- 1500-watt/110-volts stainless-steel cordless electric kettle with 1-2/3-liter capacity and concealed heating element
- 6 preset heat settings for steeping tea at just the right temperature; blue LED indicator lights
- 30-minute keep warm; 2-minute memory function; 360-degree swivel power base for cordless convenience
- Blue backlit water window; removable/washable scale filter; boil-dry protection with auto safety shutoff
- Measures approximately 8-1/5 by 9-4/5 by 12 inches; 3-year limited warranty
The PerfecTemp for Every Occasion
Equipped with 1500 watts of power for fast heating, this electric kettle brings up to 1-2/3 liters of water to a rolling boil in a matter of minutes. Better than that, it offers six different preset heat settings, which allows for steeping tea at just the right temperature depending on the variety. Using the simple one-touch controls on the kettle's handle, select 160 degrees F for delicate teas, 175 degrees F for green tea, 185 degrees F for white tea, 190 degrees F for oolong tea, 200 degrees F for French press coffee, and "Boil" for black tea or to make instant cocoa, oatmeal, noodles, and more.
Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp Cordless Programmable Kettle
The control panel also offers blue LED indicators, a "start" button, and a "keep warm" button, which will maintain the set temperature for 30 minutes. For added convenience, the kettle's 360-degree swivel base allows for pouring without the hassle of a power cord getting in the way, and its memory function makes it possible to remove the kettle from its base for two minutes without it shutting off or losing its place in the heating process.
Other highlights include a stay-cool nonslip handle, an "open" button for lifting the lid, a blue backlit water window with measurement marks, a concealed heating element to prevent mineral buildup, a removable/washable scale filter, a dripless pour spout, and boil-dry protection with auto shutoff for safety. A user manual with recipes comes included. The kettle measures approximately 8-1/5 by 9-4/5 by 12 inches and carries a three-year limited
Special Features
• Memory Feature
The kettle features an internal “memory” that lets you leave the kettle off the base for up to 2 minutes without it going into standby mode. When returned to the base, it will restart the heating and/or Keep Warm cycles right where they left off.
• Keep Warm Mode
Keep Warm is the kettle’s default function that automatically maintains selected temperature for 30 minutes. If you have selected the Boil preset, your unit will hold a temperature just below boiling during the Keep Warm cycle. To bring water back to a rolling boil, press the Start button twice. Keep Warm can be turned off by pressing the Keep Warm button at any time before or during the heating cycle.
• Boil-Dry Protection
Your kettle is equipped with boil-dry protection. If it starts heating without enough water in the unit, the heater will automatically shut off to avoid damaging the heating element. The lights will flash and the unit will beep to alert you. Once the kettle has cooled down, lift it off the base, then replace it to reset and restart the heating cycle. The quickest way to cool down the heater is to fill the kettle with cold water; however, you can also wait for it to cool down by itself.
• Sleep Mode
If the unit is not in use for 5 minutes, it will revert to sleep mode. The heater and all lights will be off, but your last selections will remain in the unit’s memory. To turn the kettle back on, simply press any button, or lift it up and then return it to the base.
By Robert Clayton Barnes
This has review three parts: (1) why you should get something like this in general, (2) specific concerns about this product not addressed in other reviews, and (3) detailed operational measurements (water temperature range)
=== Part 1: Why to get an variable temperature electric tea kettle ===
For anyone who drinks tea (unless it is exclusively black) or makes coffee outside an all-in-one, department store drip-brewer, this is absolutely indispensable. Though most recipes have been built to use only room-temp or boiling water (since those are the only temperatures to easily reach with consistency), more cutting-edge cooking as well as coffee/tea prep requires more finesse. Unless you're willing to watch the proverbial pot boil with a thermometer in hand, this is the only way to heat water on such occasions.
=== Part 2: Concerns / questions raised (and/or) left unanswered by other reviews ===
I won't go into detail about well-established pros and cons covered in other reviews, but I would like to make clear a few things I couldn't determine from reviews/specs before I bought mine:
("Hot sides/surfaces"): Yes, the sides get hot, and yes, it is startling to touch the metal outer wall when the water is hot. However, according to my IR thermometer, the surface never gets much above 130 degrees. Sure, that's hot and you should avoid contact, but for comparison many people's hot water heater is set this high and (as validated by my rather stupid intentional touch test) an accidental touch is highly unlikely to cause even a mild first-degree burn unless you actively fight the reflex to instantly pull away.
("Construction / Material touching the water"): True, the sidewall level indicator and the "frame" of the removable spout filter are made of plastic (the BPA content of which I have not conclusively proved or disproved) but the former is part of a small compartment which only a small amount of water reaches and which has very limited circulation, and the latter is removable. The entire rest of the construction that touches water is steel. Since hot water dissolves BPA from plastics, and aluminum's role in neurodegenerative disease is unclear, iron/steel and glass are pretty much the only materials I trust completely for food storage/preparation containers. In this regard, this kettle is the safest option I've found.
=== Part 3: Operational test data ===
As a tea fanatic with a minimum of four kinds of tea always on hand (black, red/oolong, green, and white) and general geek, I have meticulously measured the actual temperature of the water in the kettle for the various settings. I share them here in hopes they will provide a useful operational profile for buyers interested in temperature variability. (Bear in mind that the container you pour into will greatly affect the water temperature, so remember to preheat it by filling it with hot water right before use.)
Button | @ First Trigger Completed
Label | "Beep" Re-heat Re-Heat
--------|-------- -------- ---------
160 | 164 160 163
175 | 180 175 178
185 | 192 185 188
190 | 197 191 194
200 | 203 199 204
Boil | 214 206 214
(All temperatures are in degrees F, as registered by my probe thermometer in the top half of the water with the kettle fully-filled.)
=== - ===
I know this is half generally-relevant bullet points, and half geek-oriented test data, but I hope this review still has something useful for everyone.
=== Part 1: Why to get an variable temperature electric tea kettle ===
For anyone who drinks tea (unless it is exclusively black) or makes coffee outside an all-in-one, department store drip-brewer, this is absolutely indispensable. Though most recipes have been built to use only room-temp or boiling water (since those are the only temperatures to easily reach with consistency), more cutting-edge cooking as well as coffee/tea prep requires more finesse. Unless you're willing to watch the proverbial pot boil with a thermometer in hand, this is the only way to heat water on such occasions.
=== Part 2: Concerns / questions raised (and/or) left unanswered by other reviews ===
I won't go into detail about well-established pros and cons covered in other reviews, but I would like to make clear a few things I couldn't determine from reviews/specs before I bought mine:
("Hot sides/surfaces"): Yes, the sides get hot, and yes, it is startling to touch the metal outer wall when the water is hot. However, according to my IR thermometer, the surface never gets much above 130 degrees. Sure, that's hot and you should avoid contact, but for comparison many people's hot water heater is set this high and (as validated by my rather stupid intentional touch test) an accidental touch is highly unlikely to cause even a mild first-degree burn unless you actively fight the reflex to instantly pull away.
("Construction / Material touching the water"): True, the sidewall level indicator and the "frame" of the removable spout filter are made of plastic (the BPA content of which I have not conclusively proved or disproved) but the former is part of a small compartment which only a small amount of water reaches and which has very limited circulation, and the latter is removable. The entire rest of the construction that touches water is steel. Since hot water dissolves BPA from plastics, and aluminum's role in neurodegenerative disease is unclear, iron/steel and glass are pretty much the only materials I trust completely for food storage/preparation containers. In this regard, this kettle is the safest option I've found.
=== Part 3: Operational test data ===
As a tea fanatic with a minimum of four kinds of tea always on hand (black, red/oolong, green, and white) and general geek, I have meticulously measured the actual temperature of the water in the kettle for the various settings. I share them here in hopes they will provide a useful operational profile for buyers interested in temperature variability. (Bear in mind that the container you pour into will greatly affect the water temperature, so remember to preheat it by filling it with hot water right before use.)
Button | @ First Trigger Completed
Label | "Beep" Re-heat Re-Heat
--------|-------- -------- ---------
160 | 164 160 163
175 | 180 175 178
185 | 192 185 188
190 | 197 191 194
200 | 203 199 204
Boil | 214 206 214
(All temperatures are in degrees F, as registered by my probe thermometer in the top half of the water with the kettle fully-filled.)
=== - ===
I know this is half generally-relevant bullet points, and half geek-oriented test data, but I hope this review still has something useful for everyone.
By J. Portz
This kettle is everything you could want! I use it mostly for french press coffee, but my guests have used it for various kinds of tea, instant oatmeal, or hot chocolate with great success.
I did a lot of research on these kettles, and I found that the one thing to avoid was kettles with plastic insides. Every single one with plastic innards had comments about plastic taste in the water. Stainless and glass interiors didn't have this problem, but glass was more susceptable to scale buildup. So I went with stainless. There aren't many of these kettles with stainless insides, and the ones there are are generally more expensive. I looked at the Breville and some others, but they were simply too much money. This one, while not cheap, offered a great feature set, accurate temperatures, stainless interior, good controls, unobstrusive base, and pretty nice aesthetics.
The kettle is easy to fill, solidly built, and heats water very fast. It finishes its heat cycle with an authoritative BEEP that I can hear from the next room as I watch Sports Center. Another bonus is that even once it has reached temperature, it will keep the water at that temperature for up to 30 minutes, so if I'm busy doing something else, my kettle can wait until I get there, and my water isn't too cold or too hot! The most important thing about a good cup of french press coffee, besides the beans, is the temperature of the water.
The base is very minimal and you don't even notice it when the kettle is sitting on it, it looks like one piece of the kettle. The controls are easy to reach while holding the kettle by the handle, and the little LED light on the water level indicator is bright and helps you see the water level in a dimly lit early morning kitchen. It also automatically shuts off after a bit if the kettle heat has been turned off. The kettle will turn off automatically after a certain amount of time, but it also is easy to turn off once you've poured out your needed water by pressing the "keep warm" button again.
Cleaning is as easy as making a water/white vinegar mixture and letting the kettle boil for 10-15 minutes, then rinsing it out a few times. This removes lime scale deposits and calcification.
For the build quality, looks, features, and performance, I can't rate this kettle high enough! Look no further!
I did a lot of research on these kettles, and I found that the one thing to avoid was kettles with plastic insides. Every single one with plastic innards had comments about plastic taste in the water. Stainless and glass interiors didn't have this problem, but glass was more susceptable to scale buildup. So I went with stainless. There aren't many of these kettles with stainless insides, and the ones there are are generally more expensive. I looked at the Breville and some others, but they were simply too much money. This one, while not cheap, offered a great feature set, accurate temperatures, stainless interior, good controls, unobstrusive base, and pretty nice aesthetics.
The kettle is easy to fill, solidly built, and heats water very fast. It finishes its heat cycle with an authoritative BEEP that I can hear from the next room as I watch Sports Center. Another bonus is that even once it has reached temperature, it will keep the water at that temperature for up to 30 minutes, so if I'm busy doing something else, my kettle can wait until I get there, and my water isn't too cold or too hot! The most important thing about a good cup of french press coffee, besides the beans, is the temperature of the water.
The base is very minimal and you don't even notice it when the kettle is sitting on it, it looks like one piece of the kettle. The controls are easy to reach while holding the kettle by the handle, and the little LED light on the water level indicator is bright and helps you see the water level in a dimly lit early morning kitchen. It also automatically shuts off after a bit if the kettle heat has been turned off. The kettle will turn off automatically after a certain amount of time, but it also is easy to turn off once you've poured out your needed water by pressing the "keep warm" button again.
Cleaning is as easy as making a water/white vinegar mixture and letting the kettle boil for 10-15 minutes, then rinsing it out a few times. This removes lime scale deposits and calcification.
For the build quality, looks, features, and performance, I can't rate this kettle high enough! Look no further!
By Amazonaholic
5 YEAR UPDATE: (4.5 to be exact)I still own this kettle and love it, surprised that nothing better has been invented yet. It's the only kitchen gadget that's been used heavily daily for so long without needing repairs or replacements. The build quality is still excellent, nothing is falling aparat. I didn't even clean it once and while there are plenty of mineral deposits on the outside, inside it looks clean. The reason I am looking for a new one is my current one started acting up. Occasionally, it would shut down half way during boil with "error" beeping sounds. I just push start again and it starts boiling. It may actually
UPDATED entire review on 9/12/2013 (Originally purchased and reviewed on August 2010)
We've owned Krups FLF2-J1 electric kettle for about 4 years and while it was doing the job I was desperately looking for something with selectable temperatures until I saw newly released CPK-17. While there were no reviews available at the time of the purchase I decided to try it out anyway and I was perfectly satisifed from the first cup of tea. We've been using it for over 3 years now and still enjoy the kettle as the day we got it. There is no rust on the kettle and all functions are working. It needs some cleaning, but that's a personal choice.
What I like:
Selectable temperatures. This was main feature why I bought it on the first place. I don't ever boil the tea, I prefer 175 degree setting and no more burning tongues!
There was no smell when it was brand new
Stylish looking even after 3 years I still like the look of it
Fits a cup more then a previous Kettle I had, but I rarely fill it up
Blue led when in operation
Surprisingly quieter then I thought it would be
Beeps when ready
There is a setting to keep water wamr for 30 minutes
Faster tea preparation when selecting lower temps
Cap opens with a push of a button
Neutral:
It is on the pricy side, but you get what you pay for, it's solidly build and looks stylish, plus it's been working for 3 years with daily use
Some plastic there, but not too much
Not so Great:
They didn't make one 10 year ago, not really a con, but you know...
Stains easily
UPDATED entire review on 9/12/2013 (Originally purchased and reviewed on August 2010)
We've owned Krups FLF2-J1 electric kettle for about 4 years and while it was doing the job I was desperately looking for something with selectable temperatures until I saw newly released CPK-17. While there were no reviews available at the time of the purchase I decided to try it out anyway and I was perfectly satisifed from the first cup of tea. We've been using it for over 3 years now and still enjoy the kettle as the day we got it. There is no rust on the kettle and all functions are working. It needs some cleaning, but that's a personal choice.
What I like:
Selectable temperatures. This was main feature why I bought it on the first place. I don't ever boil the tea, I prefer 175 degree setting and no more burning tongues!
There was no smell when it was brand new
Stylish looking even after 3 years I still like the look of it
Fits a cup more then a previous Kettle I had, but I rarely fill it up
Blue led when in operation
Surprisingly quieter then I thought it would be
Beeps when ready
There is a setting to keep water wamr for 30 minutes
Faster tea preparation when selecting lower temps
Cap opens with a push of a button
Neutral:
It is on the pricy side, but you get what you pay for, it's solidly build and looks stylish, plus it's been working for 3 years with daily use
Some plastic there, but not too much
Not so Great:
They didn't make one 10 year ago, not really a con, but you know...
Stains easily
By J. Lingle
After our 12 year old Revere 3.5-qt. Copper-Bottom Teakettle finally died last month, I began researching the pros and cons between stove top and electric water kettles. I had never owned an electric kettle before, but they appeared to be more energy efficient, faster heating, cooler to handle, and in most cases, more customizable. I was planning to purchase the same Revere stove top kettle until I read so many reviews stating that manufacturing had been moved to China and quality suffered as a result.
The Cuisinart PerfecTemp is expensive, but after having owned and consistently used it several times a day for over a month, I can say it's worth every penny - if you are an avid tea and coffee drinker. I use the kettle to boil water (in 4 minutes) for the kids' oatmeal before school, then I make two french press pots of coffee as soon as I get home from dropping them off. My wife has an entire cabinet filled with Traditional Medicinal teas, and between the two of us, we use the kettle at least four to six times throughout the day, every day.
With individual temperature settings for Delicate, Green, White, and Oolong teas, French Press Coffee, and Black (Boil), I have noticed a HUGE difference in the flavor of each type of tea from before, when we would always just boil water in the stove top kettle until the whistle went off. The 'beep' could be louder in my opinion, but the kettle heats water so fast that it is usually ready by the time I grab a mug and decide which tea I want, so I'm rarely out of the kitchen when it goes off. And the keep warm feature is great for deciding to have a second cup ;-). The sides of the kettle do get hot during use, but the handle is cool, so you won't need a pot holder or glove like you do with some stove top kettles.
Our kitchen has been full of Cuisinart appliances for years, and although they are all generally expensive, I have no doubt that we will be using this water kettle for many years due to the solid construction and fantastic customer service we've come to expect from their products.
UPDATE 08-13-2012
After 18 months of using this water kettle multiple times a day for french press coffee, hot water for oatmeal, tea, etc, it has performed beautifully without a single problem. I love that it heats the water to 200 degrees for french press in just a few minutes, and the kettle remembers it's settings if placed back on the base in under 2 minutes if you've got it set to 'keep warm'. I still highly recommend this kettle.
The Cuisinart PerfecTemp is expensive, but after having owned and consistently used it several times a day for over a month, I can say it's worth every penny - if you are an avid tea and coffee drinker. I use the kettle to boil water (in 4 minutes) for the kids' oatmeal before school, then I make two french press pots of coffee as soon as I get home from dropping them off. My wife has an entire cabinet filled with Traditional Medicinal teas, and between the two of us, we use the kettle at least four to six times throughout the day, every day.
With individual temperature settings for Delicate, Green, White, and Oolong teas, French Press Coffee, and Black (Boil), I have noticed a HUGE difference in the flavor of each type of tea from before, when we would always just boil water in the stove top kettle until the whistle went off. The 'beep' could be louder in my opinion, but the kettle heats water so fast that it is usually ready by the time I grab a mug and decide which tea I want, so I'm rarely out of the kitchen when it goes off. And the keep warm feature is great for deciding to have a second cup ;-). The sides of the kettle do get hot during use, but the handle is cool, so you won't need a pot holder or glove like you do with some stove top kettles.
Our kitchen has been full of Cuisinart appliances for years, and although they are all generally expensive, I have no doubt that we will be using this water kettle for many years due to the solid construction and fantastic customer service we've come to expect from their products.
UPDATE 08-13-2012
After 18 months of using this water kettle multiple times a day for french press coffee, hot water for oatmeal, tea, etc, it has performed beautifully without a single problem. I love that it heats the water to 200 degrees for french press in just a few minutes, and the kettle remembers it's settings if placed back on the base in under 2 minutes if you've got it set to 'keep warm'. I still highly recommend this kettle.
By Wayne
Update (4/22, 4 years later):
-------------------------------------
It's actually holding up quite well after four years of daily use comprised of heating up water for my siphon coffee pot and nightly sleep teas. The numbers have pretty much rubbed off the prefixed temperature buttons but after years of routine I just push the same buttons and haven't noticed. I can always refer to the images here if I need a reminder for lapse in memory. Also, I never use it to boil water for coffee and teas as that negatively impacts the taste of my coffees and teas.
The kettle is as beautiful and stylish as the day I got it. There's a tiny bit of lime scale at the bottom of the kettle as a result of not routinely rinsing it with a lime scale remover. Think I ran vinegar through it only once. I highly recommend this kettle. Rating upgraded from four to five stars as a result of it's longevity and quality.
Original review:
-----------------------
I'll have to follow up with a follow up review. A couple of points:
* Not as heavy as I had imagined based on the reviews (male in my late 30s)
* Initially a little concerned about the buttons on the kettle itself which might get wet from washing. Curious if any of the failures people are reporting have anything to do with this part getting wet. I'll pay cautious attention to this.
* Heats up really fast and beats having to watching my old tea pot in getting the right temperature for green tea. Think I've almost burn myself a few times popping open the lids to gauge temperature.
* Operates at 1500 watts. I would have settled for 1000 but wouldn't get the quick heat up.
* Plastic / poly-blah-blah-blah parts. None of the pictures show exactly where the plastic parts are. The product video barely flashes the internal of the kettle to disclose how much of it is plastic. None of the other kettles seem to show the internals as well. This is a sticking point and I hope by next year they will have come up with a better engineering design to eliminate the need for any plastic parts. As it stands today all of the variable temperature kettle at least use some plastics for sealing the lid for a better seal.
All in all I'm satisfied with the purchase. I went through several options to the Pino, Chef's Choice, Breville, and Adagio. The Pino doesn't seem to be well built with the cheap looking digital readout along with complaints of rusting (that's unacceptable). Chef's Choice didn't offer anything over the Cuisinart with it's bigger price tag (still has the plastic water gauge but looks to come in direct contact with the water). I'm not sure if the Breville is bpa free or not. Either way, I don't care for the design where the water gauge is part of the water container. With the Cusinart the water is separated from the water gauge somewhat and the exposure is reduced. The way the water gauge works is that there's a tube in the bottom that moves the gauge up through water pressure. Adagio is coming out with a new kettle but that's not for a few months and their previous kettle had issues. Lots of consumers seem to have had issues with their previous model (as they noted on their web site even). The new kettle from Adagio looks pretty attractive from the web pictures however.
With all that in mind, the round up choice is this Cuisinart. Let's see how it holds up. For those curious I'll be posting photos of the internals of the kettle so you know exactly where the plastic parts are. I removed the plastic screen filter so that won't be shown.
-------------------------------------
It's actually holding up quite well after four years of daily use comprised of heating up water for my siphon coffee pot and nightly sleep teas. The numbers have pretty much rubbed off the prefixed temperature buttons but after years of routine I just push the same buttons and haven't noticed. I can always refer to the images here if I need a reminder for lapse in memory. Also, I never use it to boil water for coffee and teas as that negatively impacts the taste of my coffees and teas.
The kettle is as beautiful and stylish as the day I got it. There's a tiny bit of lime scale at the bottom of the kettle as a result of not routinely rinsing it with a lime scale remover. Think I ran vinegar through it only once. I highly recommend this kettle. Rating upgraded from four to five stars as a result of it's longevity and quality.
Original review:
-----------------------
I'll have to follow up with a follow up review. A couple of points:
* Not as heavy as I had imagined based on the reviews (male in my late 30s)
* Initially a little concerned about the buttons on the kettle itself which might get wet from washing. Curious if any of the failures people are reporting have anything to do with this part getting wet. I'll pay cautious attention to this.
* Heats up really fast and beats having to watching my old tea pot in getting the right temperature for green tea. Think I've almost burn myself a few times popping open the lids to gauge temperature.
* Operates at 1500 watts. I would have settled for 1000 but wouldn't get the quick heat up.
* Plastic / poly-blah-blah-blah parts. None of the pictures show exactly where the plastic parts are. The product video barely flashes the internal of the kettle to disclose how much of it is plastic. None of the other kettles seem to show the internals as well. This is a sticking point and I hope by next year they will have come up with a better engineering design to eliminate the need for any plastic parts. As it stands today all of the variable temperature kettle at least use some plastics for sealing the lid for a better seal.
All in all I'm satisfied with the purchase. I went through several options to the Pino, Chef's Choice, Breville, and Adagio. The Pino doesn't seem to be well built with the cheap looking digital readout along with complaints of rusting (that's unacceptable). Chef's Choice didn't offer anything over the Cuisinart with it's bigger price tag (still has the plastic water gauge but looks to come in direct contact with the water). I'm not sure if the Breville is bpa free or not. Either way, I don't care for the design where the water gauge is part of the water container. With the Cusinart the water is separated from the water gauge somewhat and the exposure is reduced. The way the water gauge works is that there's a tube in the bottom that moves the gauge up through water pressure. Adagio is coming out with a new kettle but that's not for a few months and their previous kettle had issues. Lots of consumers seem to have had issues with their previous model (as they noted on their web site even). The new kettle from Adagio looks pretty attractive from the web pictures however.
With all that in mind, the round up choice is this Cuisinart. Let's see how it holds up. For those curious I'll be posting photos of the internals of the kettle so you know exactly where the plastic parts are. I removed the plastic screen filter so that won't be shown.
By T. Farner
After buying it as a Christmas present for myself, I have thoroughly enjoyed it and have used it all day long everyday. I read the bad reviews before and after I bought this kettle. Here are some observations from what I read in the 1 and 2 star reviews. For those of you that have had the kettle only last for a few months, to a year... I know that this kettle is expensive and should last longer. I would bet that after you pour a cup out of your kettle, you just set it back on the stand and walked off. This will put it into the hold temperature mode for about 30 more minutes. I know this is a feature but do you really need it to hold 212 degrees for an additional half hour? If you turn it off and then go back 30 minutes later and heat it again, it only takes a minute or two. Leaving it on puts unnecessary extra wear on the product fuse and heating base. I'm not defending it for burning out early, just suggesting a way to extend the life of the kettle. Next, I have read that after a month, a man and his wife still couldn't figure out how to use it. Really?! You push the temperature you want and hit start, it beeps and stops blinking when ready. Got to wonder about that poor rating. Another one complained that it didn't boil water any faster than their kettle on the stove. This is the one that gets me the most. If all you want to do is boil water, then save your money and boil water on your stove. This kettle is designed for tea lovers and press drinkers where a more precise temperature is required. This is what it is designed to do. If you throw boiling water over say, green tea, you have destroyed it. Press is best at 200-205 degrees. I, personally, got tired of boiling water then standing there with a thermometer waiting for the temperature to drop for my press coffee. If you just want to boil water... skip this and save your money. Another complaint was that the bottom was flaking off the inside of the kettle. It's called "mineral deposit", from your water. A little vinegar boiled once a month will solve this. If you have a coffee maker (it's the number one reason it will quit working) or a tea kettle on your stove, it's in there too. Another complaint was it was hard to fill and see the level. If you pick it up off the base and set it back down, it will light up and it becomes the easiest item you'll ever own, to refill. And lastly, several complained it was hard to keep fingerprints and dirt off of it. It's 'STAINLESS STEEL', wipe it with a damp sponge and dry it off. I have enjoyed it so far because it does what it is designed to do. A little preventive maintenance (turn it off when not needing it), routine cleaning ( as you should be doing with your coffee maker) and common sense ( the biggie) then hopefully you will not regret purchasing this kettle. For those that have treated it correctly and still had problems, you have an actual right to complain, but those other reviews, like described above, c'mon guys... common sense.
By Silicon Valley Girl
I'd always been a stovetop kettle kind of girl. But a few months ago, we decided it was time to retire our grungy old kettle, and I decided to make the leap to an electric model. I did a lot of research and was surprised at how many complaints these appliances generate. Finally I decided on the CPK-17.
And, after three months, I have to say it's pretty much perfect--compact, great-looking, fast, and reliable. I use it most mornings to make French press coffee, but it works equally well for tea or speed-heating water for the stove. I don't detect any metallic flavor in the water, and I'm not noticing any scaling inside even though our water is pretty hard. Another nice feature: When you turn on the kettle, the button for the temperature you've selected flashes blue; after the water reaches temperature and the kettle beeps, the button glows a steady blue--so you can tell whether your water is hot enough even if you were out of the room and didn't hear the beep.
If I wanted to cavil, I guess I could say that the stainless steel tends to show fingerprints. But quite honestly, I don't care. Bottom line: The CPK-17 has converted me to the electric kettle team for good.
And, after three months, I have to say it's pretty much perfect--compact, great-looking, fast, and reliable. I use it most mornings to make French press coffee, but it works equally well for tea or speed-heating water for the stove. I don't detect any metallic flavor in the water, and I'm not noticing any scaling inside even though our water is pretty hard. Another nice feature: When you turn on the kettle, the button for the temperature you've selected flashes blue; after the water reaches temperature and the kettle beeps, the button glows a steady blue--so you can tell whether your water is hot enough even if you were out of the room and didn't hear the beep.
If I wanted to cavil, I guess I could say that the stainless steel tends to show fingerprints. But quite honestly, I don't care. Bottom line: The CPK-17 has converted me to the electric kettle team for good.
By Dr. Sandra L. Lillie
This electric kettle has EVERYTHING. It is extremely fast and easy to use, light to handle, gives you the perfect temperature for whatever you're making and holds that temperature as long as you're likely to want it held. It's made of sturdy, attractive materials and contains no cancer-causing agents (like the Breville model). I wouldn't know how to improve upon it. I researched extensively before buying, and this had every feature I heard about in any other electric kettle, with none of the disadvantages of other kettles. I am completely pleased.
By Jen1229
I'm very pleased with this product because it was so convenient to have on hand recently for serving company. They really admired it and I must say it is very attractive with its brushed stainless steel finish and light up buttons. I continue to use it on a daily basis. I love that it has a setting for green tea (which I use and drink all the time. Yes, my green tea is better now) Besides that being my favorite feature I also enjoy how it pleasantly beeps when it reaches the desired temperature setting. I thought I'd miss my whistling tea kettle, but rather this is so much less stressful than jumping for that noisy stove top version!
Pros:
*Attractive
*entirely stainless steel
*convenient easy to operate light up buttons (one each for 160 degrees= delicate, 175=green, 185=white, 190 = Oolong, 200=French Press, Boil=black, start, and keep warm printed on each button) and stay warm feature
*small foot print and easy to set up
*Pleasant beep sound when ready
*works fast
*pours nicely
*plenty big enough
Cons:
*Entire outside gets extremely hot and could severely burn if not picked up by the handle (entire handle stays cool though)
*a little pricey (entirely stainless steel finish so forgivable in my book)
Amazon shipped this out with lightning speed, at better pricing and free shipping which saved me about $20 over my local store so that made me very happy. My husband is disappointed by how hot the outside gets (similar to how a stovetop teapot gets). We are spoiled by our insulated coffee pot and if this item were insulated like that it would be perfect, however I still love it! (he on the other hand would have given it less stars for that)
I wondered if it would continue to heat once removed from its base (I was hoping it had some sort of charging feature), but that disconnect stops all electricity and all the lights turn off, etc. However, it stores the settings for up to 2 minutes so it will automatically return to its last setting if you return it in time.
In summary, I'm very happy with this purchase and recommend it.
PS: I haven't had any scaling issues as other people have mentioned. I use filtered water and feel that any complaints on that have to be directed to the water used, not the kettle.
Pros:
*Attractive
*entirely stainless steel
*convenient easy to operate light up buttons (one each for 160 degrees= delicate, 175=green, 185=white, 190 = Oolong, 200=French Press, Boil=black, start, and keep warm printed on each button) and stay warm feature
*small foot print and easy to set up
*Pleasant beep sound when ready
*works fast
*pours nicely
*plenty big enough
Cons:
*Entire outside gets extremely hot and could severely burn if not picked up by the handle (entire handle stays cool though)
*a little pricey (entirely stainless steel finish so forgivable in my book)
Amazon shipped this out with lightning speed, at better pricing and free shipping which saved me about $20 over my local store so that made me very happy. My husband is disappointed by how hot the outside gets (similar to how a stovetop teapot gets). We are spoiled by our insulated coffee pot and if this item were insulated like that it would be perfect, however I still love it! (he on the other hand would have given it less stars for that)
I wondered if it would continue to heat once removed from its base (I was hoping it had some sort of charging feature), but that disconnect stops all electricity and all the lights turn off, etc. However, it stores the settings for up to 2 minutes so it will automatically return to its last setting if you return it in time.
In summary, I'm very happy with this purchase and recommend it.
PS: I haven't had any scaling issues as other people have mentioned. I use filtered water and feel that any complaints on that have to be directed to the water used, not the kettle.
By C. Leonard
I recently ordered this kettle and another one for comparison sake. This stainless steel kettle was about twice the price of the other one, which was plastic. I had had a plastic electric kettle for seven years and was very happy with it, so I thought I would try one again due to the very good price. (The Philips ordered in 2003 is no longer available). I would also try this one because of the high rating and many features.
The plastic kettle had higher wattage and did boil the same amount of water about 30 seconds faster, but this kettle wasn't far behind. It was really a tough choice because both kettles had good features the other one didn't necessarily have. Unfortunately, they are both a bit heavy - especially when filled - and both their exteriors get hot, but I guess that is to be expected.
Ultimately I chose the stainless. It is very quiet and emits no unpleasant smell or taste. It had lots of features I didn't have to have, but I am enjoying very much: settings for different types of tea, pretty blue l.e.d. indicators, and a pleasant beeping sound that indicates the water is ready.
The plastic kettle had higher wattage and did boil the same amount of water about 30 seconds faster, but this kettle wasn't far behind. It was really a tough choice because both kettles had good features the other one didn't necessarily have. Unfortunately, they are both a bit heavy - especially when filled - and both their exteriors get hot, but I guess that is to be expected.
Ultimately I chose the stainless. It is very quiet and emits no unpleasant smell or taste. It had lots of features I didn't have to have, but I am enjoying very much: settings for different types of tea, pretty blue l.e.d. indicators, and a pleasant beeping sound that indicates the water is ready.
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