Hamilton Beach 1.7L Stainless Steel Electric Kettle 40893

I got this kettle as one of the Christmas presents for my boyfriend when we first started dating back in December of 2011. At that time we both had just moved to a college town to attend a university and while pulling all nighters studying for exams he would comment on how useful my electric kettle was and how he should get one for himself. Mine was a cheap, plastic electric kettle I got from Bells but I wanted to get him something that seemed a bit sturdier and was more pleasant to look at (without hitting my college student budget too hard).More than 3 years later, and this kettle is still serving its purpose. We had moved and came back 4 different times for out of state internships, bringing this kettle with us. My kettle gave up sometime in mid-2012, but his is still going strong, just like the first day. The color has not faded at all and still holds its vibrant, shiny, deep red. What a worthy investment!Regarding what most people say about how the sides get hot - it's true, but we have never burned ourselves on this kettle. I usually fill this kettle all the way when boiling water for tea because we drink a lot and I tend to steep the tea in a 1L thermos. Once the water is boiled, I pour it into the thermos, and although the kettle is full, the handle is so comfortable and sturdy and has never slipped out of my hands. Also the bottom of the kettle is plastic, so you can always use that for support with your other hand. Maybe if we had children in the house to worry about possibly touching the sides and burning themselves, I might think about getting rid of this kettle, but even then I would have a hard time letting it go - it has served us so well and still looks brand spanking new! How many cheap products do you have in your house that are over 3 years old but look like you just bought them? For the money, I don't think I could find a better deal.Another thing I really love about the kettle is that it is completely removable from the base. With my old kettle, you had to unplug the cord and carry it to the table, but here you just lift it off the base and carry it to wherever you like. And again, because of the plastic bottom you don't have to worry about protecting the surface you decide to set it onto.I know some people complain about how you can't move the handle out of the way while filling it up. I guess I can see how it may be a problem for some, but it has never really bothered me. I have no issues filling it up. Sometimes I don't even bother taking the lid off and just fill it through the spout - because there is a liquid meter on the back, it's actually perfect to know when it's full.One last thing - I feel like the speed at which it boils the water is superb. When we moved into our new place that has a gas stove instead of electric, I was convinced I would be able to boil the water faster on the stovetop, but one evening I decided to give it a try and boiled half a liter of water in a this kettle and in a pot on the stove at the same time. What do you know.... the kettle won!I couldn't love this little appliance more, and if it happens to break in the near future, I will get the same one as a replacement in a heartbeat. This is definitely the best use of $35 I have ever gotten!If you decide to give this guy a try, I hope you love it as much as we have loved ours!

I bought this kettle to replace one that my brother in law bought us for a wedding present almost 17 years ago. It certainly did the job and owed me nothing. But after so long, an internal element let go and it had to be replaced.I am pretty frugal and a compulsive comparison shopper, so I had my work cut out for me. This kettle ticked all the boxes I was after and has been a great choice. I would definitely recommend it.PRO's1) Large capacity is enough for just about anything. We make fresh brewed iced tea year round and this will do a large pot easily.2) Being able to pick the kettle up off of the electric base is really convenient. My previous model had to unplug the cord from the kettle itself. They should all be like this.3) All stainless, inside and out, is very easy to clean.4) Quick heating. This will get hot, fast.EITHER WAY's1) An all-metal body does get very hot on the outside, so be careful2) the switch on the side is very easy to use, and lit to see if it is on, but because it sticks out so far I am worried that one day I'll bust it off. Nothing so far but I'll continue to be careful.3) Pouring angle of the kettle is very good, and comfortable, until you get to the last 2 cups. Then you have to almost turn the thing completely upside down.CON's1) Top handle is fixed and it is a little difficult to get the top off and out to fill at the tap. Not bad though. I am able to fit a spray-handle type faucet between the handle and the top of the kettle.2) Water level marker on back is pretty hard to read. Seems to steam up and then can't quite tell how much is in there. Only really an issue if you need a specific amount of hot water.3) The kettle is loud. Water heating up does make a good amount of noise, then, oddly, gets quiet once it reaches temperature. Maybe this is a PRO, ... Don't know.All in all I am very happy with the kettle. The CON's that I list are pretty minor for me. What I wanted was hot water in an easy to use, clean design, and I got that is spades. RECOMMENDED.