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We need a new electric kettle. No gas, so even though I'd prefer a hob kettle it's a no-goer.
Desired: fast, eco-ish, nice looking, well made so it lasts a long time - I'd rather pay more and have it for a decade
Not required: flashing lights, 'smart', variable temperatures
I'm sure you know the kind of thing I'm after. the Guardian rec this:
Anyone got any better suggestions?
edit - didn't seem to like my link, so I'm linking the original Guardian article:
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2025/jul/22/best-electric-kettles-uk
This is my kettle.
Zebra Stainless steel Kettle Whistle Classic 2.5 Ltr
... and this one.
Zebra 14cm Stainless Steel Billy Can Kettle
After having all sorts of kettles the longer term test results are that simpler cheap kettles are no worse than expensive kettles.
The bits that seem to fail first are the opening mechanism.
So just buy what’s cheap and doesn’t offend your sense of taste.
I bought a cheap steel whatever brand kettle on Amazon about 4 years ago to replace a very simple brushed steel Russell Hobbs one that died after well over a decade’s use.
The Amazon one had different temperature options, different colors for the different temperatures, and was pretty good. So good that #2 child still uses it.
When it left our house I replaced it with that Bosch kettle. Not a best buy imo. Fiddly touch interface, huge ugly base, handle too fat for anyone without shovel hands. It now sits in the cellar in a bag waiting for the day someone needs a fancy kettle.
I replaced it with two kettles. Neither are what you want OP but they are great. I got a Fellow Corvo EKG ‘pro’ and a Fellow Stagg EKG ‘pro’. One for tea/general and the other for coffee. Neat, tidy, way to use, accurate and precise in temperature control, and lovely crow black in color.
https://fellowproducts.com/collections/kettles
You say no variable temperatures, then link to kettle with variable temperature...
I came here to recommend getting a kettle with variable temperature, I make hot drinks at 90 C mainly to cut down the amount of steam in the kitchen. Very noticeable reduction in condensation.
This is my kettle.
Zebra Stainless steel Kettle Whistle Classic 2.5 Ltr
... and this one.
Zebra 14cm Stainless Steel Billy Can Kettle
Good job Chewkw, you didn't manage to get 6 words into the OP before you went off piste.
tbh, the OP didn't manage to finish the op before going off piste with variable temps.
For me a bit like restaurant wine. Choose the second cheapest of the type you like. Currently a black Russell Hobbs. If I want variable temps I either stop it before it's boiled, or leave it to cool down a bit after. My coffee making ain't that sophisticated.
We had a brushed steel Russell Hobbs, lasted over a decade (the matching toaster is still going strong 15 years in).
We replaced the kettle with another Russell Hobbs, while it boils fine and has a blue light at the base (kept the kids amused) the lid is not a patch on the old one and randomly pops open.
It boils water so all is good
When we moved we needed a new kettle and bought a basic tesco ss model with just a lid, no hinge. It's actually been surprisingly good, boils water and no light gizmos.
As above, turn off before full boil or let it cool.
I'm not sure about power use, but as brucewee says, long term it's probably ok. If it doesn't break then for me that's a win for sustainable tea and coffee breaks
In case you're wondering, ss means stainless steel. Not the other thing
Any of those above but not the one that will mark you out as a bit weird 😉
Love a good kettle story 😂
Any of those above but not the one that will mark you out as a bit weird
Don't misunderstand me, I own a couple of pairs of selvedge jeans and have been known to put a turn up in them, but I don't need a kettle that's programmed to sense if I meet sartorial adequacy guidelines before deciding whether to heat some water up for me.
Thanks so far.
"You say no variable temperatures, then link to kettle with variable temperature..."
When I said 'not required' I should maybe have put 'not necessary'. And the link was to a Guardian recommendation, not something I'd chosen myself.
It's interesting that people have had good results with cheaper kettles. The reason I bothered asking is that whenever I've bought a cheap-ish kettle I've been looking for another 18 months later, meanwhile contributing to landfill.
I love the look of the Zebra kettle, but it's of no use to me. I also like both of the kettles prettygreenparrot linked to, but I'm not prepared to take out a mortgage at the moment.
from the Guardian article, is possibly my fave so far.
Yeah, but what about those of us without £300 to spend on kettles !!??
Buy one? And don’t pay full London price? But, yeah, not really a reasonable alternative to the ~£25 Amazon kettle that was in their place a year or so before.
I've just got a standard Russel hobs jobbie.
It boils water.
If you want efficiency there's only 2 things you can do..
1. Get a kettle that will allow you to only boil one cups worth of water (that's pretty much all of them) and only boil the amount of water you need (don't half fill it for one drink etc.
2. Get a temperature control one and set it to 80c rather than 100c etc.
If you don't want temperature control then all kettles are the same really. Just buy one that matches your kitchen decor.
A 3000w one will boil faster than a Low power one.. But doesn't use more power as it's more power but for a shorter duration so it works out the same.
So go for a higher wattage kettle.
Dualit small appliances that aren’t their classic manual toaster are really poor, chinesium tat designed to cash in on our fondness for manual dualit toasters. Likewise Bosch small appliances.
I’ve got a fancy cuisinart multi temp kettle it’s gorgeous, but the software is written by a bunch of monkeys so when you first drop it on its stand it needs few moments to “boot up” ffs. If you press the “boil” button in that time it gets all confused, lights the lights that suggest it’s going to boil but then does nothing.
Dried leaves, boiled. It’s not frikkin rocket science!
i don’t think what you want exists away from a Tesco own brand disposable kettle.
Leftfield suggestion incoming...
The Rusell Hobbs I linked to further up is my favourite kettle owned thus far. I’m on my second one because as above the opening mechanism eventually fails. Lasted 7 years probably though. It’s the quietest one I can find and is considerably quieter than the Dualit quiet one which I returned as it was loud and not worth the money.
What’s the cheapest sturdy kettle with temp control? Sick of a kitchen full of steam from our el cheapo one.
This being STW it's disappointing that we have gotten this many posts in and no one has suggested a Kelly Kettle after all they're not gas and don't need a hob.
https://www.kellykettle.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooAd_VcMzO9QjGGf4JbngDYt4uTOSiACCZdxRC6ccKGmEHmqItP
By the way mines a bog standard black plastic job.
Edit note to self read the thread properly before posting ya eedjit
As it’s just myself I use a sage compact 1L kettle, everything else is sage so thought I may as well get the kettle, that was back in 2016ish and it’s still working fine
I hate to say it but. Just get a cheap one. We had a bosch, variable temp etc, worked perfectly.
Very fast, very very quiet, and stayed hot for ages (even without the keep hot mode it had).
£80 is fine if its repairable but when it broke it was still landfill. It maybe lasted a year longer than any cheapo i have had.
I am generally against buying stuff thats cheap and just gets thrown away. But kettles are not the hill worth dying on.
I quite like my dualit kettle. I only need a small one most of the time so picked up a 1L and it's spot on.
Boils water. Turns off when it boils. Easy to boil exactly the amount of water I need.
Got the Bosch one in the first article - I'd buy another.
Well the decision has been taken out of my hands. Another member of my household made a purchase without consulting STW! I know!
https://yourhomeandkitchenreviews.co.uk/kettles/breville-bold-ice-grey-electric-kettle-review/
I'm sure it will be fine. Thanks for all suggestions.
More or less any kettle that is 3kW and matches your kitchen (the cheapest kettles are 2kW and seem to take ages to boil).
We currently have and Aldi one that has lasted several years, previously had a black painted stainless one from Russel Hobbs that was only retired due to timescale stains but still works fine and sits in utility room for when boiling water is required for cleaning or fixing something.
Look in Argos, Supermarket or other electrical retailer and pick anything in the £20 to £50 range that you and others in your house reckons matches the decor as not the right colour anymore ore getting strains are IME the primary reasons for retirement of otherwise functional kettles.
PS consult with any significant others in the house as to what looks right as this will reduce arguments and increase acceptance lifetime of the kettle.
Whatever kettle you buy, don't put much more water in it than you want hot and once you've poured out the hot water you need, immediately refill it to your likely next requirements.
It will then need less electricity to boil next time, because you've warmed up the tap water a bit from residual heat on the element from last time.
We like this one.
We have peaty brown acidic water here, it's lasted a few years and hasn't gone brown inside.
https://www.johnlewis.com/sage-the-compact-kettle-pure/p939332
Have the Bosch kettle mentioned in the link by OP. It's a great kettle but as others have said the opening mechanism let's it down. We're on our second after a warranty replacement on the first for it failing. If next one goes probably won't buy another for that reason. Had a Philips before it which was great and cheaper.
- I have the dualit version of the Fellow kettle linked above. Yes it was ~£90. But I'm a coffee nerd. It's small, quick, quiet, pours accurately and has temperature control. It's worked solidly for 4 years with no complaints, I'd buy it again tomorrow if it broke, but it's currently not showing any signs of doing so.