Proctor Silex Electric Tea Kettle, Water Boiler & Heater Auto-Shutoff & Boil-Dry Protection, 1000 Watts for Fast Boiling, 1 Liter, Black (K2071PS)

March 16, 2013Update. We still love this pot. This has had heavy use; my husband must use it 8 times a day, every day. I've had it a year. The switch just broke. In my previous update that one lasted a year also. I still recommend it, but you should know that if you use it all day long it will last only about a year. I plan to buy another because it only uses ONLY 1000 watts, so it doesn't trip the circuit breaker and IS LIGHT WEIGHT, which is good if you have weak hands or wrists.========================Now I have had this pot a year. The on/off switch just broke. Nevertheless I am buying another because it has just the right size and function that I want. It is easy to fill and is lightweight, which is important if your hands are a bit weak with arthritis. It was used a lot so I guess one year of constant use is OK for the price.====================================I have had my electric kettle now for 4 months. I still love it and still have not noticed a plastic-like taste. This pot is used at least 7 times per day and it has held up well. We love it.PROS: 1. Automatic shut-off--a safety feature 2. Wattage low enough not to break the circuit breaker (it IS 1000 watts, though) 3. On-off switch 4. Detachable cord - Can unplug the electric wire from both the pot and the outlet 5. Economical price and usage 6. Quicker than the stove 7. Does not COMPLETELY shut off when kettle has no water. It shuts off then goes back on then shuts off repeatedly. (If you discover this you unplug it and wait 20 min. before refilling it.) Some pots do not actually shut down when empty. 8. Because it is plastic, the outside does not get overly hot to the touch (unless you keep touching it), a safety feature.CONS: 1. Small capacity (but easily refillable) 2. Does not keep the temperature hot (but heats rapidly at room temperature, and the ones that keep it hot may be expensive or have no automatic shut off, which is a must for safety) 3. Does not COMPLETELY shut off when kettle has no water. It shuts off then goes back on then shuts off repeatedly. (If you discover this you unplug it and wait 20 min. before refilling it.) Some pots do not actually shut down when empty.I gave this 5 stars because it does just what I need for the economical price. Only the very expensive pots have all good features.This tea kettle is simple in that it heats the water and automatically shuts off when the water comes to a rolling boil (when the bubbles get to be very large and rocket up from the bottom of the pot, breaking the surface vigorously moving the water). Keep the lid pushed tightly in when it is on for the shut-off to work. The sides do get hot to touch with my palm after 1 - 2 seconds just after a full boil. That is more than you would have with an uninsulated metal pot. If you have young children, they must be told not to touch just as you would not let them touch the sides of a stove top tea kettle. The directions are simple and come with the pot.Also, when it shuts off, for some reason the water stays pretty warm for awhile which is helpful for getting boiling water fast after an hour or so.What I also really like about this kettle is that it doesn't "blow a fuse" in case you have other electricity being used. It is small, but adequate. I like that. It does have a coil in the bottom so you have to use 1 1/2 C. water minimum. The cord is easily detachable. You will have to clean it with vinegar and water from time to time, but I also have to clean the tea kettle on my stove with vinegar and water.Boiling 1 L. of VERY COLD water took 7 min. My gas stove kettle took 9 minutes.A reviewer mentioned the "plastic" smell. It does very mildly exist, however, I use this for instant coffee and tea, and that totally does not affect me. I think anyone who is EXTREMELY sensitive to tastes in tea would be happier with a metal or, even better, a glass pot. However, the 3 typical users in my household do not detect any plastic flavor at all in our tea.You don't HAVE to wait for the water to fully boil to use it. You will hear the heated water before it comes to a rolling boil. For tea, especially delicate green and white ones, you should not even use fully boiling water; there are temperature guides on the internet.If you are on a financial or an electrical budget, this is an excellent pot. You must decide how much you want to spend. The kind of pots that are metal or glass and have a hidden coil cost a lot more, especially if you want them to keep the water hot whenever they are on.

Love it and why did I wait so long to get an electric kettle. My tea taste sooo much better! And just the right size for my small kitchen.

Great value for the money however just wish it was a little bigger. Durable

The Proctor-Silex electric kettle K2070G boils a liter of water in about seven minutes. It utilizes a curly immersion heater mounted near the bottom (but on the side) of the water vessel that boils the water. This is the same immersion heater once sold on its own, to boil water in a ceramic cup - you provided the vessel for that style. Looks a bit like a compact fluorescent light bulb (the curly kind) in its basic shape.I like this product; I'm keeping it -- and have no complaints as a new user of it. Seems to do the job exactly as described.The kettle includes a mechanical filter in the pour spout area; it's just a mesh. Apparently is removeable (per other reviews) though the item as shipped had its filter still intact, where it belongs. Probably slides into place. The flat side (closest to the lid) of the top of the 'frame' holding this filter faces the interior of the pot; the rounded side is closest to the pour spout.There is plenty of clearance to fill the vessel with fresh (or rinse) water. It is suspended with a light pair (most likely) of springs that hold it open, like the hood (bonnet) of an automobile. It stays put but is also lightly sprung, so it closes easily enough.As the guidance material suggests, you just curl your fingers around the handle built into the lid (standing behind the pot where the power cord fits into the body of this kettle (near the bottom). Use a gentle pressure to convince the pot's lid to pivot on its hinge.You can pour through the spout opening, instead, without raising the lid. The flow rate is low, doing it that way, at least in the brief trial conducted to test this feature.The power switch is up top in the back near the hinge. Up is ON, Down is OFF. It is illuminated when the pot is ON (heating water).The test unit was boiled twice from full (1.0 liter of water) twice per the instructions. Then rinsed with clear cold water seven times. Seemed fine. That was all there was to breaking in the new unit.Coffee (in a Hario dripper system) was made, next. No issues.The power plug goes into the back of the pot, near the bottom. It did not get nearly as warm as the plug of another 1,000 Watt appliance does - this is a function of resistance (lower resistance means less power dissipated as heat, following i * i * R for those who understand things such as Ohm's Law. ;)The first time operating it didn't seem to get appreciably warm; the second time (not long after the first time) it might have, but was so far belong threshold of a sense of danger as to be .. in the range of perhaps imagining it was a little warm.Whereas a melted plug (not this unit!) would likely be appreciably warm, even early on.No smell (at all) relevant to heat from the outside of the unit.I will watch it and take great care to operate it consciously (attending it closely) as I get to know what it is and is not. ;) The cord is short but quite stout; it is marked for 13 Amperes which is quite good.Not a fan of unplugging it from the base - if other reviews are indicative, this would seem like a trouble spot. It was not loose at all but also did not resist insertion more than expected; it's got a great molded-in grip handle (two finger/thumb shaped curves to act as purchase when unplugging from the base).Maintenance: is stored inverted in a glass, one liter borosilicate bowl with a flat bottom, as used in this kitchen. Inverting it in a dish rack should work fine as well. The bowl offers clearance for the lid (which remains open overnight, ensuring a dry pot in the morning).For this price point, it is a pleasing purchase.Do use the handle (only) when picking up this pot (pitcher) as the front is quite close to the boiled water - somewhere near 1/8" away from that hot water (the thickness of this pot). The instructions are clear on this point as well.Descaling instructions mention cream of tartar (whatever that is; sounds like a tartar sauce ingredient? ;) Not going to do that one.p.s. no problem at all pouring into a Hario V60 coffee dripper (#3). The dripper purchased is made of resin and was used resting on top of the mouth of a thermos bottle (two inches in diameter exactly; ten inch stainless thermos bottle). Plenty stable (first trial was in the kitchen sink, just in case - afforded a nice pouring height/angle). Did not notice the weight of the pot plus the 600 ml of boiled water in it; similar to decanting the same quantity of water from a jug.

works as it should

great water boiler!

I bought this kettle because I wanted to be able to make hot beverages at my desk in my office, instead of having to go up and down two flights of stairs to reach the kitchen. This tends to be a good brand. They really pushed the detachable cord as a great trait of this particular kettle.Well, it heats up the water quickly and isn't overly loud when it's boiling. I love that it switches itself off once the water reaches that rolling boil, to keep it safe.What's driving me absolutely bonkers, though, especially after only using it a couple of times, is the detachable cord has a tendency to fall off the plug. You have to jam it on and then wiggle it around to get the power light to turn on so that it will finally start to boil. It shouldn't be that hard. Sometimes it will work right away, and sometimes I feel like I am trying to insert a USB cord where you have to keep flipping it around, trying it again, even though you've done it right at least once or twice, before it finally goes where it needs to go and stays there so that it will properly work.

Product came fast and the item works well. Great price.