Breville SK85XL Nova Cordless Electric Kettle

Pros: Quick to boil, holds lots, well designed, inexpensive, sturdy, looks great!
Cons: None

We're English and therefore have the kettle going more or less constantly for cups of tea!! A good electric kettle is a must for us - but we don't see why we need to pay hundreds of dollars for one. We previously owned the G.E. Chrome Electric Kettle ...

Pros: The high power, cordless stainless steel design with auto shutoff.
Cons: None.

I have now had this kettle since November, 2005 (about a year and a half at the time of this writing). I have the kettle at work and use it several times a day almost every day. It works great. The speed that it heats up water is amazing (fast). It is a little loud when it is heating up, but probably no more so than a pot on the stove that is about to boil. The auto-shutoff feature is great. It shuts down about 5-10 sec after it comes to a boil, but don't worry--if you come back just a little too late, once it's hot, it only takes a couple of seconds (literally) to bring it back to a rolling boil. I have been using distilled water in mine, but I have no evidence of corrosion or scale. The stainless kettle with the concealed elements seems to be very durable (much better than the old aluminum hot pots). Finally, the cordless feature is a must. All in all, I can't think of anything I don't like about this kettle.

Pros: Looks great, easy to use, boils quickly.
Cons: Can be a bit too hot to handle.

This kettle looks great, and performs as good as it looks. It's easy to fill, boils quickly, and the window makes it easy to see how much water is inside. The large handle makes it easy to hold, and the power switch is also large and easy to operate. This is our second cordless kettle, and it's so much more convenient, we'll never go back.

The only negative thing we've discovered about the Breville Nova is that when we're pouring slowly and constantly for a while (such as filling a hot water bottle), the handle can get uncomfortably hot. Using a cloth takes care of that problem, and otherwise we have no complaints.

Pros: good looking
Cons: leaks sometimes

really pleased with the look and the design loved the glass sides but they leak not all the time but sometimes overnight but boil the kettle and it stops (baffling)

Pros: Looks great, has a large capacity, boils quickly, and is a great value!
Cons: Lid attachment is weak, and pouring spout is weakly attached to the body.

Update (April 2008): To those of you who are curious about the longer term durability of this kettle, I thought I'd post this update:

After over three years, this kettle is still functioning. However, some weaknesses in the design have shown up. Firstly, the hinge on the lid has broken, so the lid is now completely detachable. This isn't that much of a big deal, since I usually fill the kettle through the spout.

The second major problem is that the metal has cracked around the pouring spout. This is due to the fact that the exterior pouring spout is weakly attached to the body of the kettle. The repeated heating and cooling have caused that attachment to partly break. The end result of this was that the kettle leaked whenever I pour water out. I have partly fixed the problem by using a line of silicon sealant, which is heat resistant.

In the kettle's favor, it is still functioning electrically. The switch system still works, and it still boils water very well. Overall, I still recommend this product, but with the above caveats.

Pros: Large capacity.
Cons: Poorly designed and constructed.

This product is poorly designed and constructed. The plastic kettle lid broke at the hinge within the first 6 months. It was still under warranty, so Breville sent a replacement, but then it started leaking around the water window after 14 months. Neither problem was caused by a lack of proper use or maintenance because I read the manual completely and always followed Breville's instructions.

No more Breville products for me!