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Prestige 51047 Dakota
by j9j8j7
===Motivation===
After a poor experience with a very expensive Morphy Richards kettle I switched to buying dirt cheap value kettles. I went through a string of different brands' budget kettles but each one died after about 6 months. I decided to switch to something mid-range. I wanted a not too expensive kettle that would last a few ... years. After reading loads of reviews I settled on the Prestige Dakota Jug Kettle which cost me a little over £20 (at the time) and came with a two year guarantee.
===Features===
Like most kettles, this one holds up to 1.7L of water and has an automatic boil-dry safety cut out. It has a 3000W concealed element. After my budget kettles I realize how much I appreciate having a concealed element since I live in a hard water area- the lime scale builds up much slower and needs to be descaled less frequently than an exposed element.
This kettle has a 360 degree swivel base (meaning you can place the kettle on facing any way) and the base is non-slip so it doesn't migrate across your worktop. There is space inside the base to wrap excess cord, but since the cord is relatively short (75cm) I don't see this as a terribly useful feature.
There are water level gauges on both sides of the kettle making them easy to see, but they only mark the minimum level, 1L, and the maximum (1.7L). A few more level markings would have been nice. The gauges glow blue when the kettle is switched on.
===What I like about the Prestige Dakota Kettle===
I have this kettle in black with blue water level gauges. It looks reasonably nice (far better than the nasty white budget kettles). It heats up reasonably quickly. A full kettle of water boils in about 3 and a half minutes (I just timed it as 3m 32s, but the exact time varies depends on the starting temperature of the water). It takes about a minute and a half (just timed at 1m 28s) at the minimum level (about 650ml).
The screen over the spout works well and prevents any stray calcium build up from escaping into your tea. It is easy to remove and clean and pops back into place without fuss.
This kettle is relatively quiet when boiling, which is nice.
===What I don't like about this kettle===
My biggest gripe is the high minimum level. At 650ml the minimum level is far too much water for a single cup of tea. It is even too much for two mugs of tea or coffee- so this isn't the most economical kettle.
The pouring spout is relatively shallow so you have to pour the water slowly or you risk spilling it. This is fine for a cup of tea but can be a little irritating if you are pouring a full kettle into a pot for pasta. Sometimes I just open the lid to pour out a full jug into a pot since I don't care about the water going through the screen.
===Price and Availability===
I bought my kettle off Amazon for £22, but it is currently listed at £31.83 (the blue version is listed at £19.99). I think it was excellent value for money when I bought it, but don't think it is overpriced even at full price.
===Conclusions===
I am reasonably happy with this kettle. After 8 months it is still working well. The 2 year guarantee gives me peace of mind. It heats up quickly and doesn't require much maintenance. I just wish the minimum level was a bit lower.
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Kenwood JKP200
by Verbena
~~Decisions, Decisions!~~
How difficult can it be to select a new kettle? Especially when your existing kitchen appliances are not exactly co-ordinating, with a refit long overdue? It took my husband and me much longer than we'd expected, when we called into an independent department store in our locality. We do often disagree ... - he's very practical, I'm not - but our dithering on this occasion was either an extended senior moment or something else. I'll opt for the something else. Let me explain.
I like to think that we take reasonable steps to reduce our environmental impact, so I was pleased, initially, when British Gas gave us a free kettle that allowed you to boil the minimum amount of water needed each time. For various reasons I came to hate it, and shed no tears when it died. We were keen to find something with similar 'green' credentials if possible.
~~Head Wins Over Heart~~
Earlier this year we used some money inherited from my late mother-in-law to install solar PV panels. It's made us aware of energy consumption as well as generation. Therefore, when faced with a range of kettles in this store, the Kenwood model should have been the obvious choice. It was promoted as being 'low energy'. The problem was that from the style angle we both loved a Bosch stainless steel kettle that was bigger, far more expensive, beautiful to look at and with a higher wattage. The heart said 'buy this one' but the head said otherwise. We didn't really need a large kettle, as usually it's the two of us. We asked the store assistant for advice, but he didn't tell us anything that wasn't on the box. The price difference was over £10. Also, it seemed a bit silly to buy something that would use more electricity when we'd just spent all that money trying to reduce our overall spending on utilities. Not that the kettle would make a huge difference, perhaps, but it was more a matter of principle. So, that's how we came to buy the Kenwood JKP200 series kettle. We paid about £28 for it. I think we could have got a better price elsewhere as I have seen it advertised for as little as £22, but often it seems to be out of stock.
~~About This Kettle~~
The kettle is made of white plastic and has a neat, roughly cylindrical shape. Its wattage is 3W. There is the usual dual view clear plastic window that allows you to fill it to the required level, but on this kettle you can fill it to as low a level as 1 cup [250ml]. This is where the energy saving comes in, as you can boil as little or as much as you need at any point. I think it's a little unusual to be able to boil such a small volume. If the water level is too low, there is a boil-dry protection mechanism. The maximum capacity is 1.6l, so it's an average-sized kettle rather than a large one. Weighing slightly more than 1kg, it's 24.5H x 16W x21.5D centimetres in size. It's part of Kenwood's True range which has a 'compact and simple design' intended to 'work perfectly with smaller living spaces' - ideal for our small kitchen.
~~First Use~~
You are advised to fill the kettle to 'MAX', boil, then discard the water 3 or 4 times, to get rid of that new kettle taste.
~~Use and Care~~
You fill the kettle by lifting the hinged lid. There is a lid release catch which you press. I think I had expected a button that would make it pop up, but you actually have to pull it up yourself. It's then easy to fill it from the tap. There's a removable filter for limescale, standard on most kettles these days I believe, but essential in our hard water area. The kettle goes back on its 360° powerbase and then you switch it on. The on/off switch has a neat little indicator light - as you'd expect, it lights up when the kettle is in use. Apparently if it switches on or off at the wrong times, this usually means that the flat element needs descaling. You can use any reputable product to do this, and instructions are in the leaflet that comes with the kettle. Kenwood seem very keen that you descale regularly, and failure to do so may invalidate your guarantee!
There are quite a few care and safety point in the little brochure, some of which seem common sense, some a little surprising to me - for instance, I don't routinely unplug it when not in use, but keeping a plastic kettle well away from heat sources like hot plates seems obvious. Do you empty the kettle after finishing using it each day? I admit I rarely do. There are cautions that it's not intended for use by people with a range of limitations - not just children - unless they're supervised or instructed.
Maintenance, other than descaling, is basic. The exterior is simply wiped with a damp cloth and left to dry. Abrasive cleaners would damage the plastic. Cleaning the interior is largely about descaling. There is some detail about how to clean the filter. There is also information about maintenance if you live in a region that has chalky water, slightly different from descaling.
The leaflet has information about disposing of the kettle at the end of its life. I didn't know that you shouldn't dispose it as urban waste. It should be a special local authority collection centre or a dealer providing that service. I'm not aware of either option locally. This information is in accordance with EC Directive 200/96/EC apparently. News to me!
You can find the brochure in pdf form on Kenwood's website if interested. It has a lot of safety information in addition to what I've commented on, particularly with regard to children and burns or scalds. It's available in a range of languages and scripts.
http://www.kenwoodworld.com/
~~Our Experience So Far~~
We've had the kettle a couple of months now, and on the whole we are happy with it. We do find we seldom boil a full kettle so maybe we are saving both water and electricity, but I think it's going to be hard to prove this in terms of our electricity bills. Happily we have generated quite a lot recently!
A couple of small minus points: my husband came close to scalding himself when steam seemed to be coming out of the lid. I suspect he hadn't properly engaged the lid. It hasn't happened to me and I think only the once to him. Mine was simply that I could still detect that new kettle taste some time after we first began to use it. I remember one particular mug of coffee that had an additional taste reminiscent of TCP. It wasn't pleasant! I blamed the coffee initially, the realised it was the kettle. Thankfully that seems to be diminishing now.
I do find that the kettle boils quickly and it's not as noisy as some we've had. It pours well, too. On some metal kettles I've sometimes come close to burning myself, as the sides get so hot. I haven't noticed this on the Kenwood as I think it has a coolwall design.
Overall I'm satisfied with the kettle. It's not a thing of great beauty but a sensible, practical choice for us. 3 star rating for that reason, and because of the lingering taste.
Please ignore the attribute ratings below, especially the sound quality!
Thank you for reading this review. It may appear on other sites.
©Verbena June 2013
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Russell Hobbs 15076
by blissman70
I hate certain small kitchen appliances. Why? Well, let me tell you. For some strange reason certain small kitchen electrical appliances and myself have never got on. I'm talking small appliances such as toaster and kettles, together with vacuum cleaners but as they are not really kitchen appliances I can't really add them to this ... particular list.
Anyway. The reason why I have this hatred of those small kitchen appliances is down to the fact that they always seem to brake down on me at the drop of a hat, so to speak, leaving me frustrated and, in the case of kettles, in desperate of a nice cup of tea.
So I am hear today to tell you of yet another little kitchen appliance that I have been using for a while now due to the fact that the one I had been using before that had finally given up the ghost, leaving me thirsty and, once again, slightly miffed as to why this keeps happening to me?
You may have guessed that I am talking about a kettle, this kettle being from the well known company of Russell Hobbs, with its full name being the Russell Hobbs 15076.
* What does this kettle look like then..?
It looks like most other kettles of its kind, the ones that you see in most kitchens and other places too, although this one has got a little bit of a curvy shape to it, which makes it look in a kind of league of its own.
The casing is made of a rather nice looking matt black plastic material with a ring of stainless steel around the lower section.
The curves themselves are more on the rear end, where the handle connects to the main body of the kettle, although it's this curve on the rear that maybe takes a little space from the inside of the kettle.
On the sides there are blue shaded windows that have a bit of a curved look to them, with each window having a few little cup images in a column. It is these cup images that tell you roughly how much water is inside the kettle, giving you a maximum fill level mark almost near the top of the window.
The handle has a slightly rough feel to it so that you can grip it easier without fear of a full kettle of boiling water tipping over and causing severe scolds to yourself or those around you.
Then there's the base which is how you actually get the power to this kettle. The base that the kettle sits on is made of a lightweight stainless steel wit h accents of black plastic so that it matches the kettle, making the whole unit look rather fine indeed, fitting into any silver, black mix kitchen.
* So how does it work then..?
It's a kettle and works like any other kettle, you simply fill it with water, give it a boast of electricity and then you wait for the little bubbles to erupt through the water inside
As for filling it with H2O, well, it can be filled by the spout but you do need a very thin tap and a good aim to do this so it is really best filled by flipping the lid up and pouring the water in that way. To do this you simply press the little button that is on the top section of the curved handle. This pops open the lid straight up so that it then fits under the tap, letting you fill it up. Then you push the lid down and you're ready to boil.
To actually boil the water inside the kettle you then put the filled kettle onto the base, making sure there is no excess water near the electrical connection pin, then press the little clear switch that is underneath the handle. This will then light up, together with the windows glowing blue, and the rapid boil function will hopefully kick in.
As for the power. You do get 3kWs of power which does make this one quite a rapid boil type of kettle and it has a nice 1.6litre water capacity so it's good enough for most sized families.
It has what is known in the kettle world as a hidden element, which is cleverly situated underneath a metal plate that is on the bottom of the inside of the kettle.
To stop the kettle from boiling dry there is what is known as 'auto-shut off', which means that once the kettle has boiled for a few seconds, building up enough steam inside the kettle itself, then the shut off switch activates and the kettle stops the boiling process.
Clever or what..?
* What about general maintenance..?
It doesn't need rechargeable batteries, nor does it need a change of batteries. This is because it doesn't use batteries at all. In fact it doesn't need that much maintenance really, apart from maybe cleaning the filter every so often, which is done by pulling it out of the spout, rinsing it under a running tap, and then replacing it into the spout once more.
The only other part of cleaning is maybe rubbing the cooled down kettles main body with a damp cloth every so often too.
And that's it for maintenance.
* My opinion...
Well, at the moment, and while I am still capable of claiming that this kettle is still working properly, this is a fine little kettle indeed, giving me the chance to quickly boil a single cup to a full kettle in a matter of minutes.
It is good size and takes enough water to please my tea drinking family without having to continually fill the kettle to satisfy everyone around the table.
The lid flips open nice and easy at the touch of a button giving me plenty of room to pour in the water from the tap without making puddles all over the kitchen. Then there's the spout, which again can be a cause of puddles if the water spurts out too quickly, but this spout has got the right curves so that there is no real hassles with over flowing, unless you go mad and tip the kettle upside down of course.
The on/off switch, which is right underneath eh handle, is nice and smooth and pops off after a few seconds of the kettle boiling. Although if the lid is not shut properly then too much steam can escape and the kettles auto shut off gets too confused and forgets to shut off.
The kettle sits on a base and connects using a single 'pin' that the electricity comes through in order for the kettle to boil. This means that the kettle can spins all the way around without catching any wires. This is a bonus as I'm not restricted to pouring the water from the kettle whilst being tied to the immediate area of the said kettle.
There are one or two nice little features that I like, such as the little light on the on/off switch that illuminates slightly so that you know that the kettle is actually on, which helps when it come to boiling water really. I mean, if a kettle not switch on then it will never come to the boil, no matter how much you don't look at it.
There's also the double windows that met me know roughly how much water is sitting inside the kettle itself. This is useful for when it comes to me only wanting to boil a single cup of water and saves me on both electric and water, which is nice.
Then there's the filter itself which takes away some of the 'nasties' from the boiled water so that I can get a fresher taste in the actual cup.
The only downside to this kettle, and all other metal kettles that I have owned, and there have been many, is that awful metallic taste that I always get in my cups of tea during the first few days of using it.
To try and speed this process up, getting the metallic taste to disappear quicker, I tend to boil the kettle a few times, tipping each full boil into a sink so that I can then use the hot water for something else, such as washing the car. I find then that I don't get the taste in my mouth for as long and that my car is shining for a few hours afterwards.
* So what about the price of having endless cups of piping hot tea..?
This kettle is on sale for about £30.00, which sounds a lot when you say it but for what you get it's not too bad at all really.
I know there are cheaper ones on the market but even I've realised that you have to spend a bit extra if you want to have something last you more than a few months.
* Would I recommend this..?
I would have to say yes to that one, especially if you have a kitchen that would suit a dark kettle with a few silver flashes.
It does exactly what it is supposed to do and it does it pretty quickly too.
©Blissman70 2013
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