Electric Tea Kettle Reviews
Which Is The Best?

When it comes to brewing tea, electric kettles are the wave of the future. They have been around since the early 20th century, but in recent years they have started to become more and more common.

The chief advantage of an electric kettle over a stovetop model (read the buyer's guide!) is speed and energy efficiency. A good kettle can have your water boiling in just a few minutes, thus using less energy.

When buying an electric tea kettle, there are at least six things to consider.

In America, most kettles can hold between up to 1 liter or quart of water. On average, a large cup or mug is about 8 ounce, so you can boil up to 4 cups at a time.

The higher powered electric tea kettles are more powerful and so boil faster. Those with a wattage of 1.5 kW can be considered rapid boil.

First, do you want a corded kettle or a cordless kettle?

A corded kettle attaches directly to the wall, while a cordless kettle rests on a metal base for heating and can be removed from the base once the water has reached the right temperature.

Cordless kettles are easier to maneuver because you don’t have to deal with that pesky cord as you pour the hot water.

Cord lengths for most kettles range from 65 centimeters to 80 centimeters, but they can be up to 1 meter long – useful if your power socket is in an inconvenient location.

This automatically turns the kettle off if it does not contain enough water.

A soft rubberized area on the handle can make it more comfortable to grip and lift.

Some kettles have an insulated body so that the outside remains cool enough to touch even when the water inside is boiling.

This feature keeps the water in the kettle warm after you have boiled it so the kettle can re-boil more quickly.

However, for a green tea drinker, one of the most exciting features that a electric tea kettle has is the ability to control the temperature the water reaches.

This is not a big deal with black teas, since they are brewed with boiling water. However, certain green teas and white teas benefit from being steeped at lower temperatures. A variable electric tea kettle lets you choose the right temperature to match the tea you are brewing.

There are currently only a few models with automatic temperature control.

One of them is the Upton Variable Electric Kettle. The other is Adagio UtiliTEA.

Both will heat water to a range of different temperatures, from about 150° F to 212°F.

Both have water filters in the spout to keep hard water scale out of your cup.

Both are cordless.

Both have electrical cords that coil up in the base of the kettle, so you only have to pull out the length you need to reach the outlet.

Between them, I recommend Adagio, as they offer better value.

Adagio’s electric tea kettle also has a color-coded diagram.

Like Upton’s, they do not provide any recommendations as far as which position is best for which tea, since the exact water temperature can vary from kettle to kettle.

However, the Adagio kettle has another handy feature that’s noticeably missing on the Upton model: a see-through water gauge.

I drink tea throughout the day, and with my Upton I will find myself turning it on, coming back to pour the water, and discovering that there was only about half a cup of water in the kettle to start with.

The kettle has an auto shut off feature that keeps it from starting if it is completely empty, but it’s impossible to see exactly how much water you have left without opening the kettle.

With the Adagio’s see-through water gauge, you will always know how much water you have when you start the kettle up.

Okay, in case you are researching on West Bend - let me confirm your suspicion, this is the kettle that you don't want to buy.

The West Bend 53783 Cordless Water Kettle seems like it would be a nice, basic electric kettle. There is no temperature control or anything like that, but then again, it only costs $27.95.

However, this product has received numerous poor reviews on Amazon.com. Reviewers' complaints included the following:

• Automatic shutoff feature did not work, causing the kettle to boil dry.
• Leaks.
• Kettle stopped working after only a few months.
• Kettle and water boiled in kettle tasted strongly of plastic.

Based on these reviews, I can't recommend this electric tea kettle, even for those who only want a basic model. You would be much better off spending a little more for the Upton model reviewed above.

This electric tea kettle is a little bit different than the first two I reviewed. The Russell Hobbs Tea Tray consists of an electric kettle combined with a glass tea pot and a filter insert.

To use, you simply heat your water in the electric kettle and then pour it into your tea pot to brew.

The base of the tea tray has a heating element that will keep the tea in the tea pot warm for hours. The 1500-watt kettle boils water quickly, and the filter insert is removable, so you don't have to worry about the tea becoming bitter.

Russell Hobbs is one of the oldest and most well-respected electric tea kettle makers in the industry. Everyone who has reviewed this product loves it.

The only disadvantage of this product is the fact that it does not have a temperature control.

So, to make green tea, you would have to let the water boil and then wait for it to cool down to the right temperature to get the best flavor.

This kettle set would be ideal for black tea drinkers, though, especially if you are the type that likes to have hot tea on hand all the time.

What do you get for the tea connoisseur who has everything?

This Zojirushi Water Boiler and Warmer is the ultimate electric tea kettle.

The Zojirushi model is unique in that it keeps water hot for tea all day long. Whenever you want a refill, all you have to do is slip your tea cup or tea pot under the spout.

The Zojirushi has several different "keep warm" settings, and will hold water at 140 degrees, 175 degrees, 195 degrees and 208 degrees.

So, it is easy to get the right temperature for the tea you are drinking. It also has a timer, so you can have water ready when you get up in the morning.

The Zojirushi also has excellent safety features, including a magnetic breakaway cord, automatic shutoff and a safety dispenser.

Convenience, safety...what are the downsides?

There are three disadvantages to this particular model of electric kettle.

First, it is not cheap.

Second, although the Zojirushi can keep water warm at a consistent temperature for hours, it takes a while to boil - about 30 minutes.

If you are a green tea drinker who needs a lower temperature, you also have to wait for it to cool down. Most electric kettles only take a few minutes to get your water ready.

The last disadvantage has to do with the way the Zojirushi works - it boils water, lets it cool down, and then holds it at a specific temperature.

Some tea drinkers say that this affects the taste of the tea. Oxygen escapes from the water during boiling and while the water sits in the pot, and some believe that this makes the tea taste "flat."

However, other people who use the Zojirushi say that they don't notice a difference.

I like this Breville variable temperature kettle .

First of all, it has 5 temperature settings for various types of tea. Unlike the Upton kettle which I have now, the settings on this kettle are labeled.

That makes it easier to use the correct setting, depending on the type of tea you are planning to brew. There is even a setting for French press coffee, which I also adore.

Plus, it makes a noise when the water is ready - another nice feature that the Upton lacks.

Finally, it has a "hold temperature" feature that lets you hold water at a specific temperature for a period of time.

Which of these electric tea kettles is the best? Of course, it depends at least in part on what you are looking for.

If you just want a kettle that will heat water to the appropriate brewing temperature when you need it, the Adagio would be the best.

If you want to have a pot of warm tea on hand constantly, the Russell Hobbs or Zojirushi or Breville would be the best choice.

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