Having an electric kettle around means you’re mere minutes away from the next cuppa. The same convenience extends to instant noodles, bringing the pasta to a quicker boil and, of course, adding hot water to your cooking whenever the recipe calls for it. Unlike a stove, electric kettles don’t need a watchful eye – they dutifully turn off once the water is ready.
Some of the more advanced models even let you pick the desired temperature so that your brew is never scalding hot but just right. This is key to making a flavourful cup, as a coffee expert tells us. We spoke with Nadeer Hussain, head of quality control at Qahwa03 Specialty Coffee brand in Al Ain and a licensed Q Arabica Grader, about how an electric kettle can impact your final cup and two of his favourite brands below.
We also scanned reviews and picked the best electric kettles to suit every household and its needs. Whether there’s a pour-over enthusiast or a baby at home, browse the best buy for you from our list. Bring home your new electric kettle as soon as today - some of them are on sale - when you order with Amazon Prime.
1. Best Overall: WeeKett Smart Kettle
Pros
- Control kettle and temperature remotely via Alexa, Siri, Google Home and the app
- Choose any temperature between 40 to 100 degrees Celsius
- Baby bottle programme for keeping water warm
- Helps new parents, senior users and people with mobility issues
- Food-grade stainless steel construction
Cons
- Needs 2.4GHz frequency on the router
- App doesn't detect water level
From casual lovers of coffee to new parents, the entire house will benefit from this smart kettle. We picked WeeKett as one of the best smart appliances to make kitchen tasks a breeze. It's a 1.7-litre stainless steel kettle that lets you boil water no matter where you are, as long as it's connected to your home Wi-Fi. Use the mobile app, Alexa or Google Home to set any temperature between 40 to 100 degrees Celsius, with dedicated options on the app for hot drinks, green tea, black tea, coffee and more. Even parents get a special built-in baby bottle mode, where the water heats to 100 degrees Celsius and naturally cools to 70 degrees Celsius, after which, it keeps warm for up to one hour. According to reviews, it works perfectly with voice assistants, making it easier for senior members of the family to make tea. Several mums also find the remote feature an immense help with having warm water on demand for the baby formula.
Warranty: The manufacturer offers two years of warranty. Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh29 and two years for Dh41.
2. Best for Coffee: Brewista Artisan Kettle
Pros
- Retains temperature well
- Convenient gooseneck for pour-over method
- Temperature can be increased or decreased by one degree
- Keep warm function
- Looks great on the kitchen counter
Cons
- Enough capacity for just three small cups
- Wood accents are plastic
Hussain gets the most consistent cup with the Brewista kettle, when it comes to crafting an elevated coffee experience. The elegant one-litre appliance sells at a premium for a reason. You're paying for a carefully designed gooseneck spout that allows for a more controlled pour, whether you want to go faster or slower. It sits on a smart console with all the settings you need - temperature control by one-degree increments, switching between Celsius and Fahrenheit, keep warm function and a flash boil button. The Artisan Kettle is a popular choice among experienced baristas and tea masters. Reviewers also add that it beeps when done, so that you can pour immediately without losing the right temperature. They do wish it had a larger capacity and that the wood accents were actual wood and not plastic.
Bonus: Buy with 0% instalments and pay Dh48.17 for 12 months with select banks.
Warranty: Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh35 and two years for Dh49.
3. Best Quiet Kettle: Braun PurEase Electric Kettle
Pros
- Boils a cup in 45 seconds
- Seven-cup indicators on the body
- Spout filter
- Automatic shut off function
Cons
- No temperature control
Electric kettles can get noisy. Braun’s 1.7-litre PurEase kettle is one of the quieter ones, report happy reviewers. Although there’s no way of setting your preferred temperature, PurEase boils a cup of water (200ml) for your morning tea in just 45 seconds. How much is a cup? You don’t have to eyeball it – cup indicators on the water window, along with millilitre markers, save you time and energy by boiling the exact amount needed. Like most kettles, it shuts off automatically once the water is ready, preventing overheating. Reviewers also add that there is no beep alert to disturb a sleeping house, either.
Warranty: The manufacturer offers a one-year warranty. Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh12 and two years for Dh17.
4. Best Value Smart Kettle: Xiaomi Mi Smart Kettle
Pros
- Wireless control via Bluetooth
- Keeps water warm at desired temperature for up to 12 hours
- Set target temperature via app
- Real-time temperature display
- Large 1.5-litre capacity
Cons
- Short-range Bluetooth connectivity
- App does not allow remote on and off controls
Imagine a kettle that holds the water at a fixed temperature for you, so that whenever you return to it, the water is ready for use. The Xiaomi Mi Smart Kettle Pro doesn't operate on a Wi-Fi connection but connects to your device's Bluetooth for remote control. Its real-time digital display also lets you see and set your desired brew temperature. And since it’s a smart kettle, you can control the 'keep warm' function straight from your Xiaomi Home app. Once the water reaches boiling point, you can choose to pause the heat retention at a certain temperature from 40 to 90 degrees Celsius, whether for baby's milk, probiotics, baby food, tea or coffee. Reviewers find its insulated construction, which keeps water warm for up to 12 hours, a great help with preparing baby food. Do note that you cannot switch on the kettle remotely.
Warranty: Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh12 and two years for Dh17.
5. Best Gooseneck with Wi-Fi: Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Kettle
Pros
- Precision gooseneck spout
- Pre-set temperatures for different teas and coffees
- Heats at desired temperature, even at a later time
- Brew stopwatch to time extraction
- Keep warm function
Cons
- Expensive
- Not the best for tea
The highly sought-after Fellow Stagg EKG Pro electric kettle is our next best gooseneck option, per Hussain's recommendation. It’s an expensive investment, but you’re looking at a lifelong companion that prepares the perfect drip coffees. Coming in all black with walnut wood accents, this kettle has a long precision pour spout and a base with a colour screen and a knob. It's more expensive than the Brewista for its smart functions and Wi-Fi control, meaning you get to schedule a boil, choose from several tea and coffee pre-sets, keep warm for a certain time, sanitise, turn the beep chime on or off, and so much more. There’s even a built-in brew stopwatch that lets you time your coffee extraction for the best flavour. Unfortunately, the base is plastic at this price, but those who drink pour-over daily find it worth their coin. If you have a Chemex pitcher, the kettle's 900ml capacity is the right size for it, add buyers.
Bonus: Buy with 0 per cent instalments and pay Dh115.98 for 12 months with select banks.
Warranty: Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh80 and two years for Dh113.
6. Best Budget: BLACK+DECKER Cordless Kettle
Pros
- Value for money
- Spout filter
- Automatic shut off
- Boil-dry protection
Cons
- Can be loud
- Body can be hot to touch
Here’s a reliable electric kettle that does a decent job withits basic functions and doesn’t break the bank. Black+Decker’s 1.7-litre appliance works as efficiently as its pricier counterparts but without smart features, like temperature control and display. Measure the water through the window, bring it to a boil, then pour it through the spout filter. The kettle automatically turns off after the water has boiled and offers boil-dry protection as well.
Warranty: The manufacturer offers two years of warranty. Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh6.
7. Best Design: Ariete Moderna Electric Kettle
Pros
- Retro aesthetic for the kitchen
- Automatic shut-off function
- Analogue thermometer
- Boils water quickly
Cons
- Slightly heavy at 1.64kgs
- No temperature control
An old-school kettle with modern capabilities, Ariete’s Moderna is a pleasing mash-up of design and function. The stainless steel electric kettle in red has an analogue thermometer on the front and an on and off lever with a light at the base. It comes equipped with an automatic shut-off feature and continues to read the temperature of the water long after. Even though the kettle looks compact, it boasts a capacity of 1.7 litres, enough to boil water for pasta. Reviewers commend the marvelous design, find it surprisingly quiet and fast at boiling.
Warranty: The manufacturer offers a one-year warranty. Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh12 and a two-year extended warranty for Dh17.
How important is it to get the temperature right for coffee?
Hot water (not boiling) is necessary to extract the best coffee flavours. Specialty baristas know that the best extraction temperature differs cup by cup and day to day. Most coffee associations agree on a range, from 90 to 96 degrees, because beans are roasted to varying degrees as well.
Hussain, who has over 10 years of experience in the coffee industry, has tested several kettles to maintain this precarious balance. "It's very important to get the temperature right as some coffees can be high or low density, so the water temperature changes accordingly. It depends on the roasting rate and the coffee's age," he said.
A higher temperature helps the coffee get rid of 'bad' or unpleasant gasses from the roasting process. A coffee that's been roasted longer will carry more gasses, meaning our medium to dark roasts need hotter water than light roasts for a better-tasting cup. The same goes for freshly roasted beans.
"Due to ageing beans, you might need a different temperature every single day, and you won't know unless you taste the coffee and play around with the temperature. But, as an example, medium roast African beans would do well with 92 to 93 degrees Celsius," said Hussain.
Which features should I look for, in an electric kettle?
This depends on what function you prioritise the most. Coffee and tea lovers will always want variable temperature options, or at least a digital display that lets them know the current numbers. If you have a baby in the house, then a regular kettle will not produce the safe, lukewarm results you need for nightly feeds.
In this instance, smart kettles are the way to go. Though an investment, these appliances can be controlled via your phone, heat water to the exact temperature you want and help save time in the kitchen with a 'keep warm' feature.
For serious coffee enthusiasts, you might want to pay closer attention to the spout and the kettle's heat retention. A gooseneck lets you control the extraction rate better, especially if you prefer the pour-over method for your morning cuppa.
"The only issue with gooseneck is that the temperature in the kettle and the first pour-out will be slightly different. The neck should be shorter so the temperature can be more consistent. Not everyone can tell the difference, though," said Hussain.
Finally, kettles are easily prone to limescale growth, for which our expert suggests descaling with chemical tablets whenever necessary.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.