Dualit Architect Kettle review

The Dualit Architect Kettle is the most customizable kettle we’ve seen

Dualit Architect Kettle on kitchen counter
(Image: © Dualit)

Tom's Guide Verdict

The Dualit Architect certainly looks pretty and it’s very customizable, but the design is hit and miss.

Pros

  • +

    You can replace the panels on your kettle yourself for different colors

  • +

    Good insulation

  • +

    Attractive design

Cons

  • -

    Slow to boil

  • -

    External gets very hot

  • -

    Not energy efficient

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Dualit Architect Kettle: Specs

Minimum capacity: 250ml
Maximum capacity: 1.5 liters
Water gauge: Yes
Lid type: Flip top
Exterior material: Stainless steel
Wattage: 2300
Cord length: 28.7 inches
Weight: 2.36 lbs
Size: 9.45 x 8.66 x 5.51 inches
Variable temperature: No

The Dualit Architect Kettle certainly looks the part, with a stainless steel body and a modern design — horizontal spout included. It stands out for its interchangeable panels, which you can replace yourself with just a screwdriver. This gives you a huge selection of color options, including black, grey, red, cream and copper to name a few, but it comes with stainless steel, black or grey panels as standard. If you buy the Dualit Architect Toaster, you can buy panels to match. 

We found this kettle was a little lackluster in performance. It was slow to boil, the exterior temperature grew exceedingly hot and it was average for noise output too. However, its redeeming features include insulation capabilities and the overall ease of use, which is enough to put it at the bottom of our list of the best kettles. As you will find out in our Dualit Architect Kettle review, this kettle is more for show above all.  

Dualit Architect Kettle review: Price and availability

The Dualit Architect Kettle is available to buy from Amazon for $125.99. In the UK, it’s available from Amazon for £79. It’s also available directly from Dualit for £94.99. The majority of the panels can also be found on Dualit for £12.50.

Dualit Architect Kettle review: Design

The Dualit Architect Kettle has a minimum capacity of 250ml and a maximum capacity of 1.5 liters. That means it can boil enough water for one to six cups at once. It’s a good minimum capacity from a sustainable perspective, but there are larger capacities available. For instance, our winning kettle, the Bosch Sky Kettle, can hold up to 1.7 liters. Despite this smaller capacity, looking at it, it doesn’t appear particularly compact, measuring 9.5 x 8.7 x 5.5 inches. It weighs 2.36 pounds when empty and 5.73 pounds when full, which is average compared with the others we tested.

Dualit Architect Kettle

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

A water gauge can be found under the handle and the lid is a flip-top controlled by a button at the top of the handle. The majority of the exterior is made from stainless steel, with plastic accents around the handle and on the lid. Depending on which model you choose, this plastic can be colored cream, black or grey. The panel wrapped around the lowest part of the kettle can be interchanged with a selection of colors, as can the lid, both of which are branded with the Dualit name. This is a single temperature kettle and the power switch can be found under the handle. When boiling water, there’s no audible alerts, but the water gauge lights up to show it’s heating. 

Dualit Architect Kettle power button

(Image credit: Dualit)

The handle is rounded and easy to grip, but it could be more comfortable to hold. The width of it would better suit larger hands. It’s worth noting that the handle feels hollow and lighter than the main body of the kettle, which makes it more difficult to balance when filled with water. The base feels quite premium compared to others we’ve seen — it’s coated with stainless steel and the Dualit brand name is etched in. Its cord is a good 28.7 inches long; only two other kettles we tested had a longer length. Plus, there’s cord storage in the base if you want to hide the excess.

Dualit Architect Kettle review: Performance

When put to the test, the Dualit Architect Kettle didn’t exactly shine. It was very slow to boil one liter of water, needing two minutes and 35 seconds — the Bosch Sky Kettle only needed two minutes and four seconds by comparison. The body also grew exceedingly hot in this time, reaching 91.3°C or 196.3°F, which is a serious scalding hazard, although the handle stayed at room temperature.

Dualit Architect Kettle external temperature

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

It was average in terms of noise, emitting 76 dB and used up a lot of electricity compared to the other kettles we tested. It needed 0.125 kWh to boil one liter of water, which was the highest reading we saw of any kettle. When pouring, it’s easy to pour slowly and doesn’t dribble. However, because of the unusual shape of the spout, it’s difficult to tell how it will flow at first and you need to get used to it. 

Dualit Architect Kettle external temperature

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

When boiling at full capacity, it didn’t spit or leak and needed three minutes and 47 seconds to reach temperature. This was the slowest time we saw of all the kettles we tested, despite the smaller max capacity. The body temperature and noise didn’t differ much from the one liter test, measuring 90.2°C or 194.4°F and 77.7dB. This kettle did score well for insulation though, thanks to the thick stainless steel body. We measured the temperature of the water an hour after boiling and it was still 72.3°C or 162.1°F. Only kettles with Keep Warm functions exceeded this temperature as well as the KitchenAid Variable Temperature Kettle

Dualit Architect Kettle review: Ease of use and manual

The limescale filter is very easy to remove and refit, although it doesn’t feel very secure, and the lid is easy to open and close, at the flick of a switch. You can’t fill this kettle up through the spout, because of its horizontal design, but you can easily fill it through the lid. The water gauge isn’t easy to read as you fill it though — it’s difficult to tell where the water line is even when directly looking at it. This kettle isn’t the easiest to keep clean, because the stainless steel exterior shows fingerprints, so you need to be prepared to wipe it down often. 

Dualit Architect Kettle

(Image credit: Dualit)

The manual scored full marks, with detailed diagrams, clear instructions along with cleaning and descaling advice. (You should also check out our guide on how to descale a kettle.) There’s adequate safety information, a troubleshooting guide as well as contact details for the manufacturer. There’s little more you could ask for in this respect.  

Dualit Architect Kettle review: Verdict

Ultimately, the Dualit Architect Kettle is by no means the perfect kettle. It’s slow to boil, hot to the touch and uses a lot of energy as well, especially when compared to the Bosch Sky Kettle. Its main redeeming features are its insulation and the quality of the design. Plus, the customization options are a nice touch, which you won’t find on another kettle. 

It’s a pretty kettle to have on display as well. If design means more to you then anything, then this might be the kettle for you. 

Katie Mortram
Homes Editor

Katie Mortram used to be a Homes Editor for Tom's Guide, where she oversaw everything from kitchen appliances to gardening tools, as well as smart home tech. Specializing in providing expert advice for cleaning and home manintenance, she now works as Household Advice Editor for Good Housekeeping. 

Read more
an all-black ninja electric kettle with a precision temperature base for specialty tea and general kitchen use photographed making coffee
The best electric kettles in 2025
the fellow Corvo EKG kettle in matte black photographed against a blue background with a glass mug and black and white table
Fellow Corvo EKG review: This kettle’s got the brains and the beauty
the all-black ninja precision temperature kettle, electric, with a precision temperature base for specialty tea and general kitchen use photographed making coffee with a toms guide mug
Ninja Precision Temperature kettle review: You’ll never need another kettle
the all-black matte fellow stagg ekg kettle with an electric base and customizable temperature and a gooseneck spout, perfect for pour-over coffees
Fellow Stagg EKG review: This gooseneck kettle is premium in every way
hario v60 buono gooseneck kettle, a stainless steel kettle with electric base, handle, and gooseneck spout, for specialty coffee
I tested iconic coffee brand Hario’s gooseneck kettle, and it’s left me a little confused
Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced
I just tested the Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced — and it's a killer 2-in-1 coffee maker
Latest in Kitchen & Dining
Mannkitchen pepper cannon
Is a $200 pepper grinder worth it? I tested the Mannkitchen Pepper Cannon for two weeks to find out.
SOURHOUSE Goldie
I just discovered this innovative kitchen gadget that takes all the guesswork out of sourdough
Our Place's new Titanium Pro cookware line
Our Place just launched its titanium cookware line which claims to be 300% harder than stainless steel
Le Creuset Gourmand Collections
Le Creuset launches new cookware collection — and it’s smart enough to serve
hario v60 buono gooseneck kettle, a stainless steel kettle with electric base, handle, and gooseneck spout, for specialty coffee
I tested iconic coffee brand Hario’s gooseneck kettle, and it’s left me a little confused
KitchenAid
I'm a home chef and these are the 5 Presidents' Day sales on small appliances I'm adding to my cart
Latest in Reviews
A white Lemokey P1 HE magnetic keyboard
I’m a mechanical switch die-hard — then I tested this magnetic keyboard, now I’m a believer
Qanba Q7 Obsidian 2
I just tested this arcade stick for PS5 and PC — and it's nearly perfect for fighting game fans
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4
I ran 40 miles in the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 — here’s my verdict
the ultimea nova s50 a black compact soundbar with LED on the front and a wired subwoofer is photographed on a black TV mount connected to a panasonic TV
I just tested a budget soundbar and subwoofer with Dolby Atmos — although it forgot that there’s more to life than surround sound
the dyson airwrap ID in teal and terracotta colorway (patina and orange) with a lapis case, with a brush, hairfryer, curling wand attachments
I tested the new AI-enabled Dyson Airwrap i.d. on my super damaged hair — the results shocked me
A Pentax 17 half-frame film camera
Pentax 17 review: The crème de la crème of film cameras