Electric Tea Maker

Nice Water Kettle!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After searching high and low for just the right water kettle, I found this small beauty. As a mother and a woman who goes through a lot of teas (loose and bagged), who uses this device everyday and has owned it for a year now, I delight in using it as much as the first day I bought it. Here are my observations:

1. It’s aesthetically pleasing. Being made mostly of glass, it’s nice to be able to see what is going on inside while heating, how full the pot is, and if it needs cleaning. The water has the least contact with metal or plastic than any other non-stovetop, electric models I’ve seen and does not impart any type of weird flavor that I’ve read about in other kettles.

2. It attaches and detaches from its base as simple as picking it up and placing it down….very simple. Also, there is no specific placement required so it can swivel making it simpler to place the base in any position or to even go it around if needed.

3. It’s simple to handle, not too large/heavy nor are the handles too hot to handle and are very sturdy.

4. The unit heats up rather quickly and must have some kind of thermoregulation system as it roughly takes 5-7 minutes to heat up at the maximum fill line and about 2-3 minutes for the minimum line. Since I am often the only one drinking tea, it’s nice to know that I can adjust accordingly.

5. The water stays warm for quite some time after turning off. But, you can always re-heat honestly quickly if needed.

6. It’s convenient enough for my children #middle aged) to use on busy, cooler mornings. They can get their water going for hot cocoa and oatmeal all in one go.

7. One pot is enough to fill 7 porcelain smaller cups and just barely 5 regular mugs.

8. It’s very simple to clean and the mesh filter mentioned in other comments is not a problem for my unit. I have not noticed any rusting at all. I may have a later model as it is not intended to be outright removed, I can see tabs whereby the filter could be removed if desired so this is a non-issue to me.

9. If I do utilize the included infuser, as another poster mentioned, I too typically add my `tea ball’ after the water has completed boiling, especially when making green teas to avoid imparting unnecessary `bitter’. But, the infuser included is a nice size, squeezes open and shut, and attaches and detaches easily and securely. It closes tightly sealing the loose tea well and preventing particulate matter from escaping. Also, when I do use the infuser, I have not noticed any staining on the plastic, but then again, I don’t I don’t use this method often and that may be why.

10. It can be a bit noisy when the water starts to boil, but it is small lived and, really, I like to use it as a method to listen from a distance and know when my water is ready as it does not have a sounding alarm.

I am not one to typically write a review, but this kettle has been such a nice help in my kitchen. I would recommend it to others.

Like It
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I recently got my electric kettle and I like it. It heats quick!! I like the design, the top comes out simple and the kettle swivels around for convenience. Note: I only use it to heat water, I don’t use it make tea in it. I hope to review it once again after a year or two in use. It can make several cups at a time so it’s not a small item – if this what you are looking for, then it’s perfect.

Fantastic Product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This was bought for my 91 year ancient mother. She drinks tea several times a day, and in her words, “Likes, likes, likes this teapot.” She has been looking for a glass teapot that she can watch brew her tea, usually bag type, and was very pleased to find this item.

Has a critical flaw
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This is one of the few electric kettles I found with no plastic under the water line–although it does have a silicone gasket between the glass and metal parts. It boils quick and is reasonably simple to clean.

BUT, it has a fatal flaw. The non-detachable mesh screen connected to the lid is not stainless steel. It visibly rusted within a week of purchasing the product. I called Aroma (the manufacturer) and they sent me a replacement, which started to visibly rust in 24 hours! This is not okay. Any metal in the product should be food grade stainless steel.

Fantastic kettle for a range of uses….
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a fantastic appliance. I needed something for work when my office relocated and did not bring along our nifty water filtering machine that provided fantastic hot H20.I was just looking for a stainless electric kettle much like the Hamilton Beach one used in my home but came across this one at Target. It is really excellent and I am pleased with it overall, very pleased.

PROS:

1. Heats water really rapidly, (and the clear glass makes it sort of fascinating to watch if you are really simple to entertain…..)

2. The inside of the lid has a nice small hook for hanging tea bags or a tea filter spoon thingey, but the lid also has a nice filter screen in the spout so if you just want to throw in a hand full of tea leaves, they will stay in the pot when you pour your tea….no need for an extra strainer.

3. The inside of the pot does not have any heat elements and is all smooth. Per the box, you can also use it to heat a bunch of food items such as quick noodles (which drove my co-worker wild at the thought she could cook those at her desk), oatmeal, baby formula, soup, other hot beverages, etc. Not sure I would want to clean all that up, but it is clear it will work for those purposes if you want to go there

CONS:

1. It is really kind of loud when it starts getting warm, but luckily that lasts only a few moments.

2. No “keep warm” function…that would be nice, but probably would also increase the price. I agree with the other reviewer that you can just reheat things, but since this pot heats quickly, if you do that you will want to certainly keep your eye on it… or risk boiling the H out of whatever you are reheating.

3. Does feel a bit…well, let’s say “non-durable” rather than flimsy. Highly functional piece and seems pretty well made, but not necessarily a rugged piece. I don’t know how well the on/off switch and lid might hold up over time if they are being used by folks who are kind of rough on things without thinking….

4. As for the cleaning concern: the glass will clean up fine…may tend to cloud up with tea residue over time, but that is not a fault of the product…happens to any glass teamakder and you just have to clean that up; the lid and other parts seem to wipe up easily; the screen on the spout filter is very fine and may collect tea residue over time. On other items I have found this cleans up well enough with an ancient toothbrush and some detergent. I didn’t read this part through, but am 98% sure you cannot place this puppy in the dishwasher…the heat element is attached to the POT and sho nuf it says “Do Not Immerse”. So, hand washing seems to work fine. Would DESPISE to burn up some oatmeal in this and have to clean that out!!! But that would be a USER malfunction, ahem.

All in all I reckon it is a excellent item, reasonably priced (would ahve loved to pay less, but then, I reckon that Target was only charging $39.99 for this when I bought it in December….) and I am glad I got it. I have been using it once or more daily for about a month. So far, so excellent. I don’t expect it to quit working, but then I am thoughtful about how I handle my appliances. If I was a “switch masher”, I might worry that it would stop working. I will update if it just cacks out and stops working prematurely (ie, well before the end of the warranty….)