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Here are the kettles worth investing in, tried and tested by the GHI

A kettle is an essential kitchen appliance, especially for us tea-loving Brits. There’s more to a great kettle than just boiling water though, and the Good Housekeeping Institute has tried a wide range of models to find the best on the market.

After spending countless hours testing over 182 kettles in our lab – we've boiled enough hot water to make nearly 5,460 cups of tea! – here are the best kettles to add to your kitchen:

Given how regularly our kettles get used, it’s worth thinking about what features you want and those that you can pass by. Here are the key things you need to consider:

There are two main types of kettle: jug and dome. Jug kettles are taller, tend to have handles located on the side and will generally hold a larger volume of water.

Dome-shaped kettles look more like traditional stovetop models. Electric dome kettles often have lift-off lids, which can be a bit more fiddly than flip-top models to use, and these kettles usually have a smaller water capacity. Their handles are often located on top, too.

A power element of 3kW is generally considered best for fast boiling and all of our top-scoring kettles have this wattage.

Kettles with a higher wattage tend to be noisier – we test the noise using a microphone and a decibel metre, so that if any are particularly loud or quiet, we can tell you this in our reviews.

Typically kettles can hold between 1.5 and 1.7 litres of water. An average cup of tea is 250ml, so you should be able to boil enough for 6-7 cups at a time. If you’re just putting on the kettle for one cup of tea, it’s worth checking the minimum capacity your kettle can boil. Most models have a minimum level clearly marked.

There are finer details to think about too, which can make a real difference when you’re using your kettle day in, day out:

Most kettles have this clearly visible on the exterior but some are more awkwardly placed, such as behind the handle. Kettles with large viewing windows are best if you want to know exactly how much water is in the kettle at any time.

Variable temperature kettles can heat the water to different temperatures to provide the best results when brewing different types of tea and coffee. It’s a handy feature if you like to drink more delicate herbal and green teas, which should be brewed below boiling, at around 80C.

Some kettles have additional smart features, such as allowing you to set the kettle to boil or check the water temperature from an app on your phone. Other smart features include pre-programmed temperature buttons for different hot drinks and a "keep warm" setting to retain the water temperature for a certain amount of time.

For every millilitre of water you add to your kettle, an extra gram is added to its overall weight, meaning they can get quite heavy. If lifting may be an issue, look for a model that weighs no more than a kilogram when empty.

It's also worth checking the position and shape of the handle, which may affect the balance when pouring and filling. Some handles have a soft, rubberised area for extra grip, too.

Most kettles have removable, washable anti-scale water filters that sit at the base of the spout. These collect pieces of limescale from the water to prevent them from being poured into your drink, and they stop scum forming on the surface, making them a must for hard water areas.

With this feature, the kettle automatically switches off if there isn't enough water inside. This reduces the risk of it burning dry and causing damage. It’s equally important to check the water gauge to make sure your kettle hasn’t been overfilled, which could boil over and become a safety hazard.

You’ll find the majority of kettles on the market have a pirouette connector centre, which simply means you can place the kettle on the base to face in the direction most convenient for you. All of the kettles in our top 12 have this feature. Some bases also have an additional cable storage feature underneath, for tucking away any excess cord.

The external casing of some kettles can get extremely hot. Often, those with a brushed stainless steel exterior reach hotter temperatures than other materials – not ideal if you have young children in the kitchen. Kettles with an auto shut-off feature will automatically stop when water begins to boil or if the kettle is lifted from its base.

Keep an eye out for "quick boil", "one cup" or eco-friendly kettles. These can produce a cup's worth of boiling water in less than a minute and use up to 50% less energy. Kettles with auto shut-off features also help to prevent too much electricity being wasted and the kettle boiling dry.

Kettle testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute is thirsty work, but our tests involve more than just sipping hot drinks all day.

We check the accuracy of filling each kettle from a tap and the pouring precision into a hot water bottle, checking for splashing and spillages. Next, we monitor how long it takes to boil each kettle at different capacities. We also check the temperature of the external casing of the handle when water is freshly boiled – some kettles get extremely hot and extra care needs to be taken when picking up to pour.

We look at how easy the kettle is to use based on how clear the water level gauge is to see, if the filter is easy to remove for cleaning and refit, and how comfortable the kettle is to hold. The overall design is also taken into account, as well as how clear and concise the instructions are.

This Kenwood model took just over 40 seconds to boil its minimum capacity of 250ml in our tests – the fastest kettle on our list. It took just over three minutes to boil its maximum capacity of 1.6 litres too, making it a great choice for those who want a speedy cuppa. 

The outside stayed cool, reaching just 35C with the kettle freshly boiled, but be wary that the stainless steel elements get hotter. It’s also worth noting that the water level gauge is inside the kettle, which makes it tricky to see the water level.

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.6 litres Minimum capacity: 250ml  Weight when empty: 1170g Colours available: Black, white, red, orange, purple, blue Matching toaster: Yes (available here) 

One of the cheapest kettles we’ve tested, this model is fantastic value for money. We like that it’s easy to fill through the spout, pours accurately with no splashing or spitting, and is lightweight – weighing just 681g when empty and 2.4kg at full capacity. 

The minimum quantity is 280ml, enough for a large cup of tea, and it takes a speedy 45 seconds to boil. The maximum 1.7-litre capacity is also quick to boil, taking just three-and-a-half minutes (only 30 seconds more than the winning kettle).

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.7 litres Minimum capacity: 280ml  Weight when empty: 681g Colours available: Black and white Matching toaster: Yes (available here) 

This brightly coloured, wide-based kettle weighs only 850g when empty and we found it exceptional value for money based on its performance. Boiling the full capacity takes just over three minutes, while it takes two minutes for one litre and a speedy 45 seconds to boil enough for one cup. 

We also found the kettle to be quieter than many other models we’ve tested. The casing temperature after boiling reached 63C - hotter than we'd like – but the handle remained cool and safe to touch.

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.7 litres Minimum capacity: 300ml  Weight when empty: 850g Colours available: Black, red, white Matching toaster: Yes 

This kettle is among the most compact we’ve tested and the wide, rounded spout makes for fast filling, providing a clean and accurate pour. When boiling a full kettle, the external casing of the handle remained cool to touch. There wasn't much steam emitted from the spout after the boiling cycles were complete either.

Swan says this kettle is a "rapid boil", but we didn’t find it faster than other kettles here. It took on average under two minutes to boil a litre of water and a little over a minute to boil half a litre (its minimum capacity).

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.7 litres Minimum capacity: 500ml Weight when empty: 725g Colours available: Black, white Matching toaster: Yes

This kettle has an anti-limescale filter, fills easily through the spout and pours cleanly with no dreaded dripping. It’s fast too – the minimum quantity of 250ml boils in under one minute and one litre boils in just over two. The kettle is light when empty and equipped with a comfortable handle, which makes it easy to use. 

Unfortunately, the water gauge only goes down to 500ml, despite the minimum quantity being half that, and the outer casing can get quite hot, so you’ll need to pay attention when using it. It does have boil dry protection though, so if it’s empty, it won’t boil and become damaged.

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.7 litres Minimum capacity: 250ml  Weight when empty: 817g Colours available: Cream, black, blue Matching toaster: Yes (available here)

We found this geometric-patterned kettle sturdy and robust. Its compact design also means it won’t take up much space on your kitchen counter. It boils enough for a large cup of tea in under fifty seconds and one litre in just over two minutes. It takes three-and-a-half minutes to boil its full capacity. 

At the end of each boiling cycle, the kettle clicks off immediately and the rolling boil comes to a stop after a couple of seconds. Two thing to note are that it emits a lot of steam and wobbles on its base towards the end of the boiling cycle.

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.7 litres Minimum capacity: 300ml  Weight when empty: 860g Colours available: Black, white Matching toaster: Yes 

While it wasn’t the fastest in our tests, this kettle performed well - it boiled its maximum capacity in under four minutes. Its minimum capacity of 500ml is about double that of other kettles we tested, but it heated up in just over a minute. This will give you the right amount of water for two cups of tea. 

The handle is comfortable to hold and it poured without dripping or spitting, and you can open the flip-top lid easily with the same hand you're using to hold the handle when refilling. It's effortless to lift too, weighing 2.4kg when full and 715g when empty.

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.7 litres Minimum capacity: 500ml Weight when empty: 715g Colours available: Stone, cream, grey Matching toaster: Yes (available here) 

This De’Longhi kettle took under a minute to heat the minimum water quantity of 300ml (about one mug), so you can heat exactly what you need. It took an impressive three minutes and twenty seconds for the maximum capacity of 1.5 litres to reach boiling point, but we noticed it made a lot of steam in the process.

The detachable lid made it easy to fill up and empty and the non-slip hand was comfortable to hold, too. We loved the sculptured resin finish and it’s available in distinctive colours, including bronze and metallic blue.

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.5 litres Minimum capacity: 300ml Weight when empty: 1.2kg Colours available: Black, blue, bronze, grey, white Matching toaster: Yes (available here)

At under 1kg when empty, this Russell Hobbs model is a good weight. It boils one cup of water in under 45 seconds, so it’s ideal for people who usually only make one hot drink at a time. We found that it poured cleanly and accurately with no splashing, too.

It’s a bit annoying that the water gauge is behind the handle, so you can’t see it while filling, but this is a good kettle at a reasonable price – and it comes in three colours.

Key Specifications Maximum capacity: 1.7 litres Minimum capacity: 235ml Weight when empty: 935g Colours available: Black, white, red Matching toaster: Yes (available here)

This kettle has a handy illuminated water level gauge, which lights up when it's boiling and switches off when it’s ready. We found it fast to boil too, taking a speedy 46 seconds to boil 240ml. At full capacity though, it took almost four minutes.

It has markers for one, two and three cups on the inside, which are helpful if you want to boil specific amounts. It's worth noting that while the handle remained cool, the kettle's exterior reached 63C (very hot!).

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.7 litres Minimum capacity: 240ml Weight when empty: 650g Colours available: Black, grey, white, cream Matching toaster: Yes (available here)

Built with a “Sure Pour” system, this kettle lets you pour from a low angle so even when the kettle is full, it’s comfortable for your wrist. That said, we found the silicone handle quite wide to hold, and the hinged lid was a bit fiddly to use at first.

It’s quick, though; full, it took just three minutes to boil and for one cup, a speedy 44 seconds. There was little steam emitted and the kettle remained sturdy and still on its base throughout boiling. The rolling boil also stopped rapidly once the water’s boiling cycle ended. It displays both cup and litre markings too, which is a nice useful touch. 

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.5 litres Minimum capacity: 250ml  Weight when empty: 1.1kg Colours available: Black, white, porcelain, grey Matching toaster: Yes (available here)

To boil the perfect cuppa, or cup of coffee for that matter, opt for this kettle. By turning the temperature dial, you can set the kettle to the optimum temperature for your beverage of choice – the manual comes with a guide detailing which setting to use for everything from different types of green tea to hot chocolate. It’s an eye-catching design for your kitchen, too.

Our only niggle is that steam comes out of the back of the lid and the spout while boiling, causing condensation. Otherwise, it’s a great investment if you’re looking to up the quality of your hot drinks.

Key specifications Maximum capacity: 1.5 litres Minimum capacity: 250ml Weight when empty: 1.29kg Colours available: Red, cream, green, silver, black, blue Matching toaster: Yes (available here)