Sage The Smart Kettle review: ideal for tea and coffee connoisseurs

Price on writing: £99 | Buy now from Amazon

Our verdict

• Features: 5/5

• Design: 5/5

• Ease of use: 5/5

• Ease of cleaning: 3.5/5

• Value for money: 3.5/5

With a sleek, modern aesthetic and clever design features, premium brand Sage's The Smart Kettle won a coveted place on our best kettle round-up. I was surprised by how much I loved the variable temperature settings – you can tailor the boil between 80°C and 100°C to have the optimum water for different hot drinks. What's more, it wasn't complex to use either; the control panel was clear and it was just a case of pressing the button for my chosen setting, followed by the start button.

My main grumble was that water marks showed very easily on the brushed stainless steel exterior, so it required a wipe to keep it looking spick and span more frequently than I would have liked. It's a luxury kettle too, and has the price tag to match.

So, should you buy Sage's The Smart Kettle? If you're looking for a basic, budget-friendly kettle, this isn't the one for you. However, if you can afford to splash out and are a coffee or tea connoisseur who likes their drinks just right, the variable temperatures make this a standout kettle.

What is the Sage Smart Kettle?

Far from a basic model, Sage's The Smart Kettle isn't simply a case of fill and boil; there's so much more to it than that as you can tailor the temperature to suit your drink. From 80°C to 100°C, there's five settings that reach the perfect temperature for green tea, oolong tea, white tea, black tea, and coffee, so if you're serious about your morning brew, this is the kettle for you.

There's also a handy keep-warm button that works for 20 minutes after your boil if you want a top up of your hot drink.

It has a complementary toaster too (which features on our best toaster round-up), Sage The Smart Toast. I think they look great together if you're after a coordinating kettle and toaster set for your kitchen.

However, it's worth nothing that the 'smart' label here just means a very clever design, rather than something that can be connected to your phone or an Alexa device.

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What is Sage The Smart Kettle like to use?

Sage's The Smart Kettle was a dream to use. The buttons for each setting on the 360-degree swivel base label the type of drink each temperature is suited to, so it was just a case of pressing the right one for the drink I wanted, before pressing the start button.

Like most kettles, it was fairly noisy but it's not overwhelmingly loud, though there are quieter options on the market. And while it's not a rapid boil kettle, the boil times weren't too bad either, though this varies between each setting.

On the 95°C coffee setting, the minimum capacity (500ml) took one minute and 40 seconds to reach its temperature, while the maximum capacity (1.7 litres) took just under five minutes. I liked the three beeps that indicated the water was ready too; they were particularly useful when boiling the kettle for cooking when I was distracted by preparing food.

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Sage The Smart Kettle: design and style

Sage's The Smart Kettle got maximum points for style thanks to its sleek finish and modern design. It looked fantastic on my kitchen countertop and I liked that there was a water gauge on two sides of the kettle so you could choose which way the handle was positioned. The chosen setting was illuminated on the control panel too, which I thought was a nice touch.

Another great feature was the soft-close lid which gently closed and opened quietly – not an essential feature, but a nice-to have function which added to this kettle's luxurious, high-tech feel.

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How easy is the Sage Smart Kettle to keep clean?

This is the one area where the kettle fell short; the brushed stainless steel design, while attractive, tended to show water marks very easily, so it often needed a wipe down to keep its sleek looks.

During testing, limescale had collected in the kettle – I live in a London, a very hard water area, so this wasn't surprising – but the limescale filter prevented it from getting into my coffees thankfully. I do think, as with most kettles for hard water, that this would need descaling frequently over time. Luckily, you do get a descaler included in the box which is a thoughtful touch.

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Price: does Sage The Smart Kettle offer value for money?

If you're particular about your tea and coffee, absolutely. I loved being able to fluctuate the temperature to specifically suit my morning coffee or evening peppermint tea.

That being said, at just under £100, it's a premium product, so you do pay for the innovative features. If you're on a tight budget, you're better going for something else, but if you want a kettle with all the bells and whistles, this is a good choice.

There's also a two-year guarantee for extra peace of mind.

How we tested

MNHQ editor Natasha tested the Sage Smart Kettle in her north London home. During testing, she carefully rated it on its features, ease of use, ease of cleaning, design, and value for money, evaluating how it performed in a real-life kitchen setting in comparison to other kettles she's used.

• Tested in a four-person household over a three-week period

• Used daily for a range of hot drinks

• Every setting used during testing

• Cleaned regularly during testing

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About the author

Natasha Gregson is an Affiliate Content Editor at Mumsnet and oversees all home and kitchen content on the website. With numerous years of editorial experience under her belt, her work has also been featured in prestigious national publications like The i Paper and Stylist Magazine, and she's written on a wide range of topics.

Natasha can't get through the day without her trusty coffee and herbal tea, so she's recently been on a mission to find the best kettles for Mumsnetters, investigating and testing out different models and brands (along with their complementary toasters). She's also worked extensively on other kitchen content for Mumsnet, including researching and writing about the best tea towels, vacuum sealers, air fryers, to name a few.

When she’s not busy seeking out the best buys and advice for Mumsnetters, you can find her searching for the next best restaurant, watching live music, curling up with a good book, cross-stitching, or enjoying a good hike or swim.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real people after extensive research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

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