In 1893, Crompton and Co. released the first electric kettle in England. Though because of the technological constraints of the time, the kettle’s heated element could not be submerged in water. The element was instead housed in a compartment below the kettle, which unfortunately made the electric kettle less practical than its traditional stove-top counterparts.
By 1922 engineer Leslie Large had solved the issue, by creating an element consisting of wire wound around a core and sheathed within a metal casing.
The first automatic kettle would follow in 1955, created by Russell Hobbs. This kettle featured a thermostat which would flex when the water came to a boil, cutting off the current and effectively switching off the kettle. This same technology is used in modern day kettles.