I have a handy little trick to save time when cooking something on the stove that requires hot water. When I prepare things such as soups, hot cereal, pasta or potatoes I usually speed the process along by pre-heating the water in an electric tea kettle. I like doing this because it’s faster than boiling it on the stove, it doesn’t take up a burner, and it doesn’t heat up the kitchen.

The one we have is the utiliTEA kettle by Adagio. It’s a 30 oz. variable temperature electric hot water kettle.

We’ve had our utiliTEA kettle for several years. We use it numerous times a day, and it’s still going strong. We love it! We did loads of research before buying our electric kettle. We chose this one because it was highly rated and has a lot of features that were important to us.

Safety first

First and foremost, safety was our #1 concern. We wanted a kettle that would turn off on its own. I think any electric kettle that doesn’t automatically turn off shouldn’t even be on the market. Stove-top kettles can be even more unsafe, whistle or no whistle.

But what’s also great about the utiliTEA kettle is that it has a variable temperature control, so it will automatically turn off when it reaches your desired temperature.

You can adjust the setting to the ideal temperature for what you’re preparing. For example, green tea tastes best when the water is not at boiling temperature, but far below boiling.

For years I was adding boiling water to my green tea, not thinking anything of it. I didn’t realize I was burning the tea. But now using a kettle with an adjustable temperature control, I can totally taste the difference. My teas are much smoother and no longer have that bitter aftertaste.

Same goes for our coffee. My partner uses a French press and I use the pour over method. For these we also use a lower than boiling temperature for our daily brews. And since the utiliTEA kettle is electric it works really fast, a feature we both really appreciate.

The temperature control on the utiliTEA kettle is not marked as specific number of degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius. Instead there’s a guide that can help you set your desired temperature. You simply adjust the temp by turning a dial on the kettle itself, which is about as easy as it gets.

There are some kettles out there where you can select temperature by the precise number of degrees. But those kettles tend to be pricier and can be a bit more bulky.

UtiliTEA kettle convenience

Another feature we find essential is the fact that it’s cordless. With a corded kettle you have a limited range to use it, or else you have to unplug it and carry it plug and all to the sink, your cup, the stove, etc. Not the most convenient.

The utiliTEA kettle gets power from its base which remains plugged in and doesn’t move. Just lift the kettle off and you can carry it around cord free. Simply place it back down when you’re done. Nice!

The base has six flat little round rubber feet about 1/4 inch in diameter to keep it from slipping.

They work fine, but they might be even better if they were a tiny bit bigger. As long as I keep the bottom of the base clean, the thing doesn’t budge, especially when the kettle is actually on it.

Small footprint

With the utiliTEA kettle, the base is the same width as the bottom of the kettle, so it doesn’t take up any extra counter space. Great, simple engineering.

The body is brushed stainless steel. The cover and base are made with temperature safe dark grey plastic. The ergonomic plastic handle makes it easy to pour and safe to the touch.

There’s a clear plastic on/off switch which lights up when it’s on.The lever design makes it super easy to switch on and off.

To fill it you can pop open the top with the button on the top of the handle.

 

Or you can do what we often do and just fill it through the spout. There’s a water gauge window on the outside of the kettle with a max line level to make sure you don’t overfill it.

 

Convenient and versatile

Even though we originally bought our utiliTEA kettle to heat up water for our tea and coffee, we’re finding it helps speed up the prep for much of our Love Low Fat cooking.

A watched pot may never boil, but an electric tea kettle does, and it does it fast!