Breville Quiet BKE490

Something loose in the bottom section of kettle. Cannot see what it is – There is something loose in the bottom section of my kettle. When I gently shake the kettle it sounds like lose beads in the bottom of the kettle. Unfortunately I cannot see what is making this noise, as it seems to be in the base of the kettle. The kettle works perfectly, but am wondering if it's safe to continue using it.  Show details

Plastic Bits – Bought this kettle back in 2013 because I thought it was going to be quiet. It wasn't the cheapest of kettles but given the brushed s/s/ finish I felt it was worth the $79 I paid. I really like the look of the kettle, goes well with my other s/s appliances & I am happy to say that it is still going great guns but I would not call it overly quiet.… Read more

However that being said, I'm usually doing something else whilst it's boiling so can't say it bothers me unduly. The one thing that does bother me though is the random pieces of plastic that chip off of the indicator on inside of the kettle on either side. All I can say is thank god for the filter inside or I may have easily swallowed the pieces. Hopefully, Breville will make another kettle in the same attractive design (luv the shape) with this problem addressed.

Water indicator glass broken – I bought it 3 years ago. I couldn't remeber when does I start finding a piece of glass in my food, but those glasses are getting big and I found it in from the two sides of indicator. Warranty period is over, they said nothing they can do with that. But I think it may be a faulty design.  Show details

Crunchy Bits in Water – We purchased this kettle around three years ago and were initially impressed by the quieter operation. We did notice that it became significantly louder as it aged - maybe not as loud as our previous kettle, but still much louder than when new. After about twelve months, we noticed that cracks/crazing began to appear in the clear plastic water… Read more

level windows. We thought that, when it started to leak through these cracks, we would dispose of it and buy another. It did not leak, despite the cracks becoming more numerous. Just recently, we noticed small bits of "something" in the bottom of the kettle, which we put down to the filter on our water tank needing replacement. Today I had crunchy bits in my cup of tea so I investigated further. I completely emptied the kettle and found numerous fragments of clear plastic in the bottom of the kettle. Closer inspection showed that much of one of the inner edges of one of the clear water level windows had disintegrated. Also, the black plastic "frame" around the scale filter on the pourer was badly cracked in several places. I feel that the noise fault that many other reviewers have experienced is of minimal concern when compared with the potential safety risks associated with potentially swallowing fragments of sharp plastic which would not break down in the stomach. I have no doubt that many parents would be feeding boiled water from these kettles to infants. Breville should recall these kettles immediately on safety grounds. I for one, will not be buying another Breville kettle.

Stylish and super quiet - i love this kettle! – I was desperate to get a quiet boil kettle after getting totally fed up of not even being able to have a conversation in the kitchen when my old kettle was boiling, and this Breville one is really quiet. At first i had to double check id even turned the kettle on and it was working because it is so quiet for the first part of the boil. Ive… Read more

read several comments that the "Quiet" technology doesnt last long but the instructions are very specific about any scale build up affecting the noise level and the need to de-scale regularly. It also recommends emptying the kettle of water between boils to prevent scale build up.

This kettle is very stylish, it is compact, having a small base so takes up a lot less benchtop room than most kettles. It has a nice feel of quality with the soft close lid and the lid-release and on/off switches only needing gentle pressure to operate. Because of the small base size you are able to boil water for 2 cups - half the volume of my old kettle. It is also quick to boil - i tested it against my old kettle and its about 20% faster.

The only con is the weight, probably due to the "quiet boil" technology built inside, making it heavy even when empty, its over a kilo empty without the base so may be a problem for elderly/disabled people to lift when full.

I highly recommend this kettle. Very quiet, fast boiling, stylish, with a small base area so takes up less room. A bit heavier than other kettles ive owned, even when empty

Still going strong almost 4 years on – We bought this kettle for its neat looks more than its quiet technology, but it has stayed pretty quiet too. A couple of people here have mentioned buying a quiet kettle for the newborn baby period - as far as that goes, none of my sensitive-sleeper babies have ever been woken by this kettle. The kettle has a "bell" that rings when it has… Read more

boiled, but it is a single, gentle "ding"; nothing intrusive. The ding is much fainter (if at all) when you place the kettle on its stand.

It's a very nice-looking kettle with the brushed stainless steel. I've often had people comment on what a nice-looking kettle and toaster we have (the toaster is also a Breville brushed stainless steel) - they've both stayed that way for years.

We never had any strange smell or taste with ours - maybe that was a bad batch for the person who mentioned it, or a new thing.

You can fill it one-handed, just pressing the button at the top of the handle with your thumb to open the lid. If you're filling it right to the top, it might be a little heavy, but I'm hardly a shot-putter myself and I fill it one-handed without noticing. Good-looking, durable, reliable, smooth and quiet operation

Love the kettle, but rubber on handle has started to come off – This kettle is much quieter then our previous one. Had it for 6 months now but noticed about a month ago that the rubber has split and broken at the top of the handle. Will take it back to Harvey Norman tomorrow, hopefully I can get replacement as its a good kettle!

Great Kettle – Bought the red one to add colour to our antique white kitchen. Looks great! 1.7 litre capacity. Quiet, cordless and has an automatic shut off mechanism. After boiling for approx 10 seconds a little bell sounds and it turns itself off. Has a boil dry protection system as well, but haven't had to test that one yet. Easy to read water-fill window.… Read more

Love the slow motion lid opening with the touch of a button. My mum has terribly painful arthritis and when visiting, finds this kettle easy to use. Style and colour. Easy to hold and pour.

Quiet but a bit slow, really nice design – Bought this to replace a sunbeam retro kettle, and am quite happy for the price. The unit is very quiet, and has a good capacity but is pretty slow. I don't think the sunbeam was much faster, but I have owned faster kettles. For those saying it was hot on the outside... its metal, and its heating water to 100 degrees... DUH! buy a plastic kettle… Read more

that either looks awful or will last 3 months if you so desire :P

The design looks really nice in any kitchen too, semi modern but simple. Quiet, Capacity, Price A little slow

Quiet boil kettle – I am surprised that Breville does not tell customers that when a quiet boil kettle becomes noisier, that it is a scale problem not a kettle problem. Seems an easy way to keep their reputation intact. Buy a decent descaler people and run it through the kettle. I have solved my problem. Use filtered water and the problem will be slower to arise. Meanhile, I have plastic bits popping of the lid trim. Most annoying.

Gets noisier the older it is – This kettle still works but has become so noisy we have to turn it off if we're having a conversation anywhere near it. With so many homes with open plan living Breville really need to address this issue . We don't use it if we are watching the tv as its so noisy

safety – Our kettle the plastic for the sight glass is detereating and I nearly swallowed a piece that was like a half a match stick in size but felt it in my mouth before I did keep a watch this could cause some heath problem if swallowed and a trip to the hospital

Quiet, but poor quality – I have had this kettle for 18 months. I like that it is quiet, has the soft open lid and an all metal interior. BUT the handle is very poor quality. It developed a crack when it was 12 months old and it has now cracked further that the handle now has a wobble. I have had use plastics glue to keep it together. Also all the markings on the side of… Read more

the kettle have wiped off.

I am really disappointed with it as I my previous Breville kettle lasted close to 10 years.

Not quiet anymore! – This kettle was quiet for about the first month and now it is very noisy. I purchased because my family all complained about our previous loud kettles. I also after a year still keep getting that odd taste from the water. should have taken it back while still under warranty looks good and boils fast enough but still disappointing for a quiet kettle.

Quietest kettle around..... But only if your deaf – This is about the most ridiculous product I have ever bought. With the kitchen door and living room door closed I can still hear this in the bedroom. The only thing I have found that is louder is the turbine engine we use in the plane at work. What rubs salt in the wound is that every tin pot $20 kettle now seems whisper quiet compared to this piece of crud. It's quiet if I don't use it Everything when I use it

Very Clever Product Design – Loved this kettle for 377 days, then it blew the house fuses and stopped. It must take very calculated design work to make sure the appliance just makes it through to end of warranty. This was only the fourth kettle we have bought in 45 years, and since two of those (Sunbeam) are still working, we shall revert to one of those and do without the… Read more

detachable base.

This was the third Breville appliance in a row that we purchased and found totally unsatisfactory, so purchases of their products will never again be contemplated. Our greatest worry now is that our beaut shiny new Breville $300.00+ microwave will last the distance. Fast

Not so quiet – Had this kettle for about a month now - was quiet-ER to start with, but now seems just as noisy as the previous one. Have had no issue with taste of water - I did as the manual suggested and boil a full kettle of water a couple of times before I used it. The kettle does wobble disconcertingly on it's base though, as it begins to boil. It never… Read more

seems to sit securely on the base, even when not actually in use, and it will 'wobble' a bit if I touch it - doesn't seem right.

Otherwise, like the design, looks good, does the job and I like the soft-open/close lid. Looks good Doesn't live up to the Quiet claim

Not so silent – It was on sale so I thought it was time to change our 10 years kettle. What made me switch is the fact that is was advertise as Quiet technology... You are right! Is it quieter than the old one ? I feel like i have a turbine engine in the kitchen when I turn it on. Other than that I don't have an issue with the unit, it doesn't take too long to… Read more

boil, the design is great (love the cranberry color) and the soft lid opening is good. design and color not as quiet as advertised

Great kettle – I'm not sure why other people are having issues, my kettle is fantastic. It looks good, very quiet, boils fast and the ring at the end is a nice touch. I haven't noticed any plastic taste, and so far after several months of daily use I can't fault it. Yes, quiet kettles will get louder over time, especially in areas with a lot of minerals… Read more ·  1

in the water.

That isn't a fault, or just an issue with this particular kettle, it affects them all.

It's simply a matter of descaling by boiling them with vinegar/water, let it sit for a while then boil again.

Empty and rinse and it should be as good as new.

Leaving the kettle full of water overnight also helps scale to form, so try emptying it when not in use. Looks great, fast and quiet. Water window on both sides, soft lift lid. A bit expensive, but overall I can't fault it.

Good kettle! Lay off it! – While initially very quiet, it did get progressively louder over the months. I suspect it probably just needs a good descaling as I boiled a cup of diluted vinegar in there and the sound was reduced afterwards. I may leave some vinegar in there for a proper soak another day, but the noise doesn't really bother me. In terms of boiling time,… Read more

this kettle is reasonably fast. I find that it holds its temperature for a long time as well - good for those people who normally boil the kettle 5 times before remembering to make the tea :)

Not sure what everyone is complaining about taste wise, I have never noticed anything strange. I believe the 'terribe' rating should be reserved for truly disastrous kit, and this is far from terrible. Looks good, keeps water hot for ages Quiet boil is short lived without regular cleaning

Hate it! – Very loud and outside gets extremely hot. Wish I hadn't have thrown away my old Sunbeam kettle before using this one. The old Sunbeam was so much quieter than this "quiet boil" one. Don't like using while the baby is asleep as it's so noisy. Will be replacing before she is able to reach up on the bench. Looks alright Very loud not a "quiet boil" at all. Outside gets extremely hot.

Bad Taste - don't buy! – Loved the design but noticed a strange taste which was not present in our previous kettle which was over ten years old. The taste is odd, not like plastic exactly but maybe from some material used in the manufacture, possibly silicon around glass gauges on sides that releases something when heated. As other people have noted the taste is more… Read more

obvious when water has been boiled a number of times. This product should definitely be withdrawn from the market. Design Bad taste after boiling water

Bad taste – Bought this kettle about 1 week ago and we keep tasting a plastic taste. It seems to be stronger if you leave the water in the kettle. It's quiet but don't like the bell sound it makes. We will return it. Bit disappointed since we thought it was a good brand. Looks ok Bad taste in the water

Not the best – This kettle lasted approx. 18 months before the auto switch off no longer worked. Not surprising as it had always been a bit temperamental after it was a few months old. The boil was quieter than our previous kettle but not what we were expecting, and the rather loud 'ping' to tell you the kettle had finally finished boiling sort of defeated the purpose eh! Good size Still a noisy kettle even if initial boil quiet & thermostat unreliable.

Not so quiet – This kettle looks great and is easy to use. However, within a few months its no longer a 'quiet' kettle. We distinctly purchased this kettle as it is promoted as 'whisper quiet' which we wanted as we are sick of having to turn the TV volume up when someone puts the kettle is put on to boil. Sadly that's exactly where we are at now some 6 months later. So noisy !!! Easy to handle great colour (red) It's NOT a QUIET! Kettle !!!!

Review edited, have returned product – Having only purchased this today, i can only tell you a little bit about it, my review will need updating as time goes on. I didn't know what kettle to buy and had looked at reviews but didn't really think any of the kettles available at the moment looked that fantastic with good reviews also. I went to Target thinking of getting the purple… Read more

Bellini kettle - i didn't mind the look of it -(but they had run out) and as i have been without a kettle for almost a week i needed to bring a kettle home today. So the most striking looking kettle on the shelf was the Breville, and i felt comfortable with the brand name as i have several other Breville products which have been very reliable for me in the past. So I purchased the Breville Quiet kettle BKE490 in blue (elderberry). From the moment i opened the box i felt like i had bought something luxurious. It was well packaged without too much packaging and the kettle was protected from nicks and scratches by a soft paper/fabric bag. It was a pleasure to take out of the box. It is stainless steel coated with colour paint (?), it looks nice and i was lucky my kitchen is blue because the only colour i could get at target on this day, was blue - comes in stainless steel and cranberry as well. I think the finish of the paint(?) looks quality enough that it shouldn't get any scratches with careful regular use. Has large opening which makes it easy to fill from the tap, soft open lid makes it feel a bit more luxurious to use. Has easy to see water view window on both sides. Is quiet (much quieter than i even expected) and boils fast. Looks smart and elegant (for a kettle) with smooth lines. Clear lid so you can see into the kettle (not sure if we really need it but it liiks nice). I like the shape of the spout and it pours nicely. Has a 12 month warranty. The handle is a bit flat and wide and after using a rounded handle for the last 3 years this one feels a little difficult to hold, although its not terrible, probably just will take a few days for me to adjust to it. The little bell that goes off when it's finished boiling is not nessesary, i can only hear it if i am standing in front of the kettle, so i know it's boiled anyway, but i am glad it's not a loud bell as that would be really annoying - as somone else here said, it does not state this feature on the box though it should as it may be a turn off point for some people or others may like it but it should be stated somewhere on the box.

Perfectly Good and very quiet – I see alot of bad reviews for this kettle but that has not been my experience. I got this 2 months ago after my sister getting one about 7 months back. Both our experiences have be great. Its very quiet when boiling. Boils quick and quietly. I have the silver kettle and my sister has the cranberry version. Water tastes fine out of both of them. Might be luck of the draw but I'm very happy with it so far Quiet, Quick N/A

What a dud!! – Bought this kettle for the quiet boil feature and the first time I used it, a bell went off at boiling point (how is that quiet? and there is nothing on the box highlighting this feature, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it!). The second time I used it, it tripped the safety switch in my house, so I'm guessing it blew up, but I wasn't game to plug… Read more

it in and try again.

Exchanged it for another one thinking it may have just been one bad one. However, upon using the second one, I discovered that it has the measurement window upside down. For the price of this kettle, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect the measurement window to be the right way up!! It also seems to boil for a very long time before switching off and the bell is the most irritating thing, even going off when something is put down on the bench or when moving the kettle. I will be taking it back for a full refund. I could tolerate one faulty kettle, but two definitely tells me that this kettle really is a dud. Nice cranberry-red colour and was quiet when it was on - that's it!!!!! Bell that goes off at boiling point, boils for too long, one blew up and the other not assembled correctly.

Expensive and waste of money! – We bought this for our office (only 5 people use it) and after 5 months the button that lifts the lid got stuck down. I called Breville to have it fixed and commercial use warranty is only 3 months. I advised them that only a handful of people use it and in between 9am-3pm and only 5 days a week. They would not fix the item. Breville you have just lost customers! None! Button that lifts up the lid is stuck down, noisy!

This is garbage – Breville should by law withdraw the claim about quit boil technology in description if this terrible product. I bought this cattle for the claim it made ""quit boil technology"". I took mine back for replacement that the sales person did without any problem, but told me that it will not last long quit. After a week we have to turn on the volume… Read more

of the TV when the cattle is on. I may just take it back for a refund. Nothing False claim by the manufacture about the product should be withdrawn from the market by law.

Water tastes horrible – I hate this kettle, I bought it to make bottles up in the middle of the night for new baby trying not to wake toddlers. It's noisy and has an irritating ding bell noise at the end. The taste of the water is disgusting!! Have been boiling water with bi carb soda in it which helps for a while but it comes back. Don't buy this kettle!! Bad tasting water and noisy

Pretty quiet, bad tasting water for ages – Bought this in June and every now and again the water would have the plasticky taste that others have mentioned. It was so bad you had to tip your drink down the sink. We never got round to taking it back... It's now December and have not noticed the bad taste for about a month, maybe two. Hopefully it's gone forever. It's pretty quiet. … Read more

A lot quieter than the Russell Hobbs Whisper quiet we had before. We don't have to adjust the tv volume as much. Nice looking. Fairly quiet. Disgusting tasting water for a long time.

Bad kettle – Good quick to boil kettle ... Looks good ... Has gradually got louder and louder since I bought it ... Bought it especially as it was advertised as silent ... Hate missing things on tv just because I turn the kettle on ....Silent boil is something I will certainly look for in my next kettle purchase but,I will ask for a demo first . Style Noisy!!!

Quiet....not!! – I bought this kettle from Target a week ago. I was attracted by the claim that it was'quiet technology. Well, this kettle is the noisiest kettle I have ever owned. If I am watching the television when it is switched on, I have to turn up the volume! I am returning it tomorrow for a different model. I really like the look of the kettle, and loved the red colour as it co-ordinated with my decor. Extremely noisy, despite it's claim to be quiet.

It's Noisy – We purchased a Breville Quiet from Big W today, and it's going back tomorrow. On our first boil, it is noisier than our 12 year old Russell Hobbs which carked it the other day. It looks good, but the reviews on this site and our experience of one day, suggest it is a lemon. We'll exchange it for something else. Colour and shape were attractive. Extremely noisy from first boil..!!