An electric kettle is a staple in almost every household, flat, and hotel room. It’s rare to go into a hotel or apartment without having one there. Whether it’s tea, coffee, or instant noodles, kettles play a massive role in our day to day lives. The AppKettle is that same kettle reimagined with the tech of the modern world, making something already convenient even more convenient to use from anywhere. We’ve been using the AppKettle for the last 3 years, how has it held up? And Should you get it in 2020?
Design – How Has the Appkettle Held Up?
At a glance, the AppKettle looks similar to other kettles on the market. But when you hold and feel it, you’ll notice that it’s a well-built kettle. The body feels robust without being too heavy when you take into consideration the solid materials that are used. The handle has a great length and grip to it. With a stainless steel body, it’s easy to get burned. The AppKettle features heat-resistant silicone on the handle and lid, so that is rarely the case.
Quick fact: The AppKettle is the world’s first double-glass water window kettle. Both windows are printed with accurate water measures, in liters and cups, making it perfect for right or left-hand use. Appkettle has a capacity of 1.7 liters, allowing you to pour up to 10 cups of water inside.
When boiling the maximum quantity of 1.7L, it takes almost five minutes. But, it takes under a minute to boil its minimum quantity of 250ml, which is quite fast. But since the AppKettle is designed to be used remotely, getting to stay in bed as you wait for the kettle to boil is a fair trade-off. There’s a handy 30-minute ‘keep warm’ setting which is great too.
The 360 degrees base of the kettle is the first hint you get that it’s not an ordinary kettle. Here, you’ll find an LED display showing the temperature of the water, temperature controls, and connectivity indicators.
Build Quality
The high-quality materials such as brushed Stainless Steel, Chrome, and Glass found on the kettle not only look great but have held up nicely after all these years. The build quality of the Appkettle is excellent, and I love that about it. The AppKettle is easy to pour from as it produces a controlled and direct stream. When filled to the top there’s no splashing or spilling over the side of the spout. That’s great compared to other kettles I’ve used in the past.
One gripe I’ve had during the two years of using the Appkettle is the lid. The opening is large, and the lid fits right into place. However, you have to pull it off physically. If you’ve made tea beforehand and you’re filling up the kettle for another round, pulling the lid off a kettle can be a dangerous experience. I think a hinged lid with a push-button on the handle would’ve been a better solution to this problem. This issue doesn’t necessarily mean the Appkettle is dangerous to use, and you should stay away from it; it’s just something to note.
Features and Functionality
As we mentioned, The Appkettle’s base station is the first hint you get that it’s something “smart.”
You can manually control Appkettle from the base station. One press of power will turn it on. Wait a moment and a second press will start heating. The default is to boil. You can select a temperature between 60°C and 100°C using the + / – buttons.
The Companion App
Of course, the whole purpose of this kettle is for the app itself. It wouldn’t be an Appkettle without an App. The app is available on Android and iOS devices. With your smartphone on the same network, you’ll need to make an account with Appkettle with a valid email address and password. After that, it’s just a matter of calibrating the weight of the kettle on the base station, which takes a few seconds.
Then at the touch of a button on your smartphone or simple voice command on an Amazon Echo, you can boil water on Appkettle from the comfort of your bed/bus/anywhere you can connect to the internet. Boiling the kettle from your bed each morning takes no effort.
You will, of course, have to fill the water yourself. We’re not there yet where kettles will fill water for us, but who knows what the future has in store, right?
The app isn’t just a simple on/off button you tap on. It shows how much water is in the kettle, how many cups it can make (you can adjust this to any mug or baby bottle size), its temperature, how much energy you’re using and a timer for exactly how long it’ll take to boil. The “keep warm” feature allows you to keep the water warm. It can hold the temperature for up to 30 minutes so you won’t have to reboil. If the water level is too low, manual and remote heating won’t work.
The AppKettle – Conclusion
If you’re looking to make your home “smart” in any way possible, the Appkettle is a big step in the right direction.
Yes, it’s a very pricey kettle, but it’s worth the investment if you’re a hot drinks fan who makes it several times every day.
The AppKettle
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Design - 9.5/109.5/10
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Build Quality - 10/1010/10
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Features - 10/1010/10
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Performance - 8.9/108.9/10
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Value - 9/109/10
Final Thoughts
At a price of £129.99, the AppKettle is not cheap. But for what it offers and the build quality especially, I think the price point is just right. The AppKettle takes something that’s already convenient to use and a massive part of our lives to a whole new level making it smart with the ability to use from anywhere. If you’re a big fan of coffee, tea or tech perhaps this be your next kettle. We think it’s worth a look at in 2019.
