Ready to Simplify Your Morning Routine? We Tested 25 Tea Kettles to Find the Best Ones

Best Overall

Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle

$70 at Amazon $78 at Wayfair $78 at Home Depot

In a lineup full of excellent candidates, the Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle stood out for a number of reasons—the most important among them being that it simply worked extremely well. Its straightforward push-button orientation allows the user to heat water to five different temperatures designed for specific beverages, ranging from 170 degrees Fahrenheit for white tea to 205 degrees for coffee. (There’s also a setting for 212 degrees if boiling water is what’s needed.)

In tests, we found that the Cosori heated water reliably and fairly quickly, and it held the correct temperature for 30 minutes or more. The gooseneck design and the counterbalanced handle made it simple to pour water without spilling, and the svelte matte black finish on the kettle didn’t pick up fingerprints. Users should note that the exterior does get quite hot when in use, so be sure to pick the kettle up from the handle only.

The Cosori also scored high marks for its minimalist design, which will complement all manner of decor. Our only real complaint has to do with the size—with a total capacity of under a quart, the user will only be able to make two or three cupfuls of tea or coffee at a time. That said, for being as budget-conscious, attractive, and easy to use as we found it to be, the Cosori earned our top marks despite any concerns about capacity.

Capacity: 0.9 quarts | Dimensions: 11.6 x 9 x 7.7 inches (including base) | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash

Best Budget

Mr. Coffee Flintshire Tea Kettle

$25 $22 at Amazon $24 at Walmart $24 at Wayfair

With its squat stainless steel construction and classic “kettle” design, the Flintshire Tea Kettle from Mr. Coffee looks like it would belong in any kitchen. Beyond its timeless appearance, though, is a very serviceable unit that does exactly what a tea kettle is supposed to do—heat water quickly—and at a very reasonable price.

Boasting few features beyond its heat-resistant handle and its whistling spout cover, the Flintshire kettle is straightforward and uncomplicated. Its sole higher-end feature is an integrated trigger for the retractable spout cover, which we only encountered on a few of the more expensive models we tested. One drawback we noticed was that the lid has an inner rim that traps water, which interferes with fully cleaning and drying the kettle.

Still, with its great value and range of available colors, this unfussy kettle makes for a perfectly acceptable option that worked nearly as well as any of the other stovetop models we tested. 

Capacity: 0.9 quarts | Dimensions: 11.6 x 9 x 7.7 inches (including base) | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash

Best Electric

Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle

$170 at Amazon $165 at Williams Sonoma $165 at Fellowproducts.com

A sleek and elegant electric kettle, the Fellow Stagg EKG wowed us with its tasteful silhouette and many convenient features. The shape is visually arresting, with smooth slopes, sharp edges, and a gorgeous gooseneck spout. The whole thing screams sophistication—even before you notice the manual temperature input with LCD display, which allows the user to select any water temperature between 135 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Just plug in your desired temperature and the Stagg is off and running.

Gooseneck kettles dispense their water through a long and graceful spout, which makes them ideal choices for making pour-over coffee or brewing with another manual method like French press. The option to select specific temperatures will please serious coffee fans who strongly believe that precise control of temperature is indispensable to brewing a perfect cup, but the easy-to-use kettle will also be welcomed by even more casual fans of coffee and tea.

The obvious downside of the Stagg EKG is its price tag, which is well above most of the other kettles on this list. It also features a fairly small capacity, so it’s not terribly convenient for large batches of coffee or tea. But when it comes to that crucial combination of working great and looking sexy while doing it, the Stagg EKG is hard to beat.

Capacity: 0.9 quarts | Dimensions: 11.6 x 9 x 7.7 inches (including base) | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash

Best Stovetop

Hario V60 Buono Drip Kettle

$67 $50 at Amazon View on Prima-coffee.com View on Hario-usa.com

With a stainless steel body presented in a scalloped aesthetic, this iconic kettle from Japan-based Hario just begs to be used for pour-over coffee. Its heat-resistant handle is set at an exaggerated angle for comfort and control, and its S-shaped gooseneck spout dispenses a smooth and even flow of water. Pour-overs are all about precision, and the V60 Buono offers that in spades.

The stovetop orientation of the V60 Buono adds a bit of an old-school dynamic to the overall experience, with the modern elegance of the kettle juxtaposed with the primal flame or other heating element. However, this is also where the V60 Buono’s shortcomings come to light; the kettle gets very hot, and if a gas stove is being used, care must be taken to keep the flame smaller than the kettle’s base so that the flames don’t come around and potentially scar the finish or melt the handle.

It should also be noted that the V60 Buono doesn’t have a visible fill-line, and when fully filled it has the potential to overflow or boil over. If you master its use, however, the unit will reward you with precision and control while pouring. The Hario brand is beloved within the beverage community for its high-end coffee- and tea-brewing equipment, and this kettle stands as testament to why.

Capacity: 0.9 quarts | Dimensions: 11.6 x 9 x 7.7 inches (including base) | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash

Best Style

Caraway Whistling Tea Kettle

$195 at Amazon $195 at Target $195 at Home Depot

Tea kettles have offered examples of decorative design for centuries, and the Caraway Whistling Tea Kettle is well-placed to contribute to that long tradition. With its tapered walls, diminutive spout, and elegant handle, it’s clear that the Caraway was very thoughtfully and deliberately designed. Fortunately, it’s also a very serviceable tea kettle—not just a pretty face.

Boasting a 2-quart capacity and sturdy stainless steel accents, the Caraway seemed well-positioned to operate as a workhorse kettle, bringing large quantities of water to boil quickly. Indeed, the Caraway took just ten minutes to bring its full capacity to boil on high heat. It should be noted, though, that the brand recommends using low to medium heat. This not only helps to protect the kettle’s finish but also keeps the handle from getting too hot, which we did note was an issue during our tests. 

Another quirk of the Caraway kettle is that it’s not possible to open the lid while the spout is in the “open” position, an interesting characteristic that was only mildly inconvenient. Given the high price, we’d prefer if these operational quirks weren’t part of the package. Ultimately, though, the Caraway is a stylish and sturdy kettle with quality construction that makes it feel like it’ll last a long time—which might be sufficient to qualify the price tag.

Capacity: 0.9 quarts | Dimensions: 11.6 x 9 x 7.7 inches (including base) | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash

Fastest-Boiling

Smeg Electric Kettle

$190 $180 at Amazon $190 at Wayfair $190 at Williams Sonoma

Offering a generous capacity paired with a sleek, retro-inspired design, the Smeg Electric Kettle was one of the largest electric models we tested, and also one of the most attractive. The Smeg brand is known for its high-end kitchen equipment—stovetops, refrigerators, coffee makers, and more—that pairs contemporary technology with a vintage aesthetic. The Smeg Electric Kettle continues this tradition, offering efficient heating in a visual package that looks like it fell right out of a mid-century design magazine.

Don’t let its nearly 2-quart capacity fool you—the Smeg kettle was one of our fastest test subjects to bring water to boil, even when filled completely. That said, while stovetop kettles will often whistle, and some electric kettles play a tone or display a light, the Smeg simply clicks itself off once boiling is achieved. What’s more, it doesn’t retain heat terribly well after that point. 

We wish it had options for temperatures other than “boiling,” and we wish it did something attention-grabbing once the water did boil, but we kept coming back to the Smeg Electric Kettle for its great design and quick operation. The fact that it comes in six adorable colors didn’t hurt, either.

Capacity: 0.9 quarts | Dimensions: 11.6 x 9 x 7.7 inches (including base) | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash

Best Large-Capacity

Susteas Modern Stainless Steel Whistle Kettle

$40 at Amazon $38 at Walmart

With a capacity that’s massive for a stovetop kettle, paired with a price tag that’s much less massive than some of its competitors, the Susteas Modern Stainless Steel Whistle Kettle is the perfect choice for someone who drinks enough tea or coffee in a day to require a fairly endless source of hot water. Despite its capacious volume, the Susteas brought water to a boil as fast as much smaller kettles. However, it doesn’t hold heat terribly well, and it’s quite heavy when filled to the brim.

In tests, we appreciated the Susteas for its heatproof handle, as well as a clever trigger feature that lets you open the whistling spout cover without having to touch it directly. The handle, unfortunately, doesn’t fold down, which makes the unit challenging to store in kitchens with limited space. We did feel, though, that the Susteas kettle was good-looking enough to just leave on the stove full time—whether finished in matte black, rose, or metallic champagne shades.

Capacity: 0.9 quarts | Dimensions: 11.6 x 9 x 7.7 inches (including base) | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Material: Stainless steel | Product Care: Hand-wash

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