Stovetop Tea Kettles

Slower but more attractive than electric kettles

When shopping for conventional tea kettles, it's helpful to understand the various materials they are made from, as each offer drawbacks and benefits. Keep in mind that boil times don't vary as greatly among stovetop models as with electric kettles, and that should be less of a consideration in your search. The most important thing to bear in mind, though, is that it takes more than twice as long to boil water with a stovetop kettle. In addition, stovetop kettles don't have automatic shut-off features like electric models. If left unattended, stovetop kettles may over boil and break, creating a safety hazard.

• Stainless steel is the most durable kettle material and the most popular. Stainless-steel tea kettles don't tarnish or dent easily, and they're fairly easy to clean.

• Copper tea kettles conduct heat better than stainless-steel tea kettles, and they boil water a bit faster. Copper is more malleable than steel, making it prone to dings. Copper kettles also tarnish easily.

• Cast-iron kettles are made from a denser metal, giving them the ability to heat evenly and maintain heat. However, cast-iron kettles are heavy and they will eventually rust. Keeping a cast-iron kettle dry will guard against rust, but kettles with small lids can be hard to clean and wipe dry. You'll also see cast-iron kettles with an enamel coating, which resists rust. This makes the kettle decorative, but also prone to chipping and visible flame residue build-up.

• Glass is stylish and easy to clean. Glass tea kettles also allow users to watch the water boil, eliminating some of the guesswork associated with solid kettles. But, in addition to being less durable, glass kettles shouldn't come in direct contact with flame. Rather, a piece of metal should rest underneath the kettle to insulate the glass from high temperatures that can cause it to break.

• Aluminum is the cheapest stovetop tea kettle material. It can look a lot like stainless steel at first glance, but it doesn't have the same resistance to dents, scratches and tarnishing.

The Cuisinart PerfecTemp Teakettle PTK-330W (*Est. $70) earns an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 in about 30 owner-written reviews on Amazon.com. It's also named the top stovetop tea kettle in a review on Bestcovery.com, which praises its removable whistle feature and iron core. The Cuisinart PTK-330W has a color-coded temperature gauge which alerts users to the appropriate temperature for different types of beverages. It's constructed of an iron core, which heats quickly and retains temperatures well.

The iron is coated with a porcelain interior and exterior coating (in one of four colors or stainless steel). It features a silicone-coated handle for comfort, which doesn't become hot to the touch. The Cuisinart PerfecTemp tea kettle has a three-quart capacity and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. A few users report problems with rust in the porcelain-coated versions of this kettle, a problem that doesn't seem to occur with the stainless-steel version. Users love the temperature gauge, which is an uncommon feature for stovetop tea kettles, although there are a few isolated complaints about malfunctioning gauges.

The KitchenAid 2.25-Quart Porcelain Enamel Teakettle (*Est. $40) heats water quickly and looks good on the stove, according to reviewers at Amazon.com and Cooking.com. It has a comfortable handle that doesn't get hot to the touch. However, it's not without flaws. The most common complaint cited by owners is that it doesn't whistle, despite claims that it does. Several owners report broken handles after just a few months of use, and some say the spout sits too high for accurate pouring. At nearly three pounds, it is lighter than most other kettles. It is available in nine ceramic colors, although they cannot be used on a glass-top stove.

The most common complaint from users about the KitchenAid 2.25-Quart Porcelain Enamel Teakettle is the position of the handle, which sits directly atop the kettle, making it difficult to pour without twisting your hand significantly, which can be especially challenging for users with arthritis or mobility issues.