Cuisinart 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle with 6 Preset Temperatures

It's hard to talk up this kettle too much, but I'll try to be succinct and non-hyperbolic anyway. TL:DR the temp control releases fewer bitter compounds saving the flavor of many teas in a way that brewing time often can't.If you've done ANY research into brewing tea, you'll have come across the almost universally agreed upon conclusion that different teas brew best in different temperature ranges (times as well, also there can be debate on the actual best range for a given tea, but the general point still stands). So, having a kettle that can just heat water to a given temp (roughly, I'll hit that point later), rather than just boil then wait for it to cool enough, is a game changer, especially if it's reliably consistent.This is where this kettle shines. When I bought it, I heated water to the 6 different temp presets indicated and then tested it in the kettle with a thermometer right when it finished, and the results were generally within +/- 3 degrees F depending on where I stuck the probe. I consider this to be a reasonable result for a kitchen appliance (it's not lab equipment after all) and the variance is small enough that most settings don't have any overlap (the difference between the 185 and 190 setting may be a bit too fine but the averages are relatively on point). It is important to note that when you pour the water into whatever cup you're using, you can almost instantly lose 10 degrees. This can be mitigated a bit by warming up the cup, or you can just heat the water 10 degrees hotter than the recommended brewing temp of the tea for all temps below boiling.This makes such a difference! Even with relatively unrefined major grocery chain offerings of black, green, oolong and Darjeeling (I generally drink Twinings and yes, I know Darjeeling is technically classified as a black tea), I've found that proper brewing temps are far more vital than brewing times for controlling the dreaded bitterness of overbrewed tea. I find oolong, green and Darjeeling virtually undrinkable steeped in boiling water even if I only brew them for 2 minutes (I never do less than two because I don't like to just drink slightly colored water when I'm making tea). But bringing those temps down allows you to not only steep them longer to allow more flavor to come out but the lower temps release fewer of those bitter tannin compounds. Plus, with the "Keep Warm" option, you can set the kettle to heat up while you're taking a shower knowing that, whenever you eventually get out and are ready to finally pour out the water, it'll be within a few degrees of where you set it as long as there's still enough water left to keep the heating element from overheating.Now you'll have to experiment with the teas you prefer to drink as while the suggestions underneath the temp presets are a good starting point, I've diverged from a number of them based on my taste preferences. But at least with this kettle you have the option.My only mild nit-pick was with the scale screen. When installed, I found it made it difficult to pour all of the water out of the kettle so a little bit would remain standing in it, which I didn't like. And the small lip around the top makes it impossible to pour the remaining little bit out from the top. Removing the screen was very easy, though, and leaves only a small threaded rod sticking out of the inside of the pour spout that's never caused me trouble. And as long as you don't let ridiculous amounts of scale build up in your kettle (which is very easy to clean with boiling one or two passes of 50/50 vinegar/water solution even without scrubbing), the purpose of the screen in rendered irrelevant anyway. Removing the screen allows all of the water to pour out easily and completely, which is great if you're usually heating single cups of water at a time (the minimum volume is .5 liters, which is a bit more than a standard 12-16 oz cup).So, if you've read this far, all I can say is buy this kettle. And, once you get it, if you want to perform a personally verified experiment, get some Twinings Green tea at Walmart then brew a cup from boiling for 2 1/2 minutes then a cup at 185 for 2 1/2 minutes. The difference is night and day. Happy brewing!

After a couple months of use at least once a day, I can say that I'm very pleased with this kettle. It boils fast. I use it not just for tea, but to boil water before making pasta, rice, etc... The only slight irritation, and its very slight, is that the window for seeing how much water is in the kettle is right behind the handle so its difficult to see easily. But, I knew that from other reviews when I bought it. Excellent product, and you can't beat the three year warranty.

This boils the water so quickly and easy to clean.Sometimes I have to cheat, when I dont have time... making Greek coffee (Ellinikos Kafes) (Loumidis or Bravo) I will boil the water in this then pour in my briki, stir while continuing to heat then pour. Best with Koulourakia!Ok ok.. I know, but it's only when in a hurry! Otherwise it's perfect for tea and hot chocolate. I hardly use my kiureg anymore!Also great when making jello or other deserts needing boiling water. (Way better than a microwave - and never Greek coffee in microwave!)Stop looking at it and buy it!

This has review three parts: (1) why you should get something like this in general, (2) specific concerns about this product not addressed in other reviews, and (3) detailed operational measurements (water temperature range)=== Part 1: Why to get an variable temperature electric tea kettle ===For anyone who drinks tea (unless it is exclusively black) or makes coffee outside an all-in-one, department store drip-brewer, this is absolutely indispensable. Though most recipes have been built to use only room-temp or boiling water (since those are the only temperatures to easily reach with consistency), more cutting-edge cooking as well as coffee/tea prep requires more finesse. Unless you're willing to watch the proverbial pot boil with a thermometer in hand, this is the only way to heat water on such occasions.=== Part 2: Concerns / questions raised (and/or) left unanswered by other reviews ===I won't go into detail about well-established pros and cons covered in other reviews, but I would like to make clear a few things I couldn't determine from reviews/specs before I bought mine:("Hot sides/surfaces"): Yes, the sides get hot, and yes, it is startling to touch the metal outer wall when the water is hot. However, according to my IR thermometer, the surface never gets much above 130 degrees. Sure, that's hot and you should avoid contact, but for comparison many people's hot water heater is set this high and (as validated by my rather stupid intentional touch test) an accidental touch is highly unlikely to cause even a mild first-degree burn unless you actively fight the reflex to instantly pull away.("Construction / Material touching the water"): True, the sidewall level indicator and the "frame" of the removable spout filter are made of plastic (the BPA content of which I have not conclusively proved or disproved) but the former is part of a small compartment which only a small amount of water reaches and which has very limited circulation, and the latter is removable. The entire rest of the construction that touches water is steel. Since hot water dissolves BPA from plastics, and aluminum's role in neurodegenerative disease is unclear, iron/steel and glass are pretty much the only materials I trust completely for food storage/preparation containers. In this regard, this kettle is the safest option I've found.=== Part 3: Operational test data ===As a tea fanatic with a minimum of four kinds of tea always on hand (black, red/oolong, green, and white) and general geek, I have meticulously measured the actual temperature of the water in the kettle for the various settings. I share them here in hopes they will provide a useful operational profile for buyers interested in temperature variability. (Bear in mind that the container you pour into will greatly affect the water temperature, so remember to preheat it by filling it with hot water right before use.)Button | @ First Trigger CompletedLabel | "Beep" Re-heat Re-Heat--------|-------- -------- ---------160 | 164 160 163175 | 180 175 178185 | 192 185 188190 | 197 191 194200 | 203 199 204Boil | 214 206 214(All temperatures are in degrees F, as registered by my probe thermometer in the top half of the water with the kettle fully-filled.)=== - ===I know this is half generally-relevant bullet points, and half geek-oriented test data, but I hope this review still has something useful for everyone.