EdgeCraft Chef's Choice 688 SmartKettle Cordless 1-3/4 Quart Electric Kettle

I have had various electric kettles while searching for one that would suit my needs. I have finally found one! This one allows me to set the temperature and holds it until I can get there. Sometimes I'm busy in the kitchen and when I hear the beep I can't always get to the kettle immediately. Now I have time to dry (or wash) my hands before I pour the tea and I don't have to worry that the water will cool off. It even has a "roiling boil" setting. I have brewed everything from white teas to long-steeping herbals (in my Teavana) and the kettle is convenient and efficient. I have also boiled the water for chicken soup and added it to the chicken which was attempting to come to a boil on the stove. Doing that cut the process in half. This item is expensive, but so far it is worth every penny.

Product works well, for as long as it lasts. It will accurately heat to your desired temp, we've measured it with our thermometer. Will then hold at that temperature until you're ready. Very helpful for press pot or drip coffee, green and black tea. Good capacity. Kind of a loud, annoying beep at the end, but you get used to it.We've purchased two of these. The first lasted over three years. Then the second for under two years. Used about once/day. Both failed with an electric circuit board failure. pop, fizzle and then no response/lights/activity. I wouldn't buy another without a three year warranty, and they provide 1-year. We'll look for another solution.

I never liked this kettle from the beginning, and it did not last very long even with fairly light use. When reading other review, keep in mind that it might seem better than it is in the beginning, but is it worth it if it breaks after 18 months?Here are my criticisms:1) The metal gets VERY hot. You will burn yourself if you touch it, and don't let your children go anywhere near it!2) There is some plastic on the inside. I decided this wasn't a big deal, but if it matters to you, you should be aware.3) The kettle was very slow at heating water. My previous cheap kettle was much faster.4) Once it got to the set temperature, it just shut off! I don't know if this was a flaw in my kettle, but that meant that if I wasn't right there to use the water as soon as it got to the desired temperature, it had already cooled by the time I got to it. I usually had to turn it back on and wait.5) It was pretty expensive.6) It lasted only 18 months and is now dead and going in the trash! I only use it once a day in the mornings. The kettle I had before this cost me a fraction of the cost and lasted 10 years! It really should have lasted at least half as long.I wouldn't buy this product even if it were a small fraction of what it cost. It was a huge waste of money.If you are looking for a kettle that will heat water to your desired temperature, there must be something better out there, and if there isn't, I STILL wouldn't buy this thing.

I bought this kettle in early October 2012 to replace a Pino Digital Kettle Pro which failed a few months after I bought it, just after the warranty expired. The Chef’s Choice kettle has worked very well for the past three months and seems to be of better quality. It heats and boils water quickly. It shuts off automatically. It holds a lot of water. It has a longer warranty than the Pino. And the temperature sensor seems relatively accurate.My use is rather unique. I bought the kettle for one reason only: to boil water and then re-heat it to a comfortable temperature for Neti Pot use (about 110 F). In December 2011 there was a widely circulated news story about "brain eating amoebas" (Naegleria fowleri) that had killed people after they used tap water to cleanse their noses with salty Neti Pot water (for background on Neti Pots, see Wikipedia article on "Nasal Irrigation"). My city water bureau recommends sterilizing our tap water prior to Neti Pot use.I cannot find any device made specifically for Neti Pot water sterilization. The Chef's Choice 688 comes close. I need to reset the temperature each time I want a new temperature. (Otherwise it remembers the prior setting.) This is done by pushing a temperature up or down key and then holding it till it cycles to the proper temperature. On the high end it goes up to 212 F, then one more click to a rolling boil setting. On the low side it “only” goes to 122 F. (I wish it went to 110 F, but this is close, and I cannot find a good kettle that will go lower than 122 F.) It also would be better for me if there were two separate buttons: one for a set temperature I want, and the other for a rolling boiling. And it does get somewhat heavy when full of water, as others have noted. But all in all, this has been a good and dependable kettle for me.