Best instant hot water kettle 2024: for heating water right here, right now

Time is money, and the best instant hot water kettle help you save yours. Your time, not your money; you have to pay for these. An instant kettle can dispense piping-hot water right off the bat, taking mere seconds to come to the boil. All you need to do is top it up with some cold water, press a button and in a few seconds you’ll have ready-to-use boiling water.

While a traditional best kettle doesn’t do a bad job of boiling water, and the best boiling water taps do it with much panache, the best instant hot water kettles do it quickly and inexpensively. They're more practical than beautiful in most cases but hey, what's wrong with that?

So, let's jump into our top picks for the best instant hot water kettle, including options from Breville, Morphy Richards and many more.

Best instant hot water kettles ranking 2024

Breville is great at producing top value instant hot water dispensers, which is why this model sits just above its earlier incarnation below. While the design underneath is older it's still a best seller. However, the newer Breville VKT124 HotCup Hot Water Dispenser has just that little bit more going for it.

We love the updated design, which looks much better than its predecessor. However, there's a similar chunky specification that allows you to enjoy hot water in around a minute. The 1.7 litre tank is decent enough and there's an adjustable tray that lets you slot in big, small or intermediate-sized cups or mugs.

Adding appeal is a built-in permanent limescale filter, an easy-to-fill opening for water tank replenishment and the ability to provide you with up to eight cups of hot water if said tank is full to the brim. Best of all though, as we've come to expect from Breville, is that super-slick delivery of the hot water.

Read our full Breville VKT124 HotCup review for more information!

Not to be confused with the Breville HotCup Hot Water Dispenser above, this Breville HotCup Hot Water Dispenser is also a big hit with consumers. If you’re looking for an affordable but hugely practical hot water dispenser then this appliance is up there with the best of them even if the model above looks rather better. It can supply you with five 250ml cups of hot water without refilling, which is more than adequate for average needs.

We also like the simple-but-effective design of the water tank, which illuminates so you can keep a beady eye on how your water levels are faring. We’re also keen on the streamlined design, which makes cleaning the Breville HotCup Hot Water Dispenser a doddle.

And, as with any decent hot water kettle worth its salt, the drip tray can be easily removed and cleaned too, which is mighty handy if you’re a little slapdash with your cups of hot water. The design is such that you can fill up the tank by holding the unit under a tap, just like those old-school kettles. Simple.

The Klarstein Hotcano Hot Water Dispenser is perfect for anyone who tends to get through a lot of cups of anything hot during the day, or night. With its sizeable 4 litre capacity, the appliance can be filled up and keep you fuelled with a convenient supply of ready-to-go hot water on tap whenever you need it.

Plus points, aside from the generous capacity, is simplicity of use thanks to touch controls that allow you to pick from 55, 65, 75, 85, 95 or 100° C options. The built-in filter also cleans up to 150 litres of the clear stuff before it needs replacing. You’ll need to bear in mind that this has to be done regularly to maintain optimum performance though. A removable drip tray is handy too.

Aside from the occasional filter change the Klarstein Hotcano Hot Water Dispenser is a dependable solution if you need lots of steaming aqua on a regular basis. We also like the fit and finish of this unit, with the stainless steel casing adding a touch of flair to proceedings. It also feel suitably solid for something with a pretty small footprint.

The Morphy Richards 131004 Hot Water Dispenser looks like it means business with a design and build that is solid but slightly uninspiring. We do like the digital display, however, that gives crisp and clear information on what it is up to in terms of setting levels and so on.

You can select the water temperature that you want dispensed, right up to 100 degrees and the amounts can range from quick one-cup offerings through to pan-sized amounts for speedy cooking preparation.

Brita technology (with Maxtra filters) should stop, or at least slow, limescale build-up. While that’s nigh on impossible to prevent if you live in a hard water area, Brita filters are effective, though replacement filters are an additional cost to consider. It’s a plug-and-go machine too, so completely standalone with a 3 litre capacity water tank.

Have a look at our review of the Morphy Richards 131004 Hot Water Dispenser for more information!

The Cooks Professional Electric Instant Hot Water Dispenser follows a similar theme to the VonShef with elegant looks that kid you into thinking it should have cost more than it actually did. It also comes in different colours, so you can almost match it to your kitchen decor.

It has a generous 2.5 litre capacity, which means you can get lots of cups of boiling water between refills and we love the clearly marked water container that lets you see instantly the state of play on your aqua levels. It also seems pretty precise at filling your cup, so there’s no waste and that should save money over time.

Controlling water flow is done using an On and Off button, which requires minimal effort and therefore makes it a hit with us. However, we also like the easily removed drip tray, which can be swiftly emptied and wiped over if you’re a little too slow on the uptake on the difference between full and empty.

There’s an awful lot to like about the Addis Thermo Pot Instant Thermal Hot Water Boiler. It’s a bit pedestrian in the looks department – and that's being diplomatic –  but the features come thick and fast, plus there’s a capacity of 5 litres, which makes it ideal for anyone needing hot water and lots of it.

The stainless steel finish promises durability, the carrying handle is useful when it’s time to fill up the tank and we like the overall ease of use on offer. A one-touch button dispenses up to 600ml of water in one serving, while the LCD display is handy for seeing what setting is currently selected.

You can buy the Addis Thermo Pot Instant Thermal Hot Water Boiler with two different capacity options too, with a slightly more frugal 3.5 litre model being ideal if you’re not in need of 5 litres of water anytime soon. Addis states that the unit only needs 680 watts to boil the water you need, which is then kept constantly hot using a further 2 watts. Impressive.

Oyu by Yum Asia is a sizeable and very white instant kettle that has to be one of the easiest to use on the market. It’s also got the benefit of a large water container, 4 litres no less, which means you’ll spend less time filling it and more time enjoying its charms.

The unit isn't exactly compact, but it does sit nicely on a worktop and looks the part even though it’s dominated by bright white plastic. Up on top, the Oyu has inset controls that are hidden in the plastic surface. Power it up though and they illuminate and allow you to set water temperature, the amount to be dispensed and other core features. There’s an audible alert as you choose settings and if you let the water level get too low there’s a visual error code that gets flagged up too.

Performance is sprightly, with water up to 99-degrees available in 5 seconds. The nozzle is nice and accurate too while a small drip tray in the dispensing area takes care of any spillages. Oyu has since added a higher drip tray accessory too, making slashes a thing of the past.

We did find water dispensed by the Oyu did initially have something of a plastic-tinged taste, but as with any new purchase this began to fade with successive use. Aside from that this is a straightforward, efficient instant kettle that gets the job done very nicely indeed.

Why you need the best instant kettle

Another obvious additional benefit with an instant kettle is that they invariably look so much more interesting than a dull-as-ditchwater standard kettle. Even if your last conventional kettle was finished in stainless steel with elegant plastic flourishes, it’s boring. You’ll find an instant kettle is a different beast altogether.

Manufacturers have obviously realised that an instant kettle finally gives them a chance to fizz things up a bit. In the main, the models we’ve assembled here come big on bold looks and sizzling styling, as well as being a highly practical solution to the tedium of boiling water.

A word of caution however: none of these is literally instant. You only have to wait seconds for them, but you will have to wait. But only a short while…

How to buy the best instant kettle

So, what to look for when you’re in the market for a best instant kettle 2019-style? If you’re in need of lots of boiling water on a regular basis then you’ll want to examine how much an instant kettle can serve up at any one time. 

Some models are one-cup merchants, which is fine for a quick solo brew, but ultimately useless for a monthly meeting of the local tea appreciation society.

Lookout for features and functions. Granted, an instant kettle is only really tasked with doing one job: to boil water instantly. But, if it can serve up different amounts at different temperatures then so much the better. 

Keep an eye on the quality of components too, as cheaply made products can often be affected pretty rapidly if you’re in a hard water area and have to endure the ongoing headache of limescale build-up. A drip-tray that actually works also makes a lot of sense.

During the course of our instant hot water research, which meant drinking copious amounts of freshly-brewed tea to make use of said boiled water, we pinned our final selection around three core areas.

Firstly, we wanted to find the best instant kettle for 2023. We wanted a model that could do it all, from dispensing instant boiling water through to cutting a dash in the kitchen. We wanted practicality, functionality and features aplenty. And we got that, in the shape of the Breville HotCup Hot Water Dispenser.