Gizmodo: Kettle

The ±0 Electric Kettle From Japan

Brian Lam — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:30:58 EDT

I've been thinking of getting an electric kettle for some time, and I think I've found the most simple, beautiful one I could ever hope for. The small container's power cord is stored inside the base, explaining that one seam you see running around the base of the unit. I'll have to pick this up in Japan or ask Doug to send one back on his next trip. [+- via Core77]

Clara Kettle from Bodum Clearly Best Boiler Evah

AddyDugdale — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EDT

Tea Drinkers of the Giz unite! And get me a Bodum Clara kettle for my birthday next month, please (I share it with Ringo Starr, useless-fact fans). Made of borosilicate glass, which keeps the water smell-, taste- and taint-free, it weighs less than 500 grams and holds 1.75 liters of water. The Clara has got a blue stopper on the spout which makes it whistle like a horny construction worker, and it can be used on electric and gas stoves, as well as ceramic hobs. You can even put it in the microwave if you remove the lid and whistle, but what is the point of that? Microwaves and tea bags/tea leaves should not even be in the same sentence, let alone the same process. Bodum's beautiful kettle costs $60. [Bodum online shop via Cool Hunting]

Lightning Review: Beautiful Sorapot Tea Kettle

Brian Lam — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:22:32 EDT

The Gadget: I'm not a big tea drinker, but I appreciate the Sorapot tea pot's design. It's been an object of desire since I first saw the renderings and the how to video.

Price: $179.

The Verdict: Using it, I've got a few gripes that people who plan to use this every day might complain about if they want practicality over pure design porn. First, the tea kettle is to be filled by the spout, which leads to spilling. This is presumably because on it's side, cylinder in the vertical space, the glass feels pretty unstable. (See my awkwardness in the video. BTW do not expect to be entertained.) Secondly the pour is kind of inconsistently slow then very fast, because there's no way for air to initially make up for the vacuum left by the water until you pour at a certain angle. Closing the kettle involves tightening a hand screw, which is not all that convenient

Having just complained about the pot, there is no doubt that it is the best looking tea steeping device I've seen in some time, and will be for some time to come. That's worth a lot, and I'm sure the inconveniences above could be overcome by someone in lust with it. [Sorapot]

Kenwood Response Kettle Changes Color As it Heats

Jason Chen — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:00:29 EDT

Being as into tea as the British folks this Kenwood Response Kettle was made for, we're definitely looking forward to marveling at its color-changing capabilities. Not only is it a container to keep water from spilling all over the place while you heat it, the exterior actually shifts from blue (cool) to red (hot) while it's being heated. Plus, it also has the option for shutting down when it gets to 80 degrees, which is supposedly the perfect temperature for coffee and herbal tea. Only available in the UK for now. [KenwoodWorld via ChipChick via Apartment Therapy via PopGadget]

Micro Kettle

Jason Chen — Wed, 31 May 2006 19:49:22 EDT

Perfect for college students and the single guy, the Micro Kettle lets you microwave water or other liquids safely. We always thought we could use whatever glass was marked "microwave safe", but what do we know?

The Kettle has convenient markings to see just how much Ginseng you're nuking, as well as the easy grip handle to keep your fingers from burning when removing said kettle. The makers also claim that it can preserve natural flavors, but we'll chalk that up to marketing-speak. – Jason Chen

Update: One of the designers filled in the leaky holes of our understanding about the product. Check it out after the jump.

First, a great - and totally unpublicized - feature of this product is its ability to work directly on most cups and mugs, not just the included measuring cup i.e. boil the water you're going to use right in the cup you're going to use. The "boil stick" drops down into the fluid below, so you never get superheating (as another posted noted). If you Google "microwave superheated water" you'll find all sorts of info about this rather nasty phenomenon. The textured boil stick creates nucleation sites for normal boiling to occur.

Also, the claim of better foods and drinks is not (completely) marketing speak. The fact is you want water just-to-boiling. Seasoned tea drinkers know this. Anything short of boiling and you don't get all the flavor out of the brewing media; any extra time after boiling is achieved removes dissolved oxygen, making a drink taste flat. (Google "boiling oxygen flat tea" for verification of this).

Thanks Chris!

Micro Kettle [Popgadget]