In my home tea and hot cocoa are consumed on a bi-daily basis. Our hot drink habit is enabled by our Breville SK500XL Ikon Cordless 1.7 Liter Stainless-Steel Electric Kettle. This sturdy, quick working kettle is constantly on, heating up water for another round of drinks. It’s easy enough to use that my nine year old daughter has no problem using it, but sturdy enough that I can use it for my own cooking experiments.

This is one of the best kettle 2019 UK and will boil 1.7 liters of water at a time, which is the perfect amount for everyone in my family to have all they want. The easy on/off switch and cushion controlled lid make it supremely easy to use. The brushed stainless steel housing and cord storage make it look neat and pretty on our counter, while the soft grip handle makes it comfortable for anyone to pick up and move around.

I always look for safety features in my appliances, especially ones that I let my daughter use. This kettle has both an auto shut-off and boil dry protection to make sure nothing damages the heating element. There’s also a “ready” bell that makes sure we don’t forget we put water in it.  A removable scale filter is a nice touch that helps us make sure our water is the cleanest possible.

Pros:

• Comfort: Something that sticks out to me about this kettle the longer I have it is how comfortable it is to use. The handle is a comfortable size and is perfectly insulated. The lid opens and closes easily at the push of a button. As a whole it feels solid – there’s none of that feeling that makes you think it might break if you set it down the wrong way.
• Good Looks: This isn’t the first thing I look for when buying something for my kitchen, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a factor. The brushed steel that makes up the housing looks really nice and is easy to keep clean. The cord storage is also a nice touch that keeps things looking tidy.
• Safety: Features like auto shut-off and boil dry protection are a must for any kettle I buy. This is mostly because I can be pretty absent minded. Knowing that the kettle will shut off once it reaches a boil puts my mind at ease, as does knowing it won’t heat up if I accidently turn it on without water in it.
• No Plastic: With all the worry going around about the chemicals in plastic, I’m glad to have switched to a stainless steel kettle. I haven’t noticed any strange flavors in the water at all. Having a scale filter probably also helps in this regard.

Cons:

• A Little Heavy: This kettle does have a tendency to be a little heavy, especially if you really fill it up. While it’s certainly not a strain for me to lift it, it does have some heft and may be difficult if your wrists aren’t strong. I see this more as a statement of quality than a true negative, though. It’s made with tough materials, which is turn require a little more energy to lift.
• Water Level Indicator is Hard to See: The designers helpfully included a water level indicator with this kettle. However, they unhelpfully placed it so it is partially obscured by the handle! This is by no means a big problem for me, and once you get used to it it’s not too difficult to tell at a glance where your water is at.

The Breville SK500XL is a great high end kettle, but the cost may put a few people off. In that case, I’d recommend the Rival 4071-WN 32-Ounce Hot Pot Express. It heats up water just as quickly and costs much less. However, it doesn’t have the capacity or the safety features of the Breville, so it’s really up to you to decide what’s worth spending your money on.

All in all it’s hard to find much wrong with this kettle. It’s tough, it works hard, has some great safety features, and even looks great. It’s been keeping me and my family in hot drinks for a while now, and I foresee that it will continue to pull its weight for a long time to come. If you’re looking for a quality water kettle, you really can’t go wrong with this one.