How To Choose An Electric Kettle: Rating Of The Best Models, What You Should Pay Attention To

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Which electric kettle is better to choose

Tea is a favorite drink for many, which means that the main attribute for making it - a kettle - should be in every home. The modern market offers us a truly huge range of electric kettles that can cope with boiling water in a matter of minutes. But which one should we choose so that it will serve us faithfully for many years?

Content

• 1 Advantages and disadvantages of electric kettles

• 2 Selection criteria and expert advice

  • 2.1 Kettle body

    • 2.1.1 Plastic
    • 2.1.2 Stainless steel
    • 2.1.3 Glass
    • 2.1.4 Ceramic
  • 2.2 Heating element
  • 2.3 Power
  • 2.4 Volume
  • 2.5 Stand
  • 2.6 Additional functions

• 3 Rating of the best electric kettles

  • 3.1 Table: which teapots are chosen by Russian buyers
  • 3.2 Photo gallery: popular electric kettles of good quality
• 4 Customer Reviews
• 5 Video: test purchase of electric kettles

Advantages and disadvantages of electric kettles

Since the beginning of the 21st century, electric kettles have become extremely popular and have taken their rightful place in almost all kitchens of the civilized world. They are light, beautiful, ergonomic, and most importantly - fast, as they heat water to a boil for no more than 3 minutes. Until recently, these devices confused buyers with a considerable consumption of electricity. But manufacturers of modern models of teapots are concerned with the problem of energy saving, especially since in most countries the requirements for saving such resources are provided for by law.

Modern electric kettles are lightweight, beautiful and easy to use.

An electric kettle consists of two main components: a body and a heating element. Many models are equipped with additional features. Among them:

• heating water to a certain temperature;
• maintaining water temperature for a long time;
• sound notification about the end of the heating cycle;
• lighting of various types;
• timer (delay start);
• intensive boiling, due to which chlorine is removed from the water;
• protection from working without water, in case you forget yourself, turn on an empty kettle.

The advantages of electric kettles over conventional kettles include their mobility. The electric kettle is not tied to the stove: you can put it anywhere, and if the outlet is far away, use an extension cord

But it was not without its drawbacks. For example, many customers complain about unpleasant odors from the kettle. The taste of the water also spoils, according to some. Most often, this problem occurs with inexpensive models. Such kettles, by the way, can lead to troubles with electrical wiring, especially if it is old and not designed for powerful devices.

Selection criteria and expert advice

When you come to the store for a purchase, you will probably not be able to find your way straight away. Many models with a mass of functions, different price positions, annoying sales assistants who need to sell you as much as possible and preferably at a higher price … In order not to get confused completely, take note of our tips on criteria that will help you understand what you need even before going to the store.

Teapot body

This should be the first step in your plan for grabbing a good kettle. Now you can find devices made of plastic, glass, ceramics and stainless steel. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each material.

Plastic

This material is considered optimal in terms of price-quality ratio. In addition, until recently, it was the most popular in the manufacture of electric kettles. Its advantages include a long service life, strength and, at the same time, lightness of the product. But the environmental insecurity of the material is a strong drawback. When exposed to high temperatures, the plastic will give a particle of itself to the water in the form of its constituent chemical elements, and you will notice this by the smell and taste of the water.

Plastic electric kettles are lightweight, comfortable, cheap, but may not be safe for your health

As a rule, this is caused by cheap models from little-known manufacturers or counterfeit goods, in other words, fakes under the brand. Well-known companies do not risk their reputation and use quality materials in production. Preference should be given to teapots of European production, since in European countries there are more stringent requirements for the safety of food plastic than in Russia and China.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel teapots are particularly robust and durable. Imagine doing a crash test on plastic and metal kettles. For example, drop them on the floor from table height. A teapot made from the toughest plastic is more likely to crack. A dent will remain on the metal case, but its integrity will not be compromised. In addition, stainless steel does not release harmful substances into the water anyway.

Stainless steel kettles are strong and durable, but weigh more and cost more than plastic

Such teapots also have drawbacks that may be significant for someone: the device is quite heavy (up to 3 kg), heats up a lot during operation and is expensive.

Glass

A teapot with a glass body is the best option for those who lead a healthy lifestyle. Elegant transparent electric kettles look nice (especially if the backlight function is provided) and are not very expensive.

The main plus of a glass electric kettle is its environmental friendliness.

The disadvantages of a glass case include the fact that it heats up no less than a metal one and threatens with burns. And heavy-duty glass is not used in the production of such devices due to the high cost, so the glass teapot may well break if used carelessly.

Ceramic

These teapots look like classic teapots. The choice of colors and design solutions here is simply incredible, for every taste and imagination! You have a chance to purchase a stylish and beautiful item of excellent quality.

In ceramics, the natural taste of water is preserved without unpleasant impurities, its smooth walls do not collect scale and rust on their surface, therefore bacteria have nowhere to multiply. In addition, thick ceramic walls muffle the noise of boiling water, retain heat longer and do not conduct electricity.

Environmental friendliness, attractive appearance and spectacularity are the main advantages of ceramic electric kettles

The disadvantages of these attractive kitchen appliances include fragility, considerable weight, and, of course, high cost.

A heating element

There are two types of heating elements (tubular electric heaters) for kettles: with an open and a closed heating element.

In order to understand which of them the electric kettle is equipped with, open its lid. An open heating element has the form of a spiral attached to the bottom or back of the device. If you saw only the metal bottom, this means that you have a closed heating element in front of you.

Open the kettle to see what type of heating element it has

An open heating element in our time can be considered not the most successful device. It can only work with large volumes of water (the spiral must be completely submerged in water, otherwise the kettle may burn out). Therefore, it will take longer to boil it and more electricity will be consumed per cycle. This is not bad for a large family, but drinking tea alone is already expensive. Yes, and it is inconvenient to wash such a heating element, and a lot of scale is going to be on it.

A closed heating element is the most modern option. You can quickly heat up water for one cup of coffee or for the whole family due to the large area of the heater, you don't have to wash the inner surfaces of the kettle for a long time and painfully. True, the device equipped with a closed heating element makes a lot of noise during operation and is somewhat more expensive than the first option.

Power

The more power the electric kettle has, the faster the water heating rate. For modern models, this figure varies from 1000 to 3000 watts. The optimal power in the ratio "price - quality" is 2200 watts. Such a kettle will quickly heat up the water and will not knock out "plugs", which is especially important if power surges are frequent in your house.

The amount of energy consumed is determined by the volume of the device. That is, the larger the kettle, the more power it needs to quickly heat up the required amount of water.

Volume

To calculate the required volume of the device, determine how much water you need for tea drinking for the whole family at the same time. The volume of modern electric kettles varies from 0.5 to 6 liters. The optimal volume for the average family is considered to be from 1.7 to 2 liters.

Stand

Someone will say that this criterion is a trifle compared to the rest. Let me disagree. The type of stand largely determines the convenience of using the kettle. There are two types of stand: regular and pirouette. The first is equipped with a rectangular contact located on the side. It provides the kettle with a rigid fixation: as you put the device, it will stand in that position. Such coasters are not very convenient, most often they can be seen in inexpensive teapots with an open heating element.

You should also pay attention to the stand: it determines the convenience of using the electric kettle

The pirouette stand is a circular contact located in the center. At the moment, this type is the most popular, practical and durable. You can put the kettle on such a stand from either side, twist it in different directions, take it with your left or right hand.

As you can see, even such a trifle can be important.

Additional functions

In addition to the main criteria for choosing a kettle, there are also additional ones that may be useful to you when using the device.

Some models are equipped with a thermostat, with which you can select the required water heating temperature. This is very important for preparing baby food or brewing tea and coffee according to all the rules.

The presence of a filter in an electric kettle will delight you if the tap water in your house is hard and when it is boiled, scale forms. A nylon filter will keep lime flakes out of your mug.

The limescale filter can be either built-in or removable

The most commonly used filters are fine mesh nylon nets. Sometimes there are metal filters, they last much longer.

A secure fit of the lid is also very important. If your kettle closes tightly and you can open it only by pressing a special button, you don't have to worry about boiling water splashing when poured into a cup.

If you have a timer, you can "order" the kettle to heat the water at a certain time by selecting the required delay start.

Protection against switching on without water is the most common option that characterizes all high-quality electric kettles. It will prevent the kettle from starting heating if it is empty.

Rating of the best electric kettles

Buyers choose a kettle based on different priorities: someone is interested in environmentally friendly material of the body, someone needs maximum power for fast work, and someone prefers to save energy and chooses small devices with a reduced level of electricity consumption. The design, the novelty of the model, the presence of additional functions - all this also plays an important role. Usually, the criterion of the ratio of its price and quality becomes decisive for evaluating a product. Today, there are several of the most popular models.

Table: which teapots Russian buyers choose

Name of the company and model of the electric kettle	Characteristics	Approximate cost, rub.
TEFAL BF 9252	Plastic case, volume 1.7 l, power 2200 W, protection against switching on without water, hidden heating element.	3000
MOULINEX Subito III BY 540D	Stainless steel case with plastic inserts, power 2400 W, volume 1.7 l, removable filter, hidden heating element, protection against switching on without water.	4000
BOSCH TWK 6008	Plastic case, hidden heating element, volume 1.7 l, power 2400 W, protection against switching on without water.	2000
Smart kettle lamp REDMOND SkyKettle G214S	The body is made of heat-resistant glass; power 1850-2200 W; volume 1,7l remote control through a single application for home appliances; remote control of Alice; heating water to the desired temperature; boiling duration adjustment; luminaire function, customizable backlight; child protection - blocking of inclusion; auto shutdown in the absence of water; hidden heating element; preservation of water temperature; sync backlight to music.	3450
BRAUN WK 300	Plastic case, power 2280 W, volume 1.7 l, hidden spiral, protection against switching on without water.	2800
Vitek VT-7009 TR	Glass body, volume 1.7 l, hidden spiral made of stainless steel, power 2200 W, protection against switching on without water, scale filter.	1800
Scarlett SC-EK24С01	Material - ceramics, volume 1.3 l, power 1600 W, hidden heating element, protection against switching on without water.	2500-3000
REDMOND SkyKettle M170S	Steel body, disc heater, power 2400 W, volume 1.7 l, thermostat, protection against switching on without water, possibility of remote control using a smartphone.	4000-6000 (depending on the availability of shares)

Photo gallery: popular good quality electric kettles

Kettle TEFAL BF 9252

Kettle REDMOND SkyKettle M170S

Kettle MOULINEX Subito III BY 540D

Smart kettle lamp REDMOND SkyKettle G214S

Kettle BOSCH TWK 6008

Kettle BRAUN WK 300

Kettle Vitek VT-7009 TR

Kettle Scarlett SC-EK24С01

Customer Reviews

Video: test purchase of electric kettles

youtube.com/watch?v=MAKVzVW4kSc

As you can see, choosing the right electric kettle is a rather serious matter that requires a lot of attention. We hope our tips will help you find a quality option to your liking. Tell us in the comments what selection criteria are important for you, what do you pay attention to in electric kettles. Good luck!