Kambrook was the hot favourite in Canstar Blue’s kettle review, after rating five stars for performance, ease of use, and overall satisfaction.
After a long, hard day, there’s nothing better than sitting down with a nice hot cuppa. Unless, of course, your kettle is on the fritz, which would leave many of us at boiling point. While it won’t seem like a kitchen without one, the humble kettle is often underrated in the modem home, with appliances such as smart fridges and dishwashers taking the spotlight. Despite this, many of us still turn to the kettle for either a relaxing cup of tea or an energising cup of coffee when we need it most.
While purchasing a kettle isn’t a big financial decision, finding one that works for your needs, and kitchen aesthetics, warrants enough thought so that you don’t just grab the first one you find. So, which brand has ticked all the boxes for Aussie consumers? Canstar Blue has the answer.
Canstar Blue surveyed 982 Australians for their feedback on the electric kettle(s) they’ve purchased and used in the last two years.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their electric kettle brand(s) from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
• Kambrook
• Kmart (Anko)
• Sunbeam
• Smeg
• Breville
• De’Longhi
• Russell Hobbs
Kambrook brewed up a win, scoring five stars for performance, ease of use and overall satisfaction. Anko (Kmart) pleased in performance and value for money, while Sunbeam also took out performance as well as ease of use.
Finally, Smeg rounded up the ratings with three five-star reviews for performance, design and features & functionality.
Find more detailed information on our ratings methodology.
Not sure which kettle to buy? Check out our buying guide below.
Kambrook was rated five stars for performance, ease of use, and overall satisfaction. It got four stars for design, features and functionality, and value for money.
A veteran of the kitchen appliance market, Kambrook offers a variety of kettles for all budgets, with a range of glass and stainless steel models available. Kambrook’s most basic and cheapest kettle is the Pour With Ease model which retails for $39.95 RRP*. It has a 1.7L capacity and, like all other Kambrook kettles, is BPA-free. The model includes features such as dual water windows, a removable scale filter, a one-touch pop-up lid, an illuminated power light and a multi-directional swivel base. The most expensive option is the Kambrook 1.5L Glass Kettle which retails for $109.95 RRP*. This cord-free elegant glass carafe features an on-off button, boil-dry protection, a one-touch pop-up lid, and concealed elements to preserve your kitchen aesthetics.
Kmart’s Anko brand scored five stars for performance, and value for money. It got four stars for ease of use, features and functionality, and overall satisfaction, plus three stars for design.
Kmart offers many cheap and cheerful kettles, with almost 20 models on offer at the time of writing. The range features different types of kettles, including everything from classic enamel kettles to modern smart kettles packed with multiple temperature options. The style range is just as wide, with a variety of clear, matte, ombre and stainless steel designs to pick from. Kmart also offers toaster and kettle breakfast sets for under $50. If you’re looking for a standalone bargain buy, Kmart’s most basic and cheapest model, the 1.7L Cordless Kettle, has a maximum power of 2200W and is designed with an external water level indicator. Pricier models, such as the 1.7L Stainless Steel Kettle, come in multiple colours and have extra features including dry-boil protection, 360-degree rotation and a concealed heating element.
Sunbeam achieved five stars for performance and ease of use. It got four stars for design, features and functionality, value for money, and overall satisfaction.
With one of the largest ranges available, Sunbeam has households sorted when it comes to hot drinks. Regardless of your needs or budget, Sunbeam will have a model for you, ranging from traditional plastic and stainless finishes to glass and chalky matte models. Some nifty features packed in Sunbeam kettles include Quiet Shield Technology and Temperature Select which offers five optimal temperature settings for green tea, white tea, Oolong tea, coffee and just boil. Other additions include a lid window so that you can see the progress of the boil, a fast boil element and up to 2400W of heating power on some models.
Smeg achieved five stars for performance, design, and features and functionality. It got four stars for ease of use, and three stars for value for money, and overall satisfaction.
Smeg seems to be the go-to brand for fans of vintage and retro designs, with many consumers loving the Italian brand’s 50s aesthetics and bright colour palette. Smeg has a few kettles to pick from, including variable temperature kettles that let you customise the water temperature to help brew the perfect cuppa. You can also check out Smeg’s retro standard kettles (these retail for up to $269 RRP*), which offer a 1.7L capacity, and the brand’s mini alternatives that can fill up to 0.8L (three cups). Depending on the model, some functions in Smeg kettles include a keep-warm mode, a removable limescale filter, a built-in cord wrap, an acoustic alarm, backlit controls, and a variable temperature range between 50°C and 100°C.
Breville rated four stars for value for money and performance. It settled on three stars for design, features and functionality, ease of use, and overall satisfaction.
With plenty of kitchen appliances available, it’s no surprise that Breville has a wide variety of automatic and manual kettles to choose from. Whether you’re after a simple model, a stainless steel model or a kettle with a tea infuser built-in, Breville likely has you covered. For those after the latest in kettle technology, Breville offers the Smart Kettle which uses five pre-programmed temperature settings to help households make certain types of drinks. It’s also said to keep water hot for up to 20-60 minutes, depending on the model, and features a stainless steel luxe design. Breville also provides glass kettles, including the Crystal Clear kettle, built with DURAGlass for safety. The Crystal Clear comes with auto shut-off with boil-dry protection to limit the risk of burns. It retails for $99.95 RRP*.
De’Longhi scored four stars for performance, design, value for money, and features and functionality. It landed on three stars for ease of use, and overall satisfaction.
Italian brand De’Longhi has a range of kettles to suit your household style and size, with plenty of kettles to choose from. Many of De’Longhi’s kettles fit in with modern and vintage aesthetics, making the brand a viable option for many households. De’Longhi’s Ballerina kettles might be worth considering if you’re shopping for a kettle with a bold design ─ the range is inspired by Venetian glass and is available in colours like black, white, yellow, and green. These models provide a 1.7L capacity, a detachable 360° swivel base for cord-free convenience, a water level indicator and anti-scale filter. De’Longhi Ballerina kettles retail for $119 RRP*.
Russell Hobbs rounded the results with four stars for design, ease of use, value for money, and features and functionality. It got three stars for performance, and overall satisfaction.
Offering a variety of modern-style kettles, as well as vintage-style kettles for those after that ‘old school’ aesthetic, Russell Hobbs is a well-known brand in the kitchen appliance market. It has several kettle series, giving you plenty of options to consider. If you want a classic look for your kitchen, Russell Hobbs’ Legacy collection features the same dome shape as the brand’s original design and is available in bold charcoal or purple as well as pastel green and cream. Prices start from $79.95 RRP* for the Legacy series. You can also expect a few modern functions found in other Russell Hobbs models, such as a keep-warm setting, quiet boil technology, a removable anti-scale filter and blue LED lighting to indicate when your kettle is boiling and ready to use.
Not all kettle brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are several more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.
While buying a kettle may not seem like a big purchase decision, over a third of consumers we surveyed listed cost as their main factor of consideration. Here are the main factors that swayed our respondents:
You can find cheap kettles for under $10 from retailers like Kmart, although prices can quickly reach into the hundreds for models from a premium brand like Smeg, with one retro-style kettle setting you back $269.
So, how much should you fork out on your next boiler? This is entirely up to your discretion and budget. Our research found Aussies typically spend an average of $52 on a new kettle which is reasonable considering the mix of premium and budget brands available on the market. Overall, most shoppers also seemed satisfied with their kettle choice, with only 8% wishing they’d spend more on a better model.
When it came to features, one in three (31%) opted for a cordless model and a fifth (23%) picked something that would complement their other appliances or match their kitchen aesthetic. With traditional plastic, stainless steel and glass kettles available, consumers are even more spoilt for choice. In addition, making a kettle the statement piece of your kitchen is easy with the abundance of different colour options on offer.
You may also be interested in:
Here is a list of kettle brands available to buy in Australia:
Our ratings suggest Aussies prefer reputed and budget brands over premium ones, as evidenced by Kambrook taking the top spot, while Kmart and Sunbeam placed second and third respectively.
While a kitchen essential, finding a kettle that suits your lifestyle and your drink preferences can be tricky, with plenty of options available, making it difficult to narrow down. While most popular brands have similar capacities, additional features such as auto shut-off, cord storage and quick boil functions are all factors you will have to be aware of when browsing the shelves.
With plenty of options available, it’s always best to do your research before reaching for your wallet, as some brands or styles may fit your personal preference or household better than others, with a reliable kettle just as good as a cup of tea when you really need it.
Megan is Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Editor, leading the team that focuses on consumer products and services, ranging from supermarkets and groceries to home and personal appliances and retail stores. She interprets Canstar Blue’s bespoke research on the thousands of brands that we compare, rate and review, to help shoppers make better purchasing decisions.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Picture credits: Tyler Nix / Unsplash.com.
Here are the past winners of Canstar Blue’s kettle ratings:
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Appliances - January 18th
If you think of kitchen appliances with rounded shapes, chrome details, and bright colours, there’s only one brand that comes to mind – Smeg. The Italian premium brand is renowned for its 50s retro-style appliances, …
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