Kettle vs. Jug — What's the Difference?

A container with a lid, spout, and handle, used for boiling water.

A container for holding liquids, typically with a handle and spout.

A stovetop kettle whistles when the water inside has reached a boil.

Suitable for storing cold drinks or water in the refrigerator.

An electrically powered device that heats water quickly.

Often used for serving beverages at gatherings.

Used metaphorically to describe situations heating up or reaching a point of action.

Can be decorative and made from various materials like ceramic or glass.

Often made of materials that conduct heat well, such as stainless steel.

Large enough to hold several servings of beverages.

A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a type of pot specialized for boiling water, with a lid, spout, and handle, or a small kitchen appliance of similar shape that functions in a self-contained manner. Kettles can be heated either by placing on a stove, or by their own internal electric heating element in the appliance versions.

A jug is a type of container commonly used to hold liquids. It has an opening, sometimes narrow, from which to pour or drink, and has a handle, and often a pouring lip.

A container or device in which water is boiled, having a lid, spout, and handle.

A large, often rounded vessel of earthenware, glass, or metal with a small mouth, a handle, and usually a stopper or cap.

A small area in which demonstrators or protesters are confined by police seeking to maintain order during a demonstration

The amount that a jug can hold.

(of the police) confine (a group of demonstrators or protesters) to a small area, as a method of crowd control during a demonstration

A small pitcher.

A metal pot, usually with a lid, for boiling or stewing.

(Slang) A jail.

A teakettle.

Jugs Vulgar Slang A woman's breasts.

(Music) A kettledrum.

To stew (a hare, for example) in an earthenware jug or jar.

(Geology) A depression left in a mass of glacial drift, formed by the melting of an isolated block of glacial ice.

(Slang) To put into jail.

A pothole.

A serving vessel or container, typically circular in cross-section and typically higher than it is wide, with a relatively small mouth or spout, an ear handle and often a stopper or top.

A group of flying raptors, especially when ascending in a rising current of warm air.

The amount that a jug can hold.

To fly on a rising current of warm air. Used of birds

(slang) Jail.

Chiefly British To confine or corral (a group of people) to an enclosed area as a means of crowd control

A woman's breasts.

A vessel for boiling a liquid or cooking food, usually metal and equipped with a lid.

(New Zealand) An upright electric kettle.

The quantity held by a kettle.

A kind of large, high-powered vacuum tube.

A vessel or appliance used to boil water for the preparation of hot beverages and other foodstuffs.

(climbing) A hold large enough for both hands

(geology) A kettle hole, sometimes any pothole.

A small mixed breed of dog created by mating a Jack Russell terrier and a pug.

A group of raptors riding a thermal, especially when migrating.

After-school student punishment

A steam locomotive

(transitive) To stew in an earthenware jug etc.

(musical instruments) A kettledrum.

To put into jail.

An instance of kettling; a group of protesters or rioters confined in a limited area.

(intransitive) To utter a sound like "jug", as certain birds do, especially the nightingale.

To contain demonstrators in a confined area.

To nestle or collect together in a covey.

(intransitive) Of a boiler: to make a whistling sound like the boiling of a kettle, indicative of various types of fault.

To issue a detention (to a student)

A metallic vessel, with a wide mouth, often without a cover, used for heating and boiling water or other liguids.

A vessel, usually of coarse earthenware, with a swelling belly and narrow mouth, and having a handle on one side.

A metal pot for stewing or boiling; usually has a lid

A pitcher; a ewer.

The quantity a kettle will hold

A prison; a jail; a lockup.

(geology) a hollow (typically filled by a lake) that results from the melting of a mass of ice trapped in glacial deposits

A woman's breasts; as, nice jugs.

A large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instrument with a drumhead that can be tuned by adjusting the tension on it

To seethe or stew, as in a jug or jar placed in boiling water; as, to jug a hare.

To commit to jail; to imprison.

To utter a sound resembling this word, as certain birds do, especially the nightingale.

To nestle or collect together in a covey; - said of quails and partridges.

A large bottle with a narrow mouth

The quantity contained in a jug

Lock up or confine, in or as in a jail;

Stew in an earthenware jug;

Jugs are commonly made from glass, plastic, or ceramic.

A kettle's primary function is to heat water.

Yes, there are electric and stovetop kettles, each designed for different heating methods.

Many electric kettles offer adjustable temperature settings to suit various drinks.

Kettles may have features like automatic shutoff and insulated handles to prevent burns.

Descaling frequency depends on usage and water hardness, but generally every few months.

Some jugs come with lids, although it's not as common as with kettles.

No, a jug is not designed for heating and is used primarily for storage and pouring.

No, whistling is a feature typically found only in stovetop kettles.

Household kettles typically have a capacity ranging from 1 to 2 liters.

It is generally not recommended to store any liquids, especially acidic ones, in metal kettles due to corrosion risk.

Yes, as long as they are made from food-safe plastics.

Typically, jugs are used for cold to room-temperature beverages, not hot.

Yes, many jugs are decorative and used as part of home decor.

A ceramic jug can be cleaned with warm soapy water and a soft sponge to prevent scratching.