Aussies love a good cuppa, but there’s more to a kettle than just boiling water. 

The models on the market are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with features such as temperature control, constant boil and noise reduction, plus a range of pretty finishes and vivid colours.

But if a kettle drips and dribbles, is far too loud or just hard to hold, all the bells and whistles in the world won’t make your tea break the relaxing ritual it should be.

Of course it’s impossible to know just by looking at one instore or online. 

That’s why our lab experts put more than 70 popular models through a range of tough tests – from boil time and noise levels, to ease of use and more – to ensure you get the best cuppa you can.  

Our tests found some great kettles, both budget and high-end, alongside some really mediocre models that were truly off the boil, ranging in price from $15 to more than $500.

Bugatti Jackie 02-JKCRNU

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 65%
• Price: $529

No, that’s not a typo: this kettle costs more than FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

And what does your money get you? A kettle that looks like one of those 90s handbags that have come back into fashion. But it’s noisy and is a pain to use.

This Bugatti isn’t from the makers of the wildly expensive car brand (it’s an entirely different company, apparently), but it’s certainly priced as though it is.

In case you thought this was the most expensive kettle you’ve ever seen, think again. This is the cheaper version; the more formally-named Jaqueline sells for over $800. 

It doesn’t look vastly different to the Jackie but connects to a Bugatti app, so you can set it to boil for every tea break you have through the day.

But back to the ‘cheap’ version. Why did it receive such a low rating from our experts?

First of all, it’s noisy: it registered at 62 decibels when we measured it from 50cm away. By comparison, the quietest kettles we tested boil at around 50 decibels.

It might not seem like much difference, but you’d hope that a kettle this expensive would be whisper-quiet. 

Or maybe you’d actually want it to make a racket so guests can’t help but notice your swanky new appliance!

Aside from bringing the noise, our experts noted that it’s difficult to see the indicator light, and strangely the water level markings are inside the kettle, rather than on the outside, so you need to remove the lid to see how much water is inside.

And in a clear case of form over function, despite the Jackie’s supposedly sophisticated design, it’s actually quite awkward to use: the kettle only fits into the base in two configurations, so you need to line it up before you put it back on the base.

Considering that you could buy an entire coffee machine, not just a kettle, for the price, we think it’s very much not worth your money. (You should also avoid the Bugatti Volo toaster for similar reasons.)

Check out the best coffee machines for less than $600 or if you’re curious, read the full Bugatti Jackie review.

Fellow Clyde Electric Tea Kettle ECLMB-AU

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 65%
• Price: $199

This kettle sure looks stylish sitting on your countertop, with its vintage-style design and sleek stainless steel finish.

But if you like to make your tea in peace, be aware that it’s very noisy. ÌÇÐÄVlog experts measure the noise at the halfway point when boiling a litre of water, and this kettle received the equal-lowest score in our test (alongside six other models).

It’s also not particularly fast, taking 3 minutes and 25 seconds to boil a litre of water, with a Boil Performance score of 69%. Our experts also noted there is no audible noise to let you know the boiling process is complete, so you’ll have to keep checking in to see if it’s ready.

If you’re willing to fork out a couple of hundred dollars for a good-looking kettle, we won’t judge. But there are plenty of cheaper models our experts rated better in our testing, including ones that will give you a quieter (and faster) start to the day.

Read the full Fellow Clyde Kettle review.

Sunbeam Quantum KE6310

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 66%
• Price: $80

Like your peace and quiet? Then don’t buy this kettle, which boils very loudly at 65.3 decibels.

When it comes to ease of use (which makes up 40% of our ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating), it’s a mixed bag.

On the upside, it’s easy to pour and you don’t have to tilt it much at the end, so it’s easy on the wrist. 

On the downside, the water level markers are difficult to see and the indicator light is quite faint, which makes it hard to see in a bright room.

Our testing found Sunbeam makes some great kettles – this just isn’t one of them. See the full Sunbeam Quantum review.

DeLonghi Argento KBX2016.W1

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 66%
• Price: $139

It might have the style, but unfortunately this DeLonghi doesn’t back it up with substance. 

Our testers found it awkward to use: from removing the lid, to pouring the water, to checking the water level and replacing the filter, it isn’t a great experience. 

If you’re not irritated by those aspects, the noise will probably get to you. Our experts classify its 65dB mid-boil reading as “Very noisy”.

Read the full DeLonghi Argento review.

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On this page:

• What is a hot water dispenser?
• Are hot water dispensers worth it?
• Kettles: Pros and cons
• Hot water dispensers: Pros and cons
• Do hot water dispensers use a lot of electricity?

And if you’re really hanging for your first brew of the day, waiting for the kettle to boil can feel like an eternity.

If you’ve often wished you could snap your fingers and have a cup of hot tea in your hands, a hot water dispenser might be on your radar.

What is a hot water dispenser?

Also known as an instant kettle, it does exactly what it says on the tin: dispenses hot water instantly.Ìý

That might conjure images of those old-school urns that you’d find at a CWA meeting or perhaps even one of those fancy integrated taps that pump out chilled and boiling filtered water, but instant hot water dispensers sit somewhere in between those two extremes.

Rather than being built into your kitchen sink, they’re standalone appliances that sit on your kitchen bench, just like a kettle. (But with a larger footprint.)

And rather than holding a large quantity of hot water like an urn, they heat the water on demand, only heating as much as you need – unlike a kettle that heats however much water is inside.

Are hot water dispensers worth it?

You’ll get the same thing – hot water – from both a kettle and a hot water dispenser, so why would you choose a hot water dispenser?

There are a few reasons:

• You have a large household so you need plenty of hot water when it’s afternoon tea time (or perhaps you just often have lots of people over for tea parties and don’t want to be constantly reboiling the kettle).
• You have a physical condition such as arthritis that makes picking up, filling and pouring from a kettle difficult
• You’re a sleep-deprived parent who needs hot water for baby formula in a hurry, to keep the crying to a minimum (both yours and the baby’s!)

Kettles: Pros and cons

Pros:

• Smaller footprint than a hot water dispenser
• Can be cheaper
• Simpler design – there’s less to go wrong with it
• Available in a wide range of colours and finishes, and you can match them to other kitchen appliances such as toasters
• Some have features such as different temperature settings for specific types of tea or filling a hot water bottle with hot rather than boiling water

Cons:

• Takes longer to boil
• Can be heavy or awkward to pour
• Greater risk of spills and burns
• Heats however much water is in the kettle, which may be more than you need

Hot water dispensers: Pros and cons

Pros:

• Delivers boiling water faster than a kettle
• Only boil as much water as you need, so you’re not wasting electricity
• Suitable for people with physical disabilities or limitations – there’s no need to pick up and pour from a heavy a kettle
• Reduced risk of spills and burns
• Safety features such as automatic child locks
• Much easier to see the water level because the viewing windows are larger
• Some have multiple temperature settings
• Larger capacity than most kettles
• You can select how much water you want to dispense

Cons:

• Can cost more to buy than traditional kettles
• For the models we’ve tested, the water temperature dropped to around 83°C by the time they’d finished dispensing 1L of water – so they might not be suitable if you want larger quantities of boiling water rather than just a cup or two
• Takes up more space on the bench than a traditional kettle
• Unit is heavier than a kettle so could be tricky to move around if needed
• Water reservoir is heavy to carry when full (but you can fill it with a jug)
• Made from plastic components, which makes them unsuitable for people looking for non-plastic solutions such as stainless steel and glass
• Some people have expressed concerns about the water tasting plasticky (however, this can also be an issue with plastic kettles)

Do hot water dispensers use a lot of electricity?

This is a ‘how long is a piece of string?’ question.

Let’s compare them to using a kettle for a reference point. Firstly, it depends entirely on how frequently you use your kettle and how much water you boil each time. (We recommend only boiling as much as you need, rather than heating a full kettle every time).Ìý

Our experts estimate that boiling a full kettle a couple of times a day over the course of a year will set you back about $32.

By comparison, the two hot water dispensers we recently tested cost just over $27 to run per year. They also draw electricity on standby mode, which will cost you an extra $1.80 each year – so all up, just under $30 a year.Ìý

So there’s not a great deal of difference between them, but obviously your costs will vary depending on how frequently you use your kettle or hot water dispenser, how much water you heat each time and whether you have solar.

The post Kettles vs hot water dispensers: Which is better?  appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

A breakfast of burnt toast and tepid tea isn’t exactly the best way to get going in the morning.Ìý

While there are plenty of individual toasters and kettles that’ll start your day off right, you can take your kitchen appliance game to the next level with a matching pair – purchased either as a set, or individually from the same collection.Ìý

Is it better to mix and match brands to find the best performers? Or is a matching set going to bring balance to your kitchen? 

We’ll talk you through the pros and cons of buying aesthetically pleasing kitchen appliances.ÌýPlus, exclusively for ÌÇÐÄVlog members, we’ll tell you which matching toaster and kettle pairs performed the best in our tests.

If you just want to see the best products, you can jump straight to the results now.

Do you need to buy a matching pair at all?

If you opt for classic styles, you might find that you can find a way to approximately match your kettle and toaster while still having the freedom to buy the brand and model you prefer.Ìý

“Stainless steel items are usually similar looking so you needn’t worry too much about having the same brand,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog appliance expert Kim Gilmour.Ìý

“You may be more inclined to stick with matching products if they have very distinctive patterns (eg, a ‘diamond’ design on a kettle) or unique colours or metallic shades to go with your kitchen.Ìý

“You could get different branded appliances that are inspired by the same look but are cheaper and/or better performing.”

Some brands will have different size options within the same range, for instance, you can choose your style of kettle and a two- or four-slice toaster.”Think of quality as well,” says Kim.Ìý

“If a toaster looks good but doesn’t rate well, are you prepared to sacrifice style for functionality?”

Appliance purists will be inclined to choose performance over prettiness. “Performance is the most important thing to me,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog expert tester Adrian Lini.Ìý

“I would always aim to get a simple design like stainless steel or black so that it’ll match with everything.”

The pros of buying a matching toaster and kettle

• Discounts: Because you’re buying two products at once, you might receive a discount off the RRP that you won’t get if you purchase separately.Ìý
• Exclusivity: Some brands will sell products in a bundle that aren’t sold separately.Ìý
• Aesthetics: This is an obvious one! Matching appliances can really lift the look of your kitchen and complement your interior design. For aesthetes, this is more than worth spending a little extra money on.Ìý
• Fewer options: For the indecisive among us, this can actually make life easier. When you have your heart set on a matching pair, that will rule out a fair chunk of the market – which will make it easier for you to choose. (Well, as easy as these things get for those who struggle to make decisions!)

The cons of buying a matching toaster and kettle

• The trade-off: To buy the kettle of your dreams in a set, you might need to settle for a less-than-perfect toaster – or vice versa. The chances of finding the perfect kettle and toaster in the same set are slim, but not impossible.Ìý
• Changing fashions: That matching retro pastel set with rose gold finishes might be fashionable now, but what about in a few years’ time? You don’t want to have to replace your appliances every couple of years to keep up with trends.Ìý
• Availability: If one appliance dies before the other, it could be difficult to find a replacement, especially if they were sold as a set. You also might not find the same model if that particular series is discontinued.Ìý
• Less choice: If you’re committing to buying from a particular brand or range, then that limits your options. If, for instance, you really love that Smeg kettle and you’re committed to having a matching set, then that will significantly decrease the pool you have to choose from. Whereas if you’re happy to just go with a kettle and toaster that are approximately the same style, then you’ll be spoilt for choice and can find exactly the right appliance for your needs. Of course, that does mean you’ll have to do more research!

Questions to ask yourself

• What size do you really need? Don’t buy the bigger set if you don’t really need it – a four-slice toaster for a two-person household might just be overkill. Some brands will offer a two-slice and a four-slice toaster in the same range, so you can choose whichever one works best for your situation.Ìý
• What’s most important to you? If you’re a coffee or tea nerd, then buying a kettle with special features should be high on your list of priorities – but perhaps a toaster is less important to you. If you’re just using your kettle to make basic cups of tea throughout the day, but you have a family of six to feed every morning for breakfast, then a good toaster is probably more useful.Ìý
• How important is it to have a matching set? So important that you’d sacrifice performance for aesthetics? (No judgement – it’s a totally valid choice.) Or would you be happy with a kettle and toaster that are similar enough that you probably won’t notice in a week or two? Or do you just want the best performing kettle and toaster, regardless of whether they match?

The best-performing kettle and toaster combinations

We independently test and review dozens of new kitchen appliances each year in our labs, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.

Our detailed kettle and toaster reviews include information about each model’s performance, safety, toasting or boiling time and features – all important factors to also consider when purchasing a kettle or toaster.

Only ÌÇÐÄVlog members can access our detailed testing data. If you’re not yet a member, join ÌÇÐÄVlog to get instant access to all our expert, independent reviews, from coffee machines and grinders, to kettles and cots, toasters and TVs, and more.

Or log in to unlock this article and find out which matching kettle and toaster combos are the best pick for your kitchen.

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And when a $15 kettle may well do the one job a kettle is supposed to do (boil water for your cup of tea), then what does an extra $485 buy you?

We looked at some data on the best and worst performers in our kettle tests to see what the numbers say. (Spoiler: more expensive doesn’t always mean better.)

“If all you want your kettle to do is boil water, then a $15 kettle will probably do the job,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog small appliances expert Adrian Lini.

“Price only matters if you want the extra bells and whistles, or if you care about what it’s made from and what it looks like.”

Which features cost more?

Typically, the more expensive kettles have additional features, like pre-set temperatures, keep-warm functions and ‘quiet boil’ capabilities.

Aside from features, a lot of what pushes the price up is aesthetics.

“You’re going to have to spend extra if you want more attractive finishes such as stainless steel, glass, bright colours, a unique or retro design, or special design features such as raised patterns,” Adrian says.

The brand tax

Of course, you’ll also pay extra for particular brands.Ìý

Smeg, for instance, has a reputation for its ‘designer’-esque appliances – with a price tag to match.Ìý

The Smeg kettles we’ve tested cost from $199 for a mini kettle to $329 for a variable-temperature version, but they didn’t exactly blow us away with their performance.Ìý

Interestingly, the most expensive Smeg kettle actually performed worse than the two cheaper ones.

Not only that, but its preset temperatures were actually incorrect by between 1 and 8°C – so just because a kettle has fancy features doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll work!

Then there’s the $529 Bugatti Jackie kettle that our experts scored just 65%.Ìý

Not only did it come dead last in our testing, it was also well and truly trounced by every single budget kettle from Kmart, Target, Big W and Ikea.Ìý

It costs a whopping 35 times the price of a $15 Big W kettle. Thirty-five times!

If you really want to waste your money, Bugatti also makes a toaster costing $439 (or $799 for a rose gold version) that’s one of the lowest-scoring models in our review.

How much should you pay for a kettle?

While we can’t give away all our secrets (they’re available for ÌÇÐÄVlog members, though), what we can tell you is that of the 10 electric kettles our experts recommend, seven of them cost less than $100 – so clearly performance isn’t linked to price.Ìý

Still not convinced? We crunched the numbers of the best and worst performing kettles in our tests, and here’s what we found.Ìý

As you can see from the graph above, there’s no correlation between the price of a kettle and how well it scored – so there’s definitely no way to tell if a kettle will be any good based on price alone.Ìý

We also did a number crunch of prices for the best and worst performers in our tests.Ìý

For kettles our experts recommend:

• Lowest price: $15
• Highest price: $259
• Median price: $70

For the lowest scoring kettles we tested:

• Lowest price: $40
• Highest price: $529
• Median price: $130

All of this just goes to show that it’s impossible to sort the knockouts from the dropouts just by the price tag.Ìý

You can get great performance from a cheap, basic kettle, or terrible performance from an expensive kettle with all the fancy features – and every permutation in between.Ìý

Other factors to consider

“If you’re just after something that will heat your water to boil, pretty much any kettle will do the job,” says Adrian.Ìý

“Kettles are such simple appliances that even the basic ones will most likely last you 4–5 years or even more.

“However, a cheap kettle will often be made from cheaper materials such as plastic, which may not age as gracefully as a stainless steel one.”

But price and prettiness aren’t the only things to consider when you’re buying a kettle.

Some kettles take longer than others to boil, so if you’re the kind of person who needs their morning cuppa ASAP, check our reviews to see which ones will help you caffeinate faster.

“You should also consider how much you use your kettle,” Adrian says.

“I have a friend who boils the kettle 10+ times a day, whereas I probably use it once a day at most.

“If you’re a big tea drinker it may be worth looking for a kettle that’s built with a bit more quality than the cheapest on the market. You’ll need to pay more but it’ll likely last longer and keep the tea flowing.”

Of course, even expensive kettles can be built terribly, so you should always check our detailed reviews to find the best kettle for your money.

“If you take a look at the consumer comments on the kettle reviews on our site, you’ll find that there are many unhappy owners of expensive kettles,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog expert Kim Gilmour.Ìý

“We regularly see cheaper kettles perform well, showing that price doesn’t really make a difference to performance.”

For instance, we’ve received feedback from many members about a kettle costing more than $200 that regularly fails after 1–2 years of use.Ìý

Some comments about its performance include: “overpriced and unreliable”, “totally unnecessary features”, “after two years’ use it can’t be fixed”, and “I would not recommend you spend your hard-earned money on it”.Ìý

How we test kettles

Of course, there’s more to a kettle than just its ability to boil water.Ìý

When we test kettles, we assess their accuracy, time taken to boil, noise levels and energy used. We conduct a dry boil test for safety, switching on the empty kettle and waiting until it switches off automatically.Ìý

We also assess how easy they are to use.Ìý

Obviously most kettles can boil water, but how easy are they to fill and to pour from? How easy is it to see the markings, including water level? How comfortable are they to lift?

Our expert kettle reviews include information on all of these aspects, and you can filter by price, brand, capacity, material and noise to find the perfect kettle for you.

The post Cheap vs expensive kettles: How much do you really need to spend? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Our expert testers
• How we choose what to test
• How we test kettles
• Test criteria explained

Our expert testers

Our testers know the importance of an operational kettle – especially first thing in the morning! They’ve developed a rigorous test method that looks at a kettle’s energy consumption, noise levels, how quickly it boils and how easy it is to use so that you can buy a great kettle at a price that suit you.

Our kettle test results show you the features and functions of dozens of models from brands like Breville, Russell Hobbs, Dualit and more.

How we choose what to test

There are a huge number of electric kettles on the market, and we can’t test them all. When we narrow down our buy list, we usually look at ones with features such as variable temperature settings (useful for brewing specialty teas). We may also include the occasional budget brand, and we try to feature kettles made from a range of materials, including stainless steel, glass and plastic.Ìý

Once we put together a buy list, we then order the kettles instore just like you would, so we can be sure the samples we get haven’t been ‘tweaked’ by manufacturers in any way (for better performance, for example).

How we test kettles

We store the water and kettles together overnight in our lab, so that the temperature is maintained at a constant level. Each kettle is tested with one litre of water.

Performance

As the kettle boils, we measure noise levels from the kettle, and record the reading around halfway through the boiling cycle. We also record the total energy used and the time taken for the kettle to switch off automatically after the boiling cycle.

For kettles with variable temperatures, we assess accuracy at each setting.Ìý

We conduct a dry boil test for safety, where we switch on the empty kettle and wait until it switches off automatically.

Ease of use

We look at:

• how easy it is to switch the kettle on
• visibility of the indicator lights
• ease of filling the kettle and pouring water out of it
• how comfortable it is on the wrist
• whether the kettle has to be tilted too far when pouring
• clarity of the kettle markings
• ease of removing and replacing the filter.

Test criteria explained

In order to be recommended, a kettle must not only score well overall, it must also be very easy to use. The ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating, our overall score that determines which products we recommend, is based on:

• noise (40%)
• ease of use (40%)
• boiling time (10%)
• energy efficiency (10%).

We generally recommend kettles with a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating of at least 75%, and at least 80% for ease of use. Poor reliability can also be a factor in a kettle not being recommended – if a lot of members tell us a kettle performs poorly over time (something we can’t easily test in our labs), we’ll take that feedback on board.

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