- The best tea kettles are easy to fill and pour, quickly bring water to a boil, and can be washed without much effort.
- With its variable water temperature settings, durable design, and good price, the Krups Savoy Adjustable Temperature Kettle is our best electric kettle.
- The OXO Good Grips Classic Tea Kettle is our top pick of the stovetop models. It features drip-free pouring, a large capacity, and a nice loud whistle to let you know it's tea time.
There's nothing like a hot cup of tea, but boiling water and safely pouring it into a mug or teacup is a difficult task without a proper kettle. For a long time, I would microwave mugs of water until it was reasonably hot, but it was never truly hot enough to properly steep tea, and I was tired of drinking weak early gray. I invested in an electric kettle, and it's made boiling water quicker and easier, so I can relax with my tea sooner.
There are two main categories that tea kettles fall into - electric or stovetop. Each style has its own merits, and the type you choose often comes down to personal preference. An electric kettle tends to act as a permanent countertop fixture, as it's more of a small appliance than a stovetop kettle. Stovetop kettles are classic, smaller, and, of course, analog. We've included the best of both in our guide.
An argument for electric kettles
For real tea fanatics, it can be difficult to get just the right temperature water for your brew and nuking H2O in the microwave is simply out of the question. That's where electric kettles come in. They boil water faster than a watched pot on your stove, and the best ones even offer adjustable temperature settings to ensure that the water is just right for your delicate tea leaves.
You can also use electric kettles to boil water quickly for any cause. No matter your needs, it's good to have a dedicated appliance in your kitchen that boils water quickly. Every self-respecting British person has a kettle at home, and the fact that most Americans don't is totally befuddling. It's time to correct that error, because as one Brit told me, "Stoves take too long, and we don't live in the 1800s anymore."
An argument for stovetop kettles
For me, the hardest part about making tea is remembering that I am making tea. We own both an electric kettle and a stovetop one. The electric kettle does not notify me when the water is ready. Conversely, the whistle of the stovetop kettle demands my attention more intensely than my feral toddler does. You can't forget you are making tea with the best whistling tea kettles.
We focus on the tea making abilities of the top kettles, but really, they can be used to heat water for any purpose: hot chocolate, ramen noodles, soup, oatmeal - you name it.
What are kettles made of?
Most kettles these days are made of stainless steel, plastic, enamel-on-steel, or some combination of these materials. There are a few glass kettles available, but they receive low marks for performance from both buyers and experts.
Due to research linking bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates to cancer, many people are a little squeamish around kettles made out of plastic, especially since heating plastics can cause chemicals to leach into liquids or foods. However, the plastics that have been shown to cause cancer are used to make clear, hard containers or soft, flexible products. Tea kettles don't fit into either of these categories.
But, if you are concerned about drinking hot water that has come into contact with plastic, make sure you choose a tea kettle that avoids this problem. Each of the kettles in our guide uses plastic sparingly.
Though the name may suggest otherwise, stainless steel tea kettles are susceptible to rusting. The best way to combat this is to regularly wash your kettle and dry it completely. If you do notice rust, fill your kettle with a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water, boil it for a few minutes, empty it, and then wash your kettle per the manufacturer's specifications. Rusting is less common with enamel-on-steel kettles.
Here are the best tea kettles:
- Best electric kettle overall: Krups Savoy Adjustable Temperature Kettle
- Best stovetop kettle overall: OXO Good Grips Classic Tea Kettle
- Best electric kettle on a budget: Secura Stainless Steel Double Wall Electric Kettle
- Best stovetop kettle on a budget: Cuisinart Aura Steel Stovetop Teakettle
- Best high-end electric kettle: Smeg '50s Retro-Style Electric Kettle
- Best high-end stovetop kettle: Le Creuset Enamel-on-Steel Zen Teakettle
Prices and links are current as of 3/30/2020. We combined our buying guides for the best stovetop kettles and the best electric kettles into one guide, so you can directly compare the two types of kettles.
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