| Product: |
Swan Rapid Boil Kettle |
| Date: |
27/04/04 (1063 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Reasonably priced., Attractive design., Works well.
Disadvantages: Escaping steam when boiling.
i know kettles aren?t the most interesting of items, but most of us use one everyday ~ probably more than once too! when our old kettle was looking a bit grubby, and started to boil only when it felt that way inclined, we decided it was time to replace it (it was about six years old after all).
our kettle was a white, cordless swan kettle and it had served us well ~ it had now earned its place in the great kettle graveyard and was ready to pass the torch on to a new model?.but now we faced the decision about what the worthy successor would be!
it seems that kettles come in all shapes, sizes and prices. we just wanted a kettle but the array on offer is pretty mind blowing. finally we decided on another swan kettle (our previous one had lasted well and had been very reliable up until last off) and this time we went for a rapid boil (it uses 3-kw of electricity), cordless model, retailing currently in index for £19.99.
i am really impressed with my new kettle! it doesn?t need cleaning as often because it is graphite and silver (my old one was plain white and soon looked dirty and needed wiping a lot). it is contemporary and stylish and, because it is a dark colour, it is going to look better for a lot longer ~ it was ending up that the old one never looked white any more, no matter how much it was cleaned and there is nothing worse than a grey looking appliance in an otherwise clean looking kitchen!
never having had a rapid boil kettle before i wasn?t sure whether it would make any difference, but i must admit that it does boil quicker and i would say this is more efficient. i am also pleased with the washable filter ~ this is easy to remove and clean and means that there is no build up of lime scale in the kettle.
we live in an area where the water is quite soft, but we do get lime scale to a small degree. i much prefer a drink from a nice clean kettle ~ this filter seems to be very effective and convenient for us and
eliminates any of those horrible floating white bits that you can get without a proper filter.
Our kettle holds 1.8 litres of water and the graduations on the water level indicator are easy to read. You can also see the water level on both sides, through ?windows? making it doubly easy to see the amount of water left.
Another great thing about this model is that it is suitable for both left and right handed people ~ the clear cut-outs are on both sides, as is the level indicator and minimum/maxim fill markers. The base is stable, round and is also just as easy to use which ever hand you pick it up with. This is because the kettle rotates freely on the base through 360◦.
This rotation is also handy when I?m pouring boiling water from the kettle to a pan ~ my cooker is to the right of where my kettle plugs in, so it is much easier to use my left hand to pour (whereas I would usually pour into a mug using my right hand).
Filling the kettle is easy ~ the lid is easy to open and close, it also closes securely with a click, so you know that it is safely shut and isn?t going to pour boiling water out. The cord can also be stored in the base, just letting as much out as you need to reach the socket. This makes it safer to have on your work surface and keeps the flex from trailing where children might get hold of it!
The button to switch it on and off is located on the top of the handle. It is large and it is easy to tell whether you?ve pressed it in or not ~ there?s also a light on the base that comes on when you?ve got the kettle on. This is a good safety feature because it is a visual reminder of when you have boiling water on the go!
A small amount of steam does comes out of the spout when the kettle reaches boiling point but this is only minimal and doesn?t create a problem of scalding?all in all it seems a pretty ?safe? kettle (if anything that
creates boiling water can be termed ?safe").
For the money this is an excellent kettle. It is attractive to look at, works efficiently and quickly and is very easy to operate. I have seen kettles that cost lots more money that don?t have as many features as this one.
We purchased it last November and have been very pleased with how it has served us so far. Alun is a bit of a coffee addict and can get through lots in a day. In the few months we?ve had the kettle it has taken quite a lot of hammering and has boiled a hell of lot of water with no hiccups at all!
I am pleased with my choice and am sure that we?ll have many happy years of boiling to come!
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