Best Electric Kettle of 2023 - CNET - EU-Vietnam Business Network (EVBN)

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Number one is safety. I’ve nearly started a kitchen fire two separate times (20 years apart) while boiling water on the stovetop. Electric kettles generally have an automatic shut-off feature when the kettle runs dry, so you don’t accidentally keep applying high heat to an empty kettle. The other reason that electric kettles are nice is that they heat water faster than a stovetop kettle does. In my testing, the electric kettles heated water to boiling 25 to 50% faster than my traditional stovetop kettle.

So how do you choose which electric kettle is best for you? All of the kettles I tested did exactly what they claimed, and there were none I’d specifically recommend against. Which one you choose depends on the features you need, your aesthetic, and your budget. This is one small appliance where looks really do matter, since it’s likely to be out on your countertop full-time.

If you’re going to use your kettle for pour-over coffee and you care about brewing it correctly, you’ll definitely want a gooseneck spout and a built-in thermometer for precision brewing. If you’re into tea, you don’t need the gooseneck spout, but the built-in thermometer is still handy to make sure you’re brewing each type of tea correctly to get that perfect cuppa. If you just want hot water fast for your various beverages plus other cooking and cleaning uses, you may not want to pay extra for the bells and whistles. We tested eight popular models, and here are the ones that stood out from the pack. (You can also find out which electric kettle made our list of the nine amazing kitchen products that are worth the extra money.)

Best electric kettles

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This nicely priced beauty comes in six different colors, so there’s probably one that will look gorgeous in your kitchen. All of the touch controls appear only when you need them, so there are no buttons or knobs to detract from the sleek appearance. The double-walled stainless steel kettle has a stay-cool plastic exterior, so you don’t have to worry about burning your fingers.

There are four preset temperatures: white tea (165 degrees F), green tea (175 degrees F), oolong tea or coffee (195 degrees F), and black tea/boil (212 degrees F). Additionally, you can use the plus/minus button to change the temperatures in five-degree increments. Once you reach your chosen temperature, the kettle will hold that temperature for 60 minutes in Keep Warm mode, in case you want to brew yourself a second cup later.

The Beautiful by Drew Barrymore One-Touch Electric Kettle was one of the fastest models I tested, too, boiling four cups of water in just four minutes and 10 seconds. Like most electric kettles, this one has auto-shutoff and boil-dry protection. Available at Walmart for $50 or less, this kettle has a lot of features, making it a great value.

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If you’re serious about brewing pour-over coffee, you need a pour-over dripper or carafe, coffee bean grinder, digital scale, and a gooseneck kettle. The gooseneck is important because it allows a slow, even pour. This helps you ensure that all of the coffee grounds get watered evenly, which allows the coffee to bloom and the full flavor of the beans to be extracted.

The Cosori is a midpriced gooseneck kettle at about $70 that performs well. With a touch of a button, you can preset the kettle to your desired temperature. There are five temperature options for various types of tea plus one specifically for coffee. This is one of the few electric kettles that beeps to let you know your water has reached the temperature you selected, though you can turn off the beeps if you don’t like them. The 1,200-watt kettle heats up four cups of water in just about four-and-a-half minutes and keeps your water at your chosen temperature for an hour. If you’re into both pour-over coffee and tea, you’ll love the Cosori kettle.

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This little cutie reminds me of a traditional stovetop kettle. It’s dead simple: just fill it, place it on the base, and push the lever. If you’re not interested in complicated features and just want a good-looking device that produces hot water fast, this is the one you want. It comes in five color options: Pistachio, Empire Red, Onyx Black, Matte Black, and Brushed Stainless Steel. The single-walled design makes for a sleek, compact style. The only “extra” feature is a removable mesh filter that traps scale deposits for cleaner water; it will need occasional replacement to work properly. At $80, it’s not one of the cheapest options. But if you love the look, it’s a worthwhile purchase.

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This is a holdover pick from our first round of testing and (still) an excellent splurge for a seasoned tea drinker. The $300, 51-ounce capacity Breville with stainless steel base is technically a kettle — but it’s also a tea brewer and by far the most decked-out electric tea kettle we tested.

It features hot water and tea buttons, with settings to specify the perfect temperature to brew green, black, white, herbal, oolong or custom and delicate teas. You can also select if you want the tea to be strong, medium, mild or custom. A digital display gives you a readout of what the brewer is doing, and it has a keep-warm button that helps your water stay hot for up to 60 minutes.

In addition to that, the Breville comes with a basket for your loose-leaf tea that automatically lowers when you select your options, as well as a teaspoon measuring spoon. As a tea lover, I really liked these functions, but it’s a luxury appliance that’s only worth it if you’re a regular drinker of loose-leaf tea and have the coin budgeted for such an expensive kettle.

Read our Breville One-Touch Tea Maker review.

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If you’re happy with your Keurig or drip coffee machine, then you don’t need to spend the money on this kettle. But if you’re obsessed with brewing perfect pour-over coffee, this is the investment piece to complete your set. Available in a variety of attractive finishes at list prices ranging from $165 to $195, the Stagg isn’t cheap, but it’s something you’ll be proud to display on your countertop –and it has all the features you’d want for the best coffee you can create.

The gooseneck spout is a must for pour-over coffee. It makes for a slow, consistent pour, which is essential for wetting all of the coffee grounds evenly. More distinguishing is the Stagg’s precision temperature controls. The exact, ideal temperature for brewing coffee is up for debate, generally between 195 and 205 degrees F. With the Stagg, you’ll be able to experiment and then dial into your own perfect temperature every time, down to the degree. You can see the water’s progress up to your selected temperature on the LCD screen, and the kettle will hold that temperature for 60 minutes.

The electric kettle lineup

To start, here’s a list of the eight models we tested in this latest round to find the best electric kettle:

: This is a fantastic value at less than $19. A pour-through lid makes it quick and easy to fill. It doesn’t have temperature control, nor does it keep the water hot after it reaches a boil. It was one of the slower kettles, taking six minutes to reach a boil. But if you just want to boil water and don’t need any bells and whistles, this is the one for you.

: With five preset temperature settings, a cool-touch exterior, fast boil time, and reasonable $50 price point, this is a nice option for tea drinkers. It can hold your set temperature for up to 30 minutes.

: Our overall winner is a great value with a host of features, and it brought water to a boil as fast as any electric kettle we’ve tested. It has four preset temperatures, but you can dial them up or down in five-degree increments. This attractive kettle will keep your water at your chosen temperature for up to 60 minutes, and the cool-touch exterior makes it a safer option.

: This has an unusual look for an electric kettle in that it looks like a traditional one. It’s compact and cute and comes in a bunch of color options, making it one of our top picks. You might even match it to your other KitchenAid appliances, such as a stand mixer. It includes a mesh filter to trap scale for cleaner water, but otherwise doesn’t offer any fancy features.

: The gooseneck spout and built-in analog thermometer are the star features of this $70 kettle. A gooseneck spout is a must for pour-over coffee, and knowing the exact temperature is important, too, since you don’t want water at a full boil for brewing coffee. You can’t set or hold a certain temperature, but at least you can see it on this kettle.

: At $36, this is the cheapest gooseneck kettle option I tested. If that’s the only feature you need, the price point makes the Bodum an attractive pick, but it lacks distinguishing features and was relatively slow to boil compared with other, higher-wattage options.

: If you want a reasonably-priced gooseneck kettle with five temperature presets for tea and coffee, plus a 60-minute temperature hold, this is your kettle at about $70. Clearly marked buttons on the base make it simple to use.

: Looking to impress your guests with the best pour-over coffee? With a retail price ranging between $165 and $195 depending on the finish this one’s a splurge, but it has the best features for coffee aficionados. The Stagg has the gooseneck spout you want for a controlled pour, and you’ll be able to dial up the exact temperature you desire, then hold it there for 60 minutes. Plus, it’s a downright gorgeous addition to any kitchen, something you’ll be proud to display.

For comparison, here’s a more detailed overview of each model’s key specs:

Electric kettle specs

Chefman Easy Fill Electric Kettle
Hamilton Beach Cool Touch Kettle
Beautiful by Drew Barrymore One-Touch Kettle
KitchenAid KEK1222 Electric Kettle
Aromaster Electric Gooseneck Kettle
Bodum Melior Gooseneck Electric Kettle
Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle
Stagg EKG Electric Kettle

Model number

RJ11-17-GM-EF

41033

19135

KEK1222

YK-139T

11883-259US

CO108-NK

EEO1AA1A

Color

Matte Black, Clear

Black

Black, Cornflower Blue, Merlot, Oyster Grey, Sage Green, White Icing

Black Matte, Onyx Black, Brushed Stainless Steel, Empire Red, Pistachio

Black

Matte Black

Stainless Steel

Matte Black, Matte White, Polished Steel, Polished Copper, Stone Blue, Warm Pink (multiple wood accents available)

Capacity

57.48 oz. (1.7 L)

42.27 oz. (1.25 L)

27 oz. (0.8 L)

30.43 oz. (0.9 L)

Dimensions (HxWxD, in inches)

9.5 x 6.1 x 8.3

9.5 x 6.0 x 8.4

10.5 x 6.4 x 9.2

10.3 x 7.0 x 8.9

7.1 x 6.5 x 11.6

6.3 x 8.3 x 11.8

9.0 x 7.7 x 11.6

8.0 x 6.8 x 11.5

Weight (in pounds, including base)

2.0

2.4

3.1

2.6

2.3

1.9

2.7

2.8

Cool-touch exterior

Yes

Set temperature feature

Yes (5 options)

Yes (4 options)

Yes (5 options)

Yes (to the exact degree)

Hold temperature feature

Yes (automatically holds for 30 minutes)

Yes (automatically holds for 60 minutes)

Yes (for 60 min, can be turned on and off)

Yes (for 60 min)

Thermometer

Yes (digital)

Yes (analog)

Yes (digital)

Wattage

1,100W

1,500W

1,200W

1,000W

1,200W

Boil time

6:00

4:12

4:10

4:13

4:59

6:42

4:34

Retail price

$19

$50

$80

$70

$49.50

$70

$195

Finally, here are the testing notes from previous years’ tests:

The Zwilling Enfinigy Electric Kettle sitting in front of a tiled backsplash.

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At $90, the was a favorite right out of the box purely from an aesthetic perspective, and this kettle performed at a high level during our tests, too. The build is solid, and I dug the minimalist one-button design. At just over 2 pounds, it isn’t overly bulky, and it has a cool-touch exterior for finger safety. The model we tested seems to be out of stock at Bed Bath & Beyond, though, and replaced with that costs about $30 more than before.

Another top pick from previous years is the . With its gooseneck spout, it’s a particularly appealing kettle for pour-over or other manual coffee-making setups that require a steady, controlled pour. It’s still a great pick at $105, but Cosori’s gooseneck kettle offers comparable features and performance while costing $35 less.

Meanwhile, the was actually the fastest and most consistent kettle from our 2021 boil tests. It features a sleek and sturdy build, and would fit nicely with any kitchen motif, especially if you’d prefer an electric kettle with a glass carafe. At a list price of $84, it’s a bit expensive, but still well worth considering.

The performed well in our tests, too, and I loved the sturdy, stainless steel build. It’s the only app-controlled kettle we’ve tested, which proved both a blessing and a curse. Specifically, it boiled water quickly and completely when controlled through the app — but it shut off before coming to a complete boil when I tried to boil water the old-fashioned way, using the button on the side of the kettle. If you’re app-addicted, it is convenient to be able to see how much water is in your kettle and to start it boiling remotely from your device. Whether or not that’s worth paying a little more than you would for a standard electric kettle is up to you.

The Smeg Electric Kettle sits in front of a kitchen backsplash. It's a good-looking device, but it gets quite hot to the touch during use.

David Watsky/CNET

The pricey was another high-octane kettle with a solid build and a ton of retro charm to boot. My main beef with it is that it got extremely hot to the touch. It’s also awfully expensive at $190, especially considering there are no special features other than simply boiling water. If you like the look you won’t be disappointed, but it doesn’t offer much bang for the buck.

The Cuisinart PerfectTemp also did well in testing but its performance is not commensurate with the $100 price tag. If you’re looking to snag one from that brand, I’d recommend this slightly which has fewer presets but a more reasonable price. As my colleague, Megan Wollerton, reported in her initial round of testing for CNET, the PerfectTemp has received customer feedback and stating that its auto shut-off feature is defective and poses a potential fire hazard. Cuisinart did not respond to a request for comment.

Both of the Ovente electric kettles I tested — the $34 and the $48 — are affordable options that boiled water quickly and were easy to use. That said, neither one stood out in testing and they felt a bit cheaply made. Also, both had lids that were unnecessarily detached from the kettle, which means you could misplace them. Knowing myself, I probably would.

A temperature logging device uses attached thermocouple wiring to track the rising heat inside of electric kettles.

Karen Freeman/CNET

How we test electric kettles

To test our latest batch of eight electric kettles, I used a 4-channel K thermometer SD logger. The thermocouple measured two things: how quickly each kettle boiled four cups of water — and how well each model with a hold-temperature function held the water temperature over a 10-minute period.

For the boil test, I started with cold tap water and watched the thermocouple display until the sensor tracking the temperature inside each kettle reached 209 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, water boils at 212 degrees F, but we use 209 because the boiling point for water can vary based on variables such as altitude or barometric pressure. In most of our testing areas, 209 F is a target temp that should not be affected by such variables.

Electric kettle test results

Boil time

6:00

4:12

4:10

4:13

4:59

6:42

4:34

Maximum temperature during 10-minute temp hold

n/a

211.7

211.2

n/a

216.0

233.2

Minimum temperature during 10-minute temp hold

n/a

203.3

207.1

n/a

185.1

187.0

For the hold temperature test, I used the thermocouple thermometer to measure the minimum and maximum temperatures during the 10-minute hold period. Keep in mind that the thermocouple readings aren’t exact and that there will be slight variation based on placement during testing. That said, I did my best to place the thermocouples midway down in the water, in the center of each kettle.

An assortment of eight electric kettles sitting on a kitchen countertop.

Karen Freeman/CNET

So which is the best electric kettle for me?

Consider which features are important for your own hot water scenarios. If you’ll be brewing various teas, and you want to bring water to the correct temperatures for each kind of tea, you’ll want to choose a kettle with a built-in thermometer and preferably preset buttons so you can set it and forget it. If you want to keep your water hot for a while, choose one with a temperature hold feature. If you’re concerned about children (or yourself) touching the outside of the kettle, you’ll want to choose one with a stay-cool exterior.

You’ll also want to consider the capacity you need, which varies widely between models. Another point of consideration is wattage; generally the higher-wattage kettles heat the water faster.

If you’re into pour-over coffee, a gooseneck spout is a must. However, if you’re not planning to brew pour-over coffee, I wouldn’t advise buying a gooseneck kettle at all. While you can certainly use one for any hot water need, it’s not the ideal one-size-fits-all style. While it heats water just fine, it pours quite slowly. This is by design, because it brings out the best flavor in coffee by allowing it to bloom properly. But it’s not necessary for tea and other applications, and can be frustratingly slow to pour. If you try to rush it, like I did, boiling water will leak out around the lid. Also, the gooseneck spout isn’t quite at the bottom of the kettle, so you’ll have to tip the kettle several times to pour all of the water out.

I was actually pretty impressed by all of the electric kettles that I tested. There wasn’t a dud in the bunch. If you don’t need bells and whistles and just want a quick and safe way to boil water, the least expensive one in the roundup will do you just fine. Just choose your price range, the look you want and the feature set you need.