Best temperature control kettle 2022: Electric kettles reviewed

Best: Overall

Rating: 9/10

• Range: 50-100C
• Capacity: 1.7l

This kettle is packed with interesting features – as serious tea addicts, we loved the “keep warm” function which meant, on occasions when we knew we’d be chasing our first cup with a second and third, that the boiling time was slashed. And then there’s the quick-boil function, for use when the kettle contains only half a litre of water, and which reduces energy output and cranks up efficiency. The purify function will appeal to anyone with contamination concerns (press it for an extended three-minute anti-bacterial boiling cycle) although this feature was somewhat wasted on us due to the fact that we put all our tap water through a filter anyway. Switching between the different temperature settings (50C, 60C, 70C and 100C) was easy, and the controls were bold, bright and easy to tweak.

Best: For families

Rating: 10/10

• Range: 80-100C
• Capacity: 1.7l

This is one of the most hi-tech kettles in our selection. The controls are on the base, which we actually prefer (largely because there’s less risk of accidental steam burns), and although we were initially concerned by the sheer number of buttons, it’s actually incredibly easy to use. Features include a keep-warm function (which can be activated before, during or after the boiling cycle) and five temperature settings. We loved the subtle audio reminders too – one beep when the kettle is placed on or removed from the base, and three when the required temperature has been reached.

Best: For quieter boiling

Rating: 9/10

• Range: 60-100C
• Capacity: 1.7l

An impressive 1.7l capacity means you’ll get plenty of top-ups from this kettle, which claims to be one of the quietest on the market. Our first thought, when using it for the first time, was that it didn’t seem particularly quiet, but the lower noise levels become more evident when it neared the boiling stage, when it was significantly quieter than other kettles. Using the controls and reading the display, whether it was switching between celsius and fahrenheit or selecting the boiling temperature, was a breeze, and although we were sceptical about the so-called “perfect pour” spout, we can confirm that it was a spill-and splash-reducing godsend.

Best: For style

Rating: 9/10

• Range: 50-100C
• Capacity: 1.7l

This is one of the most stylish kettles we’ve come across, and it’s incredibly easy to operate, thanks partly to the use of colour and light. A purple glow comes as standard, although different colours indicate different temperature settings (100C is represented by a particularly cheery red). Big plus and minus buttons make it easy to scroll through the temperature settings, and it’s also surprisingly quiet – even when it comes to the boil – and a single, short beep sounds when the desired temperature has been reached.

Best: For clear temperature controls

Rating: 10/10

• Range: 85-100C
• Capacity: 1.7l

Don’t get us wrong – thick manuals aren’t always a blessing, but we loved this one, which has useful guides to the ideal temperatures for a wide range of hot drinks, ranging from oolong and French press coffee to white and back tees. The kettle’s bold temperature display was incredibly accurate – adding just a few drops of cold water prompted the display to react immediately. It’s also a great option for anyone who likes to fine-tune their drinks – the temperature can be adjusted in five-degree increments, and the exact temperature (not one which is rounded up) is shown at all times. A slow-opening, soft-close lid (we’re certain we’re not alone in having a dislike of kettle lids that slam shut) is the icing on the cake.

Best: For top tech

Rating: 9/10

• Range: 60-100C
• Capacity: 1.5l

With its space-age styling, this kettle is a must for modern homes, although it’s also a brilliant option for families – and not just because the manual points out that it can be used to heat babies’ bottles. As a tester who has suffered burns in the past due to our eagerness to obtain our next tea fix, we loved the child-friendly, stay-cool exterior, which was even more surprising given this kettle’s lightweight feel. There are seven pre-set temperature programmes (although the temperature can also be tweaked in 10C increments), and a keep-warm function that maintains the temperature for 30 minutes. Our one gripe is a minor downside to its sleekness – once we’d peeled off the plastic overlay which covers the controls, which are on the 360​​-degree base station, rather than the kettle itself, we found it tricky to remember which area we needed to press, so keep that manual to hand initially.

Best: For classic accuracy

Rating: 9/10

• Range: 40-95C
• Capacity: 1.7l

A modern kettle with a nod to tradition in the form of a wooden-effect handle and lid knob, this offering from Haden Dorchester has a wide range of features, including a keep-warm function which will maintain any temperature between 40C and 95C for up to 40 minutes, and an incredibly accurate digital display that shows the exact temperature (which can be adjusted in five-degree increments) down to the degree – not by increments of five or 10, which seems to be the norm.

Best: For retro styling

Rating: 10/10

• Range: 50-100C
• Capacity: 1.7l

The new, improved version of Smeg’s most popular kettle, the KLF04 will be a guaranteed hit with die-hard fans, and although it lacks some of the features of more hi-tech kettles, we were pleased to see the keep-warm function (albeit for a shorter time of just 20 minutes) and we loved how this could be tweaked not by a button but by a knob – we pushed it to the right to raise the temperature, and to the left to lower it. There’s no digital readout – instead, a neat row of lights indicates the progression towards boiling point. Think of this as the classic car of kettles – it works brilliantly but speed obviously isn’t a priority (even the button-controlled lid was incredibly slow to open). But then again, in an age where there’s a growing emphasis on enjoying the moment, perhaps a slower approach to brewing the perfect cuppa is no bad thing.

Best: For value

Rating: 10/10

• Range: 50-100C
• Capacity: 1.7l

Although there’s plenty of tech in this kettle, the oversized handle was actually one of favourite things about it. It looks incredibly stylish, and there are five temperature settings to scroll through using the plus and minus buttons. We also loved the fact that each of the five settings has its own colour (courtesy of a light built into the side window), as well as the speedy boiling time.

Best: For coffee

Rating: 8/10

• Range: 38-100C
• Capacity: 0.8l

Although this kettle has been designed with coffee drinkers in mind, it’s a brilliant option for tea drinkers too. We loved the classic styling and its elegant, curved spout – again designed for slowing pouring over a V60 in mind, but an aesthetic extra we were seriously wooed by – and the options for customisation, whether it was the tweaking the temperature by tiny increments and the presence of a mute button – to silence the audible alerts – or the pause button, which can be used to hold the pre-set temperature for a period of five minutes.