The handle has six temperature-control buttons—clearly marked with the degrees Fahrenheit and the type of beverage best brewed at that temperature—plus two big buttons for “start” and “keep warm.

Cuisinart CPK-17P1 PerfecTemp Cordless-Electric-Kettle

When it comes to kettles, Cuisinart takes the top spot thanks to its high-performance, reliable, and appealing kettles. Sometimes you need boiling water to remove a nasty stain or to pour down the sink to unclog the drain. Since this is a wireless kettle, you will also want to check whether the kettle has been plugged in firmly in the base.We haven’t experienced this issue with the kettle we’ve been long-term testing, even with regular use, or with the ones we use in the staff kitchen in Wirecutter’s offices. Like the buttons on the Cuisinart CPK-17, each preset button on the Breville IQ is marked with both the temperature and the beverage it’s used for (French press or black tea, for example). You can also keep the water at the preset temperature for 30 minutes without it cooling if you use the keep warm feature.

Cuisinart CPK-17P1 PerfecTemp Cordless Electric Kettle Silver

If you’re especially concerned about plastic components in your kettle, our pick for the best gooseneck kettle, the Cuisinart GK-1 Digital Gooseneck Kettle, has an all-steel body and lid. As the liquid boils, it swirls up, agitating the small rust particles and breaking them free from the kettle. I emptied all the water from my glass kettle and sprinkled a little of that ‘powder’ in it and with a tissue cleaned what I thought was rust. In our tests, the spout on the Hamilton Beach 40880 didn’t dribble water when pouring, and the wide handle was comfortable to hold. In either case, an electric kettle also works for people who hate the alarming sound of whistling kettles and want a fast, more automatic path to their morning cup of caffeine.We were impressed with this kettle’s speed, which was on a par with that of the Cuisinart CPK-17 in boiling time (it took about 4 minutes to heat a liter of water). It comes in a great design, stainless materials and a myriad of features that make it easy to use, such as the six preset settings that allows you to make different types of beverages. With a gooseneck kettle, you’ll have precise control over the stream of water, which makes it easier to bloom your coffee grounds and slowly pour water for optimal brewing. Not all models we tested came with multiple temperature settings, but for those that did, we looked for clearly marked and easily adjustable settings.