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Breville VKJ557
by steves001
Breville's VKJ557 illuminated jug kettle is a good looking, fast boiling model with a reasonable water capacity and all the basic features that we've come to expect from a modern cordless automatic kettle. It's ergonomically designed, with a 360 degree rotational base and dual illuminated water level indicator windows, for right and left ... handed use. The on/off switch and lid release button are both at the top, which might not be to everyone's taste but are in fact perfectly usable.
This may not be the lowest price electric kettle on the market but it does represent pretty good value for a quality product. It feels robust, performs well and looks quite sleek in our recently refurbished kitchen. Ours is shiny black but it is also available in white, for potential colour co-ordination.
Why 'again'? This is our second Breville kettle, replacing our previous VK396 model reviewed here some time ago. Our old kettle was very efficient and gave good service for several years until its base was accidentally submerged in water last year and it became the first of several electrical appliances to bite the dust within a few weeks of each other. (Still, at least that means plenty of replacement products to review this year...!)
The old appliance could probably have been resurrected but for the sake of safety I decided its time had finally come. So it was down to Argos again for the nearest equivalent at around the same price - just under £20.
Like our previous model, this is an energy efficient cordless jug version from Breville. It's equally powerful at 3kw, quick to boil and well insulated. So the water stays warm for some time
I've grown quite fond of Breville's blue water level window illumination, which at first seemed a bit of a gimmick but now seems to be quite popular. Still, when I do occasionally think about it, boiling water glowing blue does seem somewhat counter-intuitive!
PERFORMANCE
The 3000 watt fast boil element does precisely that: it reaches boiling point quickly. (See test results below)
EFFICIENCY
Compared to many kettles we've had over the years, this one is less noisy and, as it switches itself off automatically in less time, that means less disturbance all round. This may in part be due to the materials used.
CONSTRUCTION
Like our previous model, this is a well constructed appliance. It's not the most basic or indeed the cheapest. The plastic body is quite lightweight yet feels solid and is proving equally durable with use.
HANDLING AND GENERAL USE
As with our previous Breville, we've had no problems using this kettle. Ergonomically, the design seems fairly standard with the rotational base, the usual arrangements for filling (via the spout or a lid at the top) and an on/off switch on the easy-grip handle, in this case near the top.
My only initial concern was the design of the pull-back lid and release button, but this has turned out to be perfectly usable in practice.
Importantly, this kettle feels quite stable and safe in everyday use, with no tendency to tip or slip.
CAPACITY
The 1.5 litre capacity is slightly less than our previous kettle but still more than adequate for our household. For economy (and due to lack of patience), I rarely fill it to the maximum level!
TESTING
According to my somewhat unscientific tests:
* Weight (empty): c. 757g
* Time taken to boil full kettle: c. 3 minutes (may depend on ambient temperature, and I usually boil much less!)
OTHER FEATURES
* Thermal safety cutout (not yet tested)
* Anti-calc filter (not essential for us living in a 'soft water' area)
* Instruction booklet: illustrated, with cleaning instructions, safety information and energy saving tips
ADVANTAGES
Efficient, usable, robust and good-looking appliance.
DISADVANTAGES
No 'keep-warm' or 're-boil' functions, perhaps? But water stays warm for some time with the good insulation properties of this device, and it's easy to re-boil manually!
VERDICT
A quality cordless jug kettle at a reasonable price.
[Note: Please disregard ratings for 'picture and sound quality' as these are not relevant to this product]
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BHS Essentials Pyramid Kettle
by sparkle1004
I've recently moved flat and as I'm sharing with two other people, we are selling everything that we bought together. Thereby leaving me with a lot of kitchen equipment to repurchase by myself. I didn't want to spend a lot of money but I wanted to buy something which would look lovely and hopefully last. I found this 'special' kettle in ... BHS and it's called the Essentials Pyramid Kettle.
Why did I choose this kettle?
The main reason I chose this kettle was the colour. It is absolutely beautiful! It has a pearlescent which actually shimmers on the light when you look close up. It is white but not harshly white and it looks really expensive as I think it is modelled on the Morphy Richards kettles which is the one I initially wanted. The other reason that I bought the kettle was that it was on sale for half price and was reduced from £50 to £25 which is a good deal. I bought mine last week so it should still be on offer now. And there is a matching toaster which I also bought.
About the product
The product has a capacity of 1.8 litres which is more than enough for me and some guests. It has a 3kw rapid boil feature which means that you won't have to wait around too long for your cup of tea when you get home from work. It has a removable and washable limescale filter which means that it can easily be washed and kept clean. It has a 360 degree base so it can swivelled around to how you want it to appear in your kitchen and it makes it easier for both left and right handed people to use. There is a water gauge on the back to let you know how full you have filled it and to ensure that you don't overfill the kettle. It is 31cm tall, 18cm wide and it has a depth of 20cm so it is quite a cute, little kettle.
Appearance
The kettle looks really lovely and it is almost vintage in style. It is narrower at the top and wider at the bottom which is why it is called the pyramid kettle. The body of the kettle is a pearlescent white and the base is black. It has a silver metallic spout and half the handle is also a silver metallic while the other half is black and this follows on down the back of the kettle where the water gauge is displayed. It has a black switch which you push down on to turn the kettle on and a red light displays when the kettle is switched on. It has a small removable lid which is black and surrounded by a silver disk and it can either be filled this way or through the spout.
Other colours
If you like the style but not the colour then the kettle is available in plenty of other shades. It also comes in royal purple, cream, champagne, lime, black, red, yellow and orange so there should be one to suit everyone's taste and they each come with a matching toaster.
My experience
The kettle looks absolutely beautiful on display in my kitchen and very expensive. It is usually the first thing that people comment on when they come to visit. At first I thought the cable was ridiculously short when I tried to plug it in but it is actually wound around the bottom inside the kettle so you can tidy away the length of the cable that you don't want to be seen. As the kettle comes away from the base, it is easy to fill the kettle even if your tap is nowhere near the plug. I remove the lid which is easy to do and the gauge makes it easy to control how much water you are putting in there.
The kettle is very quick to get to the boil, even when it is full, and it suprised me with its speed. It is also very quiet and you can still easily hear the tv or whoever you are talking to as it boils. The handle is non slip and easy to grip so you don't feel like you are going to drop it and the kettle is quite lightweight so it isn't heavy even when it is full. The kettle makes the nice cup of tea and doesn't alter the taste of the water. As I've only had the kettle for just over a week, I haven't had the need to clean it yet so I can't comment on this.
Conclusion
All in all, I can't fault this kettle. It looks beautiful, came at a reasonable price and it is really easy to use. The cable has a good length and it boils both quickly and quietly. The kettle is a bit small and may not hold enough water for larger households but it suits me perfectly and I have no complaints about it.
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