The very first electrical kettle was developed in 1891 by the Carpenter Electric Company. It boiled water in about twelve minutes. In 1922, the Swan Company improved on the Carpenter Electric Company's design with the heating unit, a metal rod, in the kettle. This helped the kettle heat water more rapidly.

Currently, an electric tea kettle can boil water in as little as five minutes. Most modern tea kettles are usually cordless, which means the pot sits on a base and it really is the base that's connected to the wall socket, not the kettle itself. This makes the cordless electric kettle as convenient as a stove top kettle.

You should use electric tea kettles to boil water for tea, instant coffee or instant hot cereal. They trump stove top kettles when it comes to portability. If you need to sit in your living room and enjoy a cup or two of tea, it is possible to take the electric tea kettle into the family area with you and enjoy as many glasses of tea as you just as in the quantity of water obtainable in the kettle. The fast boiling time permits you more time to enjoy your breakfast or morning drink.

Electric water kettles are available in a range of colors and styles. They are usually manufactured from metal, plastic or glass. People that bother about the toxins in plastic often choose the glass or metal kinds because no plastic ever touches the boiling water. Another pitfall with plastic tea kettles is they occasionally make the water taste like plastic material. Some electric water kettles look like their stove top cousins, some look like old fashioned coffee percolators and some have very modern, streamlined designs. Those that have hard water have the choice to purchase electric tea kettles with water filters inside for an even better tasting cup of tea or instant coffee.

The only real problem with utilizing an electric kettle is the fact that it's electric. If you have a gas stove in your own home, then when the power goes out, you can just boil water on the stove. But if perhaps you don't have a gas stove or a backup generator and your power is out, you will have a difficult time boiling water.
If you determine to buy an electric water kettle to save yourself some time, ensure that you read reviews of the brands you like best. After all, you want the highest quality kettle your money can buy.