Determine whether you’d like a kettle made of stainless steel, which doesn’t rust or stain, or one constructed from heat-resistant borosilicate glass. Glass models allow you to actually see the tea as it brews. With the spout cap flipped down, the kettle makes a loud whistle when the water is ready, so there's no need to set a timer. In addition to the silicone handle, the kettle has a silicone lid handle and spout cap to protect your fingers from the hot steel surface, but unfortunately, we found that they can still get pretty hot when the kettle's on the stove. You may need to use a dish towel or hot pad when taking the kettle off the burner.

The SCAA recognizes home brewers that meet our longstanding rigorous technical requirements. These requirements are based on decades of industry knowledge and research by the Coffee Brewing Center. All SCAA Certified Brewers have met these requirements, which are based generally on proper water temperature, brewing time, and ability to brew within the SCAA Gold Cup recommendations. If a brewer passes all of the tests conducted by the SCAA, that brewer will be recognized as an exemplary home brewer and join the short list of SCAA Certified Brewers. If you own any OXO Good Grips items, you know how well they work. If you’re OXO Good Grips curious, now’s the time to discover how excellent they are for yourself. You’ll find an expansive range of OXO kitchen utensils, home devices and OXO food storage containers available at Lakeland. Whatever your household needs, we’re confident we’ve got an OXO Good Grips solution to make life simpler. The OXO Good Grips promiseI have been using the kettle daily for 6 months and recently have experienced what seems to be a weakening of the "spring" (a flat metal strip) that holds the whistling spout cap up when you depress the lever. As a result, the cap sometimes flops down when I'm pouring, and that splatters hot water. It doesn't seem possible even for bigger hands than mine to hold the kettle and the spout latch with the same hand, and besides, with when pouring, some steam does come out the spout too, and also around the cap hinge, so you don't really want to be holding the cap latch lever, even if you can use both hands while pouring, which is very awkward. A more positive latching mechanism is needed to keep the cap open while the kettle is tipped for pouring.

Electric kettles are primarily made from three materials: plastic, glass, or steel. Each one brings a different aesthetic to your kitchen and also affects the weight of the kettle. If you're worried about a kettle being too heavy, it's probably best to go the plastic route, though there are some great lightweight options in the glass and steel department. Superkop Lever Espresso Machine One of the most unique espresso makers currently on the market, this is our First Look at the Superkop ratchet lever espresso machine. Looking for a stovetop kettle that's long-lasting and top-of-the-line? Le Creuset has you covered. The company known for its cast-iron Dutch ovens also manufactures a line of stunning tea kettles (among many other kitchen goods). This stainless steel kettle is covered in porcelain enamel and makes an excellent registry gift or opportunity to treat yourself and upgrade your current tea kettle. It holds nearly 2 quarts and comes in nine gorgeous colors, including pale-blue Caribbean, bright-red cerise, and warm-gray oyster. A fit for most kitchens, this model is a great value buy. The Cosori Glass Electric Kettle has a 1.7-liter capacity, which is comparable to standard stovetop kettles, so you can fill your teapot or French press completely. It's also equipped with a reliable automatic shutoff to safely prevent dry boiling. Our Lab team has spent collective decades working in professional kitchens, developing recipes, and testing kitchen gear.The large opening for filling and cleaning as well as the tight fitting lid are the best features of this kettle. OXO make superb kitchen utensils, but they’ve applied their expertise to a wider range of household products too. Particularly their selection of OXO food storage containers. The item automatically shuts off after three hours of inactivity and has boil-dry protection to alert users when there's no water left in the kettle. There's also a live temperature display that helps owners brew tea at the proper temperature which, in turn, makes a significant difference in flavor. Keep in mind that the kettle can't pause at a specific temperature—a feature that some high-end models are equipped with. Instead, you'll have to keep an eye on the temperature readout and remove the kettle from the base at the right time. And the quality of your tea kettle can affect how your tea tastes. Shunan Teng, the founder and CEO of Tea Drunk, told us that an incorrect water temperature is one of three main brewing mistakes that prevent tea from reaching its best flavor. The other two mistakes are, first, brewing for too long or too short and, second, using too much or too little tea.

The Cuisinart PerfecTemp tops our list thanks to its fast boiling time, sleek design, and ease of use. As a cheaper alternative, the Hamilton Beach Electric Kettle is another worthwhile option with six preset temperatures options as well. What to Look for in an Electric Kettle Features Since it isn't intended for soup (get a saucepan or soup pot!) or other liquids, there should be no need for it to fit in a dishwasher. (I don't have one of those, except me.) Tea kettles come in many different sizes, though the ones we tested ranged mostly from 1 to 2 quarts. In general, electric kettles tend to have slightly lower capacity than stovetop ones (and our top-rated electric kettle is also the smallest one we tested). What's important is to match your kettle size to your needs. If you usually make a single cup of tea or fill a small French press, you might not want a huge kettle taking up space on your stovetop or in your cabinet. If you often entertain large crowds, however, it’s nice to be able to serve everyone without waiting for a second batch of water to boil.There are models that are both microwave- and refrigerator-safe if that is a feature that interests you. But just as you have to use care with pour-over coffee, you'll need to be cautious with the Hario V60 in general. The kettle doesn't have a fill line marked, and we found that it tends to boil over if filled up all the way. The kettle's base is also smaller than many other stovetop models, which means that you should use a lower heat level on a gas stove to make sure flames don't flow up around the sides and potentially melt the handle. Leaving an unattended pot on a stove, especially a gas stove with open flame is never a good idea, whistle or no whistle. It doesn't take that long to boil water.

There are some cons to consider before purchasing, however. First, the item is fairly loud when boiling; this may not be an issue to many, but it is worth noting nonetheless. The lid also doesn't open all the way, which can make it a little difficult to clean. OXO products don’t just offer a helping hand in the kitchen. In our collection of OXO utensils and household tools, you’ll find OXO Good Grip squeegees to make cleaning your shower a doddle, plus a range of high-performance OXO cleaning brushes to use around the home. If you browse our full range, we’re sure you’ll find the OXO product you’re looking for to help out in your home. I have been using the OXO daily ever since, typically twice a day to make tea or heat water for drip or instant coffee, and find it a satisfactory replacement for my old kettle, and in a couple of ways better.

If you use a stovetop kettle on a gas burner, you may end up with some pesky burn marks. These are tough to remove and may need a couple of different cleaning tactics. First, soak the kettle in hot water and dish soap for 30 minutes to two hours. ( Do not do this with an electric kettle.) Second, lightly cover the kettle’s exterior with baking soda, then scrub with a sponge or brush and a combination of water and dish soap until clean. Finally, rinse and dry the kettle as normal. According to Shunan Teng, the founder and CEO of Tea Drunk, one way to make better tea at home is to use hotter water for high-quality tea and lower-temperature water for subpar tea. "Hotter temperatures bring out the flavors in better tea," she says, "and lower temperatures dilute the flaws in lower-quality tea. With bad tea, the bitterness and astringency would come out with higher temperatures." Can you heat milk in an electric kettle? The main downside we found is the kettle's small capacity. At a bit short of a quart, it's only able to make two or three cupfuls of tea or coffee at a time. If you're the kind of person who needs a mug of hot beverage all day long (or if you're brewing for a whole caffeine-loving family), you might find yourself having to refill and reheat multiple times.