temperature settings
- Boil only
- Keep warm
- No
- Limescale filter
- Removable
- Water level
- Windows on both sides
- Body
- Brushed stainless steel
#2COMFEE’ Stainless Steel Electric Kettle (1.7L)
$20–$30
Its inner pot is 304 steel, so the water sits in steel, and the brushed stainless kettle has 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: The brushed steel look and the quick boil win it fans, and owners like that it switches off by itself and is simple to keep clean. Lifespan varies, with some going strong after two years and others needing a replacement within a year.
A closer look: Lift it off the base by the cool-touch handle and it sits back down from any angle, as the base swivels a full 360 degrees. The steel inside does pick up mineral spots in hard water; a splash of white vinegar boiled with water and left to stand lifts them.
- Water sits in steel
- Cool-touch handle
- Push-button pop-up lid
- Boil-dry protection
- 360° swivel base
Best for: Tea drinkers who want steel inside
- Capacity
- 1.7L
- Power
- 1,500W
- Temperature settings
- Boil only
- Keep warm
- No
- Limescale filter
- Removable nylon
- Water level
- Water window
- Body
- Stainless steel
#3Amazon Basics Glass Electric Kettle (1.7L)
$20–$30
A clear glass kettle, 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 the wide opening makes it easy to fill and to wipe out.
What owners say: It heats fast and is easy to use, owners report, and the glass body wipes out easily, with lemon juice shifting limescale for one. Some had it fail within months, and a few found the auto shut-off unreliable.
A closer look: Glass shows every bit of limescale, so a boil with water and a little lemon juice or vinegar every few weeks keeps it clear. 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, easy to clean
- Switches off at the boil
- BPA-free where water touches
- Boil-dry protection
Best for: Watching the boil
- Capacity
- 1.7L
- Power
- 1,500W
- Temperature settings
- Boil only
- Keep warm
- No
- Limescale filter
- Removable mesh
- Water level
- Glass body, markings
- Body
- Glass
#4Hamilton Beach 1 Liter Electric Kettle (40998)
$20–$30
Just 1 liter, enough for three or four mugs, this stainless steel kettle takes little counter space in a dorm, an office or a small apartment. It has a removable mesh filter in the spout, a concealed element and a drip-less spout.
What owners say: Fast to boil and just the right size for one or two people, owners say, and the black and steel finish gets compliments. It keeps water hot a while, but the lid gets hot while boiling, and opinions on cleaning differ.
A closer look: Short and squat, it slips beneath a low office or dorm faucet where a full-size kettle won’t fit. With the element hidden under the floor of the pot there’s no coil to scrub around, and boiling and pouring away the first fill or two clears any new-kettle taste.
- Fits under a low faucet
- Concealed heating element
- Drip-less spout
- Auto shutoff, boil-dry protection
- Cordless from its base
Best for: Dorms and small kitchens
- Capacity
- 1L
- Power
- 1,500W
- Temperature settings
- Boil only
- Keep warm
- No
- Limescale filter
- Removable mesh
- Water level
- Level indicator
- Body
- Stainless steel and plastic
#5Breville IQ Kettle (BKE820XL)
$150–$200
Five one-touch settings heat water to the right temperature for each kind of tea and for coffee: 175°F for green, 185°F for white, 195°F for oolong, 200°F for French press and 212°F for black tea. A keep-warm button holds the chosen heat for 20 minutes.
What owners say: The temperature settings and the 20-minute hold are what owners value, with a quick heat-up and easy cleaning besides. Durability is less certain, as some report it still going after a year and a half and others had theirs fail within months.
A closer look: Green tea turns bitter in boiling water, which is why its setting stops at 175°F rather than 212°F. Keep-warm works before, during and after steeping, so the kettle can wait on its base while a pot of loose-leaf tea brews, ready to top it up at the same heat.
- One-touch button per tea type
- Soft-opening lid
- 360° base, cord storage
- 1-year replacement warranty
Best for: Green tea and French press
- Capacity
- 1.8L
- Power
- 1,500W
- Temperature settings
- 175, 185, 195, 200, 212°F
- Keep warm
- 20 min
- Limescale filter
- Removable
- Water level
- Windows on both sides
- Body
- Brushed stainless steel
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Breville Soft Top Pure | #2COMFEE’ | #3Amazon Basics glass | #4Hamilton Beach 1L | #5Breville IQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best compact | Best temp control | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $20–$30 | $20–$30 | $20–$30 | $150–$200 |
| Capacity | 1.7L | 1.7L | 1.7L | 1L | 1.8L |
| Power | 1,800W | 1,500W | 1,500W | 1,500W | 1,500W |
| Temperature settings | Boil only | Boil only | Boil only | Boil only | 175, 185, 195, 200, 212°F |
| Keep warm | No | No | No | No | 20 min |
| Limescale filter | Removable | Removable nylon | Removable mesh | Removable mesh | Removable |
| Water level | Windows on both sides | Water window | Glass body, markings | Level indicator | Windows on both sides |
| Body | Brushed stainless steel | Stainless steel | Glass | Stainless steel and plastic | Brushed stainless steel |
| Best for | Filling and pouring without a steam blast | Tea drinkers who want steel inside | Watching the boil | Dorms and small kitchens | Green tea and French press |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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