An electric kettle is an electrical appliance that boils water in a container by heating a metal plate at the bottom of the container with a heater. Despite its small size and cute appearance, it consumes over 1,000 W of power, making it comparable to a microwave oven. Be careful not to trip the breaker when using it with other appliances.
- capacity
- Temperature setting
- Thermal insulation
- Other Functions
- Product Comparison Chart
- Includes recommended products!
capacity
The capacity varies from 0.6 to 1.5 liters, depending on the product. The product introduction pages of some manufacturers indicate that the capacity should be selected according to the number of people in the household. However, a cup of water boils in about 1 minute, and a cup of noodles is 300ml, so even if you use a 0.6L electric kettle, you can boil water for up to 2 people at once.
In addition, as the capacity increases, the body also becomes heavier, and this may cause stress. The Human Life Engineering Research Center conducted an experiment in which subjects were asked to actually determine how much weight equipment, tools, and luggage they could hold in their daily lives by adjusting the weights with weights. The results were as follows. "In one hand, the "easy weight" was about 1 kg, the "weight that can be carried with a little effort" was about 1.5 kg to 2.0 kg, and the "weight that can be carried with as much effort as possible" was about 2.5 kg, with no significant differences between the sexes."
Sense of weight in your hand - Human Quality of Life Research Center [ HQL ] Database site
The weight of the electric kettle is roughly around 700g, as shown in the comparison chart that follows. This means that if the volume of water is within 300 ml, it is within the weight range you can comfortably hold. Considering the short time you will have to hold it, etc., this blog recommends 0.8L.
Temperature setting
Basically, as with conventional kettles, the temperature rises all the way to boiling, but some products allow you to set the temperature of the water. The appropriate temperature varies depending on what you drink, such as coffee or tea, so setting the temperature is an essential feature for a variety of uses.
Thermal insulation
Electric kettles were not made for the purpose of keeping water boiling, but recently there are electric kettles with heat-retention functions.
Other Functions
spout
Not only is there a triangular spout suitable for instant ramen noodles, which can be poured like a regular kettle, but there is also a narrow spout suitable for coffee drip, which can be poured in small quantities.
material
Three main types are available: plastic, stainless steel, and glass. Each has its own advantages: plastic is lightweight and inexpensive, while stainless steel is more durable. Among stainless steel products, those that are double-layered have high heat retention properties and will not burn you if you touch the body part. Glass, on the other hand, while stylish looking, is not recommended because it is vulnerable to shocks.
Other features, such as dry-burning prevention and automatic switch-off after boiling, are available on most products.
Product Comparison Chart
The following is a comparison of products with boiling-only functions as beginner products and those with temperature setting and warming functions as advanced products. (You can scroll to the right.)
Products for Beginners
| Manufacturer | Iris Oyama | siroca | ZOJIRUSHI | T-fal | TIGER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| model number | IKEB-800-W | SEK-208 | CK-DB08 | KO6401JP | PCS-A080 |
| capacity | 800ml | 800ml | 800ml | 800ml | 800ml |
| Power consumption | 1200W | 1000W | 1300W | 1250W | 1300W |
| Weight of main unit | 700g | 850g*1 | 800g | 970g*1 | 640g |
| material | plastic | plastic | stainless steel | plastic | stainless steel |
| Spout Shape | triangle | triangle | triangle | triangle | |
| Other | ・Prevents hot water leakage when falling | ・Prevents hot water leakage when falling ・No steam. ・dust cover ・thermos flask |
・Prevents hot water leakage when falling ・No steam. ・dust cover |
・Prevents hot water leakage when falling ・No steam. |
|
| price*2 | 2,783 yen | 4,980 yen | 5,480 yen | 5,818 yen | - |
*1...Weight including power plate.
*2...Price on Amazon as of September 12, 2024.
Advanced Products
| Manufacturer | T-fal | YAMAZEN | siroca | vitantonio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| model number | KO7201JP | EGL-C1281 | SK-D171 | VEK-20-K |
| capacity | 800ml | 800ml | 800ml | 800ml |
| Power consumption | 1250W | 1200W | 900W | 1200W |
| Weight of main unit | 640g | 900g | 595g | 980g |
| Temperature setting | 8 steps | 50~100℃ Can be set in 1°C increments |
60~100℃ Can be set in 1°C increments |
50~100℃ Can be set in 1°C increments |
| Thermal insulation | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| material | plastic | stainless steel | stainless steel | stainless steel |
| spout | triangle | narrow | narrow | narrow |
| price*2 | 6,980 yen | 7,980 yen | 9,980 yen | 11,561 yen |
*1...Weight including power plate.
*2...Prices on Amazon as of September 12, 2024.
Includes recommended products!
Products for Beginners
Preventing hot water leakage in case of tipping over and a structure that prevents the main body from getting hot are attractive from a safety standpoint. However, I have never burned myself by knocking over or touching the electric kettle, so I thought it would be lower on my priority list. As a result, we recommend Iris Oyama's IKEB-800-W for its large wattage, light weight, and low cost. For families with children and the elderly, we recommend Zojirushi's CK-DB08 for its safety features.
Advanced Products
In terms of price, we recommend T-fal's KO7201JP. However, for frequent coffee and tea drinkers, we recommend Yamazen's EGL-C1281 with fine temperature settings and a narrow spout. It is made of heavy stainless steel and does not feel lived-in.
I hope the above is helpful.
