Customer Reviews

Black & Decker JKC650 Stainless-Steel Cordless Electric Kettle

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've only had it for a couple of days but it seems to be a great little pot. I used to heat my water in a tea kettle on the stove - it took way too long and I'm sure it used a ton of electricity. This pot heats up fast in comparison. It is hard to tell at first if it is on or not. The indicator light is not in an easy to see spot and unless you are in a dark room it just isn't bright enough to tell if it's on or just reflecting light. It pours nicely - no mess or drips. It's sort of loud when it heats up, but maybe that's true of all of this type of appliance - I don't know since it is my first. I like that it shuts off when you pick it up from the base. All in all I like it so far...

The Black & Deck 1.7L Kettle in Stainless heats water quickly, a convenient view window makes it easy to see water level, and its two piece design (the pot rests on base) is extremely convenient. A wide mouth makes filling easy and a well designed spout means little or no drip when pouring.

However, the on/off indicator light is very difficult to see and the 'on' button doesn't provide any kind of feedback (like a click) so at first it was hard to tell if it was pushed. After we understood how the kettle works these became minor annoyances. While it would be nice to see the on/off light better, I don't this is a dangerous problem.

All in all a good product that with a little more refinement from B&D could have been great. Worth buying at a good price, but not worth paying a large premium over other kettles for.

i bought this product from a store and it worked great for a year. the only problem is that the lever you push to turn it on is flimsy and it broke. now it's useless and the warranty doesn't cover it.

Black and Decker warranties do not hold up. The item started leaking two months after purchase. In order to get them to honor the warrantee you have to cut off the cord from the product, send back the plug together with a check for $7.50 to cover shipping.
You get to pay to get them to replace their garbage product.

The electric kettle is probably what I use more often in my kitchen. For cooking (often needs a full kettle), for tea (minimal level of water), cleaning, etc. I've bought this one (9 months ago) because I had no other choice in my local Bed Bath and Beyond. From the beginning I never liked the design:
- it is very difficult to visualise the water level as it is "hidden" behind the handle. Also it uses a little ball to show at what level the water is. You need to tilt the kettle to see it as in low levels of water it gets stuck
- the on/off led is almost invisible during daylight
- the lid opens at a closed angle and not at 90o or more, as it would be more practical. Even better if it were removable. We live in a very hard water area, so we ought to use a water filter to fill in the kettle and I can only do that holding both over the sink. Not practical at all.
- it takes too long to boil. Very annoying.

Good points about this kettle:
- it does not leak if overfilled. And I do it a lot. This is the largest size available, even in the UK.
- concealed heating element
- detachable from the base, cordless
- stainless steel
- it works

Next time I visit my mother I'll take this to her as her main use is for making pasta (what means a full kettle) and her water is very good, not hard.

Pity I couldn't bring my kettle from London due to wattage difference. Now Amazon research is my only hope to find a decent one for my needs.

Takes forever to boil plus the light on the handle is so dim that you can't see it. Leaks badly in less than a year and the lid opened lasted less than 6 months. All in all not recommended at all.

While I didn't purchase this kettle, we have two at work--and I consider them the BMW of electric tea kettles. I also have two kettles recommended on Amazon, but this one is SO much better. Heavier, with temperature read out, and whistle, which my two more expensive kettles do not.

I would buy one of these in a minute, and will--as soon as my two at home burn out...

Simple, easy and reliable at a fair price. What more could you ask for?

The Black & Decker Model JKC650 Tea Kettle ($33 at amazon.com) is an excellent product that my wife and I heartily recommend. We are tea drinkers and have used this product numerous times a day for at least a couple of years. In that time the kettle has performed flawlessly, never failing to bring over two mugs (1.7 liters) of water to a boil quickly and easily with no hint of aftertaste.

Other reviewers have downgraded this kettle for not having an easy-to-see indicator light, but we find that particular subjective failing of no importance. I mean, realistically... who is going to stand there looking at a kettle waiting for water to boil? This is a simple appliance; it is either on or off, and the status of the appliance should be obvious to anyone. When you hear the appliance click off, a distinct sound that can be heard anywhere near the kettle, the water is ready.

I've owned this kettle for over a year and while it has always worked (boils water fast), the indicator light on the handle has always been an annoyance AND the lever used to turn it on and off stopped operating properly within just a few months. The lever still works, but turning it on could be in either the up or down position - I never know - and of course because the indicator light is so hard to see that just makes it worse. If you're considering this kettle, I suggest you shop further. I'm now looking for one that has a more straightforward on/off switch. This will get donated. Sorry B&D!