- 1500-watt cordless kettle rapidly boils up to 1-2/3 liters of water
- Cushion-controlled lid; water-level indicator; removable scale filter
- Easy “on/off” switch; “ready” bell; auto shut-off; boil-dry protection
- Brushed stainless-steel housing; soft-grip handle; cord storage
- Measures 8-3/4 by 6 by 9 inches; 1-year limited warranty
Product Description
Breville Ikon Tea Kettle has premium brushed stainless steel exterior. It has a unique blue backlight behind the water window. 1.8 (1.7 liter) capacity and has 1500 watts of power…. More >>
Breville SK500XL Ikon Cordless 1.7-Liter Stainless-Steel Electric Kettle
My wife hinted to me before Christmas that she would love to have an electric tea kettle, given how fast and convenient it would be anytime she needed a cup of tea or the kids some hot water for noodles. I wasn’t surprised by this notion as she is the daughter of a great gadget lover, my mother in law. The latter has an electric can opener, electric knife sharpener, electric carving knife (which can’t be sharpened on the electric sharpener, by the way) and even an electric pot scrubber. There are others of course, but most have ceased to work and are hidden away in her closets. I have none of the above and have been surviving just fine. But it is Christmas after all, and many of my fuddy duddy thoughts usually go by the wayside at this time of the year anyway, so I searched Amazon and found the gaggle of pots that several manufactures offer and began reading reviews and making eliminations. Plastic was out, as I don’t like the idea of whatever silent killers creep out of petroleum products once they encounter sufficient heat. I did read about how some stainless steel pot “stinks” as one very angry reviewer put it, but I really don’t know why this would device would “stink” any more than my metal coffee mug “stinks” when I am drinking out of it, so I discounted that opinion as being borderline hysterical. I chose the Breville for completely superficial reasons–it looked good and the package offered a very sincere explanation about how the company was trying to make useful things for useful people. I sort of liked that attitude and bought it. After enjoying the very relieved expression on my wife’s face when she unwrapped it (the previous present was some poorly considered exercise pants), I quickly gave our new Breville some prominence in our kitchen and awaited an opportunity to actually give it a go. Finally after repeated calls for tea, I had a taker and we carefully read the instructions, swirled and dumped some test water and put in our first batch of real water that would be consumed. The switch was flipped and a very nice blue light went on. Minutes went by and soon there was bubbling, gurgling and steam coming from its spout. Upon reaching its very enthusiastic climax, a small bell went off and the whole unit shut itself off very proudly. We were done! I poured for tea and stood back to weigh the results. It was tea! And hot too! Uh, but so it was when I made water from the tea-kettle heated by gas on the stove…time for an experiment that would have to be done when the wife was out shopping: two cups of cold water poured into the Breville and two into our old tea kettle on the stove. With the two hot water makers standing at the ready, a stop watch and the kids yelling “Go” to make it seem more exciting, we lit the burner and flipped the switch simultaneously. I’ll cut to the chase, as this is getting long: Breville: 3 minutes 50 seconds to boil. Tea Kettle: 4 minutes 55 seconds to boil. Water Quality: Both tasted like boiled water. Maintenance: Dump water out of both, refill as necessary. Lifecycle: Breville will eventually die like all good electrical products; teapot–will eventually be thrown out for no other reason than we are tired of looking at it or upon evidence of massive corrosion after 50 years of hard use. Bottom line to consumers: If you have unrealistic expectations about boiling water, the Breville product is perfect. But otherwise, it is completely useless. If you need hot water for your tea and own a stove, get a nice looking teapot and when someone asks you why you don’t have an electric teapot, tell them that it has been scientifically proven that they produce no better hot water than the traditional method and may actually be harmful to the environment. That ought to shut them up.
Rating: 3 / 5
Comment by A. Winicki — November 30, 2009 @ 6:56 am
The Brenville SK500XL is not insulated. You and your children can easily burn themselves when the unit is hot. Also, the water cools rapidly because of the lack of insulation.
Rating: 1 / 5
Comment by Charles A. Burr — November 30, 2009 @ 9:22 am
It is awesome at my office for making teas because I hate coffee.
Rating: 5 / 5
Comment by G. Nixon — November 30, 2009 @ 11:09 am
I purchased one like this last December.On the 13th month I owned it it began to leak from the spout.I emailed Breville 2-3 times and they never even responded!Their web site states they always respond within 3 days.Don’t believe them and don’t buy a product from this company.
Rating: 1 / 5
Comment by Andee F. — November 30, 2009 @ 1:21 pm
I have bought 2 Breville electric kettles. The first quit working after a month. Exchanged it and the second quit working after 14 months. They obviously don’t test their products, use inferior materials, or both. The stuff they make is junk. Go for a more reputable brand.
Rating: 1 / 5
Comment by bradley a wright — November 30, 2009 @ 2:00 pm