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Published October 27, 2026. Prices and specs checked October 18, 2026.
An electric kettle is the better buy for most kitchens: the Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17P1 uses about 2.3 cents of electricity to boil a litre. A stovetop kettle, such as the Le Creuset Classic Whistling Kettle, runs about 2 to 3.5 cents depending on your burner, and it needs no outlet.
I’ve boiled water on a propane burner in a boat galley, on a gas range in a farmhouse kitchen, and in a plug-in kettle in rental kitchens. The plug-in is the easiest of the three. The stovetop kettle is the one that needs no outlet, and a whistle you can hear from the next room does a job no spec sheet mentions.
Electric kettle vs stovetop kettle
Four kettles cover both designs and both pour styles. Prices are from each maker’s own store.
| Kettle | Type | Price | Power or heat source | Capacity | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17P1 | Standard electric | $129.95 at Cuisinart | 1,500 W, six temperature presets | 1.7 L | Limited 3-year |
| Fellow Stagg EKG Pro | Gooseneck electric | $199.95 at Fellow | 1,000 to 1,200 W | 0.9 L (30 oz) | 2+ years |
| Le Creuset Classic Whistling Kettle | Standard stovetop | $104.00 at Le Creuset, marked down from $130.00 | Gas, electric, ceramic or induction | Not listed on Le Creuset’s page | 5 years |
| Fellow Stagg Pour-Over Stovetop Kettle | Gooseneck stovetop | $89.95 at Fellow | Stove heat; induction not stated on Fellow’s page | 1.0 L | Not shown on the product page |
Two things stand out. The Fellow Stagg EKG Pro costs nearly twice the Le Creuset’s $104.00 (199.95 ÷ 104.00 = 1.92). The warranty runs the other way: Le Creuset lists five years on its kettle page, Cuisinart three, and Fellow two or more.
The Cuisinart’s six presets (Delicate Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, Oolong Tea, French Press, and Black & Herbal Teas, per its product page) are the real reason to plug in. A stovetop kettle has one setting, a boil, and tells you with a whistle. Le Creuset says its fixed single-tone whistle sounds at a rolling boil.
If a gooseneck spout is the point, our gooseneck vs standard electric kettles comparison sorts the electric models. The Fellow stovetop gooseneck here is the burner-powered version of the same idea.
Is it cheaper to boil water in a kettle or on the stove?
Usually, yes, by a fraction of a cent per litre. Induction matches the kettle, and the gap depends more on your stove than on your kettle.
Every row below heats 1 litre of water from 62°F to 212°F, which takes 0.097 kWh of heat. A litre weighs about 2.2 pounds and a Btu warms one pound of water by 1°F, so 2.2046 lb × 150°F is about 331 Btu. At 3,412 Btu per kWh that is 0.0969 kWh. Electricity is priced at 18.31 cents per kWh and gas at $26.45 per thousand cubic feet, both EIA’s July 2026 residential averages. At EIA’s 1,037 Btu per cubic foot, a thousand cubic feet holds 303.9 kWh of heat, or 8.70 cents per kWh.
How much does it cost to boil water
| Method | Arithmetic | kWh per litre | Cents per litre | Per year at 2 L a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric kettle, 1,000 W (measured) | 1,000 W × 6.53 min ÷ 60 = 0.109 kWh for 0.946 L | 0.115 | 2.11 | $15.39 |
| Cuisinart PerfecTemp, 1,500 W | 1,500 W × 5 min ÷ 60 = 0.125 kWh for 1 L | 0.125 | 2.29 | $16.71 |
| Induction burner, 85% | 0.0969 ÷ 0.85 | 0.114 | 2.09 | $15.24 |
| Gas burner, about one third | 0.0969 × 3 = 0.291 kWh of gas heat × 8.70 cents | 0.291 | 2.53 | .47 |
| Electric burner, one measured pot | 1,500 W × 7.33 min ÷ 60 = 0.183 kWh for 0.946 L | 0.194 | 3.55 | $25.90 |
The two measured rows come from Jeff Kaufman’s published kitchen test: a 1,000 W kettle took 6 min 32 s and a pot on a 1,500 W glass-top burner took 7 min 20 s, each on a quart (0.946 L) from 62°F. Reviewed’s one-litre test of about 5 minutes feeds the Cuisinart row at the kettle’s 1,500 W rating, which assumes full power the whole time. The induction and gas rows use ENERGY STAR’s general figures, about 85% and about a third of the heat reaching the pot, not a measurement of any kettle. A year is 730 litres.
Read the table sideways. The kettle and induction land together near 2.1 cents. Gas costs about 0.4 cents more per litre, or $3.08 a year ($18.47 − $15.39). The 3.55-cent pot is one burner and one pot, and it costs $10.51 a year more than the kettle ($25.90 − $15.39). Either way the yearly gap is a few dollars.
Do electric kettles use a lot of electricity?
A 1,500 W kettle draws a lot while it runs and runs for very little time. Five minutes at 1,500 W is 0.125 kWh, or about 2.3 cents at 18.31 cents per kWh. Two litres a day comes to roughly $17 a year.
The draw matters in one place, the circuit. At 120 volts, 1,500 W is 12.5 amps, a big slice of a household circuit. A kettle and a toaster on the same circuit is a fair way to find out where your breaker panel is.
How long does it take to boil water on the stove?
It depends on the burner and the volume, so here are measured numbers instead of a typical one. In Kaufman’s test a quart from 62°F reached 212°F in 7 min 20 s in a pot on a 1,500 W glass-top burner, against 6 min 32 s for his 1,000 W kettle. Reviewed’s one-litre test put the Cuisinart CPK-17 at about 5 minutes from 60°F.
The floor is physics. Putting 0.0969 kWh into a litre at 1,500 W with no losses takes 0.0969 ÷ 1.5 × 60, or 3.9 minutes. Real stoves lose heat around the pot, so the real number is longer.
A stovetop kettle has no wattage of its own, so the burner sets the pace. An electric kettle prints its rating on the base: 1,500 W on the Cuisinart, 1,000 to 1,200 W on the Fellow. The stovetop kettle’s advantage is the whistle, which lets you leave the room.
Stovetop kettle or electric kettle
Buy the electric kettle if you boil water every day, drink tea at different temperatures, or have a counter with an outlet to spare. The Cuisinart CPK-17P1 is the pick for that kitchen. Skip it if you want a kettle that lives on the stove and needs no cord.
Buy the stovetop kettle if you cook on gas or induction, want one fewer plug on the counter, or want the longest warranty here. The Le Creuset Classic Whistling Kettle fits that kitchen. Skip it if you want a temperature setting, because it only boils.
Coffee changes the answer a little. If the stove is already busy with stovetop espresso, our moka pot vs AeroPress comparison covers that side. And if the kettle feeds a daily cup, the grinder matters more than the kettle; see our burr coffee grinders comparison.
Are electric kettles safe?
Two electric kettle recalls in the CPSC database share one failure. Zwilling recalled its Enfinigy and Enfinigy Pro 1.5 L electric kettles on May 14, 2026, after handles could loosen and separate and spill hot water; about 113,440 were sold in the US. KitchenAid recalled its 1.7 L kettles for the same handle problem in 2018.
Stovetop kettles have burn-hazard recalls too. Macy’s recalled Arch Studio tea kettles on April 16, 2026. Searching CPSC by brand returns no kettle recall for Cuisinart, Fellow or Le Creuset. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and look for a UL or ETL listing on any electric kettle.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Frequently asked questions about stovetop kettles
Is a stovetop kettle better than an electric kettle?
It is better at different things. A stovetop kettle needs no outlet, has no electronics, and the Le Creuset lists a five-year warranty. An electric kettle was quicker in the one head-to-head above and the Cuisinart offers six temperature presets.
Do stovetop kettles work on induction?
Only if the base is magnetic. Le Creuset lists its Classic Whistling Kettle for ceramic, electric, gas and induction. Fellow’s page for its Stagg stovetop gooseneck does not say, and Clive Coffee’s listing says it is not compatible with induction, so check the maker’s page before you buy.
Does an electric kettle save energy?
A little. In the table above a kettle used 0.115 kWh per litre, against 0.194 kWh for the measured pot on a 1,500 W burner and 0.291 kWh of gas heat at ENERGY STAR’s one-third figure. In money that is about $3 to $10.50 a year at 2 litres a day.
Is an electric kettle worth it?
For speed and temperature presets, yes. For running cost alone, no, because the savings are a few dollars a year and will not repay a $129.95 kettle. Buy it for the presets and the faster boil.
