Tea Kettle Review

Evaluating reviews of stovetop and electric kettles

We were surprised to find so many thoughtful reviews for tea kettles. The best reviews focus on electric kettles, which almost always boil water about twice as fast as stovetop kettles -- in four to five minutes as opposed to seven to 10. The top comparative tea-kettle reviews come from Cook's Illustrated and the U.K.-based Which? magazine. Both publications put tea kettles to the test, focusing solely on electric models. The testing criteria at Which? magazine goes above and beyond; we were impressed that the editors considered factors such as "smudgeability" -- whether fingerprints easily show on the kettle. Editors at Which? also took tea kettles' mineral filters into consideration. These filters, sometimes called limescale filters, have a mesh trapping in the spout of the kettle that collects mineral deposits that otherwise could build up in the kettle over time.

Cook's Illustrated's report on tea kettles is detailed, but editors test far fewer kettles than Which? magazine (eight versus more than 120). But the report offers detailed information (such as exact boil times) and helpful narrative comments. In a separate report, Cook's Illustrated tests four tea kettles made for use with loose tea. Testers use the same tea and a four-minute steeping time, and they judge each model based on the quality of the tea, containment of loose tea leaves, ease of use and cleaning.

At the Los Angeles Times, Cindy Dorn and Laurie Winer test five electric kettles and four stovetop models, considering factors such as time to boil, design, workmanship and value. Winners are chosen in the electric and stovetop categories, and then the overall winner is determined. Although one of the writers prefers electric and the other prefers stovetop, the overall winner -- based on points -- is electric.

A number of people prefer stovetop kettles because of their simplicity and because they are available in many more materials, colors and styles, allowing consumers to better coordinate them with their kitchen décor. Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan of ApartmentTherapy.com says today's crop of kettles are over-optioned. "In our opinion, most kettles really miss the boat. They either are too fancy, too heavy or too slick and the point of the exercise -- boiling water -- is overdone,'' he writes. He recommends two stovetop models. This sentiment is echoed in other reviews, both by users on consumer websites such as Amazon.com and by expert reviewers. In an overview of tea kettles, About.com says that "you don't need a fancy electric kettle to boil water." (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)