Best kettles to buy at a glance
- Best retro kettle: Haden Highclere kettle, £43.99
- Best fast-boil kettle: Ninja Perfect Temperature kettle, £79.99
- Best variable-temperature kettle: KitchenAid Artisan 1.5 litre kettle, £199
- Best budget kettle: Tesco textured 1.7 litre kettle, £19
- Best value kettle: Bosch Sky cordless kettle, £104.99
- Most stylish kettle: Swan Nordic jug kettle, £64.99
- Best colourful kettle: KitchenAid Variable Temperature kettle, £179
- Best premium kettle: Aarke kettle, £200
- Best stainless-steel kettle: Bosch DesignLine kettle, £40
- Best traditional kettle: Tefal Loft kettle, £40.90
- Best eco kettle: Breville Edge Still Hot kettle, £34.99
- Best lightweight kettle: Kenwood Elegancy kettle, £44.99
Best matching kettle and toaster sets at a glance
- Best retro kettle and toaster set: Haden Highclere kettle and toaster, £80
- Most versatile kettle and toaster set: Ninja kettle and toaster set, £179.99
- Best premium kettle and toaster set: KitchenAid Artisan breakfast set, £478.40
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Best kettles to buy in 2024
Haden Highclere kettle
Best retro kettle
More like this
Pros:
- Ergonomic handle for easy lifting
- Stylish retro design
- All packaging could be recycled
- Boil-dry protection
Cons:
- Metal on handle gets hot during use
Star rating: 5/5
Wattage: 3000W
Ideal for kitchens with a vintage aesthetic, this 1.5-litre kettle strikes a nice balance between sturdiness and style.
It’s available in both blue and cream, and the ergonomic handle across the top is a thoughtful feature that aids with pouring and filling. Be aware, though, that some parts of the handle are metal, which means they get very hot as the kettle boils.
The water-level indicator is easy to read and located above the switch, with three markings for 500ml, 1 litre and 1.5 litres, plus the number of cups (from two to six). The switch illuminates in blue when the kettle is turned on, so we could clearly see when it had finished boiling too.
While the Highclere isn’t the fastest kettle we’ve tested, it’s still relatively speedy and boiled 1.5 litres of water in 3 minutes and 9 seconds. It’s also built with boil-dry protection, which means it will switch off if the power is on but no water is detected. You can also buy a matching toaster, which was awarded 4.5/5 stars by our expert reviews team.
Cost to boil for 2 minutes: 1.6p
Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle Rapid Boil
Best for pre-set temperature settings
Pros:
- Six pre-set temperatures
- Rapid boil mode for a single cup in under 60 seconds
- Unique audible alert for end-boil
- Clear temperature climb
Cons:
- Audible end-boil alert can’t be turned off
Score: 5/5
Wattage: 3000W
Ninja’s kettle has a lot to offer for the price-point. The selectable variety of temperatures on offer spans 60-100 degrees C; a feature perfect for getting the most out of speciality teas and coffee and will be popular if your household drinks a variety of hot beverages.
It’s also an efficient tactic for such a high-wattage appliance, meaning you don’t have to reach a full-boil for every mug.
The temperature is tracked on the digital display while the water heats and there’s an audible tone as a notification of kettle finishing that’s the same as other Ninja appliances.
This isn’t possible to turn off which is tricky if you’re making late-night cuppas, but is the loudest part of the kettle, which boils relatively quietly. For the price, you get a lot for your money from this kettle. Ninja also sells a matching toaster.
KitchenAid Artisan 1.5-litre variable-temperature kettle
Best variable-temperature kettle
Pros:
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
Wattage: 3000W
This is a chunky statement kettle that looks great and does everything. There’s a choice of temperatures for your water, between 50-100C.
As well as being suitable for people who enjoy teas that requires a different temperature, it’s ideal for parents making drinks that aren’t dangerously hot for children, or those using warm water for other purposes, like cooking. A matching toaster is also available and was rated 4.5/5 by the Good Food reviews team.
Read our full KitchenAid Artisan kettle review.
Tesco textured plastic black 1.7 litre kettle
Best budget kettle
Pros:
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
Wattage: 3000W
This great-value kettle is an ideal for students heading to university. It’s a good size at 1.7 litres and a decent price too (so you won’t need to worry too much about the hammering it will undoubtedly get), and it’s surprisingly speedy for a budget model. It boiled a litre of water in an average of 2 minutes 14 seconds.
Read our full Tesco kettle review.
Bosch cordless kettle
Best value cordless kettle
Pros:
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
Wattage: 3000W
This Bosch cordless kettle offers great features for tea aficionados. The kettle sits on a black base with touchscreen-like controls. From here, you can turn it on and off, or select the best temperature for your brew between 70-100C.
There’s also a ‘keep warm’ button to maintain the water at the same temperature for 30 minutes. Although it’s not the smallest or quietest model we tested, the Bosch is the quickest, boiling water in just 2 minutes and 6 seconds.
Read our full Bosch cordless kettle review.
Swan Nordic jug kettle
Most stylish kettle
Pros:
Cons:
- Limescale filter hard to remove
Star rating: 5/5
Wattage: 3000W
If you want a kettle that’s striking and different, this Scandinavian-style Swan kettle could be the answer – it’s an elegant and streamlined appliance that also comes in a cordless model. The wood-effect handle is made of rubber and easy to grip, but obstructs the water level gauge behind it.
However, the upright design of this kettle means that despite its 1.7 litre-capacity, it doesn’t take up that much space on the worktop. It’s also fairly efficient, taking 2 minutes and 24 seconds to boil a litre of water.
Read our Swan Nordic kettle review.
KitchenAid Digital Variable Temperature Kettle
Best colourful kettle
Pros:
- Attractive design
- Intuitive controls
- Range of temperature controls
Cons:
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 2400W
This is an elegant, compact kettle that comes in a range of KitchenAid’s bright colours to add an eye-catching feature to your kitchen. There’s a choice of temperatures between 50C and 100C with an easy-to-move lever and light up display to help indicate your choice.
While the price is certainly a premium one the look and feel of the kettle reflects it, with a sleek finish on the body and matte handle. The water boiled fairly quickly, and we like how the safety features prevent you from boiling less than the minimum level. You can also buy a matching toaster with this kettle, which our reviews team rated 4.5/5.
Aarke kettle
Best premium kettle
Pros:
- Multiple heat settings
- Quiet boil function
- Stylish stainless-steel design
- Double-walled to keep water hotter for longer
Cons:
- Hefty to lift
- Leaves visible fingerprint marks
- Difficult to see measurement markings
- Expensive
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 1850-2200W
A great pick for speciality tea drinkers, this sleek kettle comes with a range of temperature settings (40C, 85C, 95C and 100C) and looks attractive on the counter. It’s heavy to lift even without any water in it, but it’s otherwise easy to use and has a robust, quality design.
One of the things we loved most about the Aarke is how quiet it is, and we could hold a conversation easily while it got to work. In terms of speed, it fared about average versus other models we’ve tested, boiling the maximum amount (1.2 litres) to 100C in three minutes. Thanks to the double-walled design, it also retains heat well.
The minimum and maximum markings are located inside the kettle, which proved difficult to read, especially in low light. Its stainless-steel exterior is impressively shiny but susceptible to fingerprints, so will need wiping occasionally.
Cost to boil for 2 minutes: 1.1p
Bosch DesignLine kettle
Best stainless steel kettle
Pros:
- Sleek design
- Water-level window on both sides
- 1.7-litre capacity
Cons:
- Lid doesn’t open fully
- Difficult to read water level
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 3000W
If simplicity and reliability are what you’re looking for in a kettle, this Bosch model is a solid choice that looks great on the counter too. It has a stylish stainless steel and brushed plastic design that slots nicely into a modern kitchen aesthetic. The big, chunky handle also helps with easy lifting and pouring, and there’s an extra filter included too.
The lid flips up but doesn’t open as fully as needed, so we had to manually pull it open further before filling the kettle with water. The water-level indicator also doesn’t light up so can be difficult to read, but there are windows on both sides with measurement markings for cups and millilitres.
It was relatively noisy during use but we could still hold a conversation. The time it took to boil was about average versus the other models we tested, too, taking 3 minutes and 35 seconds to boil 1.7 litres of water. A matching toaster is also available, which our reviews team awarded 5/5 stars.
Cost to boil for 2 minutes: 1.6p
Tefal Loft kettle
Best traditional kettle
Pros:
- Wide opening lid
- Quick to boil
Cons:
Star rating: 4.5/5
Wattage: 3000W
This lightweight Tefal Loft (KO250840) is a good mid-range option. We particularly like the wide pull-off lid, which comes off easily and gives a good space for filling. It’s pleasingly speedy, boiling at an average of 2 minutes 14 seconds, though it is a little on the noisy side. Read our full Tefal Loft kettle review.
Breville Edge Still Hot kettle
Best eco kettle
Pros:
- Eco-friendly reminder not to reboil
- Good value
- Quick
Cons:
- Lid a little fiddly on occasion
Wattage: 3000W
We all know that we don’t need to re-boil the kettle when a family member who initially turns down a cuppa decides five minutes later that they want one after all – but we tend to anyway.
This kettle’s USP is its visual reminder that the water is still hot enough. The water indicator starts to turn red as it boils and stays that way until the water falls below 80C. This will hopefully encourage users not to boil the kettle when they don’t need to, reducing the amount of power they use. Read our full Breville Edge still hot kettle review.
Kenwood Elegancy kettle
Best lightweight kettle
Pros:
Cons:
- The look and feel of the plastic isn’t for everyone
Wattage: 3000W
Not everyone wants the latest shiny, multi-function kettle – sometimes simple is best. This is a more traditional kettle in terms of features. It’s lightweight, making it ideal for anyone who would struggle to grip heavy kettles. It has a pull-off lid rather than a flip-up one, giving it a wide opening.
This comes in a choice of colours, and the wide spout makes pouring quick and smooth and the kettle boiled quietly. It’s pretty speedy too, averaging around 2 minutes, 7 seconds for a litre.
Read our full Kenwood elegancy kettle review.
Matching kettle and toaster sets
As gadgets that you probably use most days, a kettle and toaster tend to be the staples of the kitchen countertop – and choosing models that match can really smarten up your space. That said, these appliances need to do more than just look good. Here’s our pick of the best-performing matching sets available to buy now, as rated by Good Food experts.
Haden Highclere kettle and toaster
Best retro kettle and toaster set
Available in two colours – blue or cream – this stainless-steel kettle and toaster set from Haden has shiny silver accents and a smooth matte finish. We found the toaster was particularly good at toasting smaller items like teacakes, hot cross buns or crumpets, as its slots are quite shallow.
Ninja kettle and toaster set
Most versatile kettle and toaster set
Combining innovation with style, this matching toaster and kettle set would fit perfectly in a sleek, modern kitchen. The sets are available in either black or stainless steel, and both are versatile and efficient. The 3-in-1 toaster comes with seven shade settings and seven cooking functions, including bagel, panini, bake and defrost.
KitchenAid Artisan breakfast set
Best premium kettle and toaster set
This bold breakfast set from KitchenAid makes a real statement. The toaster and kettle are sold as a pair in candy apple red, or you can purchase them separately in medallion silver. The toaster comes in just two colours, but you can also mix and match your set if you fancy buying the kettle in a different shade – there are nine colours to choose from. Both appliances come with a hefty price tag and take up a fair chunk of the countertop, but if you have the budget and space, they’re certainly a reliable and attractive choice.
Other kettles tried and tested
- Russell Hobbs & Emma Bridgewater polka-dot kettle review, £100
- Bosch Styline kettle review, £60
- Dualit Domus kettle review, £80.99
- Cuisinart multi-temp jug kettle review, £100
- Zwilling Enfinigy review, £89.95
- Breville high gloss electric kettle review, £39.99
- Russell Hobbs Structure kettle review, £35.26
- Dualit Classic Kettle review, £149.99
- Bosch Silicone kettle review, £49.99
- Morphy Richards Verve kettle review, £21.95
- Smeg KLF04 kettle review, £179
- Morphy Richards Hive kettle review, £34.99
- Sage the Compact Kettle review, £69.95
How to choose the best kettle for your kitchen
Unsure what to look for when choosing your kettle? We’ve summarised the main features you should consider:
Classic or multifunctional
If you just want a kettle that boils water, you’re spoilt for choice. If you’re a lover of fine teas, some of which brew better at lower temperatures, you might want one that enables you to select the temperature. This option can also suit parents making hot drinks for children. Some kettles also have a ‘keep warm’ function, which is useful if you don’t all want your tea at the same time.
Capacity
A smaller kettle may be good for a single person or small household to avoid the temptation of overfilling. Each of the models we tested also came with bases, which can widen the footprint of the appliance on your countertop too.
Style
Classic, old-fashioned, shaker, trendy, futuristic – there’s a kettle for you whatever type of kitchen you have. While most modern kettles are jug-style, taking up less space on the worktop, there are plenty of pyramid kettles on the market if you prefer one of those. All the kettles we tested sat on a base that plugged into the mains, and all had auto-switch off.
Lid
Flick up or pull off? If you like to operate your kettle with one hand, you might prefer one where you just press a button to lift the lid. Some people would rather have one where the lid comes off completely.
Speed
If you want a quick break from work, you might appreciate a kettle that is a minute or so quicker.
Noise
Some people want their kettle to be as unobtrusive as possible, and certainly not loud enough to drown out the radio or music. But if you like to flick on the kettle, then go off into a different room while it boils, you might like one that’s a bit louder, so you can hear when it clicks off.
Price
You might be surprised at how cheap – or expensive – a kettle can be. Our samples range from £22.99 to £149.
Best kettles for hard water
In areas of hard water, there’s usually a faster build-up of limescale inside kettles, particularly around the element. To avoid getting limescale in your tea, you want a kettle that has a robust and finely meshed filter inside the spout that’s also easy to remove.
How we tested kettles
We tested a representative sample of kettles and scored them on the following criteria:
Good looks: Kettles live on worktops, so the one you buy might come down to the one you like the look of, and whether it will fit in with the style of your kitchen.
Quality: Well-fitting lids, quality on switches and filters – we were looking for a kettle that feels like it would last.
Speed: While speed might not be the deciding factor when choosing a kettle, for most of us, the quicker, the better. We poured a litre of water into each of the kettles – enough for four mugs – and got the stopwatch out.
Ease of use: There’s no point having a beautiful kettle if it’s awkward to use. We looked for kettles that were simple to fill and pour, with a good grip and easy-to-read water levels.
Value: We awarded extra points for those kettles that were great value for money.
How to descale a kettle
It’s the age-old question of kettle maintenance – how do you get rid of a build-up of limescale? We recommend using vinegar, which is a common household ingredient that works as a gentle acid to break down deposits inside your kettle.
Add half a cup of neat white vinegar to a kettle filled with water and leave it to sit overnight – this should remove any surface scale. Try to do this regularly to avoid heavy build-up that becomes impossible to remove.
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All costs-to-run calculations were done against the variable tariff at the time of testing (16.6p/kWh), which has since changed – read more on the current energy price guarantee rates.
If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.