The Best Kettles for Coffee or Tea
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You’ll find at least one kettle in every kitchen in the world, though the type of kettle varies by country, purpose, and personality. Electric kettles are great for quick and efficient heating, while a beautiful or durable design can elevate the humble stovetop variety. Here’s what you need to know about the essential kitchen tool.
What Are the Different Types of Kettles?
We’re highlighting a few of our favorite kettles, rated for efficiency and attractiveness.
Electric: For the modern and efficient kitchen, an electric kettle cuts boiling time in half, while a sleek design can lend your countertop a distinctly 21st-century vibe. Extra features like presets, auto-shutoff, and LED displays are just bonuses.
Classic Stovetop: Ranging in quality and style from first apartment to French chateau, we admit to having a soft spot for elegantly-designed kettles made from durable enameled steel or copper. A low-quality aluminum kettle will get the job done, but will the poorly-designed handle, dent-prone body, and burn stains be worth it? We think no.
Gooseneck: This is a kettle with a narrow, gently curved spout that resembles, well, a goose neck, and is designed for precision pouring. In particular, gooseneck kettles are essential for making pour over coffee. You can find both electric and stovetop gooseneck kettles.
Cast Iron: You can add tea leaves directly to a cast iron kettle after heating on the stovetop, which makes it an efficient vehicle for passionate tea-drinkers. These kettles are also often quite beautifully designed, making them a wonderful gift or bit of unique kitchen decor. We especially like versions that come with diffusers and teacups included.
1. Le Creuset Enamel on Steel Demi Tea Kettle
Le Creuset makes the kind of beautiful, durable cookware that eventually becomes heirlooms, and that includes kettles. In addition to adding a pop of color to the stovetop, the Le Creuset kettle heats quickly thanks to the durable carbon steel and broad base. It has an ergonomic and heat-resistant handle, as well as a single-tone whistle alert when water is boiling.
2. COSORI Electric Kettle
As far as electric kettles go, we’re fans of the sleek, simplistic design of this CONSORI model. The kettle’s clear glass and LED light, which turns on when water is boiling, give it a modern look. Water boils in just three to seven minutes, at which point the kettle automatically shuts off, keeping you from accidentally burning down the house.
3. Bodum Melior Gooseneck Electric Water Kettle
A gooseneck spout, as on this Bodum electric kettle, is ideal for precision pouring. For example, if you want to make pour-over coffee, you need a kettle with a precise spout. We love this model in particular for its attractive matte black surface and cork handle, which is both sustainable and ergonomically designed for easy pouring. It looks great on the countertop too.
4. TOPTIER Japanese Cast Iron Tea Kettle
Not only is this compact Japanese cast iron tea kettle a lovely addition to any kitchen, it comes with a tea diffuser included, and is designed to extract the most flavor from tea leaves. It’s small size makes it perfect for brewing a cup or two of afternoon tea and as chic serviceware.