Stainless Steel Cordless Jug kettle (Morphy Richards 43060)

Member Name: mateypeeps

Product:	Morphy Richards 43060
Date:	03/02/02 (243 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stainless Steel main body, Enclosed element

Disadvantages: Heavier than plastic jugs

The Morphy Richards Stainless Steel Kettle Essentials Jug (model 43058) is a well-designed semi pear shaped rounded jug style kettle, as opposed to the newer style tall columnar plastic design of the Haden and Moulinex ones I mention in another opinion. It is suitable for left or right handed or ambidextrous users as a consequence of the round base design. The kettle can be placed back on its base at any angle, most useful when in a hurry while cooking.

<<OK, so it is not a model 43060 but since there are no pictures and the model numbers do not mean much when searching for cordless stainless steel kettle jugs, which is what this is, I feel justified in placing this here, especially as no one has bothered to write about this category yet. Dooyoo can move it to its proper place if they introduce the 43058 category sometime. I can not wait for the product suggestion placement process to grind slowly on to completion, as I want to warn members not to use the Moulinex Lyris and consider anything else, including this kettle>>.

It has a black rounded base, and hinged top lid, with a scale filter that is removable to catch lime scale if the kettle is used in an area that does not have soft water.

It is not fast boil, unlike the previous kettle, we owned, and that is a blessing as the kettle boils quietly. Consequently, it takes 3 minutes to boil a maximum load of 1.5 litres of water, but then that is only about a minute slower than the Moulinex kettle we had before (see opinion and warning in other opinion). The trade off for peace and quite, and the ability to hear what your spouse of children are saying to you, while in the kitchen, is a cheap enough price to pay.

The lid has a lid release button that is well designed, the lid raises back 90 degrees to the vertical, but does not lock back, so will fall shut if not held up by hand. This does not matter as you are normally expected to fill up using the large-enough contoured sp
out. This spout is designed so well that it pours accurately where expected, unlike the Moulinex Lyris.

The water filter looks fit for the purpose, at first it was a bit fiddly getting it back into it’s guide grooves so I had to check with the instructions that I was refitting it correctly. No problem once seated in the grooves, and next time there will be no problem now I know how it fits into it’s holder.

The corded base unit is black, round and the connecting elements seem well shrouded.

The inside of the kettle has no visible element, as it is under the stainless steel bottom of the kettle. When scale eventually builds up, the manufacturers recommend that 50 grams of citric acid crystals is dissolved in the kettle, and the filter de-scaled at the same time by placing it in the bottom of the kettle. They warn not to turn the kettle on while doing so, as the element under the stainless steel base will melt the plastic on the filter. Obvious once you think of it. It also warns never operate the kettle (that is, turn on the power) with the citric acid crystals in it either. Alternately, use a de-scaler suitable for PLASTIC kettles. What they do not mention is that on no account use any ceramic de-scaler such as used to clean “bogs” sometimes, as if it has Hydrochloric acid (HCl) in it, this will attack the stainless steel and allow it to corrode. This means do not try to use an acid bleach containing Chlorine either. It also warns never operate the kettle (that is, turn on the power) with the citric acid crystals in it either.

The reason for de-scaling is that the layer of “fur” insulates the element from the cooling effect of the water above it, and so the element can get hotter than it’s designed safe operating temperature range, leading to breakdown, or distortion of the kettle base, or whatever. This is not a criticism of this kettle, as it is a consequence of the design for all ke
ttles of this kind, from all manufacturers. It even happens to exposed elements when the scale builds up to big, they can burn out through failing to be cooled enough by the water that can not take away the heat fast enough through the thick layers of lime scale.

The kettle is quite a lot heavier that the plastic variety, even when empty, but the centre of gravity in relation to the handle is designed carefully enough to be comfortable to pick up and pour. It pours accurately; at whatever speed you decide to empty it at.

One of the more important improvements that we have noticed is the absence of countless clouds of steam wafting around when and after this has boiled, unlike the previous Moulinex Lyris with it’s ill fitting/sealed lid. In fact, despite it being winter as I write this, I have not noticed much steam gushing out at all.

As a consequence of the thoughtful design of the steam vent holes (one either side of the top of the handle area), the steam vents out AWAY from the fingers/hand, and not towards it as in the Lyris death trap. Also the handle is designed in such a way that the hand and fingers can not grab the handle so far up as to be anywhere near this potential danger area. This is partly because it is almost impossible to use the “Penfold grip” or “electric drill grip” to pick it up.

Steam (rather to say condensed water "fog") does reach the hand when pouring the last bits at the bottom of the kettle, but it does not scald. The "pear shape" and contour of the body is partly responsible, the "Bernouli Effect" causes the steam to climb up and round the body to the pouring hand. Not pleasant but not painful like the scalds from the Moulinex Lyris we have received. At least you get a warning as the heat hits the hand slowly at first so giving you the option of stopping pouring for a second or so, or carrying on ignoring the discomfort.

The diff
erence in pain levels is due to the fact that when the Moulinex Lyris allows vented steam to reach the fingers, it releases the latent heat of evapouration of water. This is a relatively huge amount of enery packed into a small mass of water and it does the damage. Whereas the 100 centigrade (celsius if you insist) water droplets that make what we see as "steam" do not transfer their energy so quickly, allowing our blood to cool the skin enough to prevent damage.

Steam proper is invisible, so you only see the cooler "fog". What comes out of the handle of the Lyris is invisible steam and so transfers heat so fast you get a burn in a second before the pain receptors tell your brain to drop the kettle. This is itself a danger as the last thing anyone needs is a lower abdomen covered in boiling water in that sort of volume/mass from a dropped kettle spilling on the work surface and running down to the floor and over you.

Obviously if you place your finger on the stainless steel body you will get a burn if it has just boiled, as you would with any conducting metal kettle, pot or pan, but the design is such that it is not possible to touch the metal accidentally when picking up the kettle by the handle (as most normal people would). Since even plastic kettles get to hot to touch when boiled, this is not much of a problem and certainly not a fault of the design as such.

Summary: