Compare The Best Swan Electric KettlesFebruary 2019

Capacity

The most important attribute of a kettle is its capacity - how much water the kettle can hold and boil in a single use. The capacity of our kettles are measured in litres, and range from small 1/2 litre one-person kettles, to enormous kettles that can boil 2 litres or more at once. It is more efficient to boil only the water you need at the time, so if you are living alone or have a small family, a smaller kettle may save you money in the long run.

Speed of Boiling

Secondly, it's important to consider how quickly the kettle will boil water. Not all makes of kettle are created equally - some have more powerful or efficient heating elements, that allow them to head up water substantially faster than the competition. While the difference in time may be only 10 or 20 seconds, when you think how many times you boil the kettle every day, that could add up to a substancial amount of time saved every day.

Cool-touch Housing

Modern kettles may be made using a double-walled or 'cool touch' casing. As the name suggests, these kettles are designed so that the casing doesn't get hot, even when freshly-boiled. This makes them safer to use, and reduces the risk of you accidentally burning yourself on a boiling hot kettle.

Customisable Temperature & Dosage

Some more advanced kettles may have the ability to change the temperature of the water being dispensed, so that it can be made either hotter or cooler than usual. This is especially helpful for coffee (which should ideally be made with water around 90C) or Chinese tea (best made with water around 70C). While you will pay extra for such an addition, if you routinely find your green teas spoilt by overly-hot water, this may be a worthwhile investment.

Other models of kettle have the ability to control the amount of water boiled and served in a single use. The user selects the amount of water (half a cup, 250ml, etc) and the kettle takes that amount of water from an internal reservoir, heats it, and dispenses it. This can save you money on your energy bills, but not heating unneeded water every time you want a small cup of tea.