I’ve Used This Electric Kettle Every Day for 2 Years and It Still Boils Water in Seconds

I may not have grown up in a home with an electric kettle, but as an adult, I’ll never live without one. Electric kettles are preferable to old-fashioned kettles for two big reasons: They boil water more quickly and they’re safer, because they don’t require you to turn on a stove and tend to have auto-shutoff functions. I also like the sleek look of modern electric kettles, especially ones with that trendy gooseneck design (that also happens to make pouring water out of them more accurate and less messy).

Electric kettles are the best tool to have on hand for making hot drinks — tea, coffee (especially pour over and French press), and winter cocktails — and for preparing water to cook pasta, potatoes, peas, and any number of boiled foods. My wife and I did a bunch of research before picking out this one from ZWILLING about two years ago, and it’s been an absolute delight. I rely on it for my morning coffee, and my wife needs it to make ramen noodles and other quick soups, so we’ve gotten a lot of use out of it. And I can happily say that it works just as well today as it did the day we got it.

This electric kettle consists of just two parts: a kettle and a docking station. An ergonomic button on the top of the handle opens the lid, and another button at the base turns the device on and off. There are no timers or temperature controls — once you add water and turn it on, it will heat up until the contents inside reach a rolling boil, then turn off automatically. You can, of course, turn it off earlier either by pressing the power button or lifting the kettle off the docking station.

The kettle is available in two colors — black and silver — both of which have a chic, minimalist look that complements just about any kitchen decor scheme. While the body of the kettle can become quite hot when it’s in use, the handle is built to maintain a distance from the kettle body, so it’s always cool and comfortable to hold. ZWILLING makes this kettle in a larger 1.5-liter size for just $10 more, but it’s rare that I even fill up my 1-liter kettle to the max fill line, so I prefer this size.

I love my ZWILLING electric kettle because it’s fast and reliable. As curious as I would be to try out a fancier and more expensive kettle that lets me program it to heat water to exactly 177 degrees Fahrenheit (an ideal temperature for green tea), I like how simple and straightforward my current kettle is. It’s the perfect kind of kitchen appliance: one that is always there, ready to do its job without any fuss or muss. And, when you find that kind of hard-working tool, you hold onto it!

I’ve had other electric kettles in the past, and they all had small but noticeable technical issues after a year or so of use. One started to take longer and longer to get water to a boil. On another one, the lid would randomly (and startlingly) pop open while it was in use, splashing hot water on the walls and anyone nearby. But this kettle always behaves perfectly well. As far as kitchen appliances go, it’s one of the best I’ve ever owned. So while you can find a cheaper kettle, if you want one that will never let you down, choose this one — you’ll be glad you did.