It's often the first thing you use when you enter the kitchen. A Kettle has been essential kit for every kitchen for many years but new designs and features are providing the consumer with more choice than ever before.

Index
Introduction to Buying a Kettle
Kettle Power
Kettle Size
Kettle Style and Design
Additional Kettle Features
Kettle Accessories
Kettle Brands
Top Kettle Searches
Useful Websites

Introduction to Buying a Kettle
It is no longer the case of selecting the cheapest kettle you can find; indeed buying a cheap kettle is often the last thing on your mind when you buy today. You will need to consider whether the kettle matches your kitchen décor, do you require a matching toaster. What style and size do you require and today you can even think green and go for something that is a little more environmentally friendly. Kettles are still used for boiling water to make that cup of tea or coffee but as kitchens have become main features of people’s homes, the kettle requires a little more research than you might think. Your budget for a kettle can be anything from £20 to £100.

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Kettle Power
This usually ranges from 2Kw (kilowatts) up to 3Kw. The 2Kw kettles are a low power model that will boil water more slowly but is more environmentally friendly and will use less electricity. The 2.2Kw models are medium power and the models at 3Kw will be your high power, high speed boiling models.

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Kettle Size
Basically how much water can they hold and this usually ranges from around 1 litre up to 2 litres of water. It is worth remembering that with the push for more awareness around energy usage it is recommended you only put enough water in your kettle for the required use rather than filling it up every time.

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Kettle Style and Design
This is an area that has seen some big leaps forward over the last few years. It is now rare to buy a kettle with a power cord that is attached to the main kettle. Most models come with a more convenient base unit where the power cord is attached giving you greater flexibility when pouring the kettle. Another key feature of kettles is the design aspect with bright colours, metallic and more futuristic looking kettles increasingly popular. It is also common for kettle manufacturers to produce other similarly styled kitchen appliances such as toasters.

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Additional Kettle Features
A concealed element is a useful feature to reduce the build up in lime scale around the kettle heating element itself. There are also kettles available on the market with a dry boil protection mechanism. Although kettles will shut off once the water is boiling some models come with extra protection to avoid any mishaps. Popular materials for kettles include stainless steel, glass and plastic versions. Other features to look out for include a water level window or measure so you can easily see how full your kettle is. Quite boiling is also available on more advanced models which claim to reduce noise.

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Kettle Accessories
These are somewhat limited as once you buy a kettle you rarely need anything else. Some people like to buy matching small kitchen appliances like coffee makers, toasters or sandwich makers. Although not necessary with a modern kettle you can buy special place mats if you want additional protection for the surface. Finally another popular feature is a kettle with a water filter to help purify tap water and reduce lime scale build up. Many think that the additional purification of the water improves the taste of the tea or coffee.

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