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It's a kettle. It's a charger. It's KettleCharge!

At last, a nice cup of tea and the iPhone can co-exist in harmony. The KettleCharge works at home or while camping.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read

KettleCharge with iPad
Enjoy coffee and a charge. BioLite

BioLite has made it a mission to combine cooking things with charging gadgets. Already known for a series of camping stoves that can power up your smartphone, the company has now moved into the realm of the humble water kettle, transforming it from a container that whistles on your stove top to a gadget that can juice up a tablet.

KettleCharge converts the heat from boiling water into electricity using a thermoelectric generator built into the bottom of the pot. Since it works with any stove, it can be used at home or when you're out in the wilderness . The handle doubles as the charging station, letting you tap into 10 watts of power through a USB port. An LED monitor tracks temperature and the amount of charge generated, and it warns you if the kettle is getting too hot or running dry.

Since the KettleCharge is designed to take camping, it's a bit slimmer than a standard kettle. It's just under 3 inches tall when the handle is folded and weighs 2 pounds. It holds three cups of water, which should cover you for a small tea party, but might be a bit slim if you enjoy making gallon-size cups of coffee. A USB extender helps to keep your precious electronic devices at a safe distance from the heat of the kettle.

The KettleCharge is available for preorder for $149.95 with a ship date scheduled for September. It could become a hot commodity for people who are into disaster preparedness, campers who already have a favorite camp stove, and kitchen gadget aficionados who are excited about replacing their old kettles with something more high-tech.

KettleCharge top
The dashboard lets you know when it's ready to charge. BioLite