Aroma AWK-115S Hot H20 X-Press 1-1/2-Liter Cordless Water Kettle Review.
"looks good AND works like a charm!" 2008-01-01
By Eduardo Nietzsche (Houston)
It's not often that one finds a product that's both visually attractive AND functionally satisfying. This kettle is one of those rare items: the shiny stainless steel body is beautiful to look at, and it boils water very very quickly! It features a nice big and sturdy handle which is very comfortable, and the spout is perfectly designed so that you'd have to be a real klutz to spill things. The cordless feature is wonderful, I tried a cheap ten dollar "Hot Pot" for a day or two and hated having to deal with the cord, plus that model doesn't have automatic shutoff despite what it says on the box---huge fire hazard! There is also a power-indicator light and water-level indicator gauge which are both handy, and I like that there is no exposed heating element inside which would be a pain to clean. Instead it's all smooth clean lines, inside and out!
Sure the outside of the kettle does get a little hot so you probably don't want to have this within reach of toddlers or anything, but if your toddlers can get up on your kitchen countertop then you have a LOT of other problems as well! I appreciated not having to deal with how plastic inevitably gets dirty-looking and sometimes leaves a funny taste in the water.
My only slight concern is that the lid needs a little bit of force to shut completely...probably some kind of insulating seal that shortens the time needed to bring water to a boil, but makes me wonder how durable that part of this kettle is going to be. Oh well, will find out in a few months or (hopefully) years, I suppose!
"Works Great!" 2007-10-01
By CKL
I bought this after I was so disappointed with a Breville one. The pot does get hot but I don't have any children or pets to worry about. The boil time is very fast and there is no coil on the inside so I do not have to worry about the build-up or rust I have experienced with other kettles. The water tastes good and clean. For this price it is very affordable! I do have to admit that the pot seems a little cheaply made, but I didn't expect much since it seems to be less than half the price of others of the same volume and style. I am very happy with this!!
Update (more than a month later): this is still working so quick and perfectly! I couldn't be happier!
"Fine Kettle superb price" 2008-01-24
By Noel Abbott
I needed a second kettle and didn't want to shell out about $90+ for another Braun WK600 Stainless kettle (which I am happy with). So I bought this Aroma. Not as heavy, but more aesthetic, boils water fast and fully satisfactory. While I have had for less than a week, it's performed very well.
One reviewer said that the "on" switch at the bottom of the pot broke. I noticed that it takes a very light touch to engage, so maybe if a heavy touch is used, this switch could break. Time will tell whether it's a durable product but at this time I'm very happy with the kettle.
"Works perfectly. Faster than a microwave" 2008-05-29
By Traveler (New England)
Whether for tea or or hot oatmeal, this water kettle has performed perfectly. Before I purchased this I tended to use the microwave to heat water. Can't believe what a waste of time and energy that was, not to mention possibly unhealthy. This kettle is even faster than your stove top.
The interior is about 98% metal except for a very tiny amount of plastic. I didn't taste anything bad regardless and my sense of smell/taste is fairly strong.
My only concern is that the instructions clearly say to unplug the kettle when not in use. There's an auto shut-off after the water is boiled so either the manufacturer is being extra extra cautious or they believe there could be a problem. Would prefer to just leave it plugged in and not worry about it, but I follow the directions.
A great buy overall - have owned it for months now without a problem.
"Highly Recommended" 2008-02-08
By Thomas M. Slover (Seattle, WA USA)
After having bought and returned the stylish but overpriced Breville (which did have a bad odor as other reviewers have noted), I have owned this for seven months now and give it a very high recommendation. It gets heavy daily use in our house and functions perfectly. Yes, it is a bit noisy like all electric kettles, and it is warm/hot to the touch as it contains boiling water. Some have complained that the sight tube is under the handle and hard to read, but it's easy to get used to and it's in a protected location. I like the fact that almost all of the material which the water contacts is stainless steel (the sight tube is plastic). If this one were to wear out, I would buy another.
By Eduardo Nietzsche (Houston)
It's not often that one finds a product that's both visually attractive AND functionally satisfying. This kettle is one of those rare items: the shiny stainless steel body is beautiful to look at, and it boils water very very quickly! It features a nice big and sturdy handle which is very comfortable, and the spout is perfectly designed so that you'd have to be a real klutz to spill things. The cordless feature is wonderful, I tried a cheap ten dollar "Hot Pot" for a day or two and hated having to deal with the cord, plus that model doesn't have automatic shutoff despite what it says on the box---huge fire hazard! There is also a power-indicator light and water-level indicator gauge which are both handy, and I like that there is no exposed heating element inside which would be a pain to clean. Instead it's all smooth clean lines, inside and out!
Sure the outside of the kettle does get a little hot so you probably don't want to have this within reach of toddlers or anything, but if your toddlers can get up on your kitchen countertop then you have a LOT of other problems as well! I appreciated not having to deal with how plastic inevitably gets dirty-looking and sometimes leaves a funny taste in the water.
My only slight concern is that the lid needs a little bit of force to shut completely...probably some kind of insulating seal that shortens the time needed to bring water to a boil, but makes me wonder how durable that part of this kettle is going to be. Oh well, will find out in a few months or (hopefully) years, I suppose!
By CKL
I bought this after I was so disappointed with a Breville one. The pot does get hot but I don't have any children or pets to worry about. The boil time is very fast and there is no coil on the inside so I do not have to worry about the build-up or rust I have experienced with other kettles. The water tastes good and clean. For this price it is very affordable! I do have to admit that the pot seems a little cheaply made, but I didn't expect much since it seems to be less than half the price of others of the same volume and style. I am very happy with this!!
Update (more than a month later): this is still working so quick and perfectly! I couldn't be happier!
By Noel Abbott
I needed a second kettle and didn't want to shell out about $90+ for another Braun WK600 Stainless kettle (which I am happy with). So I bought this Aroma. Not as heavy, but more aesthetic, boils water fast and fully satisfactory. While I have had for less than a week, it's performed very well.
One reviewer said that the "on" switch at the bottom of the pot broke. I noticed that it takes a very light touch to engage, so maybe if a heavy touch is used, this switch could break. Time will tell whether it's a durable product but at this time I'm very happy with the kettle.
By Traveler (New England)
Whether for tea or or hot oatmeal, this water kettle has performed perfectly. Before I purchased this I tended to use the microwave to heat water. Can't believe what a waste of time and energy that was, not to mention possibly unhealthy. This kettle is even faster than your stove top.
The interior is about 98% metal except for a very tiny amount of plastic. I didn't taste anything bad regardless and my sense of smell/taste is fairly strong.
My only concern is that the instructions clearly say to unplug the kettle when not in use. There's an auto shut-off after the water is boiled so either the manufacturer is being extra extra cautious or they believe there could be a problem. Would prefer to just leave it plugged in and not worry about it, but I follow the directions.
A great buy overall - have owned it for months now without a problem.
By Thomas M. Slover (Seattle, WA USA)
After having bought and returned the stylish but overpriced Breville (which did have a bad odor as other reviewers have noted), I have owned this for seven months now and give it a very high recommendation. It gets heavy daily use in our house and functions perfectly. Yes, it is a bit noisy like all electric kettles, and it is warm/hot to the touch as it contains boiling water. Some have complained that the sight tube is under the handle and hard to read, but it's easy to get used to and it's in a protected location. I like the fact that almost all of the material which the water contacts is stainless steel (the sight tube is plastic). If this one were to wear out, I would buy another.
