I tried the Alexa kettle that lets me put the kettle on without leaving the sofa

My husband is always asking me to put the kettle on and make him a cup of tea, so when I spotted a kettle with the headline “Alexa, put the kettle on”, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

The Morphy Richards Halo 1.5L Alexa Kettle costs £119.99 and connects to the Alexa app and compatible Alexa devices, allowing you to boil the kettle, adjust the temperature and keep water hot using voice commands.

As someone who uses Alexa around the house anyway, I was curious to see whether having a smart kettle would actually make a difference to our daily routine or whether it would be one of those gadgets that seems exciting for a week before getting forgotten about. A few weeks in, and I'm pleased to say the novelty still hasn't worn off.

What I liked about the Morphy Richards Halo 1.5L Alexa Kettle

The obvious selling point is being able to ask Alexa to boil the kettle without having to physically press the button, but it’s actually the routines that I’ve found most useful. We can set the kettle around our morning routine, so it can boil before we’ve even made it downstairs.

My son thinks the whole thing is hilarious.He can ask the Alexa in his bedroom to put the kettle on while he’s still in bed. Obviously, he's not actually getting himself a cup of tea from there, but he thinks it’s very funny that he can tell the kettle what to do from another room.

Even after having the kettle for a few weeks, I still find myself saying “Alexa, put the kettle on” just because I can.

The ability to adjust the temperature is another useful feature. Not every hot drink needs freshly boiled water, so being able to choose the temperature rather than simply boiling the kettle to 100°C gives it a bit more flexibility.

You can also use Alexa routines to fit the kettle around your schedule, which is where I think the smart features make the most sense. Rather than using the technology just for the sake of it, you can actually build it into something you already do every day.

What I didn't like about the Morphy Richards Halo 1.5L Alexa Kettle

My biggest complaint is also slightly ridiculous. After asking Alexa to boil the kettle, I still have to fill it with water and make the tea myself. Unfortunately, the Morphy Richards Halo hasn't quite reached the stage where it can fill itself, pour the water into my mug and bring me a cup of tea on the sofa. Maybe in a few more years we'll have a robot doing all of that for us.

I also think £119.99 is quite a lot to spend on a kettle if you're not particularly interested in smart-home technology. A standard kettle will obviously boil water perfectly well for considerably less. So you're paying for the convenience of Alexa integration, temperature control and routines rather than simply paying for a kettle.

Overall verdict

I went into this thinking the Alexa feature might be a bit of a gimmick, but after using the Morphy Richards Halo 1.5L Alexa Kettle for a few weeks, I’ve actually become quite attached to it.

The ability to set routines is probably the feature I use most. Being able to have the kettle boil around our morning routine means we can come downstairs and get straight on with making our drinks.

At £119.99, it isn't a cheap kettle, and I wouldn't say everyone needs a smart one. If all you want is boiling water, there are much cheaper options. But if you already use Alexa around your home and like the idea of automating little parts of your daily routine, I can see the appeal.

The Morphy Richards Halo has turned something as mundane as making a cup of tea into one of those little everyday conveniences I didn't realise I would enjoy so much.

Natalie Dixon is our Lifestyle reporter, if you liked this article and want to read more about fashion, beauty and lifestyle you can follow Natalie Dixon on X here