Price: $41.39
Manufacturer: Black & Decker
This stainless steel, cordless kettle lifts off its 360° swivel base for easy filling & pouring. It also looks good on any countertop in any kitchen. It boils water for tea, hot chocolate, or instant foods like oatmeal or soup. The cool-touch bottom won’t mar surfaces. Has a boil dry protection and concealed heating element and auto off for peace of mind. 1.7L capacity and removable scale filter and easy to view water level indicator make this kettle a simple appliance to use in the kitchen.
Information
- Amazon Sales Rank: #9107 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Size: Other-Size
- Brand: Black & Decker
- Model: CK1500
- Dimensions: 11.54" h x 7.95" w x 7.95" l, 3.67 pounds
- 1500-watt electric kettle quickly boils up to 57-1/2 ounces of water
- Cordless design; 360-degree swivel base with cool-touch bottom
- On indicator light; automatic shut-off switch; boil-dry protection for safety
- Concealed heating element; built-in scale filter; dual water-level windows
- Measures approximately 8 by 8 by 11-1/2 inches; 1-year limited warranty
Product Reviews
With 1500 watts of power, this electric kettle boils up to 57-1/2 ounces of water quickly and easily, producing hot water for tea, hot chocolate, instant soup, and more in half the time of a microwave oven. Its cordless design allows for lifting the kettle off its base for enhanced mobility or serving guests at the table. In addition, the 360-degree swivel base ensures comfort for both right- and left-handed users, and its cool-touch bottom won�t mar surfaces. A power "on" indicator light and an automatic shut-off switch with boil-dry protection ensure added safety. The unit also provides a concealed heating element that prevents corrosion and a built-in scale filter to catch mineral deposits for better tasting water. Other highlights include a generous stay-cool handle, a drip-free spout for graceful pouring, and dual water-level windows that show how much water remains in the kettle. With its sleek stainless-steel design, the electric kettle measures approximately 8 by 8 by 11-1/2 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.
Just right for a cuppa
Having had two electric tea kettles break within a month, I went shopping for a new one. Of the three brands I looked at in the department store, including this one, all were manufactured in China. However, I haven't regretted my choice. It's a bit slow coming to the boil when full, and the button knob on the lid is rather small, but aside from those niggles, this is a nice unit. It has a brushed steel finish and is a bit on the heavy side even when empty, but I don't see that as a disadvantage as it can't be easily knocked over and it boils up quietly.
The power is supplied to the solid round base on which the kettle sits, so there's no cord attached to the kettle itself. The element is hidden in the base of the kettle, so there's no fussing with de-scalers and the inside of the kettle is easy to clean. A removable filter sits in the spout and the handle does not get hot. There's a see-through filler window on both sides of the unit, making it suitable for left- and right-handers.
All in all, good value for money.
Imparts an off taste to water
I found this same model, CK1500, at a local Target store for $36.95. The only difference was the color. The one I bought had an attractive red enamel finish rather than the brushed stainless shown in the illustrations on this site.
My experience using the product was similar to that of the reviewer who complained of an unpleasant smell during operation of the kettle. In addition, it should come as no surprise that water boiled in a kettle with a bad smell ends up tasting strange as well, and the taste of the water is imparted, in turn, to beverages made with it. The flavors of tea and instant cocoa I prepared with water boiled in the kettle were unacceptable, in my opinion.
My first reaction was to see whether the bad smell and taste might have come from the tap water I used when following the cleaning and preparation instructions enclosed with the product. After boiling several kettlefuls of filtered water, as opposed to water from the tap, I could still detect the unpleasant odor and taste. I will be returning this appliance for a refund if a week or two of daily use does not eliminate the problem. In the meantime, the fact that the item is manufactured in China leads me to worry that the bad taste and smell could be a sign that the product is contaminating the water with something that poses a risk to health. Only lab analysis of the boiled water would rule out such a possibility.
By comparison, my other criticism of the product seems minor. The included sediment filter that fits inside the pouring spout of the teakettle is defectively designed. The instructions for removing the filter for cleaning tell you to use your finger to push the filter into the interior of the pot, then retrieve it from there. But when you do this, the pressure required to dislodge the filter sooner or later tears the filter screen loose from its plastic housing, defeating the purpose of the filter (for me, the screen tore loose the first time I followed the instructions). By the way, leaving the filter in place effectively precludes filling the kettle through its spout, as the filter causes the water to back up and overflow when you make the attempt.
I believe this Black & Decker product has potential, but until its design is tweaked and it is manufactured in a way that eliminates the contamination of boiled water with a bad smell and taste, only customers with defective senses will find it satisfactory.
When I encounter a product like this, I always wonder whether any members of the corporate marketing team actually used it to see what their customers' experience would be. If capitalism is such a wonderful economic system, why does it seem to churn out defective products like this almost routinely? Of course, when we find ourselves mired, as we are now, in a nasty global recession that might devolve into something even worse, we have much greater grounds for challenging the leading economic ideology of our time.
Like the pot, but, it does have a funny smell.
I really like this pot. It does just what it is supposed to do. Heats water fast and shuts off when the water boils.
The only objection I have is to the smell the pot gives off as it boils.
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