After comparing dozens of brands and going through customer feedback, we think Appkettle is the best smart kettle for most people.
If you want a smart kettle you can easily integrate into your smart home hub, the third generation Smarter iKettle is the best choice.
If you are on a budget, we recommend the Sage by Heston Blumenthal digital kettle.
Best Smart Kettles: Our Top Picks [UK Market]
The Best Smart Kettle For Most People
Appkettle WiFi Smart Kettle
- Compatible with Alexa, IFTTT, iOS and Android.
- Can be connected with either WiFi or 3G/4G networks.
- Beautiful high quality design with a stainless steel finish.
- Easy to use.
If You’re On a Budget, Take a Look at This
Sage by Heston Blumenthal BKE820UK the Smart Kettle
- Variable temperature settings for different types of teas.
- Keep warm function.
- Dual-sided windows.
Best Choice for Smart Homes
Smarter iKettle (3rd Generation)
- Wide smart home compatibility with Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT.
- Slightly larger capacity than other kettles (1.8litres).
- Easy to use once you’ve set it up.
What is a Smart Kettle?
There are a lot of smart things nowadays from fridges to light bulbs. These are high-tech kitchen appliances that can communicate with other appliances or a smartphone via a network connection like WiFi.
A smart kettle is the same. It connects to your home’s WiFi network (some models can also connect to 3G/4G mobile networks), allowing you to control and monitor it from your smartphone or a smart assistant like Amazon Alexa or any other smart home hub like IFTTT.
But what’s the point of all that?
Well, it makes things so much more convenient. Sure, a normal kettle will heat your water just fine. But can you schedule it to heat water ahead of time? Can you tell it to start working by simply using a voice command? Can you tell how much water is inside and how hot it is just from your phone?
Smart kettles are not just gimmicks. They are easier to use and provide a level of convenience unmatched by traditional kettles.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Convenient and easy to use.
- They usually come with additional features.
Cons
- More expensive than ordinary kettles.
- Can have too many features for some people
What to Consider When Choosing a Smart Kettle
Not all smart kettles are made the same. Buying the wrong one can leave you wanting your old kettle back.
Consider the following when shopping for a smart kettle.
Capacity
This applies whether you are buying a smart or ordinary kettle.
Most kettles range between 1.5 and 1.7 litres. The ideal capacity will depend on your needs. If there are more people at home or you drink a lot of tea/coffee, get a 1.7l kettle. If it’s just for you, 1.5l will do.
If you need extra capacity, see whether you can find a 2l kettle. But you will have trouble finding a 2l smart kettle; most have a capacity of 1.7l.
Cost
Smart kettles cost more than ordinary ones. The price tag will depend on how ‘techy’ it is and the overall design. They generally start out at £80 and go up to £130.
Compatibility
Before buying a kettle, check whether it is compatible with:
- You router. Does it require a 2.4GHz or 5GHz router or can it work with any?
- Your smartphone. If it comes with an app, is it compatible with your smartphone and operating system?
- Your smart home system. Does it work with Amazon Echo or Google Home?
- Your preferred smart home hub. If you use a smart home hub like Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT or Wink, check that the kettle is compatible.
Ease of use
If poorly designed, smart kettles can be frustrating to use. Check the product description and customer reviews for an idea of what to expect.
The Best Smart Kettles: Our 3 Favourites
After comparing dozens of models and brands and reading tons of customer reviews, here are our 3 top picks.
The Best Smart Kettle For Most People
Appkettle WiFi Smart Kettle
- Compatible with Alexa, IFTTT, iOS and Android.
- Can be connected with either WiFi or 3G/4G networks.
- Beautiful high quality design with a stainless steel finish.
- Easy to use.
If You’re On a Budget, Take a Look at This
Sage by Heston Blumenthal BKE820UK the Smart Kettle
- Variable temperature settings for different types of teas.
- Keep warm function.
- Dual-sided windows.
Best Choice for Smart Homes
Smarter iKettle (3rd Generation)
- Wide smart home compatibility with Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT.
- Slightly larger capacity than other kettles (1.8litres).
- Easy to use once you’ve set it up.
Appkettle WiFi Smart Kettle Review
The Best Smart Kettle For Most People
Pros:
- Compatible with Alexa, IFTTT, iOS and Android.
- Can be connected with either WiFi or 3G/4G networks.
- Beautiful high quality design with a stainless steel finish.
- Easy to use.
Cons:
- Pricey.
- It’s a bit heavy.
Overview of the Appkettle WiFi Smart Kettle
Its makers call it ‘The Smartest kettle In The World’ and it just might be.
It comes with a smartphone app from where you can control and monitor it. You can also control it from your Amazon Echo speaker. It’s also compatible with IFTTT.
Setting it up is easy. It only takes a few minutes to connect it to your WiFi network and start controlling it using your phone.
What I love most about this kettle is how it combines high tech features with absolute ease of use. Even if you’ve never used a smart appliance before, the Appkettle is really easy to use.
The kettle itself has a stunning design. It is finished in brushed stainless steel that looks great on your kitchen counter. It has viewing windows on both sides so you can easily see what’s going on whether you are left or right handed.
It feels quite sturdy and every component looks well made. The downside of this is that it will feel a bit heavy in your hand.
It has a capacity of 1.7 litres which comes to 6-7 cups of tea.
What it Does Best
One of the best features of this kettle is the app. It’s available for free for both iOS and Android.
Despite the Alexa and IFTTT compatibility, a lot of customers say they just use the smartphone app and they like it. It’s intuitive and really easy to use. It’s packed with many additional functions and features.
There are the modes where you can set your drink type, brewing time and ideal temperature. There is even a baby bottle mode where you can set how many bottles you are boiling, check the water level and leave the kettle to do the rest.
You can set a schedule on the app. Just set any time in the future and as long as it is plugged in and has water, it will automatically start working. This is perfect when you want to find ready hot water when you wake up or in the evening when you come home.
Flaws But Not Deal Breakers
If you drink tea often, having to constantly lift the hefty kettle can tire your hand. But if you just take a cup now and then, it’s not an issue.
The handle is also a bit big which could be a problem if you have small hands.
Reviews of the Appkettle WiFi Smart Kettle
The Appkettle currently has a good rating with almost 90% positive feedback (4 stars and above).
One customer says that it “is worth the money for the combination of Wi-Fi convenience plus sheer quality.”
Another who had a bit of trouble connecting their WiFi says “…amazing customer service, completely went out of their way.”
Should You Buy it?
Absolutely.
If you don’t mind the relatively high price tag, it the best smart kettle you can buy. It’s completely worth it.
Best Smart kettle? This is Our Favourite
Appkettle WiFi Smart Kettle
- Compatible with Alexa, IFTTT, iOS and Android.
- Can be connected with either WiFi or 3G/4G networks.
- Beautiful high quality design with a stainless steel finish.
- Easy to use.
Sage by Heston Blumenthal BKE820UK Review
If You’re On a Budget, Take a Look at This
Pros:
- Variable temperature settings for different types of teas.
- Keep warm function.
- Dual-sided windows.
Cons:
- No WiFi connection or app control.
- A few reliability issues.
Overview of the Sage by Heston Blumenthal BKE820UK the Smart Kettle
This is more of a digital rather than a smart kettle. It doesn’t connect to WiFi which means you can’t control it from a smart speaker like Echo or from a smartphone app.
But it still provides a few convenient features you don’t get in a traditional kettle.
The main feature is on the control panel. There you’ll find five buttons representing five different temperature settings. Each setting is ideal for a different type of tea: 80 for green tea, 85 for white tea, 90 for oolong tea, 95 for coffee and 100 for black tea.
This is a great buy if you want to make a perfect cup of tea.
Another nice feature is the keep warm setting. If you don’t want to use all the water immediately, simply press the keep warm button and the kettle will hold the water at the set temperature for 20 minutes.
I love the double sided viewing windows. You can see inside whether you hold the kettle with your right or left hand.
What it Does Best
The tea settings are a great feature. Even if you are not an expert at brewing tea, you can still make a perfect cup.
The Sage smart kettle also puts a lot of emphasis on safety. For instance, when you open the lid it does not just spring back. Instead, it opens with a slow release mechanism. This allows hot steam to escape without burning your face or hand. It also prevents boiling water from splashing onto the sides.
The kettle can also sense when the water has boiled or when there is no water and will automatically turn off.
Flaws But Not Deal Breakers
For one, it’s a bit loud. Not loud enough to wake up anyone but still noisier than most kettles.
I wish they’d added one or two smart features like app control. But if you don’t care about all those fancy features, you won’t find the lack of WiFi to be an issue.
Another thing mentioned by several customers is that it develops an unexplained beeping problem after a year or two. For some customers it started cutting off without warning. So it’s not the most long lasting kettle you can buy.
Reviews of the Sage by Heston Blumenthal BKE820UK the Smart Kettle
The general customer feedback is that the kettle works great in the first year or two but then it develops a few reliability issues.
It’s generally easy to use, the double windows are a good idea and the tea temperature settings are super convenient.
It currently has a good rating on Amazon from almost 200 customer reviews.
Should You Buy it?
If you are on a budget or don’t care much for advanced smart features, this is a great digital kettle. But if you can afford a little bit more, I recommend the Appkettle above.
If You’re On a Budget, Take a Look at This
Sage by Heston Blumenthal BKE820UK the Smart Kettle
- Variable temperature settings for different types of teas.
- Keep warm function.
- Dual-sided windows.
Smarter iKettle (3rd Generation) Review
The Best Choice for Smart Homes
Pros:
- Wide smart home compatibility with Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT.
- Slightly larger capacity than other kettles (1.8litres).
- Easy to use once you’ve set it up.
Cons:
- Set up takes some time but customer support is available to help.
Overview of the Smarter iKettle (3rd Generation)
If you are always looking for new additions to your smart home network, the third generation of the popular Smarter iKettle is a good choice.
Compatible with Alexa, IFTTT and Google home, you have plenty of ways to control it. You can also use the companion app to set a schedule, select modes and monitor the water level.
Setting up the kettle was a bit troublesome for several customers. It takes several tries to connect it to your WiFi or 4G network and link it to your smart home hub. But the company’s customer service is always available to help.
The app has been improved and is more intuitive and easier to use. It has several functions including a ‘keep warm’ function which maintains water temperature for 40 minutes. You can set the kettle to start heating water at a certain time such as in the morning before you wake up or in the evening before you arrive home.
There are temperature settings for different types of teas and you can check the water level from the app. There is a formula mode which makes baby feedings easier.
When you run out of tea, just use the replenish feature and your favourite brand will be delivered to your home.
The kettle itself is well designed though I wish they added a viewing window. The only way you can tell how much water is inside is by checking the app.
What it Does Best
The iKettle excels when it comes to being smart. Using IFTTT, you can set it up in any number of ways.
One customer connected it to his kitchen’s motion sensors. When he walks into the kitchen in the morning, it automatically comes on. You can also set it up to automatically get started when it senses you are almost home.
If you don’t want to use IFTTT, it is also compatible with Alexa and Google Home. Just speak a command and the kettle gets to work.
Flaws But Not Deal Breakers
The main flaw is the tedious setup. A lot of customers had trouble connecting it to their networks and smart home systems. But once you have set it up, it’s easy to use.
Should You Buy it?
If you are looking for a good smart kettle but don’t want to pay too much for it, get the iKettle. It’s not as sleek as Appkettle but function-wise, it’s just as good. As a bonus, it works with both Google Home and Alexa (Appkettle only works with Alexa).
Best Choice for Smart Homes
Smarter iKettle (3rd Generation)
- Wide smart home compatibility with Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT.
- Slightly larger capacity than other kettles (1.8litres).
- Easy to use once you’ve set it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is a smart kettle worth it?
To be honest, some people will find the extra features of a smart kettle not to be worth the higher price. If you just want a basic kettle that will heat water quickly, get an ordinary electric kettle.
But if you like the idea of ordering your kettle to heat water from anywhere, checking water temperature from your phone and setting the kettle to heat water at a specific time, then a smart kettle is perfect for you.
2. Can I use a smart plug with my old kettle?
If you don’t want to buy a smart kettle, an alternative is to hook up your old kettle to a smart plug. You then control the smart plug. You can turn it on with your voice, as part of your smart assistant routine or at a set time. The plug then turns the kettle on.
As long as there’s water in the kettle, you’ll wake up or come home to hot water.
3. How do I set up my smart kettle?
You’ll need to first connect it to your router. Check the manual for instructions. Then, download the companion app and link it to the kettle.
If the smart kettle is compatible with voice assistants, set up the Google Home or Amazon Alexa connection as well. This will allow you to send voice commands to the kettle.
