Today, an electric kettle is an indispensable attribute in almost every home. This is a quick and convenient way to boil water. It is known that the first such kettle appeared in Germany in the 1890s, and it was very different from the modern electric kettle in appearance and performance. It is hard to imagine, but the first such devices heated water about 3 hours, today’s teapots cope with this in 3 minutes, or even less.
Now, what just did not come up with: teapots with a timer, backlit, with filters, with touch controls, the self-cleaning function, smart teapots. In general, the range is huge.
Sprintally helps you choose a reliable kettle with the perfect combination of quality and price. It is not difficult to do this, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the following important points:
- material;
- a heating element;
- power;
- volume;
- stand;
- cord.
Let’s take a closer look at each item.
Material
The most popular materials for the electric kettle now are plastic, metal, and glass. Also in recent years, electric kettles from ceramics have been in demand. Of course, each of them has its pluses and minuses.
Plastic
Teapots made of plastic are one of the most popular and available in the market, although among them you can find expensive models.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable price | Plastic is not the most environmentally friendly material |
| A lightweight | Fragility |
| Long service life | |
| Strength |
Metal
Metal kettles are durable and durable. They are quite popular, but they are relatively cheap.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strength | Heavyweight |
| Long service life | Strong heating of the case at work – you can get burned |
| Resistance to external damage |
Tip: when choosing a metal kettle, remember, aluminum reacts with water and releases harmful substances. Therefore, choose stainless steel models.
Glass
Electric kettles made of glass are the most harmless because the glass does not react with water and does not give any flavors and smells.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ecological compatibility | Fragility |
| The ability to watch the boil of water and enjoy the lighting | Strong case heating during operation |
| The scale is visible from the outside, t. teapot transparent |
Important: put the kettle out of the glass in a place inaccessible to children so that they can not break it.
Ceramics
Electric kettles from ceramics appeared on the market not so long ago and, despite rather high prices, quickly began to gain momentum. Like glass, ceramics do not change the taste of water.
Tip: when choosing a ceramic electric kettle, pay attention to its handle: it should be strong and comfortable. This is important because such kettles are heavy.
A heating element
When describing the heating elements, it is possible to meet with various incomprehensible words. We will explain simply: heating elements are in the form of open and closed spirals (TEN). A closed spiral is also called a disk.
Open heating element
The open spiral is located inside the kettle and looks like an ordinary reboiler.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable price | The scale settles on a spiral – this can lead to overheating |
| Low noise level during operation | Long water heating |
| The spiral must be completely filled with water: you can not boil water on one cup |
Closed heating element
Today, the most popular teapots with a closed spiral (disk). If we open such a kettle, we will see only the metal bottom.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy cleaning of the kettle; The scum does not precipitate scum | Increased noise during operation |
| Durability (in comparison with teapots with open heating elements) | High price |
| High power consumption |
Power
The higher the power, the faster the water warms up and the more energy is expended.
In modern models, the power level varies from 1 to 3 kW. As a rule, the volume of the kettle is directly proportional to power. That is, the smaller the kettle, the lower the power and vice versa. If you take a kettle for your home or office, we recommend choosing models with a power of up to 3 kW. But if you have weak wiring, it is better to stop at 2.2 kW. To give the best option – a teapot with a power of up to 1 kW. Such an electric kettle can be taken even on a long journey because it can work from a generator and a car inverter without interruptions.
The most popular combination of capacity and capacity is 1.7 liters and 2.2 kW.
Tip: When determining the power level of an electric kettle, consider the condition of your electrical wiring.
Size
The size of the kettle depends on the obvious factors: how many people will use the kettle, how often and where it will be – at home, in the office, at the cottage, on the road. It’s simple: the less a person drinks tea – the less the teapot. So it is with the frequency of use.
The volume of the standard cup is approximately 0.25 liters. Now it is easy to calculate: the number of people who will use the kettle should be multiplied by 0.25 liters. Well, do not forget that someone likes to drink tea not once a day.
Tip:
- when choosing a kettle, do not forget about the size of your shell, so that it is convenient to pour water into it;
- Do not boil the same water several times, it becomes harmful and less tasty.
For the road, it is better to buy small electric kettles or electric kettles.
For an office with a large team, large electric kettles, so-called thermo – cords, that automatically store the water temperature, will do.
Stand
There are two types of stand: rectangular and round (“pirouette”). Now the producers are trying to leave the first type because such supports are inconvenient, the kettle must be strictly fixed in one place since the contact in the stand is located on the side. “Pirouette” to date – the most popular and convenient type of stand. It is a disc with a contact in the center, so you can place the kettle on such a stand from either side.
Cord
For safety, try to choose electric kettles with the shortest cord, but so that it easily reaches the outlet. So first decide where you put your electric kettle.
Additional functions
Modern models of teapots are equipped with various additional functions, some of which are great to save your time and make it easier to use, for example:
- temperature control – the selection of the water heating temperature for different types of tea;
- maintaining the water temperature ;
- touch control ;
- backlight capacity – for models of glass;
- water level indicator ;
- timer – you can set the delayed start;
- prolonged boiling – removes chlorine from the water;
- sound alert when the water boiled;
- protection from work without water.
There are kettles with filters from scale, there are teapots. For convenience, teapots often go in a set with a conventional electric kettle: this will save your time.
