The 7 Best Tea Kettles for Your Morning Ritual

I could never pick a favorite way to drink tea and coffee (I love them all!), but there is a soft spot in my heart for a late afternoon cup of loose-leaf tea. And a mid-morning pour-over coffee. And… you get the picture. Whatever your hot beverage preferences, you deserve a great tea kettle. 

Luckily, our team has been testing them for years, including stovetop tea kettles, electric kettles, and gooseneck kettles. We’ve got plenty of picks in every category and price, including variable and non-variable kettles for tea and coffee. Many of our winners have withstood multiple rounds of testing, proving their durability and long-lasting quality. To help you find the best tea kettle for your kitchen, I scoured our reviews and compiled this greatest hits list. It’s everything you need to know from all of our kettle reviews, in one place.

Some of Our Favorite Tea Kettles, at a Glance

The Best Stovetop Kettle

Le Creuset Classic Whistling Kettle

$125 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma $125 at Sur La Table

This enameled carbon steel tea kettle heats up super fast because it has a wide base that makes maximum contact with the heating element. It pours beautifully, too.

Another Great Stovetop Kettle

Chantal Vintage Series Tea Kettle

$95 at Amazon

The Chantal kettle was more affordable than the Le Creuset, and comes in almost as many fun glazes. Its spout has an easy-to-open cover.

The Best Electric Kettle

Breville Smart Kettle Luxe

$220 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma $220 at Sur La Table

Electric kettles heat water faster than stovetop kettles, and the Breville Smart Kettle Luxe is the speediest of the bunch. It comes with five temperature settings that are sufficient for most tea and coffee drinkers.

The Best Electric Kettle for Tea Drinkers

Fellow Corvo EKG Electric Kettle

$150 at Amazon View on Sur La Table View on Fellowproducts.com

If you want more control over your water's temperature, check out the Corvo. It lets you choose an exact temperature, anywhere between 104˚F and 212˚F. Like the Breville, it stays hot for an hour once it reaches its target temp.

What We Learned

What Are the Different Types of Kettles?

There are three types of kettles. A stovetop kettle is the most traditional and unfussy option. Just fill it with water and place it on your stovetop. These kettles are simple, reliable, and even offer a hint of nostalgia—especially if they’re whistling kettles! But you can’t heat them to specific temperatures, and they aren’t the most versatile, as not all are compatible with induction cooktops.  

Electric kettles are often more versatile because they usually have temperature presets or variable temperature controls. Even if they just offer a “boil” setting, they’re faster and more energy-efficient (unless you’re heating your stovetop kettle on an induction cooktop).

Gooseneck kettles are the most specialized. They have uniquely shaped spouts, which offer superior flow control. That’s a must for making pour-over coffee, a process in which the grounds must be evenly saturated by hand. Some gooseneck kettles also offer variable temperatures.

So, which type is the best tea kettle? If you want specific temperature controls, go for electric. If you make pour-over coffee, get a gooseneck. Don’t care about either of those things? Get a traditional stovetop kettle.

Variable vs. Non-Variable Tea Kettles

Beyond the heating unit, kettles can be grouped into two categories: variable and non-variable. Variable kettles allow the user to set a target temperature and will stop heating once it reaches it. The best variable kettles have “keep warm” settings that hold steady once they hit the target. Non-variable electric kettles don’t offer that same level of precision. With just an on-off switch, they’re pretty simple. 

Why would you use a variable kettle, especially considering they cost more? They make better coffee and tea. Only really robust black tea can handle boiling water. Other varieties, like green tea, require lower temperatures. Tea made with too-hot water can taste bitter, astringent, or too-tannic. And pour-over coffee should be brewed between 195˚F and 205˚F. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Tea Kettle

The best tea kettles are made from durable materials that heat quickly, like carbon steel or stainless steel. In our tests, electric kettles heated faster than stovetop kettles and some offered variable temperatures—a must for specialty tea and pour-over coffee. A tea kettle should have a cool-to-the-touch handle and pour without dripping. 

Our Favorite Tea Kettles

The Best Stovetop Kettle

Le Creuset Classic Whistling Kettle

$125 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma $125 at Sur La Table

What we liked: Made from enameled carbon steel with that iconic Le Creuset glaze, this is a handsome kettle you’ll happily display on your stovetop. It’s also the winner of our Stovetop Kettles review. It has a wide base, so it has maximum contact with the stovetop burner, which helps the water heat up faster! It pours politely, too, with no dribbles or drips. Its interior is smooth and it was easy to clean, even after multiple uses.

What we didn’t like: The handle gets a little toasty when just off the boil. Let it sit for a couple of minutes before pouring or use a good pot holder.

Key Specs

• Materials: Carbon steel, porcelain enamel, phenolic resin handle
• Stated capacity: 1.7 quarts
• Weight (when empty): 3 pounds
• Diameter of the kettle's opening: 4.25 inches
• Dimensions: 10.5 x 8 x 10 inches
• Compatible cooktops: Gas, electric, induction
• Dishwasher-safe: No

Another Great Stovetop Kettle

Chantal Vintage Series Tea Kettle

$95 at Amazon

What we liked: This is a great kettle, and it’s slightly less expensive than the Le Creuset. Almost everything about it, including the materials and design, matched Le Creuset, so it comes down to your color preferences—both kettles have plenty of fun, personality-forward glazes.

What we didn’t like: The Chantal kettle doesn’t heat water as fast as the Le Creuset because it has a smaller base. It took some muscle to pry off the lid, although I suspect that it’ll loosen with time and use.

Key Specs

• Materials: Carbon steel, enamel, 18/8 stainless steel accents, phenolic plastic
• Stated Capacity: 1.7 quarts
• Weight (when empty): 2 pounds 7 ounces
• Diameter of the kettle's opening: 4 inches
• Dimensions: 9.75 x 7.5 x 9.5 inches
• Compatible cooktops: Gas, electric, induction
• Dishwasher-safe: No

The Best Electric Kettle

Breville Smart Kettle Luxe

$220 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma $220 at Sur La Table

What we liked: This Breville electric kettle has it all. When my colleague Grace tested it, she was impressed with how quickly it heated water—about four and a half minutes for 28 ounces. (You can read her full review, and browse more of her picks, here.) Although the Smart Kettle Luxe doesn’t allow you to set specific temperatures, the five temperature settings (175°F, 195°F, 200°F, 205°F, and 212°F) are sufficient for most people’s needs. One of this kettle’s best features is that each temperature setting notes what it’s best for, such as pour-over coffee or green tea.

What we didn’t like: Its “keep warm" feature holds water at a temperature for 20 minutes, 10 minutes less than most other kettles with this option.

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 57 ounces
• Style: Variable
• Temperature settings: 175°F, 195°F, 200°F, 205°F, 212°F
• Keep warm: Yes, 20 minutes

The Best Electric Kettle for Tea Drinkers

Fellow Corvo EKG Electric Kettle

$150 at Amazon View on Sur La Table View on Fellowproducts.com

What we liked: This small electric kettle doesn’t take up much space, and it’s got a sleek display that turns off when not in use. Push the dial to start it, then turn it until you reach your desired temperature—the Corvo lets you choose an exact temperature, anywhere between 104˚F and 212˚F. If you like to refresh your cup, you’ll appreciate that it can hold a temperature for up to an hour. It’s a really pretty kettle, too!

What we didn’t like: Its capacity is on the smaller side, and it took almost a minute longer than the Breville Smart Kettle to heat 28 ounces of water.

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 30 ounces
• Style: Variable
• Temperature settings: 104°F to 212°F
• Keep warm: Yes, 60 minutes

The Best Non-Variable Electric Kettle

Fellow Clyde Electric Kettle

$100 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma $100 at Sur La Table

What we liked: Don’t expect any fancy features on the Fellow Clyde. But if you’re shopping for a non-variable tea kettle, you already know that. The Clyde has one job (boil water) and does it very well. It sits securely on the heating unit, and all you have to do is push a tab to turn it on. The large silicone-coated handle helps you get a good grip—and it stays cool, even when at a boil.

What we didn’t like: It’s kinda pricey for a tea kettle with no temperature control options.

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 51 ounces
• Style: Non-variable
• Temperature settings: Boil
• Keep warm: No

The Best Large Capacity Electric Kettle

Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch Electric Kettle Pro

$200

$120 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma $150 at Wayfair

What we liked: Does your preferred mug look more like a bowl than a dainty teacup? Your priority should be a big electric kettle. The Zwilling Enfinigy can heat 1.5 liters—more than most electric kettles. I’d be impressed with it based on that stat alone, but I was really pleased to learn that it was extremely accurate in the temperature test—an instant-read thermometer confirmed that the Zwilling could hit target temps with no problem. There’s even a preset for warming baby food, and one for pour-overs. In other words, this Clydesdale of a kettle is not a one-trick pony.

What we didn’t like: The lid and handle are plastic, which is a bummer because the kettle itself is made from stainless steel. And the lid is hinged, which makes it more difficult to fill. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 1.5 liters (about 6 cups)
• Style: Variable
• Temperature settings: 140°F, 160°F, 175°F, 212°F, pour-over, baby food 
• Keep warm: Yes, 30 minutes

The Best Gooseneck Kettle

Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle

$180

$144 at Amazon $200 at Fellowproducts.com $165 at World Market

What we liked: Pour-over coffee requires two things from a kettle: a gooseneck spout that slows and controls water flow, and extremely accurate and consistent temperatures. For the best cup of coffee, you should be brewing between 195˚F and 205˚F, and the Stagg EKG nailed that in my gooseneck kettles review. The “keep warm” setting can be accessed with an independent, small switch. I loved that feature because many other electric kettles require you to toggle through one dial or button. And although you’re not supposed to watch a kettle boil, this one encourages it: The digital display shows the climbing current temperature and your target temperature. The counterweighted handle and consistent flow rate were confirmation that pros know their gear: This is one of the most popular gooseneck kettles in coffee shops.

What we didn’t like: Tip it too far over while pouring and water will leak from the lid. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic handles
• Weight: 4.52 pounds
• Voltage: 120 volts
• Stated capacity: 0.9 liters
• Keep warm: 1 hour
• Warranty: 1-year limited
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic lid and handles
• Weight: 1.76 pounds
• Voltage: 240 volts
• Stated capacity: 0.8 Liters
• Keep warm: N/A
• Warranty: Not specified

FAQs

What’s the best stainless steel tea kettle?

The Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch Electric Kettle Pro is made from stainless steel with a painted finish. For a pretty coated stainless steel gooseneck kettle, check out our favorite, the Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle. The less-expensive Hario V60 Buono Electric Gooseneck Kettle is made from uncoated stainless steel.

How do you descale a tea kettle?

Over time, hard water can leave mineral deposits in your tea kettle. To remove them, use a coffee descaler. Add the descaler to the kettle, fill it with water, boil, then rinse thoroughly. 

Is the Le Creuset tea kettle really worth it? 

Yes! It’s the best stovetop kettle in our review. It’s made from durable yet lightweight carbon steel, which heats up quickly. The extra-wide base ensures it heats water even faster, and the handle stays cool.

Why We’re the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats. She’s been working in food media for almost two decades and has been reviewing kitchen gear since 2021. 
• For this review, Rochelle reviewed Serious Eats’ three tea kettle reviews (stovetop kettles, electric kettles, and gooseneck kettles) and compiled all of the relevant tested results in one handy list.
• She prides herself on an intuitive ability to turn off the burner seconds before her stovetop kettle begins to whistle.