As a follow-up to my previous post "A Good Electric Water Kettle "“ Just A Fantasy?", thought it was time to get down to business and put a few kettles through a some paces. A "standardized test", if you will, fashioned by me.
For the first round, I compared two Capresso kettles, the H2O Pro and the H2O Plus. Full pots filled to maximum were heated and timed, starting with both cold and already-warmed heating elements. For the "warmed" boil, I heated a full pot of cold water, emptied the kettle, then re-filled with cold water and turned it right back on. To gauge yield, I used 10-oz coffee mugs, filled to about 8 oz.
Read on for the full review of the Capresso H2O Pro.
Quick stats
– Max/Min capacity: 56 oz / 16 oz
– Average boil times:
Cold – 7:11 = 7:04 minutes + 7 seconds for heat to click off; filled to max
Warm – 6:39 minutes; filled to max
Warm – 3:47 minutes; filled to 34 oz
– Yield: 7 cups
– Cord management: Cord wraps around the underside of the base, staying neatly tucked.
What I liked
No funny tasting water! There are a couple of non-metal components in this kettle. One is the water-level indicator/window on the side and second is the (removable) scale filter in the spout. However, unlike the rubber gasket in the H2P Plus, the water-level indicator doesn't impart any detectable flavors into the water. Perhaps with usage over time, the plastic may start to breakdown once subjected to many boils?
- The capacity is generous, I was able to fill 7 cups from one pot. If that's not enough, it's about 6.5 minutes until the next pot's a-boilin'.
- A lit display from where you can set a couple of handy features like a keep-warm temperature setting and a boil timer for those of you who want your water boiled longer before the kettle shuts off.
- The lid fastens shut, which seems safer to me. Safe from myself, that is, as it would be less likely for the lid to "accidentally" fly open, resulting in potential disaster.
- While I'm not a fan of the plastic water-level window, being able to see the water level can be helpful.
What I didn't care for
The bottom line is that this kettle contains a plastic piece that becomes immersed in the boiling water. While there was no detectable fouling up of flavor in the pots of water that I heated and the large capacity and programmable features are handy, the plastic component turns me away.
- Same as the H2O Plus, I don't like that there is a minimum fill requirement. I don't want to have to boil 16 oz of water if I only need 8 or 10?
- The lid opening mechanism is spring loaded and triggered by pushing a release button on top of the lid. You push down on the lid itself to click it closed. When filling a hot kettle for a second pot of water, it's a bit tricky to close the lid as the lid stays hot. The only non-hot spot on the lid is the release button… d'you see what I'm getting at?
- The ergonomics of the kettle makes it a bit awkward to handle and pour, especially when the kettle is full, therefore heavy, and HOT. The handle is thick and bulky, making it a bit difficult for me to hold comfortably. Maybe it's just me, because I'm on the petite (and weak) end of the spectrum. One or twice, I experience a flash of fear as I tilted the kettle to pour, fear that I would idiotically lose my grip and drop the kettle, splashing myself with scalding water.