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.
 |
![[Your name]'s gallery on Punk Domestics](http://www.punkdomestics.com/sites/default/files/badges/GalleryBadge200.gif)
After a visit to Great Britain about 10 yrs ago I was hooked on the electric hot pot. Unfortunately, it took me until 2007 to actually get one for myself. As a die-hard tea and french press coffee drinker, the electric kettle is always going. I also use it to heat water for boiling things like pasta and beans on the stovetop since it heats so much faster. I would love a new kettle, though, since mine is a cheap all-plastic one that only holds about a quart of water.
I haven’t used an electric kettle in years… still have the old thing (I got for my high-school graduation… in ’91) but haven’t touched it ’cause I have always kept a good tea-kettle on the stove. Unfortunately, my favorite one died a few years ago (someone seems to have let it boil dry) and we couldn’t find a direct replacement, but we still use it all of the time for tea, cocoa, hot-water infusions of all sorts, and bouillon. Never thought to use it for amny of the uses that you suggested, though.
I boil water on the stove top everything morning for my french press and every evening for tea (and sometimes for an afternoon pick-me-up).
I use a cheerful red teapot to boil water for tea/coffee. Makes me smile every time I use it.
I use an electric tea kettle at work for tea, cocoa, and soup packets. I’d love to have one at home too!
We have an old plastic electric kettle, and I also use it during canning!
I had just put water in the microwave in a glass measuring pitcher to make myself a cup of tea, when I sat down to check my Facebook … And this was the first post! Coincidence ?? Maybe
I love the thought of having boiling water at the ready for canning!
Small pan on the stove ANNNND a timer
For more than one cup, we use a kettle on the stove. Otherwise for one cup we use the microwave or my daughter’s Keurig.
Mostly a pan on the stove, since the mugs I like don’t fit in the microwave….
We just bought our first gas range, which was awesome, but I swear water boils more slowly on it! This would be awesome for having one less pot on the stove while canning, for sure. Thanks!
I use a stove top kettle that I bought for its lovely orange color …. however :/ I should have returned it, as it dribbles boiling hot water no matter how I pour. It is very annoying. I pour over the sink now
Thank you and HB for this giveaway!
Best ~ Elysia
I love my electric kettle and would be thrilled with a new HB one. I use mine all the time to quick boil water not only for Tea but also to cook veggies, pasta, soup….. It saves time and energy! Once you try an electric kettle you won’t know how your kitchen managed without one!
I’ve always used the stovetop, but this post and recommendations from friends have sold me on the electric kettles. Can’t wait to get my hands on one!
Stove top kettle but have always wanted for the efficiency of one of these!
I have an electric kettle. A must have for my morning pot of tea!
At home, I heat up my water in a stove-top kettle that sees use several times a day. At work I opt for the microwave to heat my tea water.
I currently use a stovetop kettle but man o man I would love to try one of these. TY!!
I have a stovetop kettle. It does the trick for a quick cuppa tea, but not large enough/doesn’t stay hot enough for much else. I’ve thought about an electric pot investment. But never executed. Thanks for the review- makes me lean a little heavier towards getting one.
I have a stovetop kettle that’s past its prime. A shiny new electric one would be great!
I use a stovetop kettle if I’m doing more than two cups or so at a time. For a single cup of tea, I use the microwave, but I’ve been covetously eyeballing a fancy electric kettle for a while now. We just switched from a drip coffee pot to a Chemex, and I’d love to be able to heat the water for it faster (not to mention the control over exact temp)!
I use an electric kettle for my tea. It has a filter inside, which is great, because the other day I opened it to refill it and found a boiled spider stuck on the filter! I am very glad I didn’t pour it into my tea! I’ve been contemplating getting a new one, though my 15+ year-old (plastic) kettle is still doing the job. If I don’t win one of your giveaways I might get a glass model. They are pretty slick looking.
I’m like you were. We use an old beat-up kettle on the stove to heat water and I use the stove for my canning hot water, with the kettle of hot water nearby. I’ve been considering buying an electric kettle for a while.
Thank you all.
I have an old electric kettle at home, which is used mainly for coffee and many, many mugs of Yorkshire Gold tea (with a shout out for Celestial Seasonings Country Peach – woot! woot!).
My husband has started making coffee at work (first a french press, now a Clever), and would be thrilled to have this kettle for his office.
I’d love one, my son is always sticking a thermometer down in the kettle for his green teas so he can pour at just the right temperature.
Kettle on the stove. I love all the ways you use yours.
A tea kettle on the stove does the trick for me!
We have an electric kettle, but it’s not programmable. We drink at least 2 cups of tea a day.
I boil water for herbal tea….love the Blueberry. This is a favorite go-to in the winter!
For small amounts ( 2 cups or less) I use the microwave. For larger amounts I use a pot on the stove.
Our electric tea kettle has been a welcomed edition to our kitchen but a new fancy one would be great. Our kids are starting to love tea as much as me so I am using it a lot!
I love my electric kettle, and would love to give this to my sister who still boils on the stove and I have to wait for tea when I’m over there!
Currently, I am using the microwave or a small saucepan for tea or hot chocolate. Keep passing an electric kettle in the aisle at costco and telling myself next time. My husband would love the temperature setting because he is super technical with making coffee, measuring meticulously and counting the seconds he grinds the coffee!
Kettle on the stove, My cuppa tea gets my morning going! Not a fan of making it in the microwave. I bought one of the these for a daughter’s friend going off to college and have been eying one for myself.
I mostly use my electric kettle for teas but did call it into service to top off hot water baths this past summer. It’s an older model, not very fancy but works. I’d love to have one with specific temp settings.
I have a little electric kettle I bought a couple of years ago–I love it! The rapid heating of the water, the automatic shut off, it is great. I use it every day to heat water for my french press coffee pot and for tea. I also use it when canning; it is a great way to add hot boiling water to top off a water bath, or hot water to jars for pressure canning foods! Pick me, pick me!!!
I use a pot on the stove now. I had found an electric kettle at a thrift store and loved it! It’s so much faster and easier than stove top methods. Alas, my beloved kettle broke and I miss it every day.
I love to hear a kettle whistle but I love hot water fast even more. I use mine at canning time for sure, as well as, tea parties.
I have been using the same $15 all-plastic rival hot pot I got my freshman year of college in 2004 for all of my hot drinks needs. Everything is really starting to taste like plastic so I would love to get my hands on one of these Hamilton Beach ones!
At home…an old Pyrex stovetop glass teapot. At work…a mug and a microwave.
We stopped using a microwave years ago, so always a pot or teapot on the stove.
ooooooooo, that is a nice kettle! to boil water for hot drinks i use whatever method seems right at the time. i have a plain jane plug in and stand over it kettle, and sometimes i use the microwave. and i have three 4th burner pots that i use on individual burners for group canning. but there is nothing like clean hot water from a proper kettle. thank you for the chance to win!
I use a beat up old Breville electric kettle. We use it to make tea and coffee throughout the day. I also use it for cooking and for canning.
I use an old Breville electric tea kettle for coffee, tea, canning and cooking. We make oodles of tea each day.
I have an electric kettle I use often, but would love a temperature specific model since we now live at high altitude.
ENDLESS TEA without leaving the comfort of my blankets.
A stovetop kettle for morning tea and chia seed porridge.
I have a cute white, round, enameled steel tea kettle on my stove top.
I have always used a stove top kettle for tea and the kids hot coco, this seems like a much faster option though!
I really want an electric kettle! Currently I use the microwave or a saucepan on the stove for hot water.
Stovetop kettle, but I keep meaning to get an electric one. The stovetopper always is way too hot for tea by the time the whistle blows.