<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" In England, where tea drinking is part of the lifestyle, every household has an electric kettle. If you drink tea regularly, consider purchasing one\u2014you&amp;#039;ll never have to worry about the pot boiling dry again. Most turn off automatically once they reach a boil. Plus, they have &amp;quot;boil dry&amp;quot; protection, which cuts the power if they sense there&amp;#039;s no more water left. The latest innovation: kettles that can heat water to temperatures other than boiling. Why would you want this? Green and herbal teas should actually be steeped in water that&amp;#039;s below 212\u00B0 F. Keep in mind: You&amp;#039;ll also find an electric kettle handy if instant cocoa, oatmeal, or ramen noodles are standards in your house. How We Tested  We checked to determine if the water actually came to a boil and how long it took. We filled the electric kettles, poured from them, and cleaned them to determine how easy they are to care for and use. We checked the visibility of the water markings and whether the units of measurement were given in cups, ounces, or liters. We looked at how easy it is to tell if the signal light was on. If a model had a water window, we checked if it&amp;#039;s easy to see through. We reviewed the owner&amp;#039;s manuals and called the customer service department of each manufacturer to gauge how quickly and how helpfully they responded.  Before You Buy  Decide whether you want a model shaped like a traditional stovetop kettle or a jug. Kettle styles are homey-looking, but they&amp;#039;re slightly harder to pour from, as you have to lift them up higher. Jug styles are easier to fill and pour from and generally have a sleeker appearance. Choose between plastic and metal. Plastic is lighter in weight, so if hand strength or dexterity is an issue for you or someone in your household, it&amp;#039;s a good choice. Look for &amp;quot;keep warm&amp;quot; settings if you don&amp;#039;t want to have to jump up to pour a cup immediately or will want a second cup and not want to wait too long for the water to reboil. Remember that more settings mean more programming, making a simple appliance overly complicated to use. So unless you&amp;#039;re truly a tea aficionado, we advise sticking to a basic electric kettle. You may prefer measurement markings that are labeled in ounces. Most kettles give measurements in liters, which isn&amp;#039;t particularly convenient unless you&amp;#039;re comfortable with the metric system. While many bear cup markings, we found that the size of a &amp;quot;cup&amp;quot; can vary greatly.  Kettle Use Tips  The best-tasting cup of tea starts with fresh, cold water. When you&amp;#039;re brewing a full pot (or if you make a cup regularly throughout the day), you&amp;#039;ll want to bring a full kettle to a boil. But if you only have a cup in the morning and another one in the late afternoon or evening, it&amp;#039;s a better idea to refill the kettle each time. To bring out the maximum flavor, pour hot water over tea leaves or a tea bag, rather than dipping the leaves or bag in a pot or cup of hot water. Steep tea for three to five minutes. Delicate green tea will need a shorter brewing time. And don&amp;#039;t judge the strength of the beverage by its color. The type of tea determines the color of the brew. If you see mineral deposits building up in your kettle, fill it to its capacity with a solution of half white vinegar and half water. Then bring to a boil. Rinse the kettle, boil a kettle of fresh water, discard, and you&amp;#039;re ready to go.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/electric-tea-kettle-reviews/a18670/electric-teakettles-tested/>