Great, Feature Packed Kettle!
CUPRA
2/3/2021
I'm British. I drink tea. Hot tea! Our kettle runs 24/7.
If you want hot water, at a pre-determined temperature every time, this new Electric Kettle from GE Appliances with Digital Control not only looks good, it works well and does exactly that!
Setting up the kettle couldn't be easier, it has a separate power base that you plug into an outlet in your kitchen, and you can curl up excess cord in the base, keeping your countertop clutter-free. Press the button on the middle of the lid to reveal a lid pull, pull off the lid and fill up the kettle with water. On the inside right as you look down inside the kettle are MIN and MAX marking for the water level. Choose your desired amount of water, place the lid back on top, press the middle button on the lid to hid the pull, and place it on the base.
The Kettle will beep and begin flashing on the digital display, the last setting you had the kettle set to. You can adjust the temp setting to several preset temperature settings which take into account temperatures for different types of specialty tea, (Green Tea, Earl Grey etc, which infuse better at different temperatures). You cannot choose a specific temperature, lets say you wanted 150ºF, you cannot choose that specific temp, but only preset temperatures determined by GE.
Once you've chosen the temperature you want, press the power button and the kettle will begin warming. The display will then show the current temperature of the water and rise accordingly as the temperature inside rises. The kettle is absolutely silent between 72ºF and 97ºF and then you hear the usual kettle boiling sounds. It takes around 2.5-3 minutes to get the water up to it's max temp 212ºF, and does it with no fuss at all. Two beeps confirm that the kettle has achieved the desired temperature. The inside base of the kettle did tarnish after first use, so it will need regular cleaning as it goes through its continual boiling cycles. It's taken a moment to get used to the 'wide mouth' pouring spout, but in reality, it works really well, the way the water flows through the openings in the grill are not only aesthetic, but functional to stop the water just gushing out and making a mess, it actually pours smoothly and freely.
There is a 'Warm' button that will maintain the heat in the water for 30 minutes and then turn off. It also features a 'boil dry' sensor and will not allow the kettle to run with no water in it for piece of mind.
In my experience, the kettle did not 'Stay Cool' as featured, but it certainly wasn't 'scalding hot' when I touched the kettle after boiling. You can place your hands on the kettle after it's boiled and it will not scald you. The lid however was in fact cool to the touch after boiling. So while not 'cool to the touch' on the sides of the kettle, it is cool enough not to burn/scald children if they were to reach up and touch the kettle.
My reason for 4 stars, is that the mechanism to take off the lid and put it back on is a little cumbersome. When I press the button, it sticks halfway, meaning I have to pull it up, before I can pull off the lid. And then when replacing the lid, there are 3 little triangular clips that are there to secure the lid, but don't make it easy to replace the lid, along with lining up the semi circular spout at the same time. It would have been nicer to have had a dedicated lid handle, and a completely round lid.
Secondly, the markings for the water level are ONLY on the right hand side, INSIDE the kettle. I am left handed, therefore pick up the kettle with my left hand to fill it. This means I don't get to see the water level markings, I have to lean over the kettle and look at them from the opposite side. This kettle is replacing a previous digital kettle I owned, that had the water level built into the handle, with an LED light to illuminate it. And talking of the handle, it would be nice if it wasn't square edged, it's not very ergonomic for carrying boiling hot water.
Overall a great kettle, does what it says it should do, and does it well. A couple of tweaks and it could be excellent!
Originally posted on www.ge.com
Yes, I recommend this product
