Travel, whether for business or pleasure, is always exciting, but it’s nice to have some home comforts with you. One of those is your favorite blend of tea, so that you can take a moment to relax after a long day of doing business or sightseeing in new cities.
But let’s be honest, tea facilities in hotels aren’t always so great. Many hotels don’t have kettles available, but instead provide (sometimes grubby) coffee machines which can taint the taste of tea. Those that do tend to only provide a basic kettle which heats to a boil; not ideal for teas that require a lower temperature for the perfect brew.
Next time you’re on the road, why not indulge in a travel kettle to take with you? With their sleek, space saving design, modern travel kettles are made to be stowed away in bags, taking up as little space as possible. Many are leak proof. Some come with built in adapters for international travel. Which will you choose?
Best kettle for international travel
T-magitic collapsible kettle
Tired of weak hotel room tea when you’re on your travels? There’s no reason to put up with chemical-tasting water and bland tea when you head abroad. Simply pack your favorite tea blends, and this handy collapsible kettle, and enjoy top quality tea wherever you are worldwide.
Made from food grade silicon and stainless steel, the T-Magitic folds down to measure just 6.5″ x 6.3″ x 2.1″, making it ideal for stowing away in a suitcase when you jet off. It also features a duel voltage setting: 110V for use in the United States, and 220V for use elsewhere. Just change the setting on the bottom to match your location and you’re good to go.
- Capacity 600 ml
- Weight 1.32 lbs
Best travel kettle for the office
Chaceef Portable Kettle
Tea lovers know that the best way to power through a long day at the office is with a cup of premium matcha tea, giving you the long-lasting energy boost you need to get down to business. But if you’re in the thick of things, you don’t always want to have to take a break to make a fresh cup of tea. That’s where the Chaceef Portable Kettle comes in.
This nifty little stainless steel kettle is the ideal size for a mug of tea. It features three settings: boil, tea, and coffee, to get the water to the ideal temperature and will maintain the water at that temperature once warmed. And best of all the LED light display lets you know what temperature the water is at by changing color from red through orange to blue, so if you’re distracted you won’t burn yourself – or end up with cold tea.
- Capacity 350 ml
- Weight 1.5 lbs
Best travel kettle for road trips
Rauwseul travel kettle for cars and trucks
Heading off on a long road trip? You need the Rauwseul travel kettle for cars in your glove box. This handy gizmo is leakproof and has an anti-spill lid, so you can fill it with water before heading off, store it sideways on your journey, and simply make a quick pit-stop when you need an on-the-road refreshment.
The kettle has three settings: boil at 100°C, tea at 90°C, and milk at 45°C, making it ideal for new mothers as well as traveling tea connoisseurs. It also has a built-in strainer for coffee grinds and tea leaves. Simply warm the water, and you can drink straight from the kettle itself.
- Capacity 480 ml
- Weight 1.26 lbs
Best travel kettle for preparing food
ECTY Stainless Steel Travel Kettle
Travel kettles aren’t just for making your favorite macha or lapsang souchong on the go. When you’re away from home they can be extremely handy for cooking up snacks like instant noodles, oatmeal or boiled eggs, helping to keep your energy levels high.
The ECTY’s design is ideal for this function. Straight walls and a wide opening at the top, make getting food in and out very easy, and the stainless steel interior is easy to clean. At 500ml, the kettle also has enough capacity to heat up a filling bowl of noodles in one go. It’s also one of the lightest travel kettles on offer, weighing only 1lb, making it perfect for hiking or camping trips when paired with a battery pack or solar charger.
- Capacity 500 ml
- Weight 1 lb
Best budget travel kettle
WADEO collapsible kettle and cup set
At under $30, the WADEO collapsible kettle and matching collapsible cup set is one of the best value travel kettles on the market, without compromising on quality. Made from food grade silicon and stainless steel, the kettle folds down to just under four inches tall, and the cups to a mere one inch, perfect for stowing away in an RV or carrying in a backpack.
The kettle is one of the larger travel kettles available at 0.6 liter capacity, enough for two people to enjoy tea together in the morning. The temperature settings are on a dial, with ‘milk’, ‘keep warm’, ‘oatmeal’, ‘coffee’ and ‘boiling’ all clearly marked so you can find the right temperature for you.
- Capacity 600 ml
- Weight 1.43 lbs
Best high-end travel kettle
Jettle electric kettle
Designed in California, the sleek and stylish design of the Jettle, makes it one of the most luxurious travel kettles on the market. Where other travel kettles have at most three temperature settings, the Jettle allows you to set the temperature at 5°C increments between 40°C and 100°C, so you can enjoy your tea exactly how you want it, and with a 450ml capacity, you can also have more of it.
- Capacity 450 ml
- Weight 1.54 lbs
Best single serve travel kettle
Balbali portable kettle
Need a quick cup of tea on the go? The Balbali heats water to a boil in super-quick time, allowing you to have your perfect brew even in the busiest circumstances. At just over 3 inches wide and leakproof, it fits perfectly into a handbag. Simply fill up with water before you leave the house and be ready to have a cup of tea anywhere, at any time of day.
The balbali comes in a range of stylish colors including pink, green, and lemon yellow, to match your personal style. Just plug in and hit the button for hot water in an instant!
- Capacity 350 ml
- Weight 1.26 lbs
Is it possible to get cordless travel kettles?
You can, but because it takes a lot of energy to boil even half a liter of water, you need a large, heavy battery for the job. Most cordless travel kettles don’t get great reviews as a result.
The best we could find was the Woolala cordless travel kettle, which heats using a rechargeable battery. The battery takes around 12 hours to fully charge and is only good for two boils. It’s also not possible to use the kettle while it’s plugged in, meaning it has to be recharged for at least six hours every time you want to use it.
In other words, if you’re heading out to the wilderness this weekend for a camping trip, better to boil your water the old fashioned way: on an open fire. Happy camping!