Why Sticking With Traditional Kettles Is A Mistake For Your Modern Kitchen

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If a rustic cozy cabin is your vibe, sure, a kettle's great. If you're going for maximalist-vintage, keep it slow running with a classic, on-the-stovetop water heating system. But if you're designing a modern kitchen? Draw on your inner minimalism, clear up counter space, and join the future by replacing your traditional kettle with a boiling water tap that attaches directly to your sink. Whether you're steeping a cup of tea or making a breakfast of instant oatmeal, the convenience is unmatched — not to mention the energy savings.

Boiling water spigots work by keeping a small tank of water at near-boiling temperature. The tank is well-insulated, meaning that once the water initially gets up-to-temperature, it doesn't use all that much energy to keep it there. Of course, it will be expending a small amount of energy constantly, rather than a larger amount of energy for just the 3-5 minutes it takes your stovetop kettle to whistle, but if you use your kettle several times throughout the day, the added tap might be the way to reduce your energy bill and your environmental footprint. A boiling water tap also dispenses the exact amount of water you need, something that's hard to estimate with a traditional kettle and often leads to more water being heated, and therefore more energy being expended, than was necessary. This is assuming, of course, your stovetop uses electric heating — if you have a gas-powered stovetop, the difference isn't as directly comparable, but the instant-spigot is certainly still the quicker route.

The convenience is undeniable — but as with any big purchase, it's worth making a pro/con list before you commit. And it is a pretty significant commitment as far as funds go: At the lower end of appliance costs, at Lowe's or Home Depot, $250-$350 is about the range you'd be looking at, while the fanciest can run as high as $1000. This one on Amazon is somewhere in the middle, and comes with the needed hot water tank as well. The higher priced ones also have a handle for cold filtered water, which could improve price savings if you can clear out your Britta filter in exchange, simultaneously further decluttering your kitchen.

Safety is another important factor to consider — kids or visitors to your house might mistake the spigot for cold water, or even for a soap dispenser, and end up burning their hands. Many of the models today have features to protect against this, requiring a button to be held in while the handle is moved, or a double click and twist, etc. to make sure that water will only dispense for people who know boiling water will come out of the tap and are prepared for that to happen. But accidents can happen, so if you have young or especially curious kids, you might want to consider holding off on this upgrade until they're a little older. On the other hand, if there are elderly or disabled people in your home who struggle to hold a heavy kettle in order to pour boiling water into their cup, this swap could make their lives a lot easier.

Not quite convinced but still want to modernize and get rid of your outdated kitchen tools? Trading a traditional kettle for an electric kettle, especially one with an electronic thermometer to ensure the perfect temperature for your tea, is a cheaper, but still trendy, way to update your kitchen.