Kambrook Pour with Ease KKE280WHT

We recently had to replace our kettle. Had it for 5 years. Obviously we replaced this with exactly to same kettle. These just work and work and work. We love these and are so happy we found the same one. Show details

Kettle leaking, discoloured, plastic disintigrating – I bought this kettle less than 2 years ago as it was recommended (and still is) by Choice Magazine. It looks good and matches my Kambrook toaster. I boil it once or twice a day. The plastic has now discoloured and it is leaking from the water level indicator. The plastic has also started to break down in other places. I am very disappointed as I believe kettles should last longer. Show details

A simple, and effective kettle that's way quieter than more expensive options – We chose the Kambrook "Pour with Ease" KKE280WHT jug styled "kettle" to replace the previous Kambrook jug that we had for over 12 years. (Beyond that, we can't remember how long we had the old one). The old Kambrook Jug still works, but it has been beaten up over the years, so we upgraded. Given the reliable track record of our old Kambrook, we… Read more ·  1

decided to stick with the brand.

Now this is a basic kettle. It has the powered base (in this case, it's circular so you don't have to face it in any particular way), and on the jug, it's very simple to use since it only has a power switch (with light) and a button on the top of the handle to open the steel top lid.

Things I like:

1. I like how clear it is to read the water level, it holds a maximum of 1.7 litres. 2. I REALLY like how quiet it is. Talking over the top of this thing very easy. This is (at least partly) a function of the plastic construction (more on this later) 3. I like the metal lid, the reason our old one got beaten up, was the fact that each time we filled it, the lid was often "thumped, tapped, and knocked" by the faucet. Eventually (after 11 years or so of heavy use), small bits of the plastic lid started to chip off. A metal one should not suffer from this problem. 4. The steel base which has the element embedded (no element above the base to scrub around when cleaning the jug out) 5. The kettle has a "boil dry protection" feature, which will turn it off if the water level gets too low. 6. The kettle takes 10-12 seconds to turn itself off once the water is at boiling temperature. 7. The handle is cool to the touch, and easy to hold/manipulate (great for those with arthritis/hand injuries) and easy to pour. 8. It's relatively light weight, hasn't spit or splash hot water anywhere so far. (After about 17 uses so far) 9. At just $29 (Australian) this is WAY cheaper than some of the competitors, is made by a known brand, and "just works". Keeping it simple means less to break, and I've seen some horrendous reviews of kettles that cost around $300 that are noisy, and just don't last. 10. It doesn't look bad at all, but if retro 50s styling, higher end brand names like Kitchen Aid, and wacky colour schemes are your thing, this isn't for you. 11. 2 Year replacement warranty. Now this might not be the best "Eco friendly" option, but it's still TWICE the warranty that many kettles that cost over $100 provide. 12. The 11 page manual (8 pages with actual text) is written in clear, easy to understand English. Also downloadable from the Internet if you lose it.

Things that I don't like:

At $29, it's hard to complain about this kettle. But I'll give it a go.

1. If you boil the jug multiple times in rapid succession, the metal lid on the top gets hot and when open, is very close to the handle. Sure you can use the button to open it, but you need to pay attention when closing it. There's a small circular rubbery/silicone section that is "heat resistant", but the rest of lid gets very hot if you have recently boiled the jug and miss the little circle. (I ask: "How is this different from any full metal jug/kettle?") It would have been nice to have a larger area of the top lid covered so you can't burn yourself. However, this only matters if your boil one batch after another.

2. It has a plastic walled construction, the base and lid are metal. It says BPA free on the jug.. but I have no way to test that. So if you're a metal/glass jug purist, then this is not for you.

3. Significant variability in price. We bought ours from "The Good Guys" in Belconnen. However they wanted $35. We got them to match BigW's price of $29. Have seen prices up to $47 in store, and even $62.63 on eBay. So do your homework.

4. The manual is only in English. Not great for students/new immigrants with weak English skills.

STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW:

MINIMUM BOIL VOLUME:

500mL is the mimimum amount of water to boil. Obviously, you'll get less due to evaporation/steam.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BOIL?

Full (1.7L): With tap water at 16 degrees Celsius, in a 25 degrees Celsius room, and filled to the maximum 1.7 litre capacity, the jug takes 4 minutes and 50 seconds to reach a boil. It cuts off at 5 mins, 5 seconds on average. Obviously, if you live in the tropics and you have warmer water it'll take less time. Similarly, if you live somewhere colder, it'll take longer.

70% Full (1.2L) With just 1.2L of water (enough for my partner and I who have bigger mugs) it takes us and average of 3 mins, 38 seconds to get from "ambient" to boiling. (Give or take about 15 seconds)

If there's anything else you need to know, I'm happy to answer questions. I'll probably post an update if anything changes... or just to see how it goes over time.

I hope this helps! Harmo.