# Best electric kettle? What do you have? Why do you love it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2015, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011 "2015-11-30T04:38:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011/21 "2015-12-02T03:59:46Z")
Wow! Thanks for all the responses. Totally appreciate all the input. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011/22 "2015-12-03T15:19:47Z")
Interesting thread. I’ve had a Keurig machine for a couple of years, but I hardly ever use it: I make the occasional mug of hot chocolate or mint tea, and I think I’ve actually used it more often to make instant oatmeal. Every now and then I think about trying to sell it, because I’ll go months without using it. Maybe all I really need is an electric kettle? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011/23 "2015-12-03T21:59:25Z")
For tea, I just heat up the mug full of water in the microwave. What would a kettle, either electric or stove-top, give me that I’m not getting now? Hot water is hot water, innit? (I use loose tea in a spring-closing tea-strainer thingie.) (Also Nutrasweet… Sigh…) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011/24 "2015-12-03T22:07:00Z")
A Presto. > **[Amazon.com: Presto 02703 Electric Tea Kettle: Home & Kitchen](https://www.amazon.com/Presto-02703-Electric-Tea-Kettle/dp/B0000Z6JJ6)** > > Shop Presto at the Amazon Small Appliance Parts & Accessories store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%. Lots of people happy with it, & a good price. Also, short & squat, so it won’t tip over, if brushed against. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011/25 "2015-12-04T00:25:02Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Hot water is hot water, innit? Maybe, but tea (black tea, anyway) should be brewed with water that’s at a full rolling boil, and I think to achieve such boil it’s just easier and safer ([see here)](http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave.asp) to use a kettle than a mug of water in the microwave…and compared to stovetop kettles electrics are very fast, mine will boil enough for a single mug of tea in less than 90 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011/26 "2015-12-04T02:13:09Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > A Presto. > > [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000Z6JJ6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref\_=oh\_aui\_search\_detailpage](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000Z6JJ6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage) > > Lots of people happy with it, & a good price. Also, short & squat, so it won’t tip over, if brushed against. That’s the one my mother bought; I think it’s awful. It’s a PITA to fill from a faucet, it doesn’t shut off automatically (unless most of the water has boiled off), and you can’t tell how much water it has without looking into it. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011/27 "2015-12-04T02:32:18Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I drink about 1.5 liters of tea a day. I have [this Hamilton Beach red kettle](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R9KPYI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage) which works great. I only drink black tea so I don’t need the temperature range necessary for green tea. These are the features that are important to me (in order) that you might consider: > > [ul][li]Cordless operation. I will never buy a non-cordless kettle.[/li][li]Auto-shutoff.[/li][li]If you drink green tea, a temperature setting.[/li][li]Easy to add water from spigot.[/li][li]Some sort of gauge to check water level.[/li][li]Metal construction. Most kettles have a strainer built into the spout. This has eventually broken off on every plastic kettle I’ve owned.[/ul][/li]I’d recommend against a clear glass (or plastic) kettle. They look really cool when they’re clean but once the heating element accumulates build-up it looks nasty. That’s a good list. I’d also add “short enough to fit under a fridge/cooler water dispenser.” The combination of the height and shape of mine makes it impossible to fill from anything but the faucet. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011/28 "2016-01-14T21:03:55Z")
Just thought I’d let y’all know that you inspired me: I ordered an eletric kettle (the cordless Hamilton Beach model that **Deeg** and **zombywoof** mentioned, in stainless steel) and used it for the first time yesterday. Anyone want a pre-owned Keurig machine? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-electric-kettle-what-do-you-have-why-do-you-love-it/739011.md?page=1)