Works great for many different kinds of tea.
So far, I am very pleased with my SmartKettle. It heats fast, it is pretty accurate, and it doesn't leave a funny taste in the water. With the fully adjustable temperature it works great for any kind of tea. It pours easily without spillage, and the top opens wide for easy cleaning.
There are a few things that keep me from giving it a perfect score though:
- There is no physical power off switch. There is a button to start/stop heating, but no physical switch to turn off the unit. You have to unplug it if you don't want to keep the BRIGHT display on 24/7. Not a big deal, but a power switch on the unit wouldn't have cost much and would have made it a bit more convenient.
- There is no way to adjust the volume of the alarm beeps. It can be a bit loud when brewing a cup at 5am.
- The minimum water level for safe brewing is supposed to be 16oz, I've found that you need to fill it closer to 32oz or the unit gives a low water level error and won't...
Too Smart to just boil the water?
I've been using electric kettles for most of my life. And most of them did the job just fine, though many only survived 2 years (like irons and toasters, they seem to have a limited life). I had 2 cordless Braun stainless kettles before this one, both worked really well but both ended up leaking - likely the reason they were eventually taken off the market.
So when I set out on my quest for another full-auto stainless steel kettle, the chefs choice sounded like the one to beat, and a good match for the rest of the kitchen.
The Smarts...
The SmartKettle 688 LOOKS great, with the red LCD temperature display on the side and all. It's a wonderful feature to actually SELECT a boil point and SEE the temperature as it progresses - if you care.
If you inadvertently boil it empty, it will beep, stop and alert you (H2O) that you need to fill her up.
It beeps when it's done, so you can hear it from the next room whilst you're multi-tasking.
The 10-page...
A great one!
Have used this a fair amount at this time. A great kettle! It works just fine and I really like the ability to set the temperature. Contrary to the instructions, the English (don't know about the Japanese or Chinese), insist you NEVER boil water for tea, of any kind. It ruins the flavor, by de-oxygenating the water. I have visited with several Englishmen in recent years, about their tea drinking. You bring the water just short of boiling. This kettle is perfect for that!
The only con is relatively minor. It is quite touchy how much water is initially put in. I recommend a good 4 cups. If you don't put enough in, when it goes into the heating cycle, it will tell you there is not enough water. You add more and it goes into warming mode, and takes FOREVER to reach temperature. I just turn it off and start over, usually, if I do this. Two or three cups of water is not enough, even if you only want one cup of tea.
Click to Editorial Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment