Kambrook Aquarius KAK60

Toxic smell – Bought this because it is PBA free, but once the water is boiled it has a toxic metal smell. You can taste it if drinking a tea without milk. Will be returning it. Show details

Simply a great kettle – Having spent hundreds on top brands over the years and finding they fail after a year or so, it's refreshing to find one that does the job, no fuss, bells or whistles. 2 years old and the lid doesnt flip open but that's it. Well done Kambrook. Show details

Dangerous if unattended – Reiterating other bad reviews...Bought around April 2019. The thermal trip sometimes is slow to operate or fails to operate. The kettle can boil dry under worst circumstances. The kettle should not be left unattended when boiling. Show details

Kambrook Aquarius kettle – Have had it for 3 months and no problems with it. 1.7L kambrook Aquarius kettle purchased from Big W for $29. Quiet, efficient and cheap but well worth it. Switch illuminates blue and turns off automatically when it reaches to boiling point. Best choice and happy customer indeed!

expected better from this brand – As many others have said here, this kettle takes way too long to auto shutoff after boiling. Even when quite full it boils for so long i thought it was going to take off like a rocket! As i also use this to boil water to rid it of any chemicals & sediment in water to drink later, i did detect a slight plastic taste, which really defeats the purpose of boiling it. And the pouring spout is not great either. I really expected better from Kambrook! Show details

Not recommended if it will be exposed to sunlight – As eventually happens with plastic electric kettles, my previous kettle was deteriorating and pretty much at the end of its working life, and in September 2017 I went shopping for a replacement at a local electrical goods retailer, where the Kambrook Aquarius BPA-free kettle caught my eye. At that time, I had no idea what "BPA" or its… Read more

significance was, and while I gathered that being free of BPA might be a good thing, the kettle's BPA-freedom didn't influence my purchasing decision. I was more influenced by the kettle's branding with the familiar Kambrook name. Even though I assumed that the kettle would probably be manufactured in China, I also assumed that quality would likely be more tightly controlled where the manufacturer was answerable to a foreign client company with Western expectations of quality control.

One feature of the Kambrook kettle that struck me as eminently sensible in an "about time!" kind of way was that it had generously sized water level windows on BOTH sides of the kettle – not just a single window sited to the left of the handle on the assumption that the user would be right-handed. I'm mostly right-handed myself, but I feel for left-handers who, with a little thought, could be equally well accommodated.

The Kambrook Aquarius BPA-free kettle worked well for me for the first year, and I was very happy with the purchase. Then something started to go wrong. One day, having lifted the kettle off its power base, I noticed a drop or two of water on top of the base. I inspected the bottom of the kettle, looking and feeling for any signs of wetness, but found nothing. I mentally shrugged my shoulders, wiped the base dry, and went on with my business.

It wasn't a one-off unexplained occurrence. It happened again from time to time. Then, one morning, having walked into the kitchen to start a new day, I found a large puddle of water on the kitchen bench around the kettle. The kettle was definitively no longer a tenable proposition.

At this point, I need to explain where the kettle was living. The window in my kitchen, overlooking the sink, faces roughly north. The kettle lived on the bench just to the left of the sink, where the left hand end of the window was. From the left hand end of the sink, the bench extends inwards away from the wall. As a result, I was always lifting the kettle off its power base, pouring from it, and returning it to its base, using my right hand. Thus, in practice, I was normally only seeing the kettle from the side left of the handle. I wouldn't normally see the kettle from the side right of the handle. When the kettle was sitting on its power base, the side left of the handle was facing towards my view, while the side right of the handle was facing unseen towards the window.

I eventually found the source of the now spectacular leakage. It was a hairline fracture near the water level window on the side of the kettle to the right of the handle – the side of the kettle that I normally didn't get to see and which faced towards the (house) window when the kettle was at rest on its base. The fracture wasn't at a point where the water level window joined the body of the kettle, but was within a centimetre of the edge of the water level window.

Now that I was having a good look at the normally unseen side of the kettle, I noticed that the white plastic was yellowed on that side, and that the plastic around the water level window – including where the hairline fracture was – was dull and "aged". Meanwhile, on the normally-seen side of the kettle, the plastic was still brilliantly white and shiny and in mint condition – no sign of the deterioration that was evident on the other side.

I concluded that the deterioration in the kettle's plastic on the side right of the handle must have been due to its daily exposure to morning sunlight streaming through the (house) window. Given that plastics eventually deteriorate under exposure to ultraviolet light (such as in sunlight), I'm wondering if the absence of BPA in the kettle's plastic rendered it more vulnerable to such UV degradation than would otherwise have been the case.

I later found out that suspected health concerns are the motivation behind using BPA-free plastic for food and drink containment. Similarly, we've previously removed phosphates from cleaning products for environmental reasons, and lead from petrol for health and environmental reasons. But why did we ever include BPA, phosphates and lead in those respective products in the first place? Those ingredients were included because they helped make the product more effective, or cheaper or simpler to manufacture, so it would be unsurprising if their removal resulted in the product becoming less effective or more expensive. Car engines became less fuel-efficient when we took the lead out of petrol, and shower cleaners were (in my experience) never the same at dissolving soap scum once the phosphates were removed. I wonder if my experience with the Kambrook Aquarius kettle has uncovered an unexpected drawback of removing the BPA from its plastic?

In December 2018 I bought a glass and stainless steel kettle to replace my failed Kambrook Aquarius kettle. I think I'm finished with plastic kettles, and so far (after five months) I'm still delighted with the new kettle (touch wood). Let's hope the honeymoon period continues.

Best electric kettle I've ever owned! – Just adding my voice to the praises of this affordable little kettle. I agree with all the good points made and would like to add a couple. I have arthritis in both hands - especially my thumbs - and I find it painful to make squeezing motions. The spout of the Aquarius fits under my tap easily so I don't have to use the lever to lift the lid… Read more

to fill it. The on off switch is easy to operate with the side of my hand. I like the concealed element, which protects it from limescale build up. Many Australian towns have hard water! Also, I'm a fastidious tea maker, which means the water has to be boiling when it's poured over the leaves. No matter how quick you are with a 'normal' kettle, the water has stopped bubbling by the time you lift it over the pot, so the Aquarius 'after-boil' is a bonus for me.

Overboil runs up cost of electricity – I found the kettle quite noisy and it does not switch off soon enough when water is boiled. The long overboil means it is not energy efficient. Kettles being one of the most costly appliances to use, it (unnecessarily) runs up electricity costs. Show details

It always drips – Considering how many centuries jugs have been made, it's pathetic that in 21st century Kambrook produce a jug KAK60 that has such a spout that it always drips. Disappointing. etc etc etc Show details

Let down by long afterboil – On the strength of the reviews here, I purchased one of these at a Big W store in early September. I followed the recommended break-in and usage procedures. Like other people I was impressed with its quietness, speed and visibility. Also, because its lowest water level gives you enough for a single cup you don't have to waste electricity. … Read more

EXCEPT

It took a long time for the kettle to switch off after the water starts boiling. This happened no matter what amount of water I put in it.

Thinking this may be a once-off I replaced the original kettle yesterday with another KAK60. Exactly the same result. I infer then this is typical of this model. I'm surprised no one appears to have mentioned this before.

I have to decide now whether to replace this with a different model with a short cutout time or hang onto this unit and try to be around it when it boils to switch it off manually.

Crushed by kettle – purchased brand new at Harvey Normans Launceston. am absolutely crushed as illuminated on/off switch simply doesn't operate .Kettle is completely dysfunctional. So disappointing. I will now have to travel over 100 km to return product which I so looked forward to using. should have been quality tested before put on sale.  Show details

Great product Good price – I like this kettle because of the BPA free component. The kettle is very quiet when in use and Choice recommends this kettle with there 2 slice toaster. The only thing we didn't like was the filter inside the pouring nossle kept coming out and we found it hard to put back to place, There is a 2 year warranty with this product which is excellent and the out side does not get dangerously hot during use.  Show details

Really good jug – The water tasted really good when it was boiled its really easy to determine the water level with the lid open and with the glass down the side which is easy to read and see..it boils quite quickly it gets hot outside but isnt dangerously hot u can still touch it  Show details

Oh well done – Hey well done you lot. I have owned this kettle for years and you have never missed a beat Your design is an indirect heating base but like some others I owned never leaked Your cut out thermal system has never drifted , failed or gone out of calibration I put you in the cupboard for some upper market models which all failed in less… Read more

than a year and out you come doing what you do best.

Sure your not as vogue or pricy as some others but you last the distance thats all we can ask.

I have the red model, happy with it, and bought off the shelf at a Big W

An Australian icon ,, over the years never boasted about itself but delivered the reliability for a low cost appliance

I salute you all

Love this kettle! – We purchased this kettle a couple of months ago and we are super pleased with it. Not only is it very affordable, but it is very efficient as well. Water boils quickly and its not too noisy. The window to see the water level is also handy. Best thing is that its one of the only kettles out there that is BPA free.  Show details

So Far So Good – I’ve only had this about a week and it does a good job. The speed is no faster or slower than other kettles that I’ve had. There’s no taint to the water. It boils very hot. Easy to open lid with a button. Holds 1.7ltrs. I am happy with it. Hopefully it will last a few years.  Show details

the best budget Kettle – Very good, well priced kettle. Simple to use and clean inside and outside. very light. the noise level is very low unlike my previous kettle. Compared to the previous kettle, this is awesome! I like the the window to see the water level. Cord is a bit too short but other than that on the mark.  Show details

A rare treasure – Paid $29 for it. Works like a charm. Not too noisy, not too heavy. Agree with the other reviewers---no problem with pouring water. No need to pay more than $50, more than $100, or more than $150 for a kettle. Those prices are more about marketing a name rather than value for money.  Show details

Would buy again – Our old kettle died because the lid wouldn't open properly after being opened so many times to fill it. This Kambrook has a very wide spout so you can easily fill it directly from the tap without opening/closing the lid. It's easy to see how many cups are in the kettle and the minimum you can boil is 2 which makes it very economical to use.Easy to fill, easy to clean, very quiet and super quick to boil. Plus it was only $25 and looks great.  Show details

Works great, quiet and great value – We paid $27 for this kettle and decided on a plastic one because they are meant to be quieter. This kettle is great value and quiet! Maybe not whisper quiet but it is a kettle so does need to make some noise. No longer have to turn up the volume on the tv when the other half makes a cup of tea! Good handle. Easy to fill, hold and pour. What more could you want!  Show details

Excellent value fo rmoney – My Sunbeam KE2350 kettle just died after 5 years. I almost bought a new version of the same model but decided I buy this Kambrook one. I'm very glad I did. I very much like the much bigger water level window. It's much easier to see how much water is in the jug thus avoiding unnecessary topping up. Looks great too. Boils as fast if not a little… Read more

faster than my previous kettle. I also like the one touch flip up lid control. Makes it easier and simpler to refill the kettle.

Good little kettle – This is a pretty good kettle. It's not overly loud and it boils water fairly quickly. It feels pretty plasticky, but still solid. I think it's very good value for money. Some of the cheaper kettles are also quite ugly, but his one is fairly nondescript which is all most people need. Overall I'm pleased with it.  Show details

De scaling solved the problem – I was getting white bits in my kettle which I couldn't stop.Customer service suggested that I descale the kettle with 1/3 white vinegar to water ie 1 cup vinegar with 2 cups water. Bring to just of boil and leave for a few minutes. Then rinse. Wolla kettle was sparkling inside and no more white bits.The descaling really worked as no amount of wiping out was solving the problem. Thank you customer service.  Show details

Love it – Was very sceptical buying this kettle - but thought what the heck for the price. I was not disappointed! Works great and the build is very good for the price! I have bought other more expensive kettles in the past and they didn't last or work as well as this one.  Show details

Water, water everywhere! – This kettle has some good features but performs poorly when it comes to pouring. The spout design means that water runs down the outside of the kettle and onto surfaces near the cup. It is necessary to mop up as you go, including the base where water quickly settles when the kettle is returned after pouring. Not great in terms of safety! Since… Read more

pouring water is one of the key functions of a kettle, this model's performance is a real problem. Buyer beware.

No complaints for a change – Bought this for price and reasonable looks with a bit of colour after I'd returned two other metal and expensive kettles. Has easy to see water level on both sides, bright light so you know you turned it on and a large handle and spout for good grip and easy pouring. Boils reasonably quickly although I only use it for one or two mugs at any one… Read more

time and fill it accordingly.

Simple and inexpensive. It only boils water after all so who needs all the bells and whistles and poor design of the expensive kettles.

I've only had it a few weeks so I can't comment on reliability but if it lasts more than 18 months I'm on a winner.

Given there's no long list of complaint and comments on this one I believe I may have made a reasonable decision.

Love this kettle – I bought this kettle after having had enough of two very stylish but not very good kettles. It boils very quickly. You can easily see how much water is in . The kettle is lightweight with the handle large and easy to grip in a good position so it is well balanced to carry and pour. Very easy to refill. The reto design is refressing change from… Read more

the plain white or silver. It also is a lot cheaper than the other kettles. Good balanced grip, good price and quick boil. A little noisy when boiling. Looks a little cheap