They say a watched pot never boils. But I've been watching pots -- well, kettles -- for a few days now, and let me tell you, they boil. And mighty fast, I might add.
Electric kettles are underrated as a kitchen appliance. They're essential if you're a coffee or tea drinker, but there are so many other advantages to being able to boil water quickly, and not all of them involve breakfast beverages. Employing a bain-marie (hot water bath for baking), unclogging a backed-up drain or disinfecting a countertop are just a few household jobs that require hot water.
Electric kettles have become very efficient in 2021. They're also available with fancy features and in a wide variety of materials, including metal, glass and ceramic. Most have a concealed heating element, preventing burns and making them super safe to use (the hazard of boiling hot water excluded). They also usually offer boil-dry protection, so the kettle will turn off if you accidentally turn it on with an insufficient water level. Plus, some have dedicated tea-steeping baskets and "hold temperature" buttons so that water stays at your desired temperature for a set period of time (typically 20 minutes).
It's nearly tea time.
David Watsky/CNET
To find the best electric tea kettle, we put a few popular models to the test. It turns out that most do their most primary function -- boiling water -- at an equally fast pace, so we dug into the rest of the puzzle pieces, including quality, features, ease of use and other details to determine the best ones in a few different categories.
Included in our test cohort are budget-friendly electric kettles, splurge pots, one Wi-Fi-enabled kettle (controlled by a mobile app) and even an electric teapot with retro charm. Below, I've detailed the testing results for electric kettles that range in price and features. Let's see which ones stand out the most.
Zwilling USA
I like this kettle about as much as I dislike its name "Enfinigy," which is to say a whole lot. Branding misfire aside, the Zwilling kettle totally rocks. This model may not have as many bells and whistles as some of the others on our list, but for me, it's a perfect size (1.5 liters) with a sturdy build and simple, eye-pleasing design.
It also has a cool-touch exterior so the outside stays cool even as the liquid boils inside. Speaking of which, the Zwilling kettle was right on par with some of the fastest boilers in the bunch, taking only 2 minutes and 40 seconds to get to temp.
It's not the cheapest kettle we tried by any means, but $80 is a fair price considering the quality and the added assurance that comes with a top kitchen brand like Zwilling. So with that, (ugh, don't make me say it again) the Enfinigy gets the top slot machine jackpot overall in our tea kettle smackdown.
OXO
While the Zwilling was my favorite overall, I would place Oxo's electric kettle right up there with the rest of the elite models. If you prefer a glass kettle to always know how much water is inside or keep a visual eye on boiling progress and kettle cleanliness, this is the one to grab.
The Oxo Brew was actually the fastest and most consistent of any in the boil test, reaching 212 degrees F in under 2 minutes and 30 seconds in all three tests I ran. It also has a sleek and sturdy build and would fit nicely with any kitchen motif.
Beautiful by Drew Barrymore
If you haven't heard, the child actor turned adult actor turned daytime talk show host is now making kitchen appliances. And the B (stands for beautiful) electric kettle is a rather good one.
This 1.7-liter kettle comes in at just $40 but looks, feels and operates on the level of much pricier models. It heated water in just 2 minutes and 32 seconds -- about as fast as any other -- and held the temperature most consistently. It's made from sturdy matte plastic and is one of only a few cool-touch kettles I tested, meaning the outside never gets hot. This is something a careless klutz such as myself appreciates. This kettle also has specialized tea settings including ones for black tea, green tea and oolong.
Everything is controlled through a sleek digital interface, but it's worth noting that there's always a risk it will short out or malfunction over time. That said, at $40 this kettle was still the clear budget pick for me.
Megan Wollerton/CNET
This is a holdover pick from our first round of testing and (still) an excellent splurge for a seasoned tea drinker. The $280, 51-ounce capacity Breville with stainless steel base is technically a kettle -- but it's also a tea brewer and by far the most decked-out electric tea kettle we tested.
It features hot water and tea buttons, with settings to specify the perfect temperature to brew green, black, white, herbal, oolong or custom and delicate teas. You can also select if you want the tea to be strong, medium, mild or custom. A digital display gives you a readout of what the brewer is doing and it has a keep-warm button that helps your water stay hot for up to 60 minutes.
In addition to that, the Breville comes with a basket for your loose-leaf tea that automatically lowers when you select your options, as well as a teaspoon measuring spoon. As a tea lover, I really liked these functions, but it's a luxury appliance that's only worth it if you're a regular drinker of loose-leaf tea and have the coin budgeted for such an expensive kettle.
Read our Breville One-Touch Tea Maker review.
Megan Wollerton/CNET
The $100 Oxo is another standout from our previous kettle testing and because of its gooseneck spout, is a particularly appealing kettle for pour-over or other manual coffee-making setups that require a steady, controlled pour.
We also like that the Oxo electric gooseneck kettle has a temperature hold function, making it possible to keep your water at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature begins to drop, the kettle turns itself back on, reheating your water.
It has a smaller 34-ounce capacity, perfect for just over 4 cups of water. This gooseneck kettle shuts off automatically after 30 minutes.
Kettle talk
Here's a list of the eight models we tested in this latest round to find the best electric kettle:
Ovente Illuminated Smarter iKettle Ovente Victoria SeriesOxo BrewZwilling EnfinigyCuisinart PerfectTempBeautiful by Drew BarrymoreSmeg
And here's a more detailed overview of each model's key specs for comparison:
Electric kettle specs
Breville Tea Maker
B by Drew Barrymore
Cuisinart PerfectTemp
Smarter iKettle
Ovente Illuminated
Ovente Victoria Series
Oxo Cordless
Oxo Gooseneck
Smeg
Zwilling Enfinigy
Model #
BTM800XL
N/A
CPK-17P1
SMKET01
KG516B
KS777S
8710300
8717100
KLF03CRUS
53101-200
Price
$280
$40
$86
$99
32
$45
$84
$100
$170
Color
Stainless steel
Black, gray, green, white.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel
Black, red, white
Stainless, white, black
Stainless
Stainless steel
Multiple
Black, silver
Capacity (ounces)
51
57
57
61
52
57
58
34
56
50
Dimensions (HxWxD, in inches)
9.8x7.8x8.5
9.21x6.39x10.51
8.8x6.1x9.7
6.1x8.3x10.8
7.1x5x8.2
10x7x10.1
9.02x6.26x11.22
8.1x11.4x9
6.73x8.9x9.76
10.3x8.7x12.9
Weight (in pounds)
5.1
3.4
2.25
3.45
2.51
3.49
2.84
2.5
3.63
2.87
Cool-touch exterior
no
yes
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
yes