With all the tea and instant oatmeal I eat, I depend on my electric kettle. But because of my husband’s job, we’re bouncing back and forth between two houses and most of my appliances including my
beloved kettle had to stay in New Jersey. So one of the first things I bought when I got settled in my new temporary home about two months ago was this Aroma X-Press kettle. I thought it would remind me of home and make a nice, more stylish update to replace my old kettle once our house bouncing is over.
The basics
I bought this Aroma Hot H2O X-Press Electric Water Kettle at Target for about $30. It is stainless steel with a 360 degree swivel base, cordless drip-free pouring, and an easy-to-grip “stay cool” handle and base. An indicator light is on the base and a water height indicator to show how much of the 1.5 liter capacity is filled lies beneath the handle. This electric kettle features automatic shutoff, boil dry protection (the kettle won’t run if it’s empty), a concealed heating element, and a removable mesh decalcification filter.
My thoughts
I admit, the stainless steel exterior wowed me. This Aroma kettle looks much nicer than my black plastic Krups kettle. It looks pretty on my counter and I would feel proud serving it to guests. But, honestly, now that I’ve used it for a couple of months, that’s about the only thing that impresses me.
First off, the lid is attached and the opening beneath the lid is a bit tight for my slender hands. This combination makes it very awkward to clean the inside of the kettle. I can fit my hand, but I can’t see what I’m doing. This might not be a big deal except for the fact that within a couple of uses, there were spots on the bottom of the kettle. I don’t think they’re salt deposits like I get after repeated use of my Krups kettle, but just water spots that look kind of nasty against the polished look of stainless steel. If I could more easily fit my hand inside, it might not be a big deal but as it is I find it very difficult to clean.
Secondly, the removable mesh filter doesn’t seem to do anything. I thought it would be a great advantage to my old Krups kettle since I don’t like how it gets salt buildup inside after repeated use. I can clean it off by boiling a water/vinegar mix (which is suggested for this kettle as well), but I thought the mesh filter would make those cleanings less necessary. Well, that may be the case since I haven’t noticed any buildup (other than those water spots) yet but I haven’t noticed anything on the mesh either. I’ve tried washing it off a couple of times and it never has anything on it. If I can see the holes in the mesh, doesn’t that mean they’re too big to catch tiny sodium deposits from my water? The other problem is that, though it’s easy to remove, the mesh filter is very difficult to reinsert because of the small-for-my-hand opening beneath the lid (see above).
The third thing that bugs me is the water level indicator. It’s buried underneath the handle for starters making it a little difficult to read, especially when there’s condensation on it. It also doesn’t show the obvious “how many cups” but measures liters (.6, .9, 1.2, and 1.5 liter markings). Umm, do I really need to do mathematical conversions when I’m half awake in the morning or while company is waiting for some hot water? FYI, one liter is roughly one quart which is equal to 4 cups, a much smaller capacity than my 10 cup Krups.
The fourth thing is that the easy-to-grip handle is only easy to grip on the outside… where you don’t actually grip things. The inner part of the handle where your fingers go is a slippery plastic not a more rubberized one like on the outer side.
My fifth problem is how hot the stainless steel gets. I understand it holds boiling water (212 degrees), but the really tiny looped black plastic part of the lid should be bigger so I have somewhere to grip when I need to refill it shortly after using it. (I go through lots of hot water.) I’m able to do that with the fully removable plastic lid of my Krups pot. Plus, though my Krups pot gets hot to touch, I can accidentally brush against it without scalding myself.
The concealed heating coil is one real plus to this kettle. Since the coil never touches the water, it should never corrode or develop buildup on it like the coil in my Krups kettle.
Overall
This is a pretty kettle for folks who use it rarely and want it more as a display piece on their counter or to serve to guests. But if you rely on your electric water-boiling kettle for everyday use, it’s clumsy and not as useful as other kettles on the market. Yes, it boils water and yes it has some nice features, but there are problems with it that I find annoying, including liter markings, ungrippy handle, and difficult cleaning.
