Last updated 7 November 2026. Written by the Clean Smile Home team. We sell both of these kettles, so we've tried to be straight about where each one falls short. We don't run our own lab tests: measured figures come from the independent reviewers named in the sources at the end, and specifications come from Ninja, Cuisinart and their manuals.
The short answer
Buy the Cuisinart glass kettle if you want temperature control for green tea or coffee at the lowest price: it does 50 to 100°C in 5° steps for £26.65. Buy the Ninja KT200UK if you want a keep-warm mode, a live temperature readout, a limescale filter and a smaller minimum fill, and you're happy to pay about £33 more.
Both kettles get the basic job right. They boil at 3,000 W, hold 1.7 litres and let you stop short of boiling, which is the whole point of a temperature kettle. The differences are in the extras, and in a couple of things the spec sheets don't shout about: the Ninja's body gets very hot, and the Cuisinart's manual asks for a bigger minimum fill than you might expect.
Ninja KT200UK vs Cuisinart GK19U: comparison table
| Feature | Ninja Perfect Temperature KT200UK | Cuisinart 1.7L Glass Kettle (GK19U) |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Matte black plastic and stainless steel, with a lit water window | Double-walled borosilicate glass, red light ring when on |
| Power | 3,000 W | 3,000 W |
| Capacity | 1.7 litres | 1.7 litres |
| Minimum fill | 250 ml (Trusted Reviews) | 0.5 litres in the manual; Cuisinart's product page also mentions a 240 ml one-cup marker |
| Temperature presets | Six: 60, 70, 80, 90, 95 and 100°C | None, apart from a Boil button for 100°C |
| Manual temperature | 5° steps, from 40°C (our listing and Expert Reviews) or 60°C (Ninja's UK page) | 50 to 100°C in 5° steps |
| Display | Digital, shows live water temperature | Touch controls; no live temperature readout listed |
| Keep warm | Hold Temp, up to 30 minutes | Not mentioned by Cuisinart's page or manual |
| Limescale filter | Yes, removable | None mentioned |
| Boil time, 1 litre (measured) | 2 min 24 s (Expert Reviews) to 2 min 28 s (Trusted Reviews) | No independent figure we could find |
| Temperature accuracy (measured) | Within 1°C of the target (Trusted Reviews) | No independent figure |
| Noise (measured) | Peak 63.1 dBA (Expert Reviews) | No independent figure |
| Outside temperature (measured) | 78°C on the body (Expert Reviews) | Cuisinart says the double wall stays cool to the touch; not independently tested |
| Base | 360° swivel | 360° swivel with cord storage |
| Guarantee | 2 years on registration with Ninja | 3 years (UK), according to the Cuisinart manual |
| Manufacturer's list price | £99.99 | £44.99 |
| Price at Clean Smile Home | £59.33 | £26.65 |
Prices checked on 7 November 2026. Where sources disagree, we've given both figures and explain the main ones below.
Who should buy which: the quick version
- You drink green or white tea and want it to taste less bitter: either. The Cuisinart does it for less than half the price.
- You make pour-over or cafetière coffee and like to be exact: Ninja. The live readout and one-press 95°C preset make it easier to repeat.
- You often make one mug at a time: Ninja. Its 250 ml minimum is half the Cuisinart manual's 0.5 litre minimum.
- You make a pot, then a second cup 20 minutes later: Ninja, for Hold Temp.
- You have young children who reach the worktop: Cuisinart. Expert Reviews measured 78°C on the outside of the Ninja.
- You live in a hard water area: Ninja has a filter that catches flakes. The Cuisinart's glass shows every bit of scale, so you'll descale it more.
- You want the kettle to look nice on the side: the Cuisinart, if you like glass. Trusted Reviews said the Ninja looks a bit functional.
- You're on a budget: Cuisinart, easily.
What the two kettles have in common
Both are 3,000 W, 1.7 litre cordless jug kettles on a 360° base, so left and right handers can lift them from any angle. Both let you choose a temperature below boiling, in 5° steps, and both switch off on their own and have boil-dry protection.
Neither is a smart kettle. There's no app, no Wi-Fi and no scheduling. You fill it, pick a temperature, press start and wait. That's a good thing in our view, as it means there's less to go wrong.
If you're new to temperature control, the reason it matters is simple. Boiling water can scorch delicate green and white teas and make them taste bitter or grassy. Coffee brewed with water straight off the boil can taste harsh too. Many tea sellers suggest water in the 70s or 80s for green tea, and coffee guides usually suggest just under boiling. Black tea and anything with milk is fine at 100°C. If you only drink builder's tea, you don't need either of these kettles, and our best kettle guide has cheaper plain options.
Difference 1: how you set the temperature
Ninja: presets plus a live readout
The Ninja gives you six one-press presets. Trusted Reviews and Expert Reviews both list them as 60, 70, 80 and 90°C for specialty teas, 95°C for coffee, and 100°C for boiling. You can also set your own temperature in 5° steps.
The lowest manual setting is the one place the sources don't agree. Our product listing and Expert Reviews say you can go as low as 40°C. Ninja's own UK page says 60 to 100°C. If you need water below 60°C, for example to make up a drink for someone who can't handle hot liquid, check this on the kettle itself before you rely on it. For tea and coffee it makes no difference, as nothing you'd brew needs less than 60°C.
The display is the Ninja's real advantage. After it heats, the screen shows the current water temperature, so you can see it cooling. Trusted Reviews checked the temperatures with a thermometer and found them within 1°C of the target, which is as good as you'd need for any tea.
Cuisinart: one button, 5° at a time
The Cuisinart has no presets. According to its manual, you press SET TEMP and the temperature goes up in 5° steps from 50°C to 100°C. A BOIL button jumps straight to 100°C, and START/STOP begins heating. Holding SET TEMP for three seconds switches between Celsius and Fahrenheit, which is handy if you follow American coffee recipes.
It's slightly fiddlier than the Ninja. To get 80°C you tap until the number reads 80. Once you've settled on your usual temperature that takes a few seconds, and it's not a reason to spend twice as much. What you don't get is a running readout of the water temperature, at least as far as Cuisinart's page and manual describe.
We couldn't find an independent review that measured the Cuisinart's accuracy. That doesn't mean it's off, only that nobody we trust has checked. If accuracy to a degree or two matters to you, the Ninja is the one with test evidence behind it.
Difference 2: keep warm
The Ninja has a Hold Temp mode that keeps water at your chosen temperature for up to 30 minutes. Trusted Reviews found that after a full boil, Hold Temp holds the water at 93°C rather than 100°C, so it's not a way to keep water at a rolling boil.
Neither Cuisinart's product page nor the GK19U manual mentions a keep-warm function, so we're treating it as not having one. Cuisinart says the double-walled glass keeps water hotter for longer, which is a passive effect rather than a heater.
How much should you care? It depends on how you drink. If you brew a pot of green tea and top it up later, or make several coffees in a row for guests, keep warm saves you reheating. If you make one drink and walk away, you won't use it.
One thing worth knowing: the Ninja doesn't hold heat well on its own. Expert Reviews measured 89.8°C five minutes after boiling, which was the joint worst in its group test. Trusted Reviews found a litre had dropped to 82°C after 20 minutes. That's why Hold Temp exists, and why the Ninja's body gets so hot, which brings us to the next point.
Difference 3: how hot the outside gets
This is the Ninja's biggest weakness, and it's the reason Expert Reviews titled its review "too hot to handle".
In Expert Reviews' tests the Ninja's outer surface reached 78°C, the highest of any kettle it had tested. The reviewer said this could cause a mild burn in the wrong circumstances and suggested it may not suit homes with small children or people with limited grip or fine motor control. Trusted Reviews didn't mention the outside temperature at all, so we can't say whether it found the same. We'd take Expert Reviews' measurement seriously, as it's a number rather than an impression.
The Cuisinart is double-walled glass, and Cuisinart says the outside stays cool to the touch. That's a manufacturer's claim, not something we've seen tested. Double-walled kettles generally are cooler on the outside than single-walled ones, which is why makers use the design, but we can't give you a figure.
In practice, lift the Ninja by the handle only, keep it back from the worktop edge, and don't let anyone lean on it. If that's going to be a problem in your kitchen, the Cuisinart is the safer pick.
Difference 4: minimum fill and boiling one cup
The less water you boil, the quicker it's ready and the less electricity you use. This is where the Ninja quietly earns some of its price.
Trusted Reviews gives the Ninja's minimum fill as 250 ml, about a mug, and boiled that amount in 48 seconds. Ninja itself says one cup boils in under 50 seconds. Trusted Reviews pointed out that many kettles need 500 ml.
The Cuisinart is a little confusing on this. Cuisinart's product page and our listing mention a 240 ml one-cup marker. The GK19U manual, though, marks the minimum at 0.5 litres. We'd follow the manual. Heating below the minimum can stop the kettle switching off properly or trip the boil-dry protection, and the manual is what the guarantee is written against. So in daily use, expect to boil at least half a litre in the Cuisinart.
If you live alone and make a single cup most of the time, that's a real difference in waiting and in running costs, which we work out below.
Difference 5: limescale
The Ninja has a removable limescale filter in the spout. It catches flakes of scale so they don't end up in your mug. It doesn't soften the water or stop scale forming inside the kettle, so you still need to descale now and then.
No filter is mentioned anywhere in the Cuisinart's page or manual. Instead, the manual recommends filtered or low-calcium water to reduce scale. Glass kettles have a particular problem in hard water areas: you can see the scale. It forms a chalky film on the glass and the base plate, and while it's harmless, it doesn't look great on a kettle you bought partly for its looks.
Cuisinart's manual says to descale with a kettle descaler following its instructions, or to cover the bottom of the kettle with about 2 cm of white vinegar, bring it to the boil, and rinse several times with clean water. In a hard water area, plan to do this every few weeks.
If limescale is your main problem, neither of these is the best answer. A kettle with a proper BRITA filter, like the Russell Hobbs Purity 20760 at £41.39, reduces scale in the water itself. Our guide to hard water and BRITA filter kettles explains the difference. It doesn't have temperature control, though.
Difference 6: noise
Expert Reviews measured the Ninja at a peak of 63.1 dBA, about 10 dB louder than the quietest kettle in its test. It called the Ninja quite noisy. Trusted Reviews didn't give a decibel figure and was more bothered by the beeps: the kettle beeps when it starts and when it reaches temperature, and the reviewer found the tone a little high-pitched and annoying.
We couldn't find a noise measurement for the Cuisinart. As a rule, temperature kettles are a bit quieter when you're not boiling, because the loudest part of a kettle's cycle is the rolling boil at the end. Heating to 80°C skips that, on either kettle.
If noise is your top priority, look at a Quiet Mark kettle instead. Our guide to the Russell Hobbs Buckingham Quiet Boil and our explainer what is Quiet Mark? cover the quiet options we sell.
Difference 7: looks and build
This is personal, but it's the reason a lot of people choose a kettle.
The Ninja is matte black with a blue lit water window and a digital display. It looks like an appliance. Trusted Reviews said there are better-looking kettles, and we'd agree it's practical rather than pretty. It does make fill levels easy to see, and Trusted Reviews found it pours well.
The Cuisinart is clear glass with a red ring that lights up when it's heating. Watching it boil is oddly satisfying, and it suits a bright, modern kitchen. The trade-off is that glass shows scale and water marks, and you'll want to wipe and descale it more than the Ninja. For more on that, see our glass kettles: pros and cons guide.
Difference 8: guarantee
Ninja's UK page lists a two-year guarantee on registration with Ninja, so register it when you unpack it.
The Cuisinart GK19U manual says the kettle is guaranteed for three years for consumer use in the UK. It says faults in the first 12 months can go back to the point of purchase, and after that Cuisinart's UK after-sales service handles repairs or replacements. Keep your proof of purchase.
A longer guarantee on the cheaper kettle is unusual, and it's a point in the Cuisinart's favour.
Running costs over three years
Kettles are cheap to run, but the numbers are worth seeing because they explain why the Ninja's smaller minimum fill matters.
We've used the Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026: an average of 26.32p per kWh for electricity on a direct debit standard variable tariff. Heating one litre of water from tap temperature (about 15°C) to boiling takes about 0.1 kWh in theory. Real kettles lose a little heat, so treat these as minimums, not test results.
| Job | Energy (theory) | Cost per time |
|---|---|---|
| Boil 1 litre to 100°C | About 0.099 kWh | About 2.6p |
| Heat 1 litre to 80°C | About 0.076 kWh | About 2.0p |
| Boil 250 ml (Ninja minimum) | About 0.025 kWh | About 0.65p |
| Boil 500 ml (Cuisinart minimum) | About 0.049 kWh | About 1.3p |
Now take someone who makes four single mugs a day. On the Ninja they can boil 250 ml each time. On the Cuisinart the manual minimum is 500 ml.
| Three years, four single mugs a day | Ninja KT200UK | Cuisinart GK19U |
|---|---|---|
| Kettle | £59.33 | £26.65 |
| Electricity (4,380 boils) | About £28.50 | About £57.00 |
| Three-year total | About £87.83 | About £83.65 |
For a solo mug-at-a-time drinker, the gap almost disappears over three years, because the Cuisinart is boiling twice as much water each time. If you make drinks for two or more, you'd be boiling 500 ml anyway, the electricity costs are the same, and the Cuisinart stays about £33 cheaper.
Two caveats. First, these are our calculations from physics and the price cap, not measurements. Second, heating to 80°C rather than 100°C saves only about a fifth of the energy each time, so temperature control is not a big money saver. Filling only what you need saves far more. Our post on the Russell Hobbs Honeycomb goes into that.
What the reviewers said
We don't test kettles ourselves, so here's what the independent reviewers concluded, in our own words.
- Trusted Reviews liked the Ninja. It praised the low minimum fill, the range of temperatures, the easy-to-read water level and the pour, and found the temperatures accurate to within 1°C. Its complaints were the functional looks and the beeps. It recommended the Ninja for anyone who wants flexibility and boils small amounts.
- Expert Reviews was much harder on it. It praised the precise temperature settings, the keep-warm mode and the included recipe guide, but said the Ninja did poorly in three of its four group tests: heat retention, outside temperature and noise. At the £100 it cost when reviewed in December 2023, it felt it was poor value.
- Cuisinart GK19U: we couldn't find an independent review from a UK publication we'd trust. Everything we've said about it comes from Cuisinart's product page and the GK19U manual.
Our reading of the Ninja reviews: they agree on the facts that matter. It's accurate, flexible and fast for small amounts. They disagree on whether that's worth the money. Expert Reviews was judging it at £100. At £59.33 the value case is a lot stronger, though the hot body hasn't changed.
Which is better for your situation?
Green, white and oolong tea drinkers
Both will do the job. The Ninja's presets cover the common tea temperatures with one press, and Hold Temp is useful for second infusions. The Cuisinart gets you to the same temperatures for less money. If you're new to loose leaf tea and not sure how deep you'll go, start with the Cuisinart. For more on brewing temperatures, see our guide to the Cuisinart glass kettle for herbal, green and black tea.
Pour-over and cafetière coffee
Ninja. The 95°C preset is ready to go, the live readout means you can see when the water is where you want it, and Trusted Reviews' accuracy result gives some confidence it means what it says. Neither has a gooseneck spout, so for careful pour-over you might still decant into a pouring kettle. Our Ninja KT200UK coffee guide has more.
Living alone
Ninja, mainly for the 250 ml minimum. As the running cost table shows, it makes the price gap close over time if you make one mug at a time.
Families with small children
Cuisinart. A kettle body measured at 78°C is a risk you don't need if little hands reach the worktop.
Making up baby formula
Be careful here. NHS advice is to boil at least 1 litre of fresh tap water and leave it to cool for no more than 30 minutes, so it's still at least 70°C when you make up the feed. A temperature kettle set to 70°C does not do the same thing, because the water should be boiled first. Follow the NHS guidance and the formula maker's instructions rather than relying on either kettle's presets.
Hard water areas
The Ninja's filter makes it the easier one to live with, but think about a BRITA filter kettle if scale is a daily annoyance.
Gift for a tea lover
The Cuisinart looks more special out of the box and costs less. If you know they're fussy about coffee, the Ninja. Our Christmas gifts under £60 guide has more ideas at this price.
Tips for getting the best from either kettle
- Fill only what you need, but not below the minimum. 250 ml on the Ninja, 0.5 litres on the Cuisinart according to its manual.
- Pick the temperature before you press start. On the Cuisinart, it's quicker to tap up from 50°C than to go all the way round.
- Don't reboil to cool down. If you overshoot, add a splash of cold water or leave the lid open for a minute.
- Use fresh water each time. Water that has been boiled and left tastes flat in tea.
- Descale regularly. Every few weeks in a hard water area, every couple of months in a soft one. On the Ninja, take the filter out and rinse it too.
- Dry the Cuisinart's glass. A quick wipe after use stops water marks building up.
- Register the Ninja. Ninja's two-year guarantee applies on registration.
- Keep your receipt for the Cuisinart. The three-year guarantee needs proof of purchase.
Common problems and how to fix them
"The Ninja is too hot to touch"
That matches Expert Reviews' measurement of 78°C on the body. Lift it by the handle only and keep it at the back of the worktop. It's not a fault, it's how the kettle is built.
"The Ninja beeps too much"
It beeps at the start and when it reaches temperature. Trusted Reviews found this a little annoying too. We're not aware of a way to turn it off, so check the manual for your model.
"My Ninja won't go below 60°C"
Sources disagree on the lowest manual setting. Our listing and Expert Reviews say 40°C, Ninja's UK page says 60°C. Check the manual that came with your kettle.
"There's white film on my Cuisinart's glass"
That's limescale. Descale with a kettle descaler or with white vinegar, as described above, then rinse several times.
"The Cuisinart switched off before it finished, or won't start with a mug of water"
Check you're above the 0.5 litre minimum in the manual. Too little water can trigger the boil-dry protection.
"My tea still tastes bitter"
Temperature is only part of it. Try a shorter brew time, less leaf, or fresher water. Tea that has sat in hot water for five minutes will taste bitter at any temperature.
"The water isn't as hot as I expected after Hold Temp"
After a full boil, Trusted Reviews found Hold Temp keeps water at 93°C, not 100°C. For tea that needs boiling water, reboil it.
Our verdict
For most people who just want to stop scalding their green tea, the Cuisinart is the better buy. It costs less than half as much, it covers every temperature you'd brew at, it looks good and it comes with a three-year guarantee. You give up keep warm, a live readout and a small minimum fill, and you'll be descaling glass more often.
The Ninja is the better kettle if you'll use what it adds. Hold Temp, a readout you can trust to a degree, presets and a 250 ml minimum make it nicer for coffee fans and solo mug-makers, and at £59.33 it's well under the £100 that Expert Reviews judged it at. We wouldn't buy it for a home with small children, though. A 78°C body is a real drawback.
If we were buying one for ourselves to make loose leaf tea, we'd take the Cuisinart. For coffee every morning, the Ninja.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Ninja KT200UK and the Cuisinart glass kettle?
Both are 3,000 W, 1.7 litre temperature-control kettles. The Ninja adds six presets, a live temperature display, a 30-minute keep-warm mode, a limescale filter and a 250 ml minimum fill. The Cuisinart is double-walled glass, sets 50 to 100°C in 5° steps, and costs £26.65 against £59.33 at our prices.
Is the Ninja Perfect Temperature kettle worth the money?
It is if you'll use the keep-warm mode, presets and small minimum fill. Trusted Reviews found it accurate to within 1°C. Expert Reviews thought it poor value at £100 because its body got very hot and it lost heat quickly. At £59.33 the value is much better, but the hot body is still a drawback.
Does the Cuisinart glass kettle have a keep warm function?
Neither Cuisinart's product page nor the GK19U manual mentions one, so we treat it as not having keep warm. Cuisinart says its double-walled glass keeps water hotter for longer, but that's insulation rather than a heater.
What temperatures can the Ninja KT200UK do?
It has six presets: 60, 70, 80, 90, 95 and 100°C. You can also set your own temperature in 5° steps. Our listing and Expert Reviews say the manual range starts at 40°C, while Ninja's UK page says 60°C, so check your manual if you need lower than 60°C.
What is the minimum fill on the Cuisinart glass kettle?
The GK19U manual gives a minimum of 0.5 litres and a maximum of 1.7 litres. Cuisinart's product page also mentions a 240 ml one-cup marker. We'd follow the manual's minimum to avoid tripping the boil-dry protection.
Does the Ninja kettle get hot on the outside?
Yes. Expert Reviews measured 78°C on the body, the highest of any kettle it tested, and warned it could cause a mild burn. Lift it by the handle and keep it away from children.
Is the Ninja KT200UK quiet?
Not especially. Expert Reviews measured a peak of 63.1 dBA, about 10 dB louder than the quietest kettle in its test, and Trusted Reviews found its beeps a little annoying. If quiet matters most, look at a Quiet Mark kettle instead.
How long does the Ninja kettle take to boil?
Trusted Reviews timed a litre at 2 minutes 28 seconds and 250 ml at 48 seconds. Expert Reviews timed a litre at 2 minutes 24 seconds. Ninja says one cup boils in under 50 seconds.
Does the Cuisinart glass kettle have a limescale filter?
No filter is mentioned in Cuisinart's page or manual. The manual recommends filtered or low-calcium water and descaling with a kettle descaler or white vinegar.
Which temperature kettle is best for green tea?
Either works. Both reach the 70 to 80°C range many tea sellers suggest for green tea. The Cuisinart does it for less than half the price. The Ninja's Hold Temp is handy if you make several infusions from the same leaves.
Can I use a temperature kettle to make baby formula?
Don't rely on a lower temperature setting. NHS advice is to boil fresh water and leave it to cool for no more than 30 minutes so it's still at least 70°C. Follow that and the formula instructions, rather than heating straight to 70°C.
Which has the longer guarantee, Ninja or Cuisinart?
The Cuisinart. Its manual gives a three-year UK guarantee. Ninja's UK page lists two years on registration with Ninja.
Is a temperature control kettle cheaper to run?
Only slightly. Heating a litre to 80°C instead of 100°C uses about a fifth less energy, roughly half a penny at the current price cap. Boiling only the water you need saves far more than temperature control does.
Shop the kettles in this guide
- Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle 1.7L KT200UK, Black, £59.33
- Cuisinart 1.7L Glass Kettle with Variable Temperature Control, £26.65
- Russell Hobbs Purity Glass Kettle with BRITA Filter 20760, £41.39 (for hard water, no temperature control)
- Russell Hobbs Buckingham Quiet Boil 20460, £32.19 (for a quiet kitchen)
- COSORI 1.5L Glass Kettle, £23.45 (a plain glass kettle without temperature control)
For every kettle we sell side by side, read our best kettle UK 2026 guide. For more on the brands, see our Ninja brand guide and Cuisinart brand guide.
Sources
- Trusted Reviews: Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle KT200UK review
- Expert Reviews: Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle review
- Ninja UK: Perfect Temperature Kettle KT200UK
- Cuisinart UK: 1.7L Glass Kettle with Variable Temperature Control GK19U
- Cuisinart UK: GK19U instruction manual (PDF)
- Ofgem: energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026
- NHS: how to make up baby formula
