While looking through an old family photo album, you spy a photo taken in your mom’s old kitchen in that little house you all lived in. Among the hanging pot holders, a toaster, rooster and hen salt and pepper shakers, and a cast iron skillet containing chicken drummies frying you see mom’s old tea kettle. That little no-nonsense kettle rested on that counter or stove top for years and years, and in your mind you can see steam erupting from the spout and hear the whistle when the water was at full boil.
“Wow. That brings back memories,” you might say.
And you might wish you had one just like it for your kitchen.
They still make those, you know, but not like the kettle your mother boiled water in every day. Today’s kettles are sophisticated, advanced and dare we say prettier than your mom’s kettle. We have a list of kettles – energy efficient, safe, beautiful electric ones – that you just might be interested in having, because they are worth having. They can quickly heat water for tea, coffee, instant soup, oatmeal, pasta and anything else you can think of that requires hot water.
The Top 10 Best Electric Kettles for Home and Kitchen Use
1. COSORI Electric Kettle Glass Water Boiler
Best Feature: High quality glass; Stunning look and design
This strikingly beautiful glass kettle is a real show-stopper. And it’s not just any glass. It’s a far cry from the thin glass you find on coffee maker carafes that break the first time it’s bumped. This unit is made with the finest quality borosilicate glass that resists breaking, scuffing and scratching.
Boiling water touches no plastic, even on the lid.
The Cosori has the best safety electronics in the business, with the British Strix thermostat that shuts the unit off within 30 seconds of the water coming to a boil. A pretty blue indicator light comes on when the kettle is in boil mode, which is brief. In three to seven minutes, a full 1.7 liters of water can be brought to a boil.
The heating element and the safety electronics are hidden within a separate base unit.
Cleaning and filling the glass carafe is made easy by a wide opening and lid that opens up high and out of the way.
The glass carafe is beautiful when it’s clean, but also reveals areas where scale is beginning to develop. That’s an improvement over stainless steel units, where the user has to inspect the interior for signs of scaling. With this unit, the need for descaling can’t be ignored, and that should be considered a good feature.
The descaling process is made easy with online videos and tutorials, but basically you just have to mix a few cups of vinegar and water together, then boil and rinse.
2. Secura SWK-1701DBO Stainless Steel Double Wall Electric Kettle
Best Features: Double wall construction for long duration of hot water; Comes in a wide variety of colors
Secura has sold well over 8,000,000 units in the USA. That alone speaks volumes for this stainless steel electric kettle. Secura’s products are focused on ease of use, environmentally sustainable materials, ergonomic design, and affordability. With six color choices, you can find the perfect color to complement your decor.
Double wall construction not only means it will keep the water hot for a long time, the outer layer will remain cool to the touch. While its competitors claim 100 percent stainless steel interior and don’t quite live up to the claim by throwing in plastic on the rim and spout, the Secura is stainless steel everywhere. No plastic comes in contact with the water.
For all of its pleasant aesthetics, the Secura hasn’t forgotten that its main purpose is to boil water. And to accomplish that, it has employed a 1500-watt element to get the bubbles churning in a matter of minutes
The spout is extra large. That may seem trivial, but at 6:00 a.m. when you want to heat some water for your morning tea, it will be helpful when you stumble over to the kitchen faucet to fill it. It also allows you to put your hand inside for a thorough cleaning.
When you think of stainless steel, you immediately think of silver – either brushed or gleaming like chrome, but the six colors this comes in – black, black onyx, dark purple, orange, red and white – are nothing like that. That’s a pretty wide range of colors, and includes some shades that your Momma’s old kettle never had.
3. Miroco Double Wall Electric Kettle (100% Stainless Steel)
Best Features: Beautiful design, All 304 stainless steel construction
This handsome electric kettle has been a popular item for awhile, and for a good reason. If you know what 304 stainless steel is, you know it is top of the line.
All of these items are made with 304 stainless steel:
- The two liners comprising the double thermal wall
- Inner lid
- Spout
- Rim
That separates the Miroco from lesser kettles. With so much emphasis being placed on BPA plastics, it is reassuring that water never touches anything other than the 304 food grade stainless steel.
Even the few parts that are made of PP (polypropylene plastic) are clad in stainless steel to resist scratching and scuffing.
The spout is easy to use, and the handle provides a balanced, ergonomic place at which to hold it, either for pouring or carrying across the room. The lid pops open on a hinge for easy cleaning and filling.
If you were searching for something with a nostalgic look, this probably isn’t it. The minimalist design is sleek, contemporary and beautiful, and it might change your mind about wanting an electric kettle that looks just like grandma’s.
Also very contemporary is the electronics inside that keep the kettle from overheating, or from staying hot so long that all the water boils out of it. It has a fancy name, too – British Strix thermostat technology. This is not only a safety feature, but an energy saver.
So much for turning off automatically. How does it do when it’s turned on? It can bring eight cups of water to a boil in six to seven minutes, so yeah, it’s fast.
4. Gourmia GK320 Travel Foldable Electric Kettle
Best Features: Collapses for travel; Dual voltage
- Collapses for Easy Packing/Storing
- 120v and 220v Capability
- Lightweight
So how do you fold an electric kettle? And why would you?
OK, we’re not really talking about folding this kettle like you would fold a metal chair. It’s more of a collapsing effect, or a telescoping effect. The Gourmia is built in sections that slide into one another, so it collapses into itself for storage or for travel (that’s the why).
It’s dual voltage – 120v for use in the U.S., 220v for use in Europe – so if you want a spot o’ tea in your hotel room overlooking the River Thames, you can do it with this handy travel companion.
It’s lightweight – made with food grade silicone, which efficiently insulates against high heat and lasts for many years of regular use. This will easily pack into your suitcase and won’t push you over the airline weight limit like those eight pairs of shoes you think you need to pack.
It’s not bare-bones anywhere. It’s a luxurious electric kettle that can stand up to the best of the kitchen counter models. It’s BPA-free, has automatic shut-off, a filtered spout and a sturdy lid lock. It’s also TUV-certified, which is the European equivalent of a UL-certified product in the United States.
5. AmazonBasics Stainless Steel Portable Electric Hot Water Kettle
Best Feature: Power base separate from the carafe
Don’t let the term “basic” throw you. This affordable little electric travel kettle has plenty of high-end features. A 1500-watt heating element gets the water boiling in a big hurry, but the great part about that is, when you fill the kettle with water (it holds a full liter) the heating element stays behind on the counter in the power base.
The element is concealed within the power base, which comes with 30-inch power cord. This gives you a wide range of placement options. You don’t have to be a foot away from a receptacle to fire it up. Then when you’re ready to travel with this, the underside of the base has a cord wrap in which to tuck the cord away.
Anything within the kettle that comes in contact with water is BPA-free. It has automatic shut-off and a handy water window to let you know the water level.
The exterior is brushed stainless steel.
While it’s listed as a travel kettle, it’s primarily suited for domestic travel only. If you take it overseas, you will need to purchase a travel voltage convertor.
6. Mueller Premium Electric Kettle (2019 Model)
Best Features: Design Award nominee; Quality materials
You’ll want to buy this electric kettle for its looks alone. A nominee in the 2019 Design Awards, this glass-and-steel masterpiece combines form and function in the most appealing way possible.
Some of the top features include:
- Beautiful Design
- 1500-Watt Heating Element
- Carafe Sits on Power Base
- High Quality Borosilicate Glass
It’s no slouch in the non-glamorous elements either, with the British Strix thermostat, itself a well-respected innovation in safety and dependable operation. It shuts off after water boil is achieved.
A 1500-watt heating element is hidden in the power base and gets the water boiling in a matter of six to eight minutes.
The construction materials that go into this include borosilicate glass that resists abuse, stainless steel for added strength and quality plastics on the ergonomic, heat-resistant handle and on the lid. Water touches nothing with BPAs.
This model has one of the better warranties among the electric heaters on our list, with a two-year warranty.
7. Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle
Best Features: Easily see water volume; Controls for six different temperatures on the handle
Cuisinart appears on a lot of bridal registries for a lot of reasons and for a lot of products. This should be one of them.
The first thing you’ll notice about this electric kettle are the control buttons on the handle, which operate some sophisticated programs for steeping tea or brewing coffee at just the right temperature. If selected right from a button on the handle – it will keep liquid heated for 30 minutes and then shut off automatically. Blue LED lights let you know the status of the various operations.
It’s listed as cordless because the kettle sits on a base that includes the 1500-watt heating element and the electronics that keep it under control.
The water carafe is backlit with a blue light, which helps the user monitor the water level, but it’s also very pleasing to look at. The all-steel water filter is removable and washable.
The handle does not transmit heat and the lid stays put until released with the press of a lever.
The power base rotates 360 degrees, and the power cord retracts inside of it when the unit is unplugged.
And, it wouldn’t be Cuisinart if it didn’t include some culinary extras, like recipes on the back pages of the operator’s manual. It comes with a limited three-year warranty.
Just Add Hot Water
Perhaps you’ve caved in – or are about to – and ordered one of these gorgeous electric kettles. What can you make with them (or, more precisely, with the hot water these units produce)?
Kettle Made Cooking Ideas
Instant Rice Noodles
We’re not talking about Ramen here (but you can do Ramen). Instant rice noodles are partially cooked and then dried until they’re brittle. Dump a heap into a bowl and add boiling water. Let it sit two to three minutes, stirring every so often. Then add seasoning, like curry or miso and you have hot noodles soup.
You can also drain the water and just have the noodles, seasoned with sesame oil, soy sauce or fish sauce.
Kettle Miso Soup
Place in a bowl a tablespoon of miso seasoning, a chopped scallion, some grated or finely chopped carrot, celery and dried noodles or tofu and then add hot water. For a more robust flavor, you could add garlic powder or a tiny sliver of whole garlic.
Kettle Made Coffee
Hey, this is the way people used to make coffee. But the new wrinkle is to bring some freshly ground grind-your-own coffee, put the grounds into an infuser and pour hot water through it. Experiment with the size of the ground for the strength that suits you best.
Kettle Made Tea
There are literally hundreds of instant tea brands and flavors out there, either in bags or loose (to be used with an infuser) and the whole world is at your command.
Instant Oatmeal
Again, there are more flavors than you can count, and they’re sold in single serving sizes.
Kettle Made Recipes
Kettle Couscous Recipe
This doesn’t qualify as instant, but it does qualify as delicious. It can be instant, if you blend the ingredients together ahead of time and then add boiling water when you’re ready.
- ⅓ cup whole wheat couscous
- 1 tsp chia seeds or ground flax seed
- ⅓ cup freeze dried chopped chicken
- ½ cup mixed dry vegetables
- 1 tbsp fried dried onions (or 1 tsp onion flakes)
- 1 ½ tsps powdered chicken flavor base
- 1 ½ tsps freeze dried poultry herb
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
Put the dry ingredients into a sealed storage back and shake it to blend them. Then when you’re ready to eat, put the dry ingredients in a bowl and add 1 ½ cups of hot water. Let it sit for nine to 10 minutes and enjoy!
Kettle Fiesta Rice Recipe
- 2/3 cup instant brown rice
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
- 1/3 cup freeze dried chopped chicken
- 1/2 cup freeze dried corn
- ¼ cup freeze dried chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried minced jalapeno
- 1 tablespoon freeze dried onions (or 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered chicken flavor base (or bouillon granules)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican preferred)
- 1/2 teaspoon freeze dried cilantro (or 1/8 teaspoon dried)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- 1-1/2 cups water
Blend the dry ingredients in a plastic bag. When you’re ready to eat, pour the dry ingredients into a bowl and add one cup of boiling water, and let it steep for nine or 10 minutes.
