What are the Different Types of Kettles?

Kettles split into two families: electric kettles with a built-in heater, and stovetop kettles that need a hob, burner or fire.

Electric kettles

An electric kettle has a heating element in its base and a thermostat that switches it off once the water boils. This is the most common type in the UK and Ireland and increasingly common in the US.

How the automatic switch-off works

Most electric kettles use a bimetallic thermostat: a disc made of two metals that expand at different rates. Steam from the boiling water is channelled onto the disc, which snaps into a different shape and trips the switch. A second safety cut-out switches the element off if the kettle is switched on empty (boil-dry protection).

The automatic electric kettle dates back to 1955, when Russell Hobbs launched the K1, which used a bimetallic strip triggered by steam to switch itself off.

Pros

• Fast. The element sits in or right under the water, so very little heat is wasted. Kettles on 230 V supplies (UK, Ireland, Europe) are typically up to 3 kW and boil faster than US kettles, which are usually limited to around 1.5 kW on a 120 V outlet.
• Switches off by itself, so you can walk away.
• Works anywhere there’s an outlet, handy in small kitchens, offices and dorms where allowed.

Cons

• Needs electricity, so it’s no use during a power cut or when camping without power.
• Shorter lifespan than a good stovetop kettle, because the element and switch eventually fail.
• Plastic bodies are lighter and cheaper, and some people notice a plastic taste in a new kettle. Stainless steel or glass bodies avoid this.

Variable-temperature and smart kettles

Some electric kettles let you choose a temperature below boiling, which is useful for green and white tea and for coffee. A smart kettle adds WiFi or Bluetooth so you can start it and set the temperature from an app or voice assistant. See how does a smart kettle work?

Stovetop kettles

A stovetop kettle is a pot with a spout and handle that heats on a gas, electric or induction hob, or a camping stove or fire. Many have a whistle that sounds when the water boils.

Materials

• Stainless steel: durable, doesn’t rust and works on most hobs, including induction if it has a magnetic base.
• Enamelled steel: comes in colours and works on induction, but the enamel can chip.
• Copper: heats quickly and looks traditional, but needs polishing. Most copper kettles are lined with another metal.
• Cast iron: very heavy and holds heat well. Japanese tetsubin-style pots are cast iron; some are teapots meant for serving rather than kettles meant for the hob, so check before heating one.

Check the base if you have an induction hob. Only kettles with a magnetic base will work.

Pros

• No electricity needed on a gas hob or camping stove.
• Very durable, with no electronics to fail.
• The whistle tells you when it’s ready.

Cons

• Slower, especially on electric coil hobs, and less energy-efficient than an electric kettle because heat escapes around the sides.
• Doesn’t switch itself off. You have to remember to take it off the heat.
• Handles and bodies get hot.

A stovetop kettle doesn’t make water hotter than an electric kettle. At normal air pressure, water boils at about 100°C (212°F) whichever way you heat it; once it’s boiling, extra heat just makes more steam.

Gooseneck kettles

A gooseneck kettle has a long, thin, curved spout that pours a slow, controlled stream. It’s designed for pour-over coffee, where you pour water evenly over the grounds. Gooseneck kettles come in both electric and stovetop versions, and electric ones often have temperature control.

Which type should you choose?

• Fastest and most convenient: an electric kettle.
• For tea or coffee at specific temperatures: a variable-temperature electric kettle.
• For pour-over coffee: a gooseneck kettle, ideally with temperature control.
• For a gas hob, camping or power cuts: a stainless steel stovetop kettle.

Whichever you choose, descaling it regularly in a hard-water area keeps it working well. See why do kettles get limescale?