Paint it Red

[akirlu]

Bear's electric kettle is on the ropes. It seems to be the season for kettles going tits up. After a few weeks of drinking less tea than I would otherwise have done because the stovetop kettle had mysteriously developed a permanent convex buckling in the bottom, making it wobbly and slow to heat, we went off to Target and bought one of these on sale.

The first one we bought didn't work at all, but after we trekked back through the snow flurries and exchanged it, the second one did. So far, pretty happy. It doesn't whistle or ping or anything when it boils, but in our house I could never hear the kettle whistle from anywhere outside of the kitchen anyway, so ya boo sucks and all. It does have a little power light to let you know when it's on, and will automatically shut off when it boils, and (yay!) it is cordless, and it is shiny and red (double yay!). And it uses less power to boil a kettle of water than the stove-top kind. On the whole, winnish.

I'm still not sure what the hell happened with the old kettle -- did I let it boil dry at some point and warp the bottom? It wouldn't be the first kettle I ruined through inattention. My old Revere kettle boiled dry so badly the phenolic melted. Yeah. Lucky I didn't burn the building down, I guess. Here's to automatic shut-offs on kettles.

Comments

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Pretty!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Yes, I do like the look of the thing. Lucky, that, since it's about the only one they had in stock, but also because it was less expensive than several more prosaic-looking models.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Stylin' _and_ cheap! Hurray!

[athenais.livejournal.com]

What a fabulous kettle. Now I want one! But I haven't anywhere to put it, we are tragically short on counter space.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Sing it. I've been looking for a cart/cabinet/island that will fit in the space where the fridge was so that I can get the microwave off the counter and maybe store some of the other high-use appliances in so that I can get some space. Right now the kettle is perched atop the crockpot, which is on top of the microwave. A bit reminiscent of the Brehmen town musicians...

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

That does look cool, but Black and Decker? It's an electric kettle *and* a power saw!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Better than being a jack hammer and a marital aid. Actually, Black and Decker has been appearing on the household appliance shelves for a while now. I guess it's not that big a leap from a drill motor to a blender motor, and most of the rest is just cosmetic doo dads anyhow.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I guess you're right. Power drills even have adjustable rates, just like blenders. Okay, "It's a power drill AND a marital aid." Wait, that's not right!

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

My Black and Decker toaster oven is 17.5 years old.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

That's why they call me Mr. Oblivious, I guess. Perhaps someday I'll graduate to Dr. Oblivious.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I like the sound of "Captain Oblivious" but I may be reserving that for my beloved.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

If truth be told, I do already have another electric kettle that I could use instead -- I found it at a thrift store for $3 and kept it at work when we didn't have a superheated water tap -- but it's got no auto-off nor a manual off switch. The only way to turn it off is to unplug it, and the plug is sticky. I fear it would boil dry and melt into a translucent blue lump of burning plastic if I were to plug it in in the kitchen and then go back to my beloved internets.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Oh, red! I have Mother's Revere kettle, but I only use it when I'm making a whole pot of tea. I must admit that when I want just a mug of tea, I usually zap iced tea in the mug.

I think I might have trouble pouring that one, though, it looks like you have to control it at the top. I do better with handles on the side.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I tend to only make tea by the potful, so a kettle is awfully handy.