We have had a few over the years...could not be without one. I love our Russell Stover(???) one...old fashioned tea kettle looking. When the cord "broke" inside near the plug I thought it was a goner, but replaced the cord and it is in daily use now for many many years We also bought a Cuisinart one....nice as a replacement, but when the cord was fixed it went into the garage cupboard as a back-up.
Hope you love what ever you get as much as we do ours.

The shut-off is very reliable....and every "older" person NEEDS that safety feature.

nanny, was it similar to this one? a newer Russel Hobbs?

Here is a link that might be useful: Hobbs tea kettle

Oops, I was reading the specs and it says "no auto shut off". bummer.

I have a glass electric tea kettle, for hot water only. I purchased it at a gourmet shop here in Minot that handles alot of different stuff.Brand is Toastess Cordless Electric Glass Kettle, but it did have a very short electric cord to heat it. I love it It sets on a base.

I have this one from Breville and I love love love it!!!! I got it at Bed Bath & Beyond with the 20% off coupon. The water heats quickly and the shutoff works perfectly, although I usually shut it off prior to that point.

Good luck with your decision

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-SK500XL-Cordless-1-7-Liter-Stainless-Steel/dp/B000A790X6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368053117&sr=8-1&keywords=breville+kettle

Here is a link that might be useful: Breville Kettle on Amazon

I have the Breville BKE820XL which I love. It does have the automatic shutoff.

I have this stainless one. I can't think of any complaints. I use it a couple of times every day. It has the auto shut off once it reaches a boil or runs dry.

Here is a link that might be useful: chefs choice-amazon $40

We have a cheapy $12 Rival one from WalMart. Has auto shut off. My British hubby must have his tea!!!

Hi schoolhouse...mine IS as Russel Hobbs, but they do not seem to make them like it anymore. All of them I have looked at look more like 'coffee pots', except for this EKettle http://www.teavana.com/tea-products/tea-kettles/p/chantal-electric-tea-kettle. Most likely just a preference of mine as we started using electric tea kettles in England and they had a "spout" for pouring hot water into the teapot. I will be heart-broken when mine 'bites-the-dust', and I can't remember just what the cusinart one looks like. Maybe it will out-live me as we are 78+ now days. Good luck in your search. Do try to get one that is Stainless Steel....they can be kept polished up easily for years....and the inside can be clened with vinegar or a coffee pot cleaner.

I bought one several years ago because it was cheap and so many people raved of the virtues of it but I still haven't tried it out. No real need to even dig it out. When I need hot water, I run it through the coffeemaker and I have hot water. I don't use enough water hotter than 135ð-140ð from the tap that I need a special appliance to get it, when the coffeemaker gives me what I need. I'm guessing it'll be given away or tossed before long.

It wold be rare to find a home here without an electric kettle (and almost as rare to find one with a coffeemaker). Do you have a consumer magazine in the Us that does appliances tests and reviews? You might consult that.
Can you visit the shop and physically check them out? Lift them to see how heavy they are?
In addition to auto shut off, I would recommend getting a cordless unit (the kettle sits on a base station which is what plugs in, so the kettle part is easier to manage) and not with a push-button type spout cover, as they can get hot water sitting on top of them that flicks on you when you open the spout to pour the water.

Does anyone know of an electric kettle that has not an iota of plastic on the inside? I've been looking for years.

No plastic?

Nope.

o j

My electric tea kettle was a gift from our older son after his father had boiled dry and ruined 2 tea kettles in the same week. It had an automatic shut off. It does have some plastic inside that is part of the trigger mechanism to turn it off when it boils, though it is not really plastic but probably what they make the handles on frying pans. It has served us well for years. I will try to remember to look up the brand for you next time I go downstairs.

Ok, I finally remembered. The electric kettle we have used for many years is a Chefs Choice International kettle. Automatic shut off. The kettle lifts off the base so you can bring it to the tea pot or stove.

This post was edited by sheilajoyce on Fri, May 10, 13 at 21:57

I like Colleenoz notes....about not having to open a pouring spout, like the whistling ones. We have one of those for camping...no elec.... Also, about the base being seperate.... not what I have, but I could see the benefit of not having to unplug the pot to fill it. We typically use a pitcher, since we sometimes use filtered water. Good luck!

Well gang. Mom and I went shopping today and I told her I would buy her an electric tea kettle for Mother's Day. We looked at the Hamilton Beach one at Walmart (because we were there) but I decided we should check out an upscale all kitchen store in the city that has the nicest things. They had the Chef's Choice model and I liked it. But.....Mom confessed that she really didn't want an electric one. She kind of "likes the look of a tea kettle on the stove and one that whistles".
Her old one has a problem with the lid fitting tightly so she says that's why it's not whistling and she sometimes gets to it too late (almost boiled dry). I still would prefer her to get an electric for the shut off feature but.

So instead I let her pick out one of the Chantal kettles on display. There were some very pretty enamel ones in nice colors but I thought they were a little heavy - and a little more pricey. She decided on the stainless steel Chantal. The one in this link. So thanks everyone for all the great input and suggestions. I'll remember them in case I myself decide to go electric one day.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chantal tea kettle

I never thought I would use anything but a tea kettle, ubtil I tried an electric kettle on a whim. The thing I like the best is-if you turn it on and get distracted it shuts off plus it is super fast. Oh well, she is happy, thats what counts.

Mine is a GE with auto shut off. I love it!

Schoolhouse, I can understand your mom. I'm just the same way. I knew of electric kettles for years. We used one at work. But for me too, I prefer using a kettle over the stovetop. Mine is also all stainless steel except for the handle. It has no whistle but I can tell when it's about to boil by its change in the sound.

Plus, I drink tea and boiling water is a no-no when preparing tea. I can turn off the heat when water reaches to the temperature that I need.

It's all depend on our preference and how we want to use it for. It's not so much about just boiling water but about controlling water temperature.

am I the only one that heats a cup of water in the microwave?

ntt_hou, there are some really whizzbang kettles out there in the market that allow you to choose the temperature the water gets to.
I used to love a whistling kettle on the stove until the day I came home to find ours sitting on the back brick steps at an odd angle, and went in to find spots burned into the linoleum from the stove to the back door, and a slug of solidified aluminium on the stove itself. DH had left the kettle on the stove forgotten for so long it boiled dry and then melted the thick aluminium bottom right off. He came in, realised what had happened and then thought it would be a good idea to carry the melted kettle outside, leaving a trail of dripping molten metal on the linoleum and a long spike off the bottom that cooled quickly without dripping, resulting in the kettle resting at an odd angle.
I bought the auto shut off electric kettle the next day.
On a similar note, a friend's elderly mother developed Alzheimer's and burned several kettles out on her stove before the friend stopped replacing them.

No, you're not, Jean! I do the same, because it's quicker and easier than waiting for the pot to boil on our stove.

I believe it was a poster on Gardenweb who did study comparing efficiency for boiling the same amount of water on stovetop, in microwave, and electric kettle. The electric kettle heated the water most quickly, thus more energy efficient. So, I use the electric kettle for heating water for all kinds of things, boiling potatoes, cooking pasta, boiling eggs, etc.

Thanks Colleenoz. I don't have Alzheimer so not worry about that. Maybe, I'll convert some day. As for now, I'm just as happy with my SS kettle on the stove. Besides, that would be another appliance that would need a place on an already filled up countertop. It's just not practical for me to change something that it's been working fine for years.

Jeanieinwa, I do the same thing - I use a glass measuring cup in the microwave.

So some of you must not brew your tea in a teapot, just heat water and pour into the cup. I guess I'm so used to the whole tea tray thing. Mom is too except she doesn't set a tray. Her favorite lately has been one of those small teapot and cups in one, where the teacup sits under the pot while the tea is brewing. She's been drinking green tea mostly.

Microwaving water can be dangerous, it can sort of explode in your face if the surface is undisturbed. If you google that, you can find out the dangers.

I use a small Revere whistling tea kettle on the stove or a Sunbeam Hot Shot for fast hot water. The Hot Shot is super fast, under a minute and shuts itself off nicely.