Cordless Electric Kettles

It was a cold weekend afternoon and wanting something hot, I decided to make a cup of coffee. As the big coffee maker was cleaned up from the morning cups of coffee I got the old plug in tea kettle and one of those cone drip coffee filter things (which I’m sure has some official name). Great for a single cup and easy to clean. Alas, the electric tea kettle didn’t work – upon inspection, it appeared that the electric cord had worn completely through near the base. Annoying, but fortunately I didn’t find out the hard way by grabbing it with wet hands!

Time for a new one. Having realized over the past six months or so that Amazon sells nearly everything in the world, I checked out their kettles. Most of the best sellers were “cordless”. At first I thought they were some sort of battery operated kettles – I didn’t want to be paying for tons of batteries! Turns out they have a base that contains the heating element and the pot goes on top of this. Basically a hot plate with a coffee pot on top, but better designed. Sounded like a decent idea, and after researching a number of them came up with some that looked pretty good and I could live with any of them, except perhaps the Capresso model which looks completely cool, but some users have reported a chemical / plastic taste. The one we finally decided on is the Aroma AWK-115S. It has many positive reviews and at the time of this writing sells for just under $25.00 on Amazon (and qualifies for free shipping!).

This stylish cordless kettle with a polished stainless steel exterior will look great on any kitchen counter and fit in with nearly any décor. The Aroma AWK-115S isn’t just an attractive addition to a kitchen, but is a high quality kettle with many great features. It heats up to 1.5 liters of water fast and lifts off its base so it’s not necessary to bother with a power cord while you’re filling the pot or pouring your coffee or other beverage. It also features an automatic shut off for safety, a non drip spout, a water-level indicator and a stay cool handle. Although fully featured, the Armoa AWK-115S is compact, measuring only 8” x 8” x 9” – perfect for keeping under kitchen cabinets.

As one would expect from Cuisinart, this is a high quality, stylish and feature rich appliance with a somewhat higher price tag than most cordless kettles. The added expense is worth it if you’re looking for a wide range of quality and features. The 1 2/3 liter Cuisinart CPK-17 uses 1500 watts, more than most kettles. This heats water faster, thus saving time. It also includes six different heat settings, which is unusual for kettles (most just heat to boiling) which range from 160 degrees Fahrenheit to “boil”. This is great if you don’t want to overheat the beverage you’re brewing. It also includes LED indicators, a “keep warm” button, a 360 degree swivel base, a stay cool nonslip handle, a scale filter (great if you have hard water) and an automatic shutoff for safety.

The Hamiton Beach 40898 can rapidly bring 64 ounces of water to a boil using its concealed heating element. Easy to use, it detaches from its base to fill, fits back in its power base and starts with a simple “on” switch. Within minutes, a hot pot of water is ready to use. The 40898 also includes an automatic shut off feature that turns the pot off once the water boils, so you don’t need to worry about the kettle boiling dry. Other features include a locking lid, drip-free spout, stylish stay cool stainless steel housing and a mineral deposit filter to keep your water pure.

This cordless electric kettle has a solid collection of basic features at a very reasonable price. The 1 ¾ quart Kalorik JK-19967 can boil water twice as fast as microwave ovens and is great for boiling water to make coffee, hot chocolate, tea or any other hot beverage. It heats so fast that customers have reported that it will “scortch” liquids other than water, so it is probably not the best choice for soup or similar liquids. It also includes a locking lid with opening trigger button, an easy grip handle, a water level indicator, and an automatic safety shutoff. Overall, it’s a solid kettle at an economical price.  The Kalorik JK-19967 is also available in both black and white models.

Another quality electric kettle from Cuisinart! The 1 ¾ quart Cuisinart KUA-17 is shaped like the traditional stovetop kettle, but includes a nice variety of modern features that make it perfect for any kitchen, office or dorm. As one expects from Cuisinart, this kettle is well made and features durable stainless steel construction. It also features a hidden heating element so it doesn’t actually touch the water and give it a stale taste, the ability to store the cord in the base, making for simple and compact storage and an automatic safety shutoff. In addition to the above, the KUA-17 is stylish and would look good on almost any kitchen or break room counter!

Capresso is a relative newcomer to the kettle and coffee maker club, but it is known for its high quality products and often creative designs.  The (less than creatively named!) 260.03 PerfectTea kettle is a perfect example of this.  The striking glass construction of the pot and stylish form of the heating base combined with a feature rich appliance make this the perfect kettle for the well designed kitchen.  This 48 ounce kettle has a solid selection of features including five different heat settings from a warm 100 degrees Fahrenheit to “boil” so it can be used for a variety of purposes, unlike many kettles that just heat until the water boils.  For safety, the kettle turns off automatically when the selected temperature is reached.  The kettle also features a drip free spout, stay cool handle and a useful temperature guide describing the best brewing temperatures for different types of teas.  Although this kettle has a great design and some nice features, some people have reported that it has a "plastic" or "chemical" small, which could be a potential drawback for this model.

Don’t forget to get some coffee or tea to go along with your kettle! I usually like basic coffee in the mornings, but the flavored stuff in the afternoons. Fortunately, Amazon has a huge selection of different coffee and tea available. They also have a very nice selection of coffee mugs. One type I hadn’t encountered before is the glass thermal mug – I knew they made both plastic and stainless steel thermal mugs (mainly as travel or commuting mugs), but hadn’t seen the glass ones before. They’re designed for home use, as they wouldn’t work well for travel due to the possibility of breakage, but look very stylish and the price isn’t too bad.  If you're looking for a more standard plastic or glass thermal mug, there are plenty of those to be found on Amazon too!