How we rate kettles

Pour over lives in a 195 to 205F window and the kettle is what puts you in it. This carries the most weight because a kettle that only boils makes every other feature academic.

What we can actually read: Split in two. A mains kettle is read on variable temperature, range, increment and PID. A hob kettle has none of those, so it is read on whether it tells you the temperature at all and whether the gauge marks the brewing window. Temperature hold is asked of both, because a lid dial cannot hold a temperature and that is a real difference rather than an unfair question.

Scored directly from published figures.

1 of the 7 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 6 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 24 of the category's 100 points.

• Variable temperature1.25 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  present

  1.25 pts

• Temperature range published0.75 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  published at all

  0.75 pts

• Increment1 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  1 °C or less

  1 pt

  over 1 °C, up to 5 °C

  0.75 pts

  over 5 °C

  0.5 pts

• PID controlnot scored here

  Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 1 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  present

  1 pt

• Hold temperature1 of 10

  Also read under Ease of Use & Controls, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  present

  1 pt

• Lid thermometer3.5 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is mains.

  present

  3.5 pts

• Brewing range marked on the gauge1.5 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is mains.

  published at all

  1.5 pts

10 of 10

A gooseneck exists to let you land water where you want it at the rate you want. On a pour-over kettle it is not a style choice.

What we can actually read: Gooseneck, kettle type and capacity are published by everyone.

Scored from figures that predict it, because the thing itself is not published.

The 3 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 22 of the category's 100 points.

• Gooseneck spout6 of 10

  present

  6 pts

• Kettle type2 of 10

  gooseneck, pour over

  2 pts

  electric, stovetop

  1 pt

• Capacity2 of 10

  Also read under Heating Speed, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  1 L or less

  2 pts

  over 1 L

  1.5 pts

10 of 10

What the water touches, and for how many years. Plastic in the water path is the thing specialty buyers check first.

What we can actually read: Body and interior material are usually published. Plastic in the water path is stated by the makers who avoid it and left silent by those who do not.

Scored directly from published figures.

1 of the 4 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 3 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 18 of the category's 100 points.

• Body3 of 10

  stainless steel

  3 pts

  glass

  2 pts

  plastic

  1 pt

• Interior3 of 10

  stainless steel

  3 pts

  glass

  2.5 pts

  plastic

  0.5 pts

• No plastic in the water pathnot scored here

  Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 2 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.

  absent

  2 pts

• Warranty2 of 10

  none

  0 pts

  up to 1 yr

  0.8 pts

  over 1 yr, up to 2 yr

  1.4 pts

  over 2 yr

  2 pts

10 of 10

Also split. A mains kettle is judged on a timer, a scale, a cordless base and a hold. A hob kettle has none of those and asking would be unfair, so it is judged on the handle and on which hobs it fits, which is what actually decides whether it works in your kitchen.

What we can actually read: All published. Hob compatibility is recorded as one flag per hob type, never parsed from prose, because a sentence saying a pot is NOT induction compatible contains the word induction.

Scored directly from published figures.

The 8 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 14 of the category's 100 points.

• Built-in timer1.25 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  present

  1.25 pts

• Built-in scale1.25 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  present

  1.25 pts

• Cordless base1.25 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  present

  1.25 pts

• Hold temperature1.25 of 10

  Also read under Temperature Accuracy & Stability, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  present

  1.25 pts

• Handle2.25 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is mains.

  bakelite, wood, cork, resin

  2.25 pts

  silicone

  2 pts

  stainless steel

  0.75 pts

• Induction1.25 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is mains.

  present

  1.25 pts

• Gas0.75 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is mains.

  present

  0.75 pts

• Electric hob0.75 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is mains.

  present

  0.75 pts

10 of 10

How long before you can brew. Weighted lightly, because the difference between kettles is under a minute.

What we can actually read: Struck entirely for a hob kettle. How fast one boils is a fact about your hob, and no maker publishes a wattage or a time for one because none could.

Scored directly from published figures.

1 of the 3 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 2 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 12 of the category's 100 points.

• Power4 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  1000 W or less

  1 pt

  over 1000 W, up to 1500 W

  2.5 pts

  over 1500 W

  4 pts

• Time to boilnot scored here

  Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 4 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  180 s or less

  4 pts

  over 180 s, up to 300 s

  3 pts

  over 300 s, up to 420 s

  2 pts

  over 420 s

  1 pt

• Capacity2 of 10

  Also read under Pour Control, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  Not asked of a product whose powered is hob.

  0.6 L or less

  1 pt

  over 0.6 L, up to 1.2 L

  2 pts

  over 1.2 L

  1.5 pts

10 of 10

Points per pound against the category median, which runs from $27 to $250.

What we can actually read: Needs a published price here and on at least three rivals.

Computed from price, not from a rule list

Value is the only criterion here with no thresholds of its own, because it cannot be read off one product. It asks what else the same money buys in this category, so it needs the category. That result is then worth 10 of the category's 100 points.

Points already earned on everything else

out of 10

Multiplied by the category median over this price

median ÷ price

Capped at

10

No price published, or fewer than 3 priced rivals

5 of 10

Half marks is not a verdict, it is a refusal to guess: with nothing to compare against, a product is neither good value nor bad, and scoring it either way would invent a finding. It corrects itself as the category fills.