Electric Kettles are now much needed kitchen appliances during COVID19 to take hot water everyday. 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. What are the best electric kettle in 2020?
Price comparison
The AmazonBasics MK-M110A1A kettle is the most affordable and shares a smaller footprint and water capacity with the $100 temperature-customizable Oxo 8717100, although the $35 Bodum Melior electric kettle has the smallest overall capacity of the group at just 27 ounces.
The $80 KitchenAid KEK1222SX looks the most like a classic stovetop kettle, but its on/off-only functionality seems limited for its high price. It’s also difficult to remove its lid without getting hit with steam, so I’d suggest waiting for the water to cool down completely before attempting to open the KitchenAid kettle’s top lid.
The $100 Cuisinart kettle has the largest capacity at 58 ounces, or 7.25 cups and nearly as many options as the very pricey $280 Breville BTM800XL tea maker. Both of these kettles have custom heat options for the perfect cup of tea, whether it’s green, black, herbal — or another variety. The Breville is the only of the eight models with a dedicated basket for brewing loose leaf tea in the kettle, making it the most specialized kettle of the bunch.
While the $38 Miroco MI-EK003 electric kettle isn’t the least expensive model we tested, it’s my favorite reasonably priced kettle. It has a large capacity, a pretty fast boil time (more on that below) and a simple on/off toggle.
How to buy an electric kettle?
According to the wirecutter, an user should look into below features before buying an electric kettle –
A great electric kettle should hit temperatures quickly and accurately, and it should preferably come with a few special features that make it pleasant and easy to use. Over our years of research and testing since first writing this guide in 2013, we’ve settled on the following criteria:
Accurate: Reasonable accuracy is important for kettles with multiple temperature settings because there’s no point in aiming for 200 °F and hitting 212 °F instead. That said, we realize that not everyone is a coffee or tea aficionado, so we also looked at kettles that do not have variable temperature settings and simply boil water.
Simple controls: Bringing water to a boil shouldn’t be rocket science. We looked for kettles with intuitive controls that were simple to start at the push of a button. Not all models we tested came with multiple temperature settings, but for those that did, we looked for clearly marked and easily adjustable settings. We’ve also found it especially helpful when guides to the ideal temperature for various beverages are printed on the machine instead of hidden in the manual.
Pours cleanly: Basic kettles should be able to pour into a mug without splashing or dribbling. With gooseneck kettles, which are primarily meant for making pour-over coffee, we looked for models that gave us total control over the speed and direction of the stream.
Fast: You don’t want to wait forever for your water to heat, and we discovered quite a range during tests, with kettles taking anywhere from under 3 minutes to a sleepy 7 minutes and counting to boil a liter of water. Ideally we looked for models that came to a boil in 5 minutes or less.
Easy to clean: All kettles will need to be descaled from time to time, as lime deposits build up inside. To make that process easier, we looked for kettles with wide openings that are easy to reach into for cleaning. A scale filter in the spout also helps keep bits of the deposits (which are harmless) out of your cup.
Minimal plastic: We only tested kettles made primarily from stainless steel, glass, or ceramic. Some people, including our experts, complain about plastic kettles imparting a funny taste or smell to the water. Plus, plastic kettles are more prone to warping over time, so we decided not to include them. All of the models we did test, however, contained some minor plastic elements, such as parts of the lid, a filter, or the water-level window. All of the manufacturers of our picks assured us that the plastic components in their kettles were made from heat-resistant plastics.
Safety features: Kettles should have handles and lids that stay cool to the touch and keep your hands well away from any scalding surfaces. An automatic shut-off is another important safety feature—most kettles these days come with one, but it’s important that the feature works properly.
Nice extras: Waiting is especially a pain when a kettle doesn’t have audible cues to let you know that it’s reached temperature. That said, it’s preferable when a kettle is otherwise quiet—neither rattling while heating, shrieking during boiling, or setting off prolonged beeps as warning that you’ve let it sit too long. Other extra credit additions include timers, real-time temperature indicators, and toggles that let you switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius.
Solid warranties: Our research has shown that electric kettles have a high failure rate across the board. Boiling water is hard on appliances, especially those with finicky moving parts or complex settings. Even high-quality kettles have a somewhat short lifespan, so it’s best to find a model with a good warranty. A year is standard; two or more is excellent.
What are the best electric kettle in 2020?
1. Best ceramic electric kettle 2020
Reviewers frequently point out the durability of this model, one of the few electric kettles out there with a full-bodied ceramic structure and patterned décor: “Having used this kettle for 5 months straight, I have had no issues. It continues to work flawlessly. The design (blue color) has not faded or chipped off. It can be a little tricky to clean, especially at spout and small drain holes, but luckily having a water softener makes this an infrequent need. A little baking soda and vinegar will do the trick.” Another reviewer writes, “I did a lot of research on electric kettles before buying this one. My family has a metal one, but it makes the water taste weird. The glass ones seem too fragile and I’d be afraid to use it, so I settled on a ceramic one! I love this kettle so much, it doesn’t make the water taste weird, it’s so stylish, and it’s very sturdy. Most days I just use it to heat up one cup of tea for myself, and it heats up the water super fast, about a minute. If I have guests over, they’re so impressed that it heats up 4-5 cups of water very quickly.”
2. One-Touch Tea Maker BREVILLE – best electric tea pot kettle 2020
Breville’s One-Touch Tea Maker is one of the most unique brewers on the market, perfect for tea aficionados. It comes with a brew basket that you fill with loose tea leaves and automatically lowers into the water when it has reached the perfect temperature. The brew basket is made of a fine mesh with a snap-tight lid to prevent seepage.
Choose from five different temperatures based on tea, plus a custom setting, and three different steep times based on desired strength. In our tests, the buttons were smooth, easy to control and, like most Breville products, very intuitive to use. The electric kettle may be programmed from the night before so you can wake up to the perfect brew.
Capacity: 1 ½ liters (about 6 cups)
Adjustable temperature: Yes, five pre-programmed settings, plus custom (120-212°F in 5º increments)
Auto shut-off: Yes
Keep warm: Yes, 60 minutes
3. Best electric kettle overall 2020 – Cuisinart CPK-17
The Cuisinart CPK-17 is our favorite electric kettle. It’s sturdily built, it boiled water pretty quickly during my testing — and it has the largest capacity of all eight models. This stainless steel electric kettle also has a lot of buttons, including an open button that releases the lid and several temperature buttons to customize the water temperature. They range from a 160-degree/delicate button to a 190-degree/oolong button and even a “keep warm” button, as well as your standard boil button.
This cordless kettle automatically switches to “keep warm” after it reaches boiling and turns off after 30 minutes.
At $80, the CPK-17 stainless steel electric kettle is a bit of a splurge, but it does much more than your standard kettle and feels like it will last a long time.
4. BEST ELECTRIC TEA KETTLE FOR COFFEE 2020 – Electric Pour-Over Kettle OXO
If you’re more of a coffee than tea drinker, this electric kettle is the one for you. The thin gooseneck pouring spout allows for precise pouring with a slow and steady flow, two important attributes when it comes to making pour over coffee. In addition to its design, this kettle also controls the temperatures in 1-degree increments from 140-212°F. The large range makes it ideal for both delicate teas and hot coffees. The built-in timer also stood out during our test, which helped keep an eye on your pour-over process. Additional features include a keep warm cycle, which automatically shuts off after 30 minutes for safety.
Capacity: 1 liter (about 4 cups)
Adjustable temperature: Yes, 140-212°F in 1º increments
Auto shut-off: Yes
Keep warm: Yes, 30 minutes
5. BEST LARGE CAPACITY – Hybrid Water Boiler And Warmer ZOJIRUSHI
While this appliance doesn’t look like a kettle, it heats an impressive 4 liters of water, making it great for parties or large groups. Choose from four temperatures settings and a quick re-boil option if the water has cooled too much. The boiler/warmer has a vacuum-sealed chamber, which maintains the temperature, even when it’s not plugged in.
Use the handle to transport it and use it on the go, or unplug it and leave it on the counter for an energy efficient keep warm setting. The outside stays cool to the touch and the large viewing window always lets you know how much is left.
Capacity: 1.7 liters (about 7 cups)
Adjustable temperature: Yes, four pre-programmed settings
Auto shut-off: Yes
Keep warm: Yes, 30 minutes; plus, the chamber is vacuum-sealed so it naturally stays warm for additional time
6. Hamilton Beach 1.7 Liter Best Electric Kettle 2020
It’s likely that you have at least one Hamilton Beach appliance in your house, and if Amazon reviews are anything to go by, this kettle is wildly popular—and it’s easy to see why. It’s reasonably priced and was one of our fastest boilers, heating one liter of water in just over 4-and-a-half minutes.
It performs like a simplified version of our top pick; where the winning Cuisinart kettle has multiple temperature settings, this Hamilton Beach has just an on/off switch, and the kettle switches off instead of beeping when the water is done.
If you’re low on counter space, this kettle is among the most compact and unobtrusive on our list. It’s the second-cheapest pick but performs like a much more expensive kettle, so it earns our value pick.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Fast boiling
- Compact design
Cons
- No temperature controls
- Difficult to fill in a sink
7. Secura 1.7 Liter Electric Kettle 2020
This is a great kettle, but to be frank, it’s also the ugliest one we tested, thanks to its cheap-looking plastic construction. The kettle is huge despite only holding 1.7 liters of water. There is only a max-fill line but no tick marks to help you measure volume, so we had to use another vessel to measure water.
However, it’s among the fastest to boil water (just under 5 minutes) and stays cool to the touch throughout the process. If you prioritize speed or if you want to make sure your kids won’t burn their hands on the kettle, this is a good pick—just be sure you have abundant cabinet space to stow it in since you definitely won’t want to display this one.
Pros
- Fast boiling
- Stays cool to the touch
Cons
- Not attractive enough to leave out
- Slow boiling
8. Best travel-size electric kettle 2020 – Bodum Bistro Electric Water Kettle
This is the smallest kettle on this list at 17 ounces, but reviewers say that makes it great for travel. “I’ve only used this on one long weekend trip so far and it was perfect,” one says. “It is lightweight and heats water very quickly.” Another says, “I actually use this in my vehicle to boil water for instant coffee or tea.” It’s also praised by people using it in their single-person households, though the consensus among reviewers is that it is generally good for two servings. “My larger kettle has a minimum fill line at .75L, which is typically far more hot water than I need,” one says. “But this kettle will boil as little as a quarter litre – the perfect amount for a large mug of tea.” Plus, they last a long time: “After a year of heavy use, they haven’t’ slowed down any and are not coated (we have hard water, so this can be a problem with other electric kettles).”
9. Ovente Electric Hot Water Glass Kettle
This glass electric kettle is slightly smaller than the one above, but it’s also half the price, and reviewers are similarly impressed with it. “Not only does it look great on the counter, it brings water to a boil FAST,” one says. Another writes, “It hits a roiling boil for a minute or two it shuts off to prevent problems. The blue light turns off so you know it will not boil over.” This blue light is something a quarter of reviewers mention as both an aesthetic quality and a good indicator. This kettle also beeps when you put it on the docking pad, which is a bit divisive, but one appreciates it because, “it lets me know that I’ve put it on there properly and when it’s done boiling it beeps too which is great.” Some reviewers also refer to this as a cordless kettle — meaning the cord isn’t attached to the actual kettle just the base — which is a selling point for many. Perhaps the most convincing review comes from someone who would rebuy this model if anything happened to their current one: “If it gave up the ghost tomorrow I’d still give it 5 stars because two years of service from a pot this reasonably priced is commendable.”
10. Bonavita Variable Temperature Digital Kettle
This is one of the most attractive kettles we tested, but upon picking it up, we were surprised at how light it was. The stainless lid feels chintzy and scrapes in a nails-on-a-chalkboard way when placed and removed. The kettle only holds 1 liter of water and only has one measurement marking for max fill.
Sure, it offers the ability to set an exact temperature and you can watch the temperature climb in real time, but despite it being the smallest kettle we tested, it took ages to boil. It also lacked a clear notification when it did so; it finally, confusingly turned off after 6-and-a-half minutes. And while you may think the narrow gooseneck spout would make it easier to pour, the design actually makes the stream harder to control: This was the only time we missed our teacup in testing.
In this case, beauty does not outweigh functionality. Skip this kettle—you won’t regret it.
Pros
- Temperature control
Cons
- Feels cheap
- Slow boiling
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1. Miroco
The Miroco Electric Kettle features a stainless steel interior to ensure that no plastic touches the hot water.
- Features 1500 watts that will boil 1.5 liters of water in under six minutes.
- Equipped with a unibody design that includes double-wall construction and vacuum layer to prevent heat radiation.
- Features a cool-touch exterior to reduce the risk of burns.
- Includes dry-boil protection and automatically shuts off when it reaches the boiling point.
- Offers a one-button opening solution for the lid.
- Components including the lid and spout are made from stainless steel.
- Includes a 1.5 liter capacity and LED indicator light.
2. Mueller Premium Electric Kettle
The Mueller Premium Electric Kettle is constructed with stainless steel and Borosilicate glass.
- Automatically shuts off 30 seconds after the water has reached the boiling point.
- Includes LED indicator lights to signal when it is heating.
- Features a cordless design when off of the base for easy pouring.
- Includes an anti-slip and heat-resistant handle.
- Includes a filter that is removable and easy to clean.
- Offers a boil-dry safety feature.
3. AmazonBasics Stainless Steel Electric Kettle
The AmazonBasics Stainless Steel Electric Kettle features a concealed heating element for a smooth, simple-to-clean interior.
- 1500-watt unit brings water to a rolling boil in minutes.
- Filter can be removed and cleaned as needed.
- Once the water begins to boil, it turns itself off automatically.
- Water window allows for precise filling and for checking water levels at a glance.
- Power base provides a long 30-inch power cord for flexible placement on any counter.
- One liter capacity.
4. KitchenAid KEK1222SX Electric Kettle
The KitchenAid KEK1222SX Electric Kettle has a 1.25 L capacity with 1500-Watts to quickly boil water.
- Features 360-degree rotation for easy transfer of the kettle.
- Equipped with a stainless steel body with an aluminum handle.
- Features a power base with cord storage.
- Includes an LED on/off switch.