Do you really need a smart kettle?
Smart kettles are fairly new on the smart kitchen gadget scene, but when most of us are perfectly capable of flicking an ‘on’ switch, do we really need them?
Unfortunately smart kettles are not yet smart enough to fill themselves up or pour out your mug of tea unaided. But they do enable you to perform the basic task of boiling water, without leaving the comfort of your sofa.
This convenience comes at a price, though. The Swan Alexa Smart Kettle costs £100 and it’s rare to see branded models any cheaper than £50. So is this small convenience worth the money?
We sent one home with our Tech Editor, Paul Lester, to discover if you might benefit from owning one.
Dive straight into our Swan Alexa Smart Kettle review to see what he thought of it, or read on to find out if he'd buy one.
What is the point of a smart kettle?
As far as the basics go, smart kettles operate in almost exactly the same way as standard kettles, just with a few added extras, the main one being they allow you to control your kettle from your mobile phone.
After using the Swan Alexa Smart Kettle at home for two weeks, Paul was a convert.
'Like many smart devices, it leans heavily on novelty value' he said, 'but firing up your kettle on a timer, or without having to get off the sofa, is the sort of thing you can easily get used to.'
Hot water on command
Many smart kettles, the Swan Alexa included, allow you to set a daily schedule, meaning you can wake up to freshly boiled water ready for your morning brew. This could be handy if your life is pretty hectic, or even if you just can't function properly before the first coffee of the day.
'With the Swan Alexa, you can choose between a range of temperatures, such as 40 degrees (warm water), 80 degrees (green tea) and 100 degrees (boiling)'.
'I set a routine to have the kettle heat water to 90 degrees, ready for my tea, whenever I issued a specific voice command,' said Paul. 'The command-specific temperature controls are a definite plus – although it helps if you have a regular routine as well of course.'
Remote boiling
It might sound like a niche product, but the concept of remote boiling could come in handy for many people.
According to Paul, 'People who love smart tech, already own a smart speaker or two, can appreciate the little conveniences smart homes bring, and can justify the cost' might find a smart kettle useful.
But they're not the only ones. For example, new parents using baby formula can spend more time with their child rather than standing by the kettle waiting for it to boil. And people with certain mobility issues may find them useful too.
But does the convenience justify the price?
'It is difficult to justify spending £100 for this kettle when you can get Best Buys for less than £25' said Paul. 'But if you can find it on a good discount, or if and when 'smarts' come to cheaper kettles as standard, I'd wager most people will get used to it pretty quickly, and wonder how they lived without it.'
If the idea of a speedy morning routine appeals to you, head to our best kettles, which includes one of the fastest kettles we've tested.
How do smart kettles work?
When you set up a smart kettle, you are prompted to download an app to your phone (it shouldn't matter whether you have iOS or Android). This will allow you to operate the kettle remotely.
You'll have to fill up your kettle yourself, but then you can perform a range of tasks from the comfort of your sofa. Depending on which model you choose, these may include:
- Turning the kettle on or off - even the most basic models will do this.
- Checking the water level - most smart kettles will tell you approximately how much water is inside, and won't boil if there isn't enough.
- Setting variable temperatures - some pricier models will allow you to boil water at lower temperatures, which is good if you enjoy green or fruit tea.
- Activating the keep-warm setting - much like the standby setting, you might be able to keep your water warm for a certain period of time.
Multiple people can download the app and control the kettle at any given time, as long as you're all connected to the same wi-fi network.
Find out how to set up a smart home and discover the wi-fi-connected products we recommend.
Can I use my smart kettle with Alexa or Google Home?
While it won't be the case for every model, the majority of smart kettles currently on the market will work with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Home. Some, like the Swan Alexa we tested, may work with one but not the other, so be sure to find out before you buy.
This means you'll be able to put the kettle on without even needing to pick up your phone - just ask your voice assistant to boil the kettle and head to the kitchen when it's done.
The way you pair your kettle with your smart home device will vary from one model to the next, so that's another thing to check before buying. While some kettles will have a feature where you can directly connect them to Alexa, with others you may have to buy a smart plug separately for everything to work as it should.
Voice assistants are capable of a lot more than boiling your kettle. Check out our complete guide to Alexa and best smart speakers guide to make the most of your device.
How does Which? test smart kettles?
We’ve tested a handful of smart kettles under our regular testing program, evaluating them on their speed, quietness, minimum fill and energy use, among other things.
However, we don’t yet test their smart capabilities in our test lab. That’s because smart kettles are still fairly new and there aren't lots on the market yet.
Until they are more widely adopted, we’ll continue to test them on their basic functions only.
See our Sage The Smart Kettle review and our WeeKettSmart Wi-Fi KE4071TB-GS review.
Does Which? test other smart products?
Yes, several of our product categories, including smart home security systems and smart speakers have specific additional tests for their internet-connected features.
One of the main things we test is the functionality of their connected apps, including how easy they are to download. We assess what you can control via the app, how easy the app is to use and how well the app is designed.
We also test the privacy and security of each product to help keep you and your family safe. This involves checking how secure the password is and whether you can change it easily, how much personal data you need to provide and how susceptible the product is to cyber attacks.
Like the sound of smart appliances? Here are a few other smart products we test:
