Waiting for the kettle to boil is a mug’s game.
Quite literally; the cup should be the only thing sitting idle waiting for it to get to the right temperature. You, frankly, have better things to be getting on with.
Unless, of course, you have a glass kettle because those things offer a small but welcome injection of kitchen countertop escapism to liven up grey routines. Glass kettles may sound like an appliance you’d find in Elon Musk’s (doubtlessly) futuristic kitchen but they are widely available and very affordable, boasting a range of benefits aside from looking quite cool.
The see-through body means you can see, at a casual glance, just how much water is left in the chamber. It also allows you to tackle limescale build-up, notoriously rife in hard-water areas like London, before it gets out of hand and renders the appliance fit for only the skip. Made from toughened borosilicate glass, you’ll be rid of that metallic taste that can sometimes flavour water in traditional kettle designs too. The same goes for leeching chemicals. It means your next brew or hot drink should taste exactly as the producer intended.
Aesthetically speaking, glass kettles tend to stay looking in better nick too. They won’t dent or warp from time and temperature, as a metal model might. For the houseproud, it means a glass kettle is clearly an investment worth splashing out on.
We’ve convinced ourselves; the question is, have we convinced you? For further inspiration, we’ve rounded up the best-looking clear kettles to buy now. From additional lights that flash through colours like your own personal light show to options with variable temperature control, here are the best to buy now.
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Russell Hobbs Illuminating Glass Kettle
Could your kitchen do with a little drama? Give friends and family something to stare at with Russell Hobbs’ kettle, a clear 1.7L design that glows blue when the water has been boiled. Combined with the bubbles, it’s quite the sight - well, enough to distract the kids from the biscuit tin anyway.
If you just fancy a quick, quiet cuppa, the side markings allow you to brew one cup so you’re not wasting energy. Meanwhile, the swivel base makes it easy to handle for both righties and lefties.
Buy now £53.00, Dunelm
ASCOT Glass Electric Tea Kettle
This industrial look adds new echelons of style to the humble kettle, taking it from a kitchen essential to a coveted must-have. Sandwiched between copper-coloured hardware is BPA-free borosilicate glass where all the action happens, boiling water in minutes.
It’s a cordless design so you’re not hindered by wires when you’ve got a thirst on and there’s auto shut-off and boil-dry protection to help from a safety viewpoint too.
Buy now £47.69, Amazon
Breville VKJ318 HotCup Water Dispenser - Black
With a generous two-litre capacity, Breville’s design is a departure from a traditional kettle. It will get water to boiling point but instead of pouring, it will dispense the liquid into the receptacle of your choosing, side-stepping the effort of lifting it up and potential scalds.
It comes to temperature in less than sixty seconds and lights up while it’s doing its work, giving you a free light show. At full capacity, it can make up to 10 cups, so perfect if you’ve got a thirsty crowd over. Comes with a one-year manufacturer’s guarantee.
Buy now £60.00, Argos
LOGIK L17GK22 Jug Kettle - Clear
This kettle holds no secrets, showing the clarity of the water inside the 1.7L jug so you can feel at ease that there are no accidental ingredients added to your next brew. Like many of its peers, it glows a bright blue when it’s boiled, so you can see if it’s ready even if you’re out of earshot.
The 3000W design sits on a swivel base and has water level indicators marked out of the side so you never boil more water - and waste more energy - than you need to. Comes with a one-year manufacturer’s guarantee.
Buy now £34.99, Currys
Cookworks Variable Temperature Glass Kettle - S/Steel
Keep water hot for longer with Cookworks 1.7L cordless kettle, which comes with a ‘keep warm’ function to prolong tea-making time. The glass design sits on a stainless steel holder which offers a range of boil temperatures so you’re always at the right degree for the brew, whether that’s herbal tea, hot chocolate or strong coffee.
Other features include rapid boil with a blue illumination turning on when the water is boiled, and a washable and removable limescale filter to curb build-up. A safety cut-out means the kettle won’t boil on empty, so no worries about accidentally overburdening the heating element.
Buy now £41.00, Argos
Salter EK5078IR Glass Electric Kettle with Iridescent Finish
A colour-changing kettle won’t fail to bring a bit of Las Vegas-zhush to your humble kitchen. This electric glass one from Salter talks the talk too, with an anti-limescale filter to keep impurities out of your next drink or pasta dish. The 1.7L design features a swivel base that goes right the way around and a boil-dry sensor which automatically shuts off the heating element when there’s no water left inside.
Buy now £34.99, Amazon
Bodrum electric water kettle
Some teas require different temperatures to bring out their best flavours. Bodrum’s innovative double-wall borosilicate glass design boasts five temperature settings so you can reach the optimum heat, every time. The spout is home to a removable filter, which catches traces of limescale before the water hits your cup. In order to remove hard water buildup from the rest of the kettle though, you’ll need to clean the filter regularly with a descaling product.
Buy now £104.64, Amazon
SAGE The Compact Kettle
Capacity: 1L
Power: 2400W
The Sage Compact kettle has a contemporary see-through design where you can watch the water bubbling within. Sure to step your kitchen table top aesthetic up a few notches, the 2400W device is also super practical. It staggers the release of steam so you are not hit with the heat upon opening and features an auto switch off. Comes with a two year guarantee.
Buy now £72.99, John Lewis
Russell Hobbs Purity Glass Brita Kettle
Only marginally more exciting than watching paint dry, few would linger in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil - unless they’ve got this baby on the countertop. Offering a window into the boiling process Russell Hobbs’ see-through kettle not only gives the theatre of watching your H2O reach boiling point, but it’s fitted with a Brita filter, which removes copper and lead particles from the water.
The built-in MAXTRA+ advanced filtration technology also reduces limescale and chlorine as well as other impurities, ensuring you’re sipping nothing but pure water every time. An alert in the kettle will tell you when the cartridge needs replacing.
Buy now £30.00, Amazon
