Best kettle 2024: Our favourite rapid-boil, quiet and smart models tested
Looking for the perfect cuppa? We’ve put the best kettles through rigorous testing
The best kettles are the ultimate kitchen staple. As a nation of tea lovers, it’s no wonder they’re such an important part of our daily lives. From quiet kettles, rapid-boil kettles with simple controls to variable temperatures models, picking your perfect one takes some research.
Thankfully, we’re here to help you sort the good from the bad. We’ve tested 15 kettles across a range of budgets and styles for this round up, boiling countless litres of water. We’ve tested boil times, noise levels, temperatures and done the maths to figure out how energy efficient each kettle is.
Below, you will find mini reviews of the best kettles from our in-depth testing, as well as links to full reviews of each one should you need to do more research. Furthermore, you can also check out our full buying guide, which will talk you through everything you need to consider when choosing the perfect kettle – from noise level to speed.
Best kettle: At a glance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Best kettle overall | Russell Hobbs Attentiv (~£75) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best budget kettle | John Lewis Anyday (~£20) | Check price at John Lewis |
| Best value kettle | Kenwood Abbey (~£40) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best luxury kettle | KitchenAid Artisan (£199) | Check price at Amazon |
How do we test kettles?
When testing kettles, we use three methods to determine their energy efficiency and noise level. We start by using a two-channel thermocouple thermometer, which measures the external and internal temperature of the kettle during a boil. This also tells us how quickly the temperature drops after it clicks off. At the same time, we use a power meter to determine how many kw/h a kettle uses. Next, we use a noise meter to measure how loud each kettle is during a 1l and 500ml boil in dBs, also taking the room’s ambient noise level into account.
Next up is usability. We test how easy the kettle is to fill, hold and pour, its weight and whether the fill lines are easy to read. If the kettle has any additional features beyond boiling water, we also look at how useful these are. Finally, we take into consideration each kettle’s build quality and design, and whether these reflect its price.
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The best kettles you can buy in 2024
1. Russell Hobbs Attentiv: Best kettle overall
Price when reviewed: £75 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… speciality tea
- Not so great for…cleaning
No kettle we’ve tested packs in quite as many well-implemented features and neat design touches as the Russell Hobbs Attentiv. It provides the most precision among the variable temperature kettles, with its control dial allowing users to select temperatures between 40°C and 100°C, in 5°C increments. This is ideal for preparing everything from baby formula to specialty teas like matcha or oolong, as well as coffee. The kettle also boasts a 30-minute keep-warm function and a handy steep timer, all controllable and monitorable via the slick touchscreen buttons and LED display on its base. A final fun touch, the Attentiv comes with a removable steeping basket for loose leaf tea, allowing it to function as a teapot in a pinch.
Thanks to its 3,000W heating element, it also proved itself a speedy boiler in our group test, matching other similarly powerful models with its one litre boil time of 2mins 20secs. Rounding things out with a handsome, sturdy glass and stainless construction, the Attentiv won top marks from us.
Read our full Russell Hobbs Attentiv review
Key details – Power: 3,000W; Capacity: 1.7l; Variable temperature: Yes; Warranty: 2 years
2. John Lewis Anyday: Best budget kettle
Price when reviewed: £20 | Check price at John Lewis
- Great for…keeping costs down
- Not so great for… staying cool
Simple in approach and execution, this no-frills kettle operates without fanfare or style but gets the job done. Boiling water about as quickly as our other recommended 3,000W kettles, the Anyday took just 2mins 15secs. It also performed admirably in our heat retention test, maintaining a temperature of 92°C when measured five minutes after boiling. Other notable positives of the Anyday include its clear water level viewer with measurement markings and its lightweight design, with the kettle weighing just 750g.
Of course, great budget options often come with a few sticking points and in this regard the Anyday is no different. While generally well built, in testing, we found that the kettle sat a little unevenly on its base, rocking a little as it came to a boil. It also got a good sight hotter than we would’ve liked in our exterior heat test, reaching 74.8°C, meaning you’ll want to be careful of your fingers as you pour. However, given its otherwise good performance, solid design and excellent value for money, we’re still more than happy to recommend the John Lewis Anyday as a straightforward, budget-friendly option.
Read our full John Lewis Anyday review
Key details – Power: 3,000W; Capacity: 1.5l; Variable temperature: No; Warranty: 2 years
3. KitchenAid Artisan: Best luxury kettle
Price when reviewed: £199 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for…style and temperature control
- Not so great for…keeping costs down
KitchenAid’s Artisan kettle comes in as the most expensive model on our list, but we found it to be worth every penny of its premium price tag. Its sleek, matte finish and general design are beautiful and the range of colours available make it easy to tailor its look to suit your kitchen.
We’re also big fans of the old-fashioned temperature gauge on the front, which proved both charming and practical. We also like the smooth-acting temperature setting lever on the bottom, which allows you to heat water to between 50°C and 100°C, in 10°C increments, ideal for a variety of drinks. Once set in action, the kettle emits a soft white light and a calming low beep – it might sound silly, but the Artisan gives boiling water a truly luxurious feel thanks to deft design touches like these.
Aesthetics aside, the Artisan also proved itself in our tests. It took just 2mins 22secs to boil 1l of water, which is on par with the rest of the 3,000W models tested. It also excels when it comes to keeping the noise down. During boiling, it only reached a maximum of 52.2dB, making it the quietest kettle on our list. What’s more, once the water’s boiled, there’s no worrying about burning your fingers on the sides. The outside of the Artisan reached an exterior temperature of just 33°C, owing to its dual-walled insulation.
Read our full KitchenAid Artisan review
Key details – Power: 3,000W; Capacity: 1.5l; Variable temperature: Yes: Warranty: 3 years
4. Kenwood Abbey Lux: Best value kettle
Price when reviewed: £40 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for…price and useability
- Not so great for…extra features
If you’re after a well-priced kettle, but don’t want something that looks dull or cheap, then the Kenwood Abbey Lux is a top choice. Sporting a simple but very stylish design, the Abbey can be picked up in either a pearly white or brooding dark grey, with the option to add a silver or rose gold trim to each of these colours respectively.
As well as looking the part, the Kenwood Abbey can walk the walk in terms of design and performance. The quickest boiler in our group test, this 3,000W model heated a litre of water in a rapid 2mins 15secs. It also showed up well in our heat-retention test, keeping its water at a temperature of 91.2°C when measured five minutes after boiling. Perfect for busy mornings and bustling kitchens, the Abbey also has a roomy 1.7l capacity, a handy one-button flip-top lid and is lightweight at 0.99kg.
Read our full Kenwood Abbey Lux review
Key details – Power: 3,000W; Capacity: 1.7l; Variable temperature: No; Warranty: 1 year
5. Bosch Styline TWK8633GB: A great Attentiv alternative
Price when reviewed: £70 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for..staying cool and temperature control
- Not so great for…noise
While we liked the Russell Hobbs Attentiv best overall, the Bosch Styline is no slouch, providing a great alternative for anyone not quite won over by the Attentiv. Differentiating it from the Russell Hobbs model are its dual-walled insulation, keeping it at a cool exterior temperature of 31.9°C in use, as well as its chic plastic and stainless steel body, which won’t get as visibly grubby as a glass kettle.
Other design elements of the Styline we like include its four temperature settings (70°C, 80°C, 90° and boiling), half-hour keep-warm function, soft-open lid, large viewing window with clear measurement markings and smooth-pouring spout. Finally, when it comes to boil speed, the Styline’s 3,000W heating element means it’s as swift as any of the other similarly powered kettles on our list.
Read our full Bosch Styline TWK8633GB review
Key details – Power: 3,000W; Capacity: 1.5l; Variable temperature: Yes; Warranty: 2 years
6. Swan Alexa Smart Kettle: Best voice-activated option
Price when reviewed: £100 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… voice activation
- Not so great for…fast boiling
Ever fancied telling your kettle to make a brew? Well, with the Swan Alexa Smart Kettle you can do just that. Thanks to its compatibility with Amazon’s suite of smart speakers, you can set the Swan Alexa to boil, as well as select your desired water temperature and more, via voice commands or the Alexa app.
If you don’t own an Amazon Echo and just feel like splashing out on one, there are plenty of other reasons to consider picking up the Swan Alexa. A dual-wall insulated kettle, the Swan Alexa was top of the pops in our exterior temperature test, with a peak reading of just 29.1°C. Also a quiet boiler, it was edged out only by the KitchenAid Artisan in our noise test, recording the second-lowest reading at 53.3dB. Moving on from test scores to features, the Swan Alexa has a solid four temperature settings and the most impressive keep warm function of the lot, boasting the ability to hold water at your desired temperature for up to two hours.
The only downside of the Swan Alexa is its low wattage, which, at 1,800W, means it lagged behind the 3,000W kettles on this list in terms of boil speed. While it takes a fairly lengthy 4mins 9 secs to boil a litre of water, you can at least order it to do so without having to get up off the sofa.
Read our full Swan Alexa Smart Kettle review
Key details – Power: 1,800W; Capacity: 1.5l; Variable temperature: Yes; Warranty: Not listed
7. Zwilling Enfinigy Pro: Best dual-wall insulated kettle
Price when reviewed: £113 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… dual-wall insulation and sleek design
- Not so great for… cost saving
One of the more expensive kettles on our list, the Zwilling Enfinigy Pro justifies its lofty price tag with an ultra-modern design, commendable suite of features and solid performance. This sleek, space age kettle placed highly in both our exterior temperature and heat retention tests. Its peerless dual-wall insulation helped it maintain an outside temperature of just 29.4°C in use, while keeping the water inside at 94.6°C five minutes after boiling. In terms of functionality, the Enfinigy Pro boasts variable temperature settings ranging from 40°C to 100°C and a 30-minute keep warm function, all programmable via the touch buttons on its base.
To add one caveat, it should be noted that the Zwilling Enfinigy Pro has an 1,850W heating coil, unlike many of the other kettles on our list, which tend to have 3,000W elements. This means it is naturally slower to boil than its rivals. If you tend to get impatient for your morning cup of tea or coffee, the 3 mins 45 secs it takes the Enfinigy Pro to boil a litre of water may prove a tad too long for your liking.
Read our full Zwilling Enfinigy Pro review
Key details – Power: 1,850W; Capacity: 1.5l; Variable temperature: Yes; Warranty: 30 days
8. Dualit Lite: A simple, stylish option
Price when reviewed: £90 | Check price at John Lewis
- Great for…unique design and rapid boiling
- Not so great for…noise
With its gleaming, mirrored finish and attractive colour-accented handle, this kettle’s classic beauty offsets its relative lack of bells and whistles. Practical as well as pretty, this 1.5l jug model was another reliably fast boiler in our group test. After just 2 mins and 26 secs, the Dualit Lite had one litre of water boiled and ready to pour.
One notable downside of the Dualit Lite is that it doesn’t do its business super quietly. We recorded how loud each kettle was at boiling water and the Dualit Lite notched up 58.3dB, the second loudest score. Noisiness aside, it did perform well in our tests, including heat retention. There’s no need to rush to pour the water out with this one either. Five minutes after boiling, the water in the Dualit Lite still measured a toasty 93°C, coming second only to the Zwilling Enfinigy Pro.
Read our full Dualit Lite review
Key details – Power: 3,000W; Capacity: 1,5l; Variable temperature: No; Warranty: 2 years
How to choose the best kettle
How much do I need to spend?
You don’t need to break the bank to get your hands on a decent kettle. There are plenty of options costing less than £50 if you simply want a reliable, fast-boiling and reasonably quiet kettle, which should last for three years or more. If variable temperature, dual-walled insulation or stunning designs are on your list of wants, however, expect to pay a premium.
What types of kettles are there?
Electric kettles: As well as being the most energy efficient, they’re the quickest and easiest way to get water to boiling point. They’re also the safest, with most having an automatic shut-off setting when your water reaches the right temperature. The downside is that limescale can build up and reduce efficiency.
Variable temperature kettles: These kettles allow you to set your temperature to below boiling point – sometimes as low as 40ºC – so you’re able to heat your water for a variety of drinks, not just tea. The ideal temperature for coffee is between 91ºC and 96˚C. Delicate green and white teas usually require water at 70˚C. Black and oolong teas taste best with water around 85˚C, while chamomile requires water at 90˚C. The list goes on.
Stovetop kettle: This is the most basic kind of kettle, which you simply put on the stove and heat up. When the water is boiling, it will whistle to let you know. They can be, though are not always, the cheapest kind of kettle, as well as having an aesthetic, retro appeal. They are less susceptible to damage caused by mineral deposits than electric kettles and require neither a mains plug nor space on your work surface.
Are rapid boiling kettles actually faster than normal ones?
Don’t be fooled by kettles advertised as “rapid boiling” – the fastest boiling kettle here is only 11 seconds quicker than the slowest. Also, be aware that the manufacturer’s boiling time claims are often based on how long it takes room temperature water to boil.
In our tests, we used water straight from the cold tap like you would at home, which averaged between 9˚C and 11˚C.
What other features are worth looking out for?
Kettles aren’t the most high-tech of kitchen items, but it’s worth looking out for safety features such as an auto shut-off function. Should you accidentally put too little water in the kettle, this will stop it boiling dry.
One very basic thing to look out for is how a kettle is filled. A button-operated flip-top lid is worth having, as it means you don’t need to put your hand anywhere near the spout – or any steam coming out of it – when you’re refilling it.
We would also avoid buying any cheap kettle that has a mains cable connected directly to the jug itself, as the slot-in stand design of most modern kettles is far safer.
Finally, think about noise. The difference between our quietest and loudest kettles, which measured in at 52 and 63 decibels, is considerable, everyone’s tolerance to noise is different.
What kettles are the most energy efficient?
Many kettles claim to be energy efficient but determining which is the most energy efficient model isn’t as simple as trusting the manufacturers claims. In reality, most kettles are going to cost the same amount to run, with a minimal cost saving over the year – we’re talking pennies.
That being said, there are small variations in boil times and how quickly the temperature drops after boiling – important if you want to cut down how often you re-boil.
