Oh George! Why? (George Foreman Lean Mean Boiling Machine Kettle)

Member Name: aefra

Product:	George Foreman Lean Mean Boiling Machine Kettle
Date:	24/01/05 (1724 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Boils water quickly

Disadvantages: Several and all in review

Did you know that the kettle is the appliance most used in the home? Of course you did and we take them for granted and replace them with little thought other than a curse as - after too short a time - they either die violently with a spark and a bang or quietly pop their clogs between one cup of tea and the next. So little regard did I afford my old white plastic jug that the day after I disposed of it I couldn't remember the make, let alone model.

Would you believe that the first electric kettle was produced in 1891? It had the "fire" in a separate chamber and took 12 minutes to boil. In 1922 good old Swan produced a design with the element inside the water and Russell Hobbs finished off things with a fully automatic utensil in 1956. Lately kettles have joined the retro movement with smart yet old fashioned chrome designs which make so many of the plastic variety look pretty dull and utilitarian. Yet kettles *are* utilitarian. They boil water. They permanently take space in the kitchen with little enhancement of the view, leaving no regret as an old one is thrown out nor any particular pleasure as a shiny new one fills its place.

So it was that, noting that my kettle was fairly close to breaking (literally), I logged on to Tesco.com to see what they had on offer. I had decided this time to opt for something not too expensive, yet pleasing or - at the least -amusing. I found it in the George Foreman Lean Mean Boiling Machine. Doesn't that sound playful? I thought so and after my payment of £31.99 with free delivery I happily threw out my poor old faithful a couple of days later.

The kettles are coloured to match the George Foreman grills and I chose green from a choice which included clear and violet. A round silver-coloured plastic base holds upon it a cone of almost clear green, topped by a silver skullcap with ears to the side and a cheeky little beak from which pours the water boiled within. Press the ears and the lid lifts to show no element can be seen at the bottom of the moulded plastic cone. Very neat and very moulded plastic.

What does the GF Boiling Machine have to offer? Handily there is a 360 degree base, which means that I just plonk the upper on to the lower without having to fit anything into anything or worry about RH or LH use. The 3kw element boiled 2 pints of water for me in 2.5 minutes although I could have heated 1.7 litres; an indicator atop the curved silver/green handle allows you see that the appliance is on and the cord stores neatly in the base. Altogether a jug electric kettle which does its job, so why in conscience can I not recommend that you also buy this appliance?

Frankly after less than a month's use the GF was looking decidedly tatty and now, three months after purchase, it is close to an eyesore. Despite only being moved from its place on my worktop to clean the surface beneath, the matt silver handle which sweeps funkily from base to cap is already dented and the plastic silver surface is also obviously grazed. Since I have only moved it from work surface to tap and never used a cleaner on the outside, I can only assume that the thin surface material is adversely affected by steam. Added to this, within a week an irremoveable circular mark had been scored in the base by the bottom of the jug. Perhaps if I hadn't noticed these disappointing flaws I would not have looked more closely. I found that the hinges of the lid are flimsy, roughly shaped and clumsily attached pieces of plastic which I presume have pins running through the centres. There is more I am afraid. The on/off switch behind the lid feels less than sturdy and should I need to turn off the kettle before it boils (for example for instant coffee) I have to make several careful attempts for it to engage in order that my fingers are not scalded by steam.

Living in a hard water area has accustomed me to regular descaling of some appliances. However the too small aperture - shaped like aforesaid beak - which is employed as a spout soon clogs with flakes of calcium probably because the attached filter is in quite the wrong place. In any case I like the option of filling via the spout and the size and shape do not make this practical. All in all I fear this vital kitchen appliance was designed by a man sitting at a desk rather than standing in a kitchen; and I don't mean one of the calibre of Gordon Ramsey.

I tend to avoid producing negative reviews as they are little fun to write and post. However, although the George Foreman Lean Mean Boiling Machine does heat water quickly to boiling point, I do wish it would go wrong soon so that I have an excuse to replace it with a simple cheap white jug type.

Summary: