My Reliable Electric Tea Pot - Once Again, Function Over Form

For years I had a dilemma. I love tea, but I tend to be forgetful, especially of boiling tea kettles. This combination has produced a few burnt teapots. You would think that the toxic fumes of burning metal would be enough to cure that problem. You would think a really loud whistling teapot would help. You would think.

Anyway, to satisfy this dilemma, two years ago my dear husband bought me a practical and inexpensive electric teapot that has been working great ever since. It was the Hamilton Beach / Proctor Silex Electric Kettle – Model K2070. The description here on Epinions calls it “cordless,” but mine definitely has an “electric” cord.

This teapot is comprised of three parts: the teapot, the detachable cord, and a small detachable strainer that fits into the spout of the teapot. The body is white plastic with a see-through, blue-tinted window on the side for measuring your water. There is a silver-colored heating element at the bottom of the pot. The measuring lines on the side are: Min., 0.5 Liter, 4 cups, 6 cups and Max/1 Liter. By this measure, a cup must mean a little dainty teacup, because I have to fill the pot to the 4 cups line for my usual hearty mug of tea. Filling it to the max is sufficient for about 4 standard-sized cups.

Waking Up to a Delightful Spot of Tea

My usual morning routine, since owning this teapot, is to stumble in a semi-conscious haze to the kitchen, grab the teapot, pop open the top lid, fill it up halfway, plug it in, push up the little switch at the top of the handle so that the little orange light comes on, go about my business of showering/waking up, and then return to pour my cup of hot water for tea. Since it only takes about 2 minutes to come to a rolling boil and automatically shut off, I sometimes restart it for about a minute it if I was delayed for too long. I pour my water for tea into my tea mug or travel mug and – Voila - I’m set and all is right with the world.

If by chance, I was in a big hurry and/or completely forgot about the teapot, there’s nothing to worry about because of the automatic shut-off. It’s a win/win situation for me and for the fire department.

Minor Annoyances

When my husband brought this home (from Kmart or Target for about $15), I said “Gee, thanks,” with a faux-grateful smile. I really did appreciate the intent, but I was not impressed with the looks of the teapot. I guess I was comparing it to my friend’s larger chrome electric teapot. This was white plastic – how gauche! In spite of its looks, I tried it out and it has become a vital appliance ever since. Because it is white plastic, it shows little stains very easily, but since I only use it for water, it doesn’t really get dirty, only a little dusty in areas.

The third annoyance is the little detachable strainer that sets into the spout. A few times, when wiping it off or pouring out a full pot, the strainer has come out and I’ve had a hard time turning it ever which way like a puzzle piece to get it to fit back in just right. I’m not even sure why it has this strainer, since I can’t see getting it dirty by putting loose tea in it.

I recommend this Hamilton Beach Electric Kettle for a quick, easy and inexpensive way to heat water for tea, soup, hot chocolate, etc.