Kenwood Kettle, 1.6 L, 3 kW JKP280 - White

One of the things I have found most infuriating about modern product design is that concerning the kettle. The basic concept behind a kettle hasn't really changed much for something like 700 years or more - it's a device for boiling water and pouring it into another container. Now I grant you that things did change a fair bit with the advent of electrickery but that's only 1 facet of a kettle's performance. What I cannot for the life of me fathom is why water should suddenly become so difficult to pour without spilling. Has something about H2O changed radically in the last couple of decades or so? I never recall having trouble before that, so how come kettle designers have decided to 'reinvent the wheel' only to come up with one that won't roll? During the last 10 or 12 years I have bought kettles which lasted only a few weeks or months, would only pour a dribble then suddenly a torrent, wouldn't pour at all but just sprayed the contents over the worktop through a 60 degree arc, were unbelievably noisy, impossible to fill post boil without scalding yourself, had a handle you couldn't get a hand around (so not a handle at all), Had a handle which meant when you tried to fill it you simply rinsed the draining board, worktop and floor, were impossible to see the water level in, didn't switch off, switched themselves on and even switched themselves off as soon as you turned your back. Needless to say that when my wife came home from a shopping trip with one of these Kenwood kettles bought from a local store, which is easy to fill, quiet, quick to boil, pours beatifully, you can easily see how much is in it and has performed faultlessly now for nearly a year I immediately went onto Amazon and bought 2 more!

Update 2023: The switch has finally gone faulty: when switched on it causes the fuse box in my house to trip. It's lasted 6 and a half years, so can't really complain. I bought this because it is a Which? best buy. It holds up to 1.6 litres and boils 1 litre of water in 2 minutes and 20 seconds, or 250 ml (1 mug) in 35 seconds ( I've timed it). It boils water reasonably quietly and the automatic switch off works in good time, although the switch does not click off when you lift the kettle off the base. The switch itself glows a bright orange when the kettle is on. The kettle is not too heavy and it pours smoothly so long as you don't try to pour too quickly; but there is a slight trickle off to one side near the end of a pour which is why i've knocked a star off. However you won't actually miss the cup. It has a sight window on both sides which is clear to use, and if you boil just one mug the level just shows at the bottom of it. The kettle can be filled through the spout, and the lid, which is hinged, is of reasonable sturdy quality for the price. Overall I think it is a good basic kettle for the price which does a good job without frills.

I trawled through hundreds of kettles to find a new one when the old one broke (incidentally, a Phillips - bought for £50 only 1 year ago and leaking out the bottom - apparently this is a design flaw of Phillips kettles - the seal at the bottom perishes or suchlike after about a year - conveniently just after the warranty expires). So wanted something (not Phillips!) to match my Kenwood toaster (still going strong after 8 years!) - and am very happy with this. It looks nice and bright and white, and does exactly what you expect. It's a nice shape, fits really nicely on its base, and boils quickly. It is a bit noisy as some other reviewers have mentioned, but this doesn't bother me. I like the orange light on the switch, and that the lid flips up for filling and you don't have to remove it. And it's a great price. All-in-all a great buy in my opinion.

This is the second of this kettle that I've bought as I was impressed with the first one and the price is right. The first one gave up after the on off switch failed after a couple of years. True, 2 years isn't a long time for a kettle to last but those 2 years were trouble free. It boils quickly and this kettle is quieter than the previous model. The best thing about the kettle and the thing that attracted me to it in the first place was that it has a removable metal filter which makes it easy to clean and gives it a longevity over the usual nylon mesh that most kettle come with. Recommended if you can live with the fact that it may have a limited lifespan, which I can for the price of it.

This is the most crappiest kettle I have ever used, the lid is a bugger to open up and really needs a strong grip to pull it open, the water does not pour out nicely either and tends to go everywhere. Don't waste your money on this. . .its crap !

My Wife & I are in our 70,s. We have been using electric kettles since they were first made. We bought this kettle because it had good reviews. Our old one had packed up after about 6 years. This kettle is the heaviest electric kettle we have ever owned & if you are a bit older its a problem. Also, we have never noticed or thought about the noise an electric kettle makes until we started using this one. If you want a kettle that seems to be solid & makes such a noise that you know when the water has boiled, you can suddenly hear the television in the next room. We would not buy another. Mike Hill

Bought as a replacement for the one I had. Love this as the handle is larger so if your dexterity isn't great you can use both hands through the handle to pick it up. Has concealed element which is great as we have hard water here, so it makes it easier to clean. I like that there is a light when its boiling which goes off once its boiled. If you have other things on the hob you can't always hear a kettle click off, it would also be good for those with hearing issues for that reason too. Stable, sturdy, easy to clean, easy to lift with decent handle and easy to fill too. I have poor dexterity and problems gripping but I can manage this kettle. Fab, would buy another and recommend it to all.

The kettle ordered was a 1.7 litre but the kettle that arrived looks the same but is a 1.6 litre. The one I ordered appears to have the measures marked in cups but the one delivered is marked in litre measures. It is a fantastic kettle, bought to replace a much older model which had served well for many years. I would have given 5 stars but compared with the old kettle the on switch does not feel quite so robust, also the previous kettle used to light up the water too, making it very pretty, but on this one just the on switch lights up. I have registered the kettle with Kenwood and hope that in the event of anything going wrong the guarantee is not void as the proof of order to Kenwood shows a 1.7 litre kettle but I am in fact registering a 1.6 litre kettle.

Doesnt work with north american outlets

Das Gerät funktioniert einwandfrei. Aber im Vergleich zu seinem Vorgängermodell ist die Öffnung kleiner und ich kann es nicht mehr so einfach reinigen, denn ich komme nicht mit der Hand hinein. Der Stecker ist ein englischer! Adapter liegt aber im Paket für deutsche Steckdosen.

Quick delivery. Easy to use product

High quality and long-lasting.

Good