Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle review: Too hot to handle

A well-known name in kitchen appliances and homewares, Ninja has consistently impressed us as we’ve reviewed its range of air fryers, multi-cookers, food processors, indoor grills, ice cream makers and more. So, a Ninja-branded kettle seemed like a no-brainer, sure to join the ranks of previously recommended and well-reviewed appliances. However, between a steep price, a few notable issues during testing and superior performances from rival models, the Ninja Perfect Temperature ultimately left me cold.

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At its full price, the Ninja Perfect Temperature will set you back a cool £100. Plump for this option, and you’ll get a 3,000W kettle with a 1.7l capacity and a body made from plastic and stainless steel, which measures 20 x 10 x 24cm (WDH) and weighs 1.3kg. The kettle sits on a square 360° swivel base, from which you can control its various settings and functions using its simple button layout and digital display. The Perfect Temperature has variable temperature settings which allow it to heat water to between 40°C and 100°C, in 5°C increments, as well as labelled quick-select button for various different temperatures, including boiling. The kettle also has a keep warm function that can keep water at your desired temperature for up to 30 minutes.

If value matters more to you than features or functions, there are plenty of kettles out there that we’ve tested that have simple, sturdy designs and much lower price tags than the Ninja Perfect Temperature: the Kenwood Dusk (£55) has a very aesthetically pleasing design and a large capacity, the Kenwood Abbey (£30) is stylish and quick-boiling, while the John Lewis Anyday (£20) gets the job done and is highly budget-friendly to boot.

Looking in and around the same price point, the Ninja Perfect Temperature has several rivals that can do everything it does and more. The Russell Hobbs Attentiv (£70), for example, has precise variable temperature settings, a Keep Warm function, an onboard timer and a removable tea steeper, while the Bosch Styline (£70) has a good range of temperature settings and excellent dual-walled insulation. Another unique option in this bracket is the Swan Alexa Smart Kettle (£99), which, along with variable temperature settings and dual-walled insulation, boasts compatibility with Amazon’s suite of smart speakers, allowing for water boiling via voice and app control. If you want to go for broke with your kettle, our two favourite premium options pair great functionality with top-class style: the Zwilling Enfinigy Pro (£129) is silvery, sleek and ultra-modern while the KitchenAid Artisan (£195) comes in a range of pleasant colours and has a very attractive, classic design.

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Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle review: What’s good about it?

One neat discovery we made in our kettle group test was that, due to the laws of thermodynamics, basically all kettles of the same wattage will perform similarly in terms of boil speed. Sticking to this science, the Ninja Perfect Temperature proved to be as speedy as any other 3,000W model, boiling one litre of water in a nicely quick 2:24 in our test and achieving a boil rate of 0.54°C/s. As well as being quick to boil, the Perfect Temperature is capacious, being able to hold a maximum of 1.7l, and has a hold temperature function that can be set for up to 30 minutes, making it a useful solution for larger households and hectic mornings.

The Perfect Temperature, as its name would suggest, also has some of the most precise variable temperature settings we’ve come across, matching those of our favourite model overall, the Russell Hobbs Attentiv (£70). The Ninja Kettle can be set to heat water to between 40°C and 100°C, in 5°C increments. It also has labelled quick-select buttons on its base for ‘Specialty Teas’ (60°C, 70°C, 80°C and 90°C), ‘Coffee’ (95°C) and ‘Boiling’, as well as a live temperature readout on its display, making it easy to get water to the perfect temperature for drinks such as green tea, matcha, oolongs, white teas and more. If you’re new to these drinks, or just need some inspiration, the kettle also comes with a handy drinks guide, listing the ideal brewing temperature for various types of tea, as well as recipe ideas for drinks such as Orange Hibiscus Tea and Pineapple Basil Iced Tea.

Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle review: What could be better?

Outside of boiling speed, the Ninja Kettle was one of the poorest performers in our group test. The outside of the kettle reached an unsafe-to-touch 78°C in our tests, higher than any other kettle we’ve tested. It’s hot enough to leave you with a mild burn under the wrong circumstances and makes the kettle potentially unsuitable for households with small children or people with any kind of fine motor control issues.

The kettle was the joint-worst performer in our heat retention test, falling to a temperature of 89.8°C when measured five minutes after boiling, and it was also the noisiest, reaching a peak noise level of 63.1 dBA, a good ten decibels higher than the quietest kettle on test, the KitchenAid Artisan.

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Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle review: Should I buy it?

While I’m a fan of the precise temperature controls on offer with the Ninja Perfect Temperature, as well as its keep warm function and handy tea-making and recipe guide, these positives simply aren’t enough to outweigh this kettle’s flaws.

The Ninja Perfect Temperature performed poorly in three out of four of our kettle group tests: it retained heat the worst, had the hottest exterior in use and was the noisiest kettle we tested. If you’re looking for a variable temperature kettle, I’d advise you stick to better-value, sturdier and more functional options such as the Russell Hobbs Attentiv (£70) or Bosch Styline (£65).