Mueller 1500-Watt Electric Water Kettle
I drink a lot of hot tea during the school year – especially at the beginning of the school year and after returning from breaks – as I’m not used to speaking nearly that much outside of school. The right tea can do a lot to help your throat from feeling scratchy (for the record, Egyptian Licorice is my favorite for this purpose.) My Mueller kettle allows me to enjoy a cup of hot tea in the peace and quiet of my classroom during my prep period without having to walk to the other end of the building to the lounge to microwave my water.
In addition to water for tea and coffee, this kettle is perfect for making oatmeal and ramen. You could even use it to “jump start” your water for boiling pasta if you’re in a rush.
I couldn’t believe how fast this kettle brought the water to boiling. You will have boiling water ready in as little as 45 seconds depending on how much water you are heating. There are very soothing blue LEDs that light up the water from underneath the carafe as the water heats up to let you know that the unit is on.
Mueller has all its bases covered when it comes to the safety of this unit. A thermostat controller automatically turns off the kettle 30 seconds after the water reaches a full boil. There is also a boil-dry protection that will prevent the kettle from heating if it detects that there is no water. The kettle itself is stout and seems like it would stay upright if you accidentally bumped it. The handle even has an anti-slip coating on it to prevent you from dropping it.
I was impressed by the quality of the materials – borosilicate glass, 304 stainless steel, and BPA-free copolyester – given its relatively low price point. I’ve only had my kettle for less than a year, but it feels like something that I will be using for many years to come.
My only complaint is that the lid should have been engineered to open wider for cleaning. However, if you use distilled water like I do, cleaning it really isn’t going to be an issue. It’s still by far the best electric kettle for the money even with this small drawback.