got to buy a new kettle

I need a new kettle
I want one that lasts.

What's a good buy it for life, plug into the wall, electric kettle?  

Glass?  

I bought a russel hobbs k3 off ebay because my parents old one lasted for about 20 years. Most modern ones dont last longer than 3-4 years.

Henry Jabel wrote:Most modern ones dont last longer than 3-4 years.

That's bad news.  
I've never had a kettle last less than 8 years.  This one lasted 9 but it burnt me yesterday when the handle got hot and melted a bit.

r ranson wrote:

Henry Jabel wrote:Most modern ones dont last longer than 3-4 years.

That's bad news.  
I've never had a kettle last less than 8 years.  This one lasted 9 but it burnt me yesterday when the handle got hot and melted a bit.

Go buy something from late mid to late 90's at the latest then (pre everything being made in China), you can still find them on Ebay.  Infact thanks to you I searched and have a replacement heating element for my kettle! It is an impossible task to replace them in a modern kettle and yet these old kettles achieved it with a few screws and a few minutes of your time. You have to love the idea of progress and simply chucking the whole item away instead.

I have had ! FARBERWARE  coffee perk for since the mid 70's.

I have heard some good things about the russell hobbs that was also mentioned.

I have two electric kettles, because we drink an enormous amount of tea and coffee. One was purchased,  the other a gift to us. I use both always, because one is in the basement where my studio is. lol.

I have a cuisinart (the gift) that is cordless, has adjustable heat settings between 60-100 degrees, and a glass body. The on/off and other buttons are on the base, not on the kettle. It is about 10 years old now. Truthfully I dont use the other temp settings much, but it was very thoughtful so now I have the option if I want them.

The second is a kenmore, which I purchased for myself when I was 18. I think sears went out of business, or at least here in Canada, some years back, so that doesnt help anyone. That is also cordless, with a simple solid stainless steel body and steel lid. That one is over 16 years old now :D Kenmore made nice kettles, I bought that one because I bought my nana one years before that. I am quite certain they are Bought for Life.

I like cordless because they always have an automatic shutoff, and I feel more comfortable filling or cleaning them when the pot is not attached to a cord.

Most important considerations for me are materials (I admit, though my nice gifted glass kettle has lasted at least a decade now, I would not buy myself a glass kettle, or plastic, as I like just plain metal)

I have heard from numerous tea-quaffing asian friends many VERY good things of zojirushi water boilers, and I have zojirushi rice cooker and thermos containers that I consider Bought for Life, but I think the water boilers have plastic bodies.

Second most important consideration is where the switch is. I wouldnt risk buying anything that had an electric switch up near the openings or on the handle. Wet hands or a splash from the sink can wear that down and risks breaking the little motherboard inside.   I am sure they  are always made with some waterproof membrane over it, but I feel that will break down fastest and just gives an unnecessary risk to the kettle breaking.

Also, if your water is hard a covered heating element is better. Also much easier to clean then. I boil vinegar or a spoon of citric acid in water once a month to descale mine, as oir water is very hard.

Do not buy a kettle like this, with a lid that operates on a button we had one, and after about 18 months the hinge on the lid went. so we took it back and it was replaced without a murmur. a year later the new one broke in exactly the same place, so we took it back and they would have replaced it again but we asked if we could spend a bit more and get a different model. They agreed so we bought one with a pull off lid. no hinge to break.

Skandi Rogers wrote:

Do not buy a kettle like this, with a lid that operates on a button we had one, and after about 18 months the hinge on the lid went. so we took it back and it was replaced without a murmur. a year later the new one broke in exactly the same place, so we took it back and they would have replaced it again but we asked if we could spend a bit more and get a different model. They agreed so we bought one with a pull off lid. no hinge to break.

Ahh yes, Skandi. My mother in law uses her tea kettle very little, but we had to buy her a new one few years ago because hers had an attached lid like that one, and the hinge went!

I've had several hinge-lid kettles (as pictured above) where the latching mechanism failed. Cheap plastic. The last one was off warranty, so I drilled a hole on either side near the top, into the heavy plastic part of the lid, and put in two self-tapping metal screws by hand. That way, the lid can't pop open and scald someone. Slower to fill, but saved from the landfill.  

won't say electric kettle nor glass kettle. if you're buying for life you better have the water boiler. it is more convenience and better than normal electric kettle

I'm pleased with a single induction burner alongside our gas stove. We have a nice little steel pot that boils quickly on it, and both can be used for many other purposes, not just boiling water. Maybe an induction friendly kettle on an induction burner would work as well as an electric kettle, and get additional use as an extra burner in the kitchen other times?

Also, our induction burner works with the steel stovetop espresso maker -- and makes the coffee in 3 to 5 minutes! So I love it. Coffee takes at least twice as long on the little gas burner.

True, induction burners could be a viable alternative. I look forward to playing with one someday, if I can find a countertop single burner that accommodates a decent size fry pan.

This is a great thread about energy efficiency and different kettle types: https://permies.com/t/2429/electric-kettle-stove-top

Also, since I'm going to be using the kettle, the auto-off and boil-dry-protection is essential.  

r ranson - if your water is as hard as ours, I'll repeat the comment from above - Regular "descaling" with vinegar is really important to helping the kettle last and not overheat. Hubby has a "reminder" in his computer calendar to do so 4 times a year.

I've never used a "water boiler", but we've gone through a pair of Zojirushi bread makers over the last 20+ years and Hubby's really pleased that he can get parts to fix them (who cares about voiding the warranty when it's expired anyway!). In other words, we've had good experiences with the company.

My kettle is 30 years old and showing it's age and has had TLC like new cord and plug a couple of times. It will turn off if it overheats, but that's it. It's half the size of a typical kettle (barely does 4 cups) which is occasionally a nuisance, but mostly an asset as it takes up less space and actually fits on a shelf in the cupboard above where I use it. I dread it dying and it will be interesting to see what's available when the time comes!

This ceramic model I bought at Target has served me well the past 5 years. Cord is in the base, not the pot. Automatic switch-off if it boils too long or is empty.  Switch lights up so you can see when it is on. Pot must be properly on base and then switched on for heat to engage, so low risk of accidents.  Base has plastic parts, but pot is ceramic with a stainless steel bottom plate, so your drinking water is not in contact with plastic.

I have been using the Hamilton beach one for a few years and I know some one that used the same model 4x a day for 5 years before getting a new one since the lid would not stay closed. Here is a link to that model ~$30 https://amzn.to/3jeA4yh I really like it and used it when I needed to heat baby bottles at night. I used glass bottles and a Pyrex dish.

If you want to get fancy and set/ hold a set temp check out the Miroco electric kettle for ~$45 amazon has a $5 off coupon right now. The link is https://amzn.to/3cFcwjD if you like cooler drinks or want to make small batches of beer/mead this could be handy.

We dug out the backup kettle from the basement.  It was a "free with points" kind of deal.  It automatically turns off... and that's about the only good thing about it.  But it gives me a guideline on the requirements I demand of a kettle.

It takes 16 min to boil 1.4 ltrs of water!  My old kettle was getting slow and took 7 min to boil 1.7 ltrs of water!  

First requirement: it hold at least 1.7 ltrs of water!  Even that's a bit small, but I can boil it twice if it doesn't take too long.

Second requirement: it boil the max amount in under 10 min.

Third requirement (although this really should be the first): it be left-handed friendly.  For some reason, I always use a kettle with my left hand (or anything to do with pouring liquid) and the backup kettle only has markings on the side for righthanded users.  The handle is extremely uncomfortable for lefthanded use and I'm having to sloppily use my right hand to pour water from the kettle.

The backup kettle makes me regret taking the melted kettle to the electronic recycling already.  

It doesn't quite meet your volume requirements, and hasn't yet reached its first birthday, but this is the kettle I'm using.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07TYGG2S3


I'm a lefty (it swivels on the base), the top is totally removable for cleaning, controls are on the base, the base has drain holes for the occasional over-fill, and it boils 1.5 L in 7'10" (from ~20C).

nifty!

Someone in the house took the bull by the horns and bought a glass kettle from AmazonBasics.  It looks amazing and is big enough at 1.7 ltrs.  I can use it left or right-handed.

But it feels scary having glass full of boiling water.  What if I drop it? What if I knock it?  

I use a lot of glass stuff and.... well, sometimes it breaks, but not as often as I had feared.
If you have a stainless steel drain board on your sink or granite countertop or similar and it gets really cool in your house, I suggest you don't set the kettle down on the cold countertop when it's hot. I had the bottom fall out of my tempered glass teapot that way this winter. Not my brightest moment. But that's really the only disaster that wouldn't have happened regardless of material involved (ceramic tile in the kitchen means we break a decent quantity of things, unfortunately, but not as much as I expected when we first moved in).

Not really fond of plug electric kettles.  I have a cheap one that has lasted 10 years now that I use occasionally. A really good electric one, like the Zojirushi Hybrid, is going to set you back about $200.  Then what happens when the electricity goes out? No kettle.  I have the Silverfire Dragon Fire kettle. It heats up really fast (It has fins on the bottom) and it will work when the electricity is out. I then pour the water in my Airpot and it stays hot all day. I like that I can carry the Airpot with me to my different "little houses" I live in.  All my little houses are in a compound style, all functions different, one a bedroom, one a kitchen, etc.  So the Silverfire serves me well, even can take it outside when I am doing a long chore. I like that I can set in on the wood stove to heat it up. Sort of a old time feeling I like early in the morning. I can use it on the Rocket Stove if I want. I like things I can use multiple ways. Not fond of having to depend on electricity. One thing I especially like about the Dragon Fire is that it is 4 liters.  Its big enough that I can heat up a lot of water, once....instead of multiple times, or just a little water - I like choices. I can heat up water for a kitchen function and tea water, plus hot water for anything I might need - just once.  Sort of lazy that way, I don't have time to be repeating functions thru out the day.  Just once in the morning, water into one or more Airpots, and I am set till the next morning.

I have been through SO many kettles and they kept breaking until this one: Viante® 1.5 Liter Digital Steeper Kettle (link below)

I use it 4-5 times a day and got it 4 or so years ago?  Pretty impressive for that much use.

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/5167439/5167440?skuId=64875163&enginename=bing&mcid=PS_bing_nonbrand_coffeeteamakers_Online&product_id=64875163&adtype=&product_channel=Online&adpos=&creative=&device=c&matchtype=e&network=s&utm_source=bingpla&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ProductType3%3Dtea%2520kettles%2520%26%2520potsBrand%3D&enginename=bing&msclkid=CIi_q8_sk-wCFUkgfgod6W0J5g&creative=77721843472849&device=c&matchtype=e&msclkid=23f3056b760513998ba25a1d7e662080&gclid=CIi_q8_sk-wCFUkgfgod6W0J5g&gclsrc=ds

Better than a electric kettle is just get a good stainless one for on the stove and then purchase a pump pot/airpot that keeps the water hot in it. We do this and it allows hot water for tea or other hot drinks, instant oatmeal, etc to be available from 4 am till 2 or 3 pm when if needed we heat a second kettle of water to go in it for the evening. We also dump the still hot, or warm if overnight, water from the pump pot back into the kettle so that we don't have to heat totally cold water. Saves energy.

Ok.. in the interest of fairness I can see the electric kettle having a place in a lot of circumstances. Small apt without kitchen etc. I would still add the pump pot/airpot. I can also see where it wouldn't dump as much heat into the environment when heating the kettle as ours does on a gas stove top. In the summer I try to minimize that type of heat in the house to help the A/C.

If you drink hot drinks all day every day your pump pot will last about 5 years or so. Don't buy the glass lined ones from sam's they are subject to the inner liner breaking, If they don't break, the seal they use at the neck between the glass and outer liner breaks down and gets in the water over time. After trying many models and brands we have settled on one of Bunn's airpots. It seems to last the longest and hold the temperature of water the best. I think we get about 5 to 8 years life out of one. we haven't worn out the body of one yet but the plastic pump lever and the inner plastic fitting that has the pickup tube in it degrade over time and become brittle and break. Honestly I don't think it is even due to cheap parts but to the fact that ours has 220 to 180 degree F water in it all day every day all year round. Over time the heat makes the plastic brittle. In an industrial setting I think most people would be happy with an avg 7 year lifespan. You can get replacement fittings for some of it also though I thought them pricey. For the average person I think it would last 20 years or better if they just pulled it out for parties etc.. I wasn't happy to spend the 40is dollars for a new one after 7 years. I did though for how well it keeps the water hot and the energy efficiency and convenience of hot water on demand all day long. I just take it for granted that I have 180-220 degree water available all day long while only making 1 to 2 kettles of water depending on our usage.

Here is the specific bunn model we use. It is a slightly wider squatter unit than some and fits will under the overhead cabinets on the kitchen counter so you can use it without dragging it out from under the cabinets overhang.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FAMSFK/


Don't use tap water in your kettle. Filter it first. We have a RO filter under the sink and I can not clean our kettle for a  year and it is still shiny inside. Using tap water or even bottled water will end up with a film of minerals and other stuff to build up quickly. Though using very clean filtered water will ruin you for using water from other places for tea or coffee. It really messes with the flavor of most hot drinks after you get used to actually using clean water.

The kettle we currently use is my favorite one of all time, it is a large 2qt kitchen aid that is no longer made. If you can find one used I would jump on it. We have  been using ours for 10 years and is in better condition today than it was the day we got it. There is a story there We predominately have only used it on gas stoves. If you want to see a longer write up that I did years ago on these you can follow the very bottom link to it on my website. It is from when I was writing about using these on the boat we lived on at the time.

Kettle link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009U5MYK/

http://www.scottcarle.com/wordpress/?p=1066

Scot, that's what my in-laws do. Actually in winter when they have their keresene heaters on (I don't like them because of the fumes but that's what they are used to) they put a kettle on top and use the extra heat that comes out of them to boil the kettle. Then put that water in a big thermos kind of thing that you can pour out into a teapot with a push of a button. Sort of like a server. Then they fill up the kettle again to make more hot water.

The more I watch what they do, the more I realise they use old school ways of being sustainable. I like what I see most of the time (they always collect grey water and don't waste energy at all). It isn't the fancy insta worthy sustainability but I think it is the real thing.

As for us, I use a stove top enamelled kettle on our induction hob. Its only a very small one so boils so fast. I usually try to boil only enough for what I need but sometimes over estimate. I think one of those Thermos server type things would be a good way to reduce the amount the hob is on.

Any updates/successes to this thread?

We are in the market.

We cook on propane but are willing to compromise with an electric kettle as we are both 'burning' water more and more often.....

I like the idea of glass although stainless would be fine...can spend a bit but no where near that $200 one!

Most importantly we have to have an automatic shutoff and be easy to delime.

This is another area that I miss cooking on a wood stove...back then, if I forgot or didn't pay close attention, the fire would go out before the kettle went dry.

r ranson wrote:

Someone in the house took the bull by the horns and bought a glass kettle from AmazonBasics.  It looks amazing and is big enough at 1.7 ltrs.  I can use it left or right-handed.

But it feels scary having glass full of boiling water.  What if I drop it? What if I knock it?  

We retired the kettle last month (a little over 4 years of use).   Not because of anything wrong with the kettle, but the human element.

I'm getting more prone to knocking things against so called inanimate objects and as I've had pyrex shatter before, I felt scared to put more water in a hot kettle due to thermal shock.

The kettle showed no sign of anything going wrong with the glass.

So out of an abundance of caution,  we got a stainless steel ninja.

I'm considering getting a new kettle, too.  The cord on the kettle end of mine is becoming slightly finicky from plugging and unplugging over the years, so I occasionally have to jiggle it until the light turns on.

I'm fairly certain the one I have is this model below, but I'm not positive, as the label has long since worn away, as it is almost 15 years old.

Proctor Silex Electric Tea Kettle, Water Boiler & Heater Auto-Shutoff & Boil-Dry Protection, 1000 Watts for Fast Boiling, 1 Liter, White https://a.co/d/5jvSuOW

Also, does anyone have a recommendation for a 12V kettle model with automatic shut-off?

Yep, not having to plug in and unplug the kettle is a must for us.  Wears out cord, wears out plug.  Cord can catch on things when filling up the kettle.

It's a lot of wattage for a dodggy connection.

If we went back to that, I would install one of those plugs with a switch like they have in the uk.  Those are awesome for shutting off electricity to things without having to unplug them.