Sadly missing are smaller capacity lower wattage kettles. Driven by the desire for instant gratification and a fast boil!
Where are the alternatives?
At a resort we recently stayed at that had gone off grid the norm was a lower wattage (1000W) 2 cup kettle, branded and 240v.
How do thermo block style options compare for efficiency and speed, heating just the water you need to perfection?
We are also missing the sealed top insulated kettles so common in Japan etc, that offer a different experience, with a lower peak power and longer heat up, followed by hot water on demand?
It is reasonable for Choice to reflect in it’s tested products what the market is telling us we all need to buy.
Should Choice also be looking beyond the choices of the sellers and seeking out the alternatives? Some might just be better!
I can’t resist not adding a similar view point to
Yes, the anomaly screams loudly from the review.
A $150 kettle scoring 82% fails a recommendation while a slightly heavier $179 kettle with a score of 77% is recommended.
While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and style is an acronym for self value, one of the two looks like a piece of 60’s space junk IMHO!
There appeared to be some quite adequate kettles in the $25 - $50 price range. Should a few seconds longer to boil on a base time of more than three minutes matter? Even less if the kettle is only half full for two?
I’d rate durability, apparent noise level, easy of filling, carrying and safe pouring, total weight and balance, all ahead of speed of boiling. It might appear Choices approach to kettles if applied to a car would rate it on maximum speed and cornering ahead of brakes, airbags and seat belts?
With another hat on, electrical heating elements are expensive to manufacture with a precise resistance value. Some might expect up to a 5-10% variance between identical products within batches or between batches. Is a 2000W kettle really a 2000W kettle? The differences in time to boil suggest perhaps not.
The time taken to boil might be splitting hairs for some, and is more a marketing gimmick than of genuine value? Although consumers can be very easily swayed by claims of speed equating to convenience. A debate for the kitchen, and not the bedroom. Although a quite cuppa in bed in the morning?