Do you need to spend $250 on a kettle? I tested the Dualit Classic Kettle to find out

The Dualit Classic Kettle is a decent option for anyone looking to buy one of the best electric kettles and who wants a sleek design in their kitchen. It’s very quick to boil water and has great heat retention. The shape of the spout means that pouring is always reliable too, which is a real perk if you’ve ever experienced the annoyance of spilt boiling water.

However, it’s a bit pricey, and paying $249 for a kettle when you can pick one up for less than $30 from Walmart is a tall order. I also found the chrome finish picked up all kinds of watermarks and fingerprints, which was annoying, and it’s heavy to hold when pouring.

To find out more about my experience during testing, you can keep reading this full Dualit Classic Kettle review.

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Dualit Classic Kettle review: Specs

Dualit Classic Kettle review: Price & availability

The Dualit Classic Kettle is available from Amazon U.S. for $249 and from Amazon U.K. for £159. The kettle comes in a variety of colors, including Chrome, Sandstone, Sage, Matt Black, Brass, Copper, Eucalyptus, Evergreen, Shadow and Damson. To check out all of these colors, you can head to the Dualit online store.

This kettle is on the pricier side, but it boils water impeccably quickly and has an undeniably sleek look. The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is nearly ten times cheaper at $27, but it struggles with leaks while pouring, which the Dualit does not. I think it’s worth spending more on a kettle you know will be reliable to avoid any spillages.

If you want more control over your boiling to get the perfect temperature for your tea or coffee brewing, check out the Ninja Precision Temperature for $89. And for more control when pouring for things like pour-over coffee when using a Chemex, the $165 Fellow Stagg EKG gooseneck spout kettle is the way to go.

Dualit Classic Kettle review: Design & features

The Dualit Classic Kettle is more of a fashion statement than a home appliance. It’s incredibly eye-catching because of the intense shine from the polished chrome finish. But you need to love looking at yourself because while watching the water boil, I had a very clear reflection for company.

It measures 11.1 x 9.3 x 6.1 inches, so it’s the size of a traditional kettle, but a little taller than the Cosori Electric Glass Kettle. The Dualit weighs 3.5 pounds, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but when it’s filled with water, it gets heavy to hold.

The hinged lid at the top is very sturdy and takes a bit of a pull to open it. I didn’t experience any issues with leakage around the lid when pouring. The plastic window on the side is BPA-free and is clearly denoted with measurements in cups on one side and in Liters on the other.

The pour spout has a removable, washable limescale filter on the inside to make cleaning a little easier. There’s also a useful downward-facing lip to prevent drips from running down the body and making a mess.

The base of the kettle has a 3-foot power cord, which is a great length as it doesn’t get in the way on the counter. The base itself is quite chunky but looks very cohesive with the rest of the kettle. To prevent overheating, the kettle has a boil-dry safety cut-off.

Dualit Classic Kettle review: Performance

Overall, I was impressed with the performance of the Dualit Classic Kettle — you’d like to think so too, given the $249 price tag. The kettle has patented Whisper Boil for quieter operation, but at 63dB, it was around the same volume as the Fellow Stagg EKG and the Ninja Precision Temperature.

I was impressed by how quickly the kettle boiled water. When compared with the Cosori, it was much quicker. I tested the U.K. version of the Dualit Classic Kettle, which is rated at 3kW power, but the U.S. version is rated at 1.5kW, so boiling time may vary across the regions.

Immediately after boiling, the temperature read 210ºF/99.3ºC, just shy of the 212ºF needed for brewing a good cup of tea. I also took a reading of the water 30 minutes after boiling and was impressed by the 172ºF/78ºC result. This means the kettle can hold heat, so it requires less energy if you need to reboil soon after your initial use.

The kettle is accurate when pouring, and the shape of the spout avoids any drips or splashes. However, I found the kettle hard to hold when full, so it was a little difficult to manage when pouring, but when filled with only two or three cups, it wasn't too bad.

Dualit Classic Kettle review: Storage & maintenance

The Dualit is generally easy to maintain. You’ll often find yourself wiping down the exterior of the Dualit Classic Kettle with a cloth, since the polished chrome finish shows every fingerprint and watermark. I found this annoying as it made the kettle look a little unkempt.

If you live in a hard water area, you’ll also need to clean limescale out of the kettle regularly. You can use descaling tablets for this, or take a more natural approach with lemon juice. The limescale filter of the kettle is removable and washable, making it easy to clean regularly.

Dualit Classic Kettle review: Verdict

The Dualit Classic Kettle is a decent option for anyone with a modern kitchen looking for a fast way to boil water with a sleek design. The spout shape also means every pour is reliable with zero spills. I appreciate the heat retention of the kettle too, as it means I use less energy and spend less time waiting around if I need to reboil.

But some people (well, most people) are going to be put off by the $249 price tag when you can get comparable kettles that perform just as well for under $100, like the Cosori Electric Glass Kettle, so you’re paying for looks with the Dualit. Then again, those looks aren’t all that since you’ll spend a lot of time cleaning it because the chrome marks so easily.