Cuisinart CPK-17P1 PerfecTemp Cordless Electric Kettle Silver 1.7 Liter

Why it's worth it

Press the button marked green tea and walk away. The Cuisinart heats 1.7 liters quickly and takes the guesswork out of temperature for far less money than the dial-and-screen kettles, as long as you accept plainer plastic and presets you can't nudge.

Presets beat numbers if you'd rather not think about numbers. There are six, printed right on the unit: green, white and oolong tea, black tea, French press and boil. Press one and the kettle handles the rest. For anyone who finds a dial of temperatures vaguely stressful, this removes the decision entirely, and the labels line up with the ranges tea sellers actually recommend.

1500 watts makes it quick. A liter of cold water gets to a boil in roughly four minutes, which puts this kettle alongside models that cost considerably more. On a weekday morning, speed is the feature you notice first and complain about last. The 1.7-liter body handles two or three mugs per fill without a top-up.

From our review of 5 electric kettles, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +Presets beat numbers if you'd rather not think about numbers
• +1500 watts makes it quick
• +It's the easy call for a first upgrade

What to know

• –You get six temperatures and no others
• –Keep-warm drifts
• –It feels less premium than the rest