I spent hours researching every electric kettle available (and looking at them in person, in stores) before settling on this one. I've owned it for about 6 months now, and it's been great. The concealed heating element and the simple one-piece plastic jug design make it very easy to clean (not that I've needed to) and leak resistant (I assume, from a design perspective, since mine has no leaks yet). The only way it could leak is if the grommet sealing the metal bottom piece to the plastic jug developed a leak, whereas most of the stainless steel kettles being sold have several parts, many seams, and thus many places a leak could develop. There is some mild browning of the plastic inside the jug, I suppose a reaction to the high heat. This same thing happened with my roommate's older plastic electric kettle, so it's to be expected. People complain about plastic vs. stainless steel, I settled on plastic for one primary reason: it is a better insulator, so not only will it keep the water hotter for longer, it will be safer to handle in general (ie. it won't burn you or a child if it is accidentally picked up by its sides while it contains hot water). People complain about plastic "leeching chemicals" into the water, I haven't noticed any difference in taste, personally, and I doubt stainless steel would be much "safer" than plastic in this respect. The switch works great, and mine has never spilled water or over-boiled it (as long as it contains the minimum recommended amount of water). The spout and handle shapes make it easy to pour, and the locking top makes it pretty tough to spill. Definitely recommended, I'm buying another one for my parents right now.
PS - While researching electric kettles, I frequently saw complaints of how kettles designed for use in the USA don't heat water as fast as those in the UK. This is for a very simple reason: UK uses 240 volt power, USA uses 120 volts. Most electrical receptacles are rated for 15 amps (though the kitchen are often has at least two 20-amp circuits, per NEC recommendations). Watts = volts * amps, which means that UK kettles can get up to 240 volts * 15 amps = 3600 watts, while USA kettles can get up to 120 volts * 15 amps = 1800 watts. Manufacturers might sometimes avoid approaching this limit, perhaps due to safety or liability issues? Just note that this 1750 watt Tfal kettle is very close to the typical USA receptacle wattage rating. It's just about as high as you'll be able to get in the USA...most other USA electric kettles only go up to 1500 watts.
I got more than I expected. Which is good, because it seemed over priced when I bought it. But it was the only one I could find with a truly variable temp control. Now, I think the price was fair.
Pro's
- Variable temprature: This is why I picked this product. I wanted full control of the temp of the water.
- Filtered spout: I don't use it. Could be useful for keeping tea or any other particles in the pot while pouring.
- Dock station: The pot is easily removed from doc, so there is no cord in the way when pouring.
- Hidden Cord: Cord winds up inside the dock. Makes it easy to hide extra cord, if you have that luxury. See Cons :(.
- Insulated: Keeps water hot for a long time.
- Auto off: Turns of when it gets to temperature.
I bought this electric kettle mostly for making coffee in my french press. However, I use it for much more. I never realized how much an electric kettle would help around the house. I now use it for the following... coffee, tea, cocoa, instant oatmeal, ramen, any cooking/baking that calls for boiled water, pre-boiling water for pasta, and even hot water for cleaning around the house.
Pros
-Heats water FAST! (1750 watts, as another poster listed, is just under the 1800 W US limit)
-Keeps the water hot for a good bit of time. (Put it this way, I make coffee, throw it in a thermos, and leave for work. When my wife wakes up 45 minutes later, it's still plenty hot to make instant oatmeal)
-Cordless pouring/filling
-Adjustable temp (drinkable cocoa temp to full boil)
-I haven't experienced any plastic taste that other commenter mentioned, even when allowing the water to cool as he/she mentioned. (Anyone who feels a need to mention their credentials in an online product review is usually over-critical or full of poo... in my humble opinion)
-Viewing window for filling/knowing how much water is left.
-Cheaper than most comparable kettles out there right now.
T-Fal Vitesses 1.7L (7-Cup) Electric Kettle
I spent six months in the UK and when I came back, I immediately had to get an electric kettle since I was so dependent on one when I was in the UK. Unfortunately, it was much more difficult than I expected to find one that looked decent and felt well-constructed. I was sad to discover that the highly-rated Braun kettle was no longer sold in the US. I checked out a number of the other popular kettles at local stores and found some flaw with all of them.
The T-Fal kettle was the one that looked most similar to the kettles they sell in the UK. I have used the kettle for a few days now and am extremely pleased with its performance. It boils a liter of water in about 4 minutes. The temperature knob is really useful since you're not supposed to use boiling water for more delicate teas.
- Variable temprature: This is why I picked this product. I wanted full control of the temp of the water.
- Filtered spout: I don't use it. Could be useful for keeping tea or any other particles in the pot while pouring.
- Dock station: The pot is easily removed from doc, so there is no cord in the way when pouring.
- Hidden Cord: Cord winds up inside the dock. Makes it easy to hide extra cord, if you have that luxury. See Cons :(.
- Insulated: Keeps water hot for a long time.
- Auto off: Turns of when it gets to temperature.
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