I got this kettle secondhand almost two weeks ago and it's my first stainless steel kettle purely for home use (I have a camping kettle too). I've always had plastic kettles before and have usually handled plastic ones in other people's places so this review highlights the features in a comparative way.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THIS KETTLE AND A 'NORMAL' PLASTIC ONE

1. The first thing I noticed was the shape; this is a conventional 1.7litre kettle but because it's round it's shorter than my previous plastic tall, rectangular ones. It looks smaller but it does take the full capacity and somehow feels lighter.

2. It comes on a round base and simply fits onto a round 'pin' (for lack of a better word) in the centre - it doesn't click into place and hold. That's both beneficial and annoying in that it's easier to take off without spillage when the kettle is full but it's also a bit more difficult to put back on the holder because you move the kettle around without being able to see underneath it whilst trying to find the centre point to fit it back onto its pin.

3. The lid is harder to open because it doesn't just resist a little and then lift like most of the kettles I've used, rather it has a push button, which you push in and lift the lid at the same time. It's not a problem unless you're holding a container full of water in the other hand and start pouring prematurely before the lid is fully open because it takes a couple of extra moments to open it.

4. Speaking of the lid - due to the circular shape of the kettle the top part and lid are smaller than what I'm used to. The smaller opening is fine for holding the kettle under the tap to fill but makes it harder to fill using other containers such as jugs where the water is falling in a larger amount or in a sheet.

5. The spout is a wee bit more covered/concealed than I'm used to and hence the water pours better, in a solid way without dripping at the sides, splashback or the inevitable few drips that run down the front afterwards which then have to be wiped off before putting it back on its base.

6. The handle is very robust as it's made of thick plastic and is wide. It is also shaped in a wide curve so basically it has a big handle that takes up a bit of space. It's nice because it makes holding the kettle easier on the wrists and feels lighter in my opinion as well as reduces spillage, however for smaller hands it's a bit difficult to hold and hence I hold it near the top instead of the centre.

7. This is the first kettle that I've come across where the cord can be contracted and extended. The cord wraps underneath the base/stand i.e. it loops once around a holder and the loose cord, which plugs into the socket, is then held in place inside an insert cut into the base - it's a nice stiff hold so the cord will stay the length that you want it. When I first used the kettle I didn't realize that the cord did this and thought for a while that the cord was very short and inconvenient by keeping the kettle too close to the wall and underneath the cabinet above it, which is not good for the wood. Hence I would try to point the spout away from the cabinets whilst it was on. Then I discovered the cord, unwound it and found that it was a decent length, long enough for its purpose taking into account that the kettle itself is cordless.

8. Another quirk I found when I first used it was that the on/off switch moves in the opposite way to which I expected. When I first got the kettle the switch was in the 'on' position and so unwittingly I turned it off thinking I was turning it on and wondered why it didn't heat up. The reason for that is because the switch is pushed upwards to turn on and downwards for off. I'm used to pushing the switch down and not up so that for a new nuance for me. Also in regards to the switch - it's quite long and only really feels attached at the end unlike other kettles where the switch is shorter and almost half way inserted into the kettle. The switch is still sturdy but I'm a little extra careful not to turn it on or off with too much force lest it breaks at some point.

9. The noise. Wow, other than my whistling camping kettle, this is the loudest kettle I've come across. I personally turn kettles off before they switch off themselves because I like the water hot to boiling but not over boiling, bubbling and making steam; and the noise the kettle makes is usually an indication as to how far it is in the boiling process. However this kettle makes noise and quite loudly the whole way through. Therefore it's no surprise that when I initially used it I thought the water was done too early and it took a couple of tries to learn when the water was actually at the temperature I like.

10. Speaking of re-learning the boiling time - I've noticed that this kettle takes longer to boil, or at least it seems to. I haven't actually timed it (if I did, would that me sad? Ha) and perhaps other factors such as sounding its way all through heating and it being secondhand makes it seem longer than it actually is but I have thought that I wait a bit longer for this one in comparison to plastic ones.

11. When it boils, it boils. I've found that this kettle makes a heck of a lot of steam and keeps producing steam long after it has switched off, essentially wasting a fair bit of water and spreading vapour. I might seem a bit stingy but I clean, store and re-use almost all of the water that I use which has reduced the amount of household water usage overall and I dislike wasting it. It's not that I don't like steam, but if I don't need it then I don't want it as a bi-product and I wouldn't mention it if I hadn't noticed the greater amount produced by this kettle. Consequently I switch it off earlier.

12. One major difference is the concealed heating element, I've never seen this feature before in a plastic kettle and to use a non-factual or too descriptive phrase - it's kinda cool. It's concealed underneath the steel base, within the plastic bottom innocently appearing to be Black 'trim' and matches with the other Black plastic parts of the kettle. Having the element separated from the water holding part makes it easier to clean and prevents limescale but obviously over time the bottom of the stainless steel water part starts to look scuffed as it burns in places.

In all other respects it's just like a plastic kettle, from the basic function of filling it and heating water to the extras such as a clear/transparent water gage on the side, power indicator, automatic switch off function, cord length and capacity. The only thing it seems to miss is the removable/washable filter - I received the kettle unboxed and so am not sure where the filter should be. I'm used to it being in the spout but it's not there and for the moment I can only assume it's either somewhere else or it's been removed/ lost by the previous owner.

CONCLUSION

This is a kettle that does what it's intended to do and is durable but unfortunately for me it's not preferable to a plastic one or using pots on the cooker. The noise, length of time taken to heat and amount of steam produced has meant that we use it less than anticipated. It's still used when convenience is necessary and personally I don't really mind it since I shut it off earlier but I don't like using it because I don't want to disturb the neighbours. Thankfully we tend to use large mugs/cups for drinks (American coffee house style) that are made of thicker glass or ceramics to keep the water hotter in them longer and I usually put a lid on mine anyway. Plus we have a number of flasks that could be put to further use now instead of sitting in cupboards!