I came to the world of electric kettles fairly late. I was raised with a stove top kettle and thought it the best way to manage my hot water needs (plus, I’ve always liked the way they looked sitting out on a burner). But then in the fall of 2011, I went to visit my sister. She had a relatively inexpensive electric kettle that boiled water at miraculous speed. There was no ten+ minute wait for a pokey stove to heat and transfer its warmth. I was sold.
Soon after I got home, I ordered my first electric kettle. I got this
Soon enough, I was using it multiple times a day. It served up hot water for morning cups of coffee and tea. In the afternoon, I’d use the cooled water in the kettle to help feed my sourdough starter (boiling helps evaporate out any chlorine in the water supply that can harm or kill the sour bacteria. Just make sure the water is under 100F when you add it to your starter). During dinner prep, I’d heat water to hydrate spoonfuls of Better Than Bouillon or to speed up soup making.
I also found myself turning to the electric kettle during canning. As you know, I make a lot of small batches of preserves, and often I make three or four things in succession (I like to take advantage of a hot canning pot). These small batches range in size from two half pints to four or five. If I don’t plan well, I can wind up trying to process jars without having enough hot water to cover. Instead of adding hot tap water and hoping that the pot returns to a boil quickly, I can keep the kettle hot and top off the canning pot immediately. It has sped things up immeasurably.
This summer was also the first time I had the electric kettle during tomato canning season. I do the bulk of my tomatoes whole, peeled and packed in water (makes for a shorter processing time) and with an electric kettle, having that hot water takes no time at all.
Thanks to the kind folks at Hamilton Beach, I recently upgraded my electric kettle to their programmable model (my previous kettle was also made by HB, but I bought it with my own dollars, long before I started teaming up with them for giveaways). This guy allows you to select the temperature to which your water heats. That makes it particularly great if you have fussy coffee habits (I say this lovingly and as someone who regularly weighs her beans to ensure a close-to-perfect brew), drink green tea, or live at high elevations where water boils at lower temperatures.
It also has a outside fill indicator (the trade-off is that there’s a small amount of plastic inside the kettle to allow for this) and pours far more smoothly than my previous kettle. I also like the fact that it has a timer, so you can schedule the moment you want it to switch on to boil. With a fast boiling kettle, it’s not really entirely necessary, but I have been enjoying the luxury of walking into the kitchen each morning to a just-boiled kettle of water. It’s the little things.
Finally, the giveaway. Hamilton Beach has generously given me eight of these Programmable 1.7 Liter Electric Kettles to give away to my readers. Here’s how to enter.
- Leave a comment on this post and share your water boiling habits. Stove top kettle? Electric tap in the sink? Microwaved mug? If you don’t do hot drinks, what gets you moving in the morning?
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog over the weekend.
- Giveaway open US residents only.
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.
Disclosure: Hamilton Beach gave me one Programmable Electric Kettle for review and photography purposes and they’re providing eight additional units for this giveaway. They did not pay for inclusion on the blog and my opinions remain entirely my own.
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I’m still pretty new to canning and have struggled with keeping the water boiling in the pot. I’d never thought of this-thanks! And we just microwave mugs of water in the morning.
We have a hot water spout at work. It’s the best!
I can small amounts of ground beef, or left over chicken broth, vegetable stock etc. through out the week. I always have a pot of water on the stove.
I drink tea and my husband drink coffee through out the day
That kettle would be great, the water would be hot and ready when I needed it.
What a time saver.
I use the kettle on the stove top. Just lost power during this northeaster for almost 4 days and had to microwave water for coffee and tea. I found out that I hate the taste of tea or coffee made with microwaved water and it never gets quite hot enough. (Our generator will only do one thing electric that is a 220 volt; we opted for the water pump, so, no stove, no hot water, no showers, no bath.) This would have been so handy to have. Could probably have heated enough water for a quick bath and a cup of coffee.
I usually use a saucepan to heat water on my electric (sigh) stove to top off canner, make instant oatmeal or mashed potatoes. This pot would be great!. My daughter microwaves water in the morn for a cup of chai tea on her way to work. I brew a pot of coffee in the morning to get the Hubs and me out the door. How generous of Hamilton Beach and you- you are always thinking of us, Marisa, thank you!
I’ve done both stove top kettle and microwave for tea.
I too sometimes come up short in my BWB.
This kettle would definitely solve that problem.
We use a tea kettle on the stove
I have one of those nasty plastic boilers – at present it forgets to turn it self off!
If I drink tea at home, I use a small Teflon sauce pan. I’m a fan of an electric kettle!
Most of the time I use the stovetop, but I have been known to use the microwave too.
Tea kettle for evening tea and just purchased a old time peculator for morning coffee.
I’ve been looking to replace my hot water kettle (plastic inside!) . Thanks for the chance to win this one.
I boil water on the stove so this would be a great improvement!
Supposedly, the electric kind are so much more efficient, so they save you money too! I have an older one and it comes in handy for my afternoon pot of tea….mint is my favorite. I save the leftovers in the fridge for dinner iced tea!
I do use a tea kettle on the stove…but it could become a decoration
I have an old electric kettle that I use all the time. We even take it from the kitchen on camping trips because it is perfect for that. I’ve used it in a pinch to heat water when the water heater was out.
This is the product I have been waiting for! I too have used my electric kettle to get water to the boil quickly. In genereal, I use my electric kettle everyday. I french press my coffee and frequently get my water too hot which causes a slightly bitter taste in the end result. I also take my kettle to knitting camp so we can quickly have water for coffee and tea. This would be a perfect product in every way! Thank you for bringing this to our attention and giving us the opportunity to win!
I used either my microwave or my Keurig for hot water. An electric kettle would be great!
For years I would boil water in the microwave in a glass measuring cup or my french press. About seven months ago I purchased a Keurig and it is now my hot water go to even if I do have to run it more than once for anything larger than a cup of tea. I mostly drink tea at home and it is a toss between tea and coffee at work or running errands.
First thing in the morning, I preheat my coffee cup by filling it with tap water and putting in the microwave. I switch to tea after one or two cups of coffee. I have an electric kettle at work (not programmable) that has a keep warm function. But at home, I tend to boil water in the microwave. If I need to make more than 4 cups, then it’s the stove-top kettle.
I usually heat on mug at a time in the microwave. It would be nice to heat a larger amount from time to time.
I have been lusting after one of these beauties for a while now
Never thought it would be so useful during canning season!
I drink a lot of tea in the morning. And all day long. I love my stove top kettle for the big quantity of tea in the morning, but later in the day, it’s mostly microwaved water for tea a cup at a time. I love the idea of a programmable electric kettle.
Yesterday was my first visit to your site and there is so much great information I spent hours reading and learning. I LOVE the kettle and drink tea daily, but since my kettle died monthsago I have been heating up cups of water in the microwave,which is a drag. Would love to win a this one.
I use a stove top kettle, that always looks dingy and splattered. I know there are proper temperatures for green tea, and for coffee in my aeropress, but the only way I can tell is if flavors in the tea or coffee are off. And speed – anything that gets me to coffee quicker in the morning is a very good thing!
Stove top kettle!
I use my stovetop kettle about ten times per day. Have never even thought of an electric kettle. Love this idea!
Currently we use a stovetop kettle but I’d love an electric one. We’ve been watching Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals and he uses one in every episode. Also, the coffee shop I help out at uses an electric kettle for the hot teas and it is amazing fast.
I have an old Mr Coffee I use to make hot water for my tea. The water is never hot enough so after the tea has brewed for 5 minutes my tea is barely warm. I would love to have the Hamilton Beach pot.
I need a replacement, my daughter took mine back to college!
I currently use a kettle on the stove, and you’re right–I love the way it looks in my kitchen. But we drink a LOT of tea in our household, so it would be absolutely wonderful to have an electric kettle to make the process more efficient, both in terms of time and energy usage.
Yup, this would be awesome for canning when you just really don’t have another burner! Soaking lids would also be much easier. I’d use it for my French press regularly at home, but this would be super extra useful on the road, when you just don’t want the lousy coffee they provide in cheap motels in remote locations. I do regular road trips and would totally pack this.
I use a plastic electric kettle that I’ve had for 18 years. I worry all the time about boiling that old plastic, but I haven’t found one I like better!
Right now I boil water on the stove in my little white kettle. If I’m desperate, I throw a mug of water into the microwave.
I always boil water in the kettle, on the stovetop, but when I was studying abroad in Ireland I was introduced to the wonders of the electric kettle. I would love to have one to further support my tea habit!
I have an electric kettle that I have been using since I started college 10 years ago. Mine is plastic and I worry about boiling in it, but I hate to throw something out that still works. I also love using mine to have hot water ready to top of my canning pot. My mornings lately have been started with Trader Joe’s Decaf Candy Cane Green Tea. They only have it seasonally, so I stocked up to last me through the year.
I was in love with our old electric kettle, but it broke a while ago and we’ve just been using a stovetop kettle since. I miss it so – would love to win a new one!
Normally I’m a coffee drinker in the mornings, but I love a cuppa in the afternoons.
I am a microwaved mug kinda girl, so one of these beauties would b
OMG! I could realllllly use one of these….My other half loves his stand a spoon up in it coffee (military) and I don’t really care for it….I wouldn’t have to run my morning brew through the microwave….;))
Canning on the other hand….I am just learning how to do small batch….Thank you sooo very much for that…and yes, I have taught a very close friend how to do small batch….she thanks you also….
I grew up and have lived half of my life in Europe.. Electric kettle was a must have.. Not home would be without one.. I could never figure out why here in the U.S it never seemed to catch on.. I have a HB myself and this one looks amazing.. Thanks for offering!!
I have terrible habits of throwing the water in the microwave…. just for a mug of hot water. And in my canning… i’ve always thrown in extra water to hope it starts boiling quickly… My Morning Habit… like my coffee
I’m a stove-top girl all the way, but my family had been trying to get me into the electric kettle for a while. Perhaps this is the time!
Every morning I boil tea water in a black kettle that my sister gave me. It is nothing special – the paint is coming off in spots and the handle won’t stay on, but it does the trick!
Stove top kettle – takes forever!!
Stovetop water boiler here.
I have been using the stove top kettle and open pot for boiling my water, took forever last canning season plus I hated that it took up so many burners on my stove, love this product and have been eyeing them for a long time.
I always use an electric kettle. I most often use it for making tea, but I also use it for getting water starting to boil for cooking pasta.
We have a battered Spode Christmas Tree kettle on the stove at all times of year that we’ve had for twelvish years. It is for tea which is brewed throughout the day for both the grups and the kids (herbal for them!). I like the idea of the electic kettle because it is portable and I could take it out to the llama barn for a cuppa! My mother, who visits, keeps hinting I should get rid of the old kettle.
I used to use my electric kettle all the time, not just for making my tea, but for any time that I needed to thaw things, needed hot water in a recipe, etc. Sometimes I would even get pasta water going in the kettle first.
A separation later – he got the kettle, and I don’t have one!
My poor kettle sits unused on my stove top because it takes so long to heat up the water when I finally get to the kitchen. Programmable hot water? Yes!