02.Results
What to buy
All 10 tested kettles are energy-efficient and fairly quick to boil water, and they’re all pretty easy to use, so the choice comes down mainly to which one you think looks best. That said, the three above had a slight edge over the others, mainly for ease of use.
As well as being a good kettle, the SHARK has a novel feature to help justify its high price: you can dial up a specific water temperature and the kettle will heat to it and then hold it (for example, its instructions recommend 60°C to 80°C as the ideal temperature range for green tea).
What about the rest?
If you prefer to choose on looks, the rest were good kettles too.
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The SUNBEAM has the worst controls — they're unlabelled and hard to see, and its only water level indicator is inside the kettle.
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The base of the KRUPS tends to slide on the benchtop, and it has a very small, hard-to-read water level indicator.
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The TEFAL is one of the noisiest kettles on test, and at 1.29 kg it's also the heaviest. Weight doesn’t always affect comfort when holding and pouring, but on the TEFAL it does.
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The MORPHY RICHARDS is the most difficult to fill, as you have to keep its lid open by holding down a button, and water can spray out if it hits the filter. However, like most of the kettles, it's fairly easy to fill through the spout.
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The water level indicator of the KAMBROOK is hard to see and it’s one of the noisiest kettles on test.
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The RUSSELL HOBBS also has a hard-to-read water level indicator and its base tends to slide on the benchtop.
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The SANYO’s blue plastic water level indicator is hard to see through, and steam tends to drift up onto your hand while pouring.