Russell Hobbs 14743 Glass Touch Kettle

The glass touch kettle has a stainless steel body, but you do not get to see very much of that finish on the kettle. The majority of the stainless steel body of the kettle is covered by two white panels and only a small quantity of the stainless steel is visible. Looks wise, a fully stainless steel body may have been nicer, but I suspect that this kettle will retain its good looks for longer as the side panels will be easier to clean.

The kettle holds a good quantity of water, far more than I have been used to and, even when filled to capacity, the water is brought to the boil in good time. A clear water level window is located behind the handle; a little awkwardly placed to see easily but there are also level markers on the stainless steel interior of the kettle and I found those much clearer in use. The kettle rotates easily on the base, so can be picked up be a left or right handed person without any problem.

The base that the kettle sits on is larger than usual as this is where the touch controls are situated. It is possible to select six different temperatures from 60C to 100C and turning the kettle on requires the lightest touch to the relevant button on the base - and the selected temperature buttons glows blue so you know what has been chosen. This seems like a useful energy saving option for instances where boiling water isn't necessary (such as for making coffee or filling hot water bottles). The kettle switches into sleep mode, turning off the base lights after a few minutes.

As long as the lid is on securely, the kettle switches off automatically, although it seems to boil a little longer than my previous kettle before it does this.

I like the kettle overall. It is good looking and appears economical in use of electricity. The selection of heating options is an interesting touch and I believe that the kettle will retain its good looks with relatively little effort from me in terms of maintenance. If you need a new kettle, this is certainly one to consider.

This kettle looks really good with the matching toaster. It feels solid, it's easy to clean due to the glass panels covering the main body (You can't tell if it's glass or plastic at a first glance but I think it's glass because the kettle itself weights 1.2 kg. With plastic would be definitely lighter. The only plastic it has it's on the lid, on the water level display and on the handle.) and it boils water as fast as any fast boiling kettle. The down side is that like any other fast boiling kettle, is very noisy when you boil water for just one cup of tea, and it gets even noisier when it has limescale (yes, it needs descaling after about a month of use, but that's normal with a stainless steel kettle). The temperatures option works well and I'm really enjoying the touch control system on the base but the lid opening mechanism drives me crazy. Sometimes, I have to push the button 7-8 times until it decides to open. (hence the 4 stars) Perhaps this is because the kettle is new but if it continues in this way, I'll gonna ask for a replacement. I hope I won't have to do it. I like it way too much.

I'm pretty sure that this kettle is unique in that a range of water temperatures can be set via the kettle base ranging from 60c to 95c and 100c. The manufacturer correctly points out that ground coffee should not be made with boiling water and suggests that green tea should be served at 60 degrees. To be honest I'm not sure how useful this function will be but it works well. Indeed, there is no on/off button on the body of the kettle itself, the controls all being on the base.

In terms of general operation, as all controls are on the base unit it is easy to access all the buttons, and they are well displayed using LCD lights. The kettle boils very quickly reflecting its 3000 watts rating and accurately boils to the required temperature, quickly turning off. The body of the kettle can be orientated in any position on the stand and, therefore, as the manufacturer claims it does suit both right and left handed users. The water level indicator - a coloured semi-clear vertical strip on the kettle through which the amount of water can be seen - is not particularly clear. A small coloured float would be a better option. Further, the kettle is filled most easily by opening the lid but this can get very hot in use so care is required if you're refilling the kettle after it's just boiled. The spout can be used for filling but is not particularly large.

At this price the aesthetics of the kettle are likely to be important and here the description from the manufacturer is a little unclear. The kettle is described as a glass and stainless steel construction. The base may be glass although this is not particularly apparent as its coloured white. The kettle body may be stainless steel but you can forget about a gleaming chrome-like effect. The vast amount of the kettle is covered in, admittedly, shiny and expensive looking white plastic. Personally I quite like the look but I'd prefer a chrome look.

Overall, if you're looking for a kettle to boil water at different temperatures this product will be for you. If you're looking for a highly functional kettle the re-filling and water level indicator factors detract from that a little. If you want a smart shiny device and you like `Apple Mac' white then the kettle will be for you. If you want chrome or a higher end manufacturer - and here I'm thinking of Alessi kettles in particular - then this won't be for you.