KitchenAid KEK1222SX
The KitchenAid KEK1222SX is a very quiet kettle made of stainless steel with only a few plastic elements and an aluminum handle.
This kettle heats the water fast. As is common in virtually all modern appliances, the kettle switches itself off when the water is done boiling.
A light indicates when the kettle is on and turns itself off automatically, when the kettle stops boiling. For those who want as much silence as possible, it may be good news that this kettle has no beeping sounds or alarm signals whatsoever.
The handle stays cool, so that you can pick up the kettle after boiling and pour out the water.
Since the lid of this quiet kettle can be taken off, filling in water is very easy. The opening of the kettle should be big enough for most people to clean it easily by hand. There is no exterior water level indicator.
According to the manufacturer, the kettle is free of BPA (bisphenol A). The design looks high-class and the material seems solid and robust.
Back to comparison chart
VAVA kettle
The VAVA kettle is another low-noise stainless steel kettle.
The kettle allows for temperature setting and has a keep warm function. It offers 6 different temperature levels from 160°F to a genuine boil (at about 212°F). In order to chose between the temperature levels you will have cycle through the different settings by using the plus and minus buttons on the handle. The selected temperature is indicated by a light next to it. Coffee and tea drinkers can really have fun with this kettle and engage in some experimentation with the different temperature settings. The keep warm function keeps the water’s temperature as specified for up to 30 minutes.
Water gets heated up really fast with this kettle. When the water is done boiling, a beep can be heard. This sound is not too loud or obnoxious. However, the kettle also beeps whenever you press a button. This may be too much for some people.
The material is a combination of stainless steel and some minor parts made of plastic. The water can get into contact with the plastic. Though, as the manufacturer assures, the plastic is BPA-free.
Overall, the VAVA is a quiet kettle with useful features.
Back to comparison chart
Black+Decker KE2900
The Black+Decker KE2900 is a quiet kettle that promises an especially fast boil. What’s also worth mentioning are the kettle’s beautiful design and colors.
When it comes to the kettle’s material, the exterior is made from stainless steel, while the interior includes a few plastic parts. Those who are looking for a completely plastics-free kettle will not be satisfied with this one either – it is very hard to find a completely plastics-free kettle.
In terms of functionality, the Black+Decker KE2900 is a kettle that covers the basics. It fulfills its essential function – boiling water – and that pretty quietly. It does not offer a temperature selection or keep warm function. This makes it suitable for all those who just want to get hot water, but do not need any frills.
A water level window is present and there’s a light that indicates operation.
Again, this kettle is quite old-school in that it has no unnecessary beeps or alarm sounds.
The Black+Decker KE2900 is another kettle, which manages to go about its main task in a relatively silent way.
Back to comparison chart
Breville BKE820XL
The Breville BKE820XL is a quiet kettle with a temperature selection and a keep warm function. In contrast to other kettles, the control buttons cannot be found on the appliance itself, but on its base. That’s also where the start/cancel button is located. You can chose from 5 different temperatures, ranging from 175°F to 212°F. Thus, the kettle is perfect for green tea, oolong tea and white tea enthusiasts.
It is made from stainless steel, however there are some small plastic parts in different places. Thus, the water will come into contact with the plastic. However, the plastic is BPA-free according to the manufacturer. The kettle has a water level indicator on either side which is a nice touch for left-handers.
When the water is ready, a beep can be heard. The kettle also beeps when you push the different buttons, but also when you lift the kettle off its base and when you put it down again. For some people this may be too much beeping.
As with all other kettles, regular descaling is important. This makes a decisive contribution to keep the kettle permanently quiet. If the lime scale is really taking over, descaling helps to lower the noise level again.
Back to comparison chart
Dualit Jug and Dualit Classic
The Dualit Jug is a quiet premium kettle by quality-manufacturer Dualit, which is a household name especially due to its high-class toasters.
Being a high-end kettle, the Dualit Jug is made from stainless steel and has a unique design.
The water boils really fast with this kettle. Windows on both sides of the kettle allow you to view the water level. Furthermore the handle is heatproof and far enough removed from the outside surface of the kettle that you will not accidentally touch it and burn yourself while lifting the kettle.
As always, the manufacturer Dualit is mindful of the longevity and sustainability of its products. Often, parts can easily be repaired or replaced, so that you can enjoy your Dualit appliance for a long time.
The Dualit Jug’s bigger brother, the Dualit Classic is awarded the Quiet Mark by the British Noise Abatement Society. This is an award for especially low-noise appliances, which at the same time offer high performance. The secret behind the particularly low noise of the Dualit Classic kettle is the Whisper Boil technology. So, this may be another option for a quiet kettle by Dualit.
Back to comparison chart
Aicok 304 kettle
The Aicok 304 stainless steel kettle is another low-noise kettle.
If a plastics-free kettle is what you are looking for, this is the kettle for you. The interior is completely made of stainless steel, including the lid, spout, filter and rim of the kettle.
The kettle is double-walled and thermally insulated, so the outside does not heat up. Therefore it is also fit for households with children. The double wall also provides some sonic insulation and may be part of the reason why this kettle is rather quiet.
Using the kettle is uncomplicated. The lid opens and closes easily and can be opened in a wide angle, which also makes cleaning very simple.
Occasionally one can read in reviews that the interior of the kettle begins to rust already after a few months. You should therefore look at recent reviews to assess if this seems still to be a problem.
All in all, the Aicok 304 is a quiet, functional kettle made of stainless steel. Coming into contact with plastics may be harmful for the drinking water and is something you may want to avoid. This kettle helps you with this.
Back to comparison chart
Russell Hobbs Retro Style
The Russell Hobbs Retro Style kettle is another a quiet electric kettle.
The kettle may not have an automatic temperature setting – but there’s a gauge that let’s you always know what temperature the water is at. This way, you can stop the boil as needed.
From the outside, the water level can be read from a corresponding indicator and inside the kettle you find demarcations for 1 to 3 cups.
All these parts are made of plastic and for those who care: the water gets in contact with them.
The outer wall of the kettle becomes hot during boiling. In principle, it is possible to burn yourself if you are careless. Especially if children are in the house you should consider this point. Also, the lid fits tightly and may be hard to open for some. As it may get hot, there’s again the danger to burn yourself, when the lid has to be lifted by hand.
Back to comparison chart
Epica kettle
The Epica kettle with 6 temperature settings is a low-noise kettle, which brings water to a fast boil.
The interior of this quiet kettle is made of stainless steel, yet it is not entirely plastics-free. Though, according to the manufacturer all plastics used is free of BPA.
While the kettle’s surface may not be specially insulated against heat, the handle is a of a cool touch material. However, maybe there are safer options for households with children.
Another feature is the temperature setting (160°F, 175°F, 185°F, 190°F, 200°F and 212°F) and a keep-warm function. When it comes to the temperature setting, there are no individual buttons for the different temperature levels. Rather you have to toggle through the settings. With the keep-warm function the temperature is supposed to stay the same for up to 2 hours.
Apart from a light next to the chosen temperature level, which turns off automatically after boiling is finished, the kettle has no other signal that the water is ready. This may be good for people who are annoyed by otherwise quiet, but beeping kettles.
Back to comparison chart
Mueller Austria kettle
The Mueller Austria is a quiet kettle. The material of this kettle is plastics, which is completely free of BPA according to the manufacturer.
The water level can be read from an indicator that is located in the handle. Water is heated quickly and all of this happen with not too much noise.
The lid opens wide, so that you can fit your hand into it, which makes cleaning pretty easy. Also, the spout is not prone to dripping an splashing.
The kettle is minimalist, with the features being the aforementioned water level indicator and a 360° base. Further, a light on the on/off switch indicates if the kettle is working at the moment or not. There is no acoustic signal, i.e. no beeping, when the water is ready. This may be an advantage for people who get annoyed by unnecessary sounds.
To sum up, the Mueller Austria is a basic appliance that fulfills its main purpose – it boils water quietly.
Back to comparison chart
Bestek stainless steel kettle
The Bestek kettle is a quiet appliance, which is made of stainless steel. The noise level is lower than in most common kettles. The Bestek is an exception among the kettles in that it actually has a decibel noise rating. A value of 57 dB is given by the manufacturer.
The kettle is equipped with a temperature selection function and a keep warm function that keeps the water at the desired temperature for up to 30 minutes.
There are 6 temperature levels to choose from, namely 160°F, 175°F, 185°F, 190°F, 200°F and 212°F. Each one of these temperature levels is suitable for different kinds of tea and hot beverage. For example, the step from 175°F to 185°F makes the difference between good green and white tea. There is an individual button for each temperature level, so that you do not have to work your way up to the desired temperature in 5 or 10°F increments. Thus, enjoying a variety of teas to their fullest is possible thanks to optimal and comfortable preparation. The buttons for operating the kettle are located on its handle.
Using the kettle is really simple. The buttons include a ‘Start / Stop’ button, the temperature buttons, the ‘Keep Warm’ button with the warming function and a ‘mode’ button.
The opening angle of the lid is about 90°, so that filling in water is really easy. When it comes to cleaning the kettle, this is also an advantage. Further, there’s an integrated, but removable scale filter.
A water level indicator shows the capacity in both liters and cups. This indicator is located underneath the handle and can be a little difficult to read when filling in water. The water comes into contact with the water level indicator and with the plastic lime filter. But, according to the manufacturer, the kettle is free of BPA.
The kettle lights up in a pleasant blue while cooking. But be assured, the LED lighting is not permanent, as with some other models, but shuts off automatically after being done with the water.
When the boiling ends, a beep sound can be heard to remind you that the water is ready.
The almost obligatory 360° base gives the kettle’s design the last finish.
Being made from stainless steel the outside of the kettle gets hot. If you have little children in your household, take care. However, the handle is far away enough from the exterior to not burn yourself.
Back to comparison chart
How to chose a quiet kettle
One of the most energy-efficient methods to heat up water is the electric kettle. In this regard it is superior to a kettle on the stove or a microwave.
Those who want to buy a quiet kettle should consider a few things.
As kettles usually have no noise rating, you will need a rule of thumb to gauge the noise level. Furthermore it is important to take your own usage habits into consideration. It is also helpful if you know what the main purpose of the electric kettle will be – boiling water for common sorts of tea or coffee, for special teas or hot beverages like white tea or for preparing baby food. Depending on the use, different features and attribute may be important. Lastly, the general user friendliness of the kettle has to be mentioned.
Sound level
The kettle’s boiling noise level depends on a few different factors: the material, the construction and the insulation.
Judging solely from the material, kettles made of plastics or glass tend to be quieter than stainless steel kettles. But you always have to consider the specific kettle at hand.
Special noise-reducing technologies and the kettle’s construction ultimately have a big influence on the noise level. Therefore many of the kettles presented above are stainless steel kettles, nonetheless.
The insulation of a kettle can to some degree also detain noise. Covered heating elements are oftentimes somewhat louder than heating coils which lie open in the water. But open heating elements have one big disadvantage: They can emit harmful substances into the water, like nickel. A lot of people are prone to nickel allergy. For this reason, open heating elements are not advisable.
Kettles with a lot of scale are also much louder. Therefore, regular descaling is important if you want a quiet kettle.
Quiet kettles employ a range of methods and innovations to keep the cavitation sounds of boiling water to a minimum.
Some quiet kettles count on better insulation to shield sound. Other quiet kettles have a specially designed base to break up the water bubbles. Water bubbles of smaller size produce less sound when bursting.
Some low-noise kettles use especially powerful heating elements, which boil water at great speed, whereas other use slower heating elements, which reduce the intensity and sound of the sputtering.
Usage habits
Capacity
When it comes to the kettle’s capacity, think about what quantity of hot water you usually need. If you most of the time just want to make a single cup of tea, buying a large kettle is unnecessary and will only make you boil too much water on a regular basis. This will result in a waste of water and energy. Therefore, it can make sense to buy a smaller kettle. A further advantage is that you can take it with you if you go on vacation. Thus you will not have to buy a special travel kettle.
Those of you who regularly need vast amounts of hot water, like in a large household or in order to fill a thermos jug, should chose a large kettle, of course.
Power
Another point to consider is the kettle’s power. Power is indicated in Watts.
On the one hand, high power is unnecessary in most cases and only leads to higher energy consumption and a higher electricity bill. Efficient boiling does not depend on the kettle’s power, but on its general design. Furthermore kettles with higher power tend to be louder.
On the other hand, kettles with a higher power are usually faster to boil. Those who value speedy boiling should maybe consider a kettle with more power. The same amount of water is heated up faster, if the kettle is more powerful. In that way the boiling sounds may span a shorter period of time, although the noise peak may be louder.
Temperature setting and keep-warm function
For tea and hot beverage enthusiasts, the possibility to set the waters temperature and to use a keep-warm function is very useful.
The occasional tea drinkers among you will mostly be satisfied with a simple but reliable quiet kettle.
User friendliness
First and foremost the kettle should be easy to use and safe for the household.
Uncomplicated operation is more important than you think, in the long run. If lots of button presses are required to get the kettle going, it will eventually get on your nerves.
Good insulation is essential to prevent heat on the exterior of the kettle. This is especially important in households with children. Furthermore kettles with good insulation tend to be quieter.
The lid should be opened by pressing a button. This further reduces the danger of burns. Pouring out the water should be possible without dripping water. Otherwise it is possible to burn oneself. This can also happen with steam.
Kettles which emit harmful substances into the water are a no-go. Especially bisphenol A (BPA) has some notoriety.
An advantage of electric kettles made from plastics is that they stay relatively cool from the outside.
Kettles made from stainless steel or glass have the advantage to not emit pollutants into the water. With plastic kettles this could possibly happen. Those who want to be safe should chose a kettle made of stainless steel or glass. Stainless steel kettles oftentimes have a capacity indicator made from plastic, though.
Most modern kettles are equipped with an automatic switch-off, a protection against overheating and a scale filter.
