The Breville electric kettle cordless units sport a contemporary industrial minimalist design which works well. The units are thoughtfully designed and well built.
Breville Kettle
Breville SK500XL Ikon Cordless
This electric kettle cordless unit has a premium brushed stainless steel exterior. It is an absolutely stunning unit, complete with unique blue backlighting behind the water window. It has a 1.7 liter capacity, which is just over seven cups, and heating is accomplished through a 1500-watt immersed heating element.
This unit can have hot water ready for you in about two minutes. Wow, that is fast. I can have my tea, instant coffee, hot cocoa, instant soup or oatmeal in almost no time flat. And with no cord to get in the way, this unit is not only functional, but it is also extremely convenient to use.
In terms of looks, this Breville is clean, with beautiful lines, and surprisingly easy to clean. It has a bit of heft, and its base station provides you with a place to store the cord. A cup or two may take only a couple of minutes to boil, but a full load of around seven cups will take you about four minutes. That’s still extremely fast. The Breville Ikon is a premium product and as such commands a premium price. It is more expensive compared to, say, Cuisinart’s kettles. However, premium products from other manufacturers tend to look and feel flimsier compared to the Breville electric kettle cordless unit.
This product also has a pleasant tone which triggers to alert you when its water load is boiling. As can be expected from a premium product, there is a safety mechanism which shuts off the electric kettle cordless unit when boil has been achieved. The Breville also has a large, easily to read water gauge. That it’s well marked and beautifully back lit is a testament to the product’s overall premium design. Everything works as it should.
The Breville is a stainless steel unit inside and out. As such, there are no plastic pieces to worry about. The handle is comfortable, with a nice curve, and it is totally insulated, keeping the heat away from you. The stand-alone base houses the cord, and you would place the kettle on the base to bring water to a boil. Orienting the kettle is not necessary. Just put it on the base – easy. Once the water has boiled, you may pull the Breville away from the base, and take it to where you need the hot water. The Breville unit’s construction appears to be well thought of. Push a button and the top opens up with grace, unlike some units that pop up because of the cheap, overly stiff spring attached to it. The glass insert on the top of the unit allows you to view into the kettle. Quite interesting is the domed design of the top, which forces condensation back into the pot – yes, use gravity, why not, it’s a free resource.
Practically speaking, this unit is easy to clean. You can get your hands inside the unit, thanks to the top that opens a full ninety degrees. Although there is a temperature sensing system running inside the unit, there is ample room to slide a cleaning cloth behind it. Cleaning should not be a huge concern if the Breville electric kettle is used for its primary purpose; that is, heating water. Don’t boil your vegetables in this unit!
In addition to the automatic shut-off at boiling temperature, the Breville also has a function to avoid boiling dry. Anyone who has boiled water only to forget that they’ve done so can appreciate this safety feature. It evidently comes into play about thirty seconds after the water achieves full boil. At any rate, you will receive a nice audible alert which tells you that the unit is turning off the boil. Whether you’re within earshot of the audible reminder or not, it doesn’t matter because the Breville’s safety feature will automatically kick in.
Finally, it must be said that the Breville kettle sports a contemporary industrial minimalist design which should appeal to most buyers today. To the concerned, yes, the Breville’s stainless steel exterior will get smudged with fingerprints, but the designers anticipated that concern and have somehow managed to treat the exterior in such a way that those prints will easily wipe off with a damp cloth.