Krups 54-Ounce Electric Kettles

Price: $47.30
Manufacturer: Krups


The Krups FLF3 Stainless Steel Electric Kettle holds up to 54 ounces of water. The stainless steel concealed heating elements and powerful 1750 watts boils water quickly and safely. The trigger activated covered spout protects against accidental spilling It has a integral lime scale filter for the purest results. It is a cordless kettle with 360 degree rotational base which allows the kettle to be placed back on its base from any angle. The twin water level indicators ensures water level can be seen at all times and has an auto shut off for added safety. Cool touch handle and body, illuminated on switch, it comes with a 1 year warranty.

Information

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10018 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Color: Stainless Steel
• Brand: Krups
• Model: FLF3-1W
• Dimensions: 3.50 pounds

• Electric stainless-steel kettle quickly boils up to 54 ounces of water
• 1750-watt concealed stainless-steel heating element; illuminated "on" switch
• Automatic shut-off; trigger-activated covered spout; cool-touch exterior
• Cordless for easy serving; 360-degree swivel base; integral lime-scale filter
• Measures 6 by 8-1/2 by 9-1/4 inches; 1-year warranty

Product Reviews

Housed in premium-quality brushed stainless steel, this electric kettle quickly boils up to 54 ounces of water for tea, hot cocoa, instant soup, oatmeal, and more. Its powerful 1750-watt concealed stainless-steel element provides fast, efficient heating. And there's no need to worry about leaving the kettle on, it automatically shuts itself off as soon as the water boils. Offering cordless operation for graceful serving, its 360-degree swivel base allows the kettle to be placed back on its base from any angle. In addition, the unit's stainless-steel locking safety lid with a trigger-activated covered spout protects against accidental spilling. Other highlights include an illuminated "on" switch, visible water-level indicators on both sides, a cool-touch handle and body, and an integral lime-scale filter for the purest results. The electric kettle measures 6 by 8-1/2 by 9-1/4 inches and carries a one-year warranty.

Disappointed
I have used electric kettles for many years and they are the best way to boil water -- they are faster and more energy efficient than the stove-top kettle and you don't risk burning them when you forget that the kettle is on the stove. My old electric kettle died and I started looking for a new one.

An electric kettle is a simple device and could be made to last for many (i.e., at least greater than 10 years). Unfortunately, manufacturers are making things as cheaply as possible and charging premium prices. You will find as you read the reviews for most kettles that people complain about the quality of their construction and their correspondingly low life times.

An electric kettle should boil water quickly, should be easy to clean, should (in my opinion) be stainless steel throughout and should not have features that are obviously made to break. I don't mind if the kettle gets hot to the touch - I just use the handle to touch it just as I would a stove top kettle. This Krups kettle does boil water quickly and it is fairly easy to clean (and does get hot). This said it still has flaws.

1) The inside top inch(or so) of the kettle is made with plastic. The lid is also plastic and must be aligned just right before it will properly fit. Why couldn't the lid be stainless steel and just fit on in any direction as with most stove-top kettles?
2) The lid also has a plastic mechanism for opening the plastic spout cover. This mechanism is annoying and is made in such a way that it will break in a few years leaving a spout that stays shut.
3) The water level indicators are made of plastic and run the length of the kettle on both sides (as you can see in the picture). Water levels are somewhat of a convenience if you don't want to open the lid and look in, but they are a weak spot in kettle design being a likely place for a leak to occur. Other water level indicators trap water and create a good environment for mold to grow. The Krups design does not have that problem.
4) The base of the kettle is cheaply made. It is the standard Chinese 360 degree design. If you read reviews of kettles with this design you know that they fail after a few years. Pending failure shows itself when you have to rotate the kettle to get it to have an electric connection. Slowly the places that work are harder to find and finally it just stops working. That's what happened to my old kettle. This should not happen. The mechanism is very simple and should be able to last forever. I checked with Krups and they want almost forty dollars for a new base if the one you have stops working (it's part number 620029, if you're looking for it).

My ideal kettle would be made of stainless steel, would have a hidden element, would be easy to clean, would have no water level indicator and would have a well built base and electrical connections that are not designed to fail in a few years. Anyone know of such a kettle in the US? (there are many like this in the UK). In the meantime I suggest that we all complain to the manufacturers and demand more for our money. If enough of us write to their customer "service" departments maybe they will pay attention. I would pay a lot of money for a well built kettle, but that's not what we are getting.

At almost $70 I think this kettle is overpriced and not sufficiently well-built to justify the price. I'll keep searching....

Excellent kettle
I always used a stove-top kettle, but I kept hearing how much people love these little electric kettles. So after shopping around a bit I settled on this one because of its appearance and mostly metal construction. The metal construction was a must for me, as I dislike the taste of plastic in my water. The stainless steel finish goes well with the rest of my kitchen, and it really is one of the more attractive kettles when you see it in person compared to others.

I'm definitely glad I bought it, it works wonderfully. As advertised, it boils water very quickly. It is fairly quiet when it boils, and shuts itself off (very much unlike my former stove-top kettle!). It holds plenty of water for a large pot of tea or coffee. I like the construction of the lid, which stays put when heating / pouring, but is easily removed with a slight turn.

Not sure what all this fuss is about regarding burning oneself on the pot. It is a metal kettle that boils water, you should expect it to be hot! Maybe I'm just used to a stove-top kettle, but if you hold it by the handle like a normal person you won't be in any danger of hurting yourself.

Krups Stainless-Steel Electric Kettle
Pros:
It looks good and it works as advertised
Cons:
It's very loud.
It takes a long time to turn off after the water's already boiling.
The outside gets scalding hot when the water boils (just like boiling water in a metal pan).
The filter in the spout keeps falling out when emptying the kettle for refilling.