Best variable temperature kettles for 2024

Variable temperature kettles are designed to heat your water to different temperatures for drinks that need less-than-boiling water, such as herbal teas or coffee. Here we reveal our top picks, so you can enjoy a perfectly brewed cuppa every time. 

Whether you prefer a cup of green, white or black tea, or a mug of coffee, our recommended kettles will heat quickly and be energy efficient and easy to use, as well as giving you the option to heat to lower temperatures than boiling point. 

See more Which? recommended models in our guide to the best kettles.

Best variable temperature kettles

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Don't Buy variable temperature kettles

Pick the wrong kettle and you'll end up with unnecessary hassle at break time, wasted energy and a long wait for your brew. Here is a poor multi-temperature kettle we recommend you steer clear of.

Not found what you wanted? See our independent kettle reviews for all our top picks.

How to buy the best variable temperature kettle

These are the key features to consider when choosing a multi-temperature kettle:

• Range of temperature settings Not all variable temperature kettles will have every temperature setting you need, so check the options before you buy. If you want a wide variety of beverages then five options should be plenty. Some kettles will also hold the desired temperature for a while, which can be useful if you have a busy lifestyle. 
• Location of temperature controls Some multi-temperature kettles have the controls built into the handle of the kettle, while others have them on the base. This can affect how heavy the kettle is and how easy it is to select your settings.
• Temperature indicator These are either digital or consist of a retro-looking dial on the front of the kettle. The dial can be easier to read from afar, but a digital one may be more accurate.
• Tea-making function Some kettles go the extra mile and actually brew the tea for you, using a special cage for your tea leaves that sit inside the kettle. We've reviewed the Sage Tea Maker kettle - read the full review to get our verdict.

To see all the variable temperature kettles we've reviewed, visit our kettle reviews and use the 'multiple temperature settings' filter.

What is the best temperature for brewing tea?

Tea – it’s the most quintessential of English drinks, but how do you make the perfect cup? It’s all in the temperature. Not all hot drinks should be brewed with boiling water.

In fact, most blends shouldn't be made with water that has just been boiled and taste better brewed a good 20-35°C lower. The only exception is traditional black tea, which can be brewed in temperatures between 80-100°C.

Water temperature is a critical factor in bringing out the best qualities of tea. If the water temperature is too hot, the tea will be too bitter; if the water temperature is too cool, the full flavour contained in the leaves will not be extracted.

Over or under-brewing can also affect the taste. Plus, if you’re using loose tea, you may need to adjust times for different quantities. 

Tea brewing times

Chamomile tea
Water: 90-100°C, brew for: 5 minutes

Black tea/English breakfast tea
Water: 80-100°C, brew for: 2-5 minutes

Green tea
Water: 65-75°C, brew for: 1-2 minutes

Peppermint tea
Water: 90-100°C, brew for: 5 minutes

Rooibos tea
Water: 100°C, brew for: 4-6 minutes

White tea
Water: 75-85°C, brew for: 4-6 minutes

What's the best temperature for brewing coffee?

This depends on the type of coffee you are making.

Instant coffee tends to be hotter, while espresso or filter coffee should be brewed at lower temperatures.

As a rough guide:

• Instant coffee 80-85°C 
• Filter coffee 50-60°C 
• Espresso 90-96°C

How we find the best variable temperature kettles

We test kettles more thoroughly than anyone else. Plus, we put all models through the same stringent assessments, so you can easily compare models on an equal footing.

We check how quickly each kettle boils water. We give top marks to kettles that are fast to heat up and won’t make a racket boiling. We also assess how easy each kettle is to use, and whether it wastes energy by overboiling or having a high minimum fill level.

Find out more about how we test kettles.