Customer Reviews

Chef's Choice 678 Cordless Electric Kettle

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I like this product and I use it nearly every day - it goes well with a french press, and heating water to 200 deg F is its primary function. At other times I used it to help a large pot of water (for cooking pasta) come to a boil much sooner.

Things to note:
- The brushed exterior is convenient, it doesn't pick up smudges like a polished one would

- The 2qt capacity is great when boiling water for a larger pot

- It's fast. It gets water to a boil very quickly, especially if you don't fill the whole pot - 1qt will boil really quickly, not just in half the time of 2qts

- The indicator window gets steamed and is barely of use. OK, I see how much to not fill it (Max line)

- The switch appears flimsy but there's not much to stress it

- A subtle red light indicates the switch is on. Initially I used to leave the switch on after pouring out the water, but now I know what to look for. At this point I don't regret that it could have been brighter, because it stays subtle in the kitchen. In a multi-user kitchen you might want to mention that the ON indication is very low-key.

- When boiling, the kettle takes a bit more delay than I'd expect to switch off and indicate the water's boiling (with a quiet click). By that time the sound of bubbling alerts me

- I haven't detected any weird smell, I did two boils with fresh water before using it

- The spout is definitely designed for slow pouring. It doesn't spill a drop. However, if you're trying to dump the water out really fast, like into a large pot, slow down or you'll get a trickle down the sides because the spout won't handle the volume

- There's a fine mesh filter across the spout to catch any scaling if it ever occurs (not seen it yet but I have an undersink filter) and I remove that to stick a thermometer to catch it short of boiling. Would have been nice to get something where I could simply set the temperature rather than monitor the kettle - but that would be a different product altogether.

- The lid is nice, opens gently

- I wondered whether I could heat vegetable stock in it, but I think that better be left to the 670 or 675 that you see on Good Eats - the electric hot pot that looks like a kettle but with perfectly vertical sides. This has a tube in it and its shape won't lend well to thorough cleaning. I'll stick to water.

- It feels like it sits loose on the base, but that's what makes it easy to pick up and put down. The base doesn't get lifted with the kettle, so it's nice in that. The cord is solid and has a three-pronged plug at the end.

All in all, it feels solid and can do what it's supposed to do. I fault it a star for trickling when I try to pour the water very quickly, and for the odd placing of the level indicator, the difficulty of being able to reach in and deep clean anything. I'd probably give it 4 1/2 stars if that was possible.

I've owned this product for about a year. I've used it every day. The 1st 3 months it worked well, though my husband had a hard time reading the water level indicator.

The 1st hint of trouble to come was that it would dribble a small amount of water from where the on/off switch is. Then it wouldn't turn off. The automatic shut off feature was one of the main reasons we bought it. The water would boil, the light would go out, then, the water would start boiling again....this would last until we turned it off manually. This was an intermittant problem, one, at 1st, I thought was our fault.

Today, we came home after being gone for 2 hours. The kettle had somehow been left in the on position. And apparently it boiled itself dry and then died! At best, it is unreliable, at worst, probably hazardous.

The first Chef's Choice we bought was the one with the black plastic top. Here's my review of that one which applies to this unit as well. I don't see any significant differences - we prefer the all stainless look but could live without it and the new "water gauge" on the side.

"Very slick look - I guess what you'd expect for this price. But, it delivers and we couldn't be happier. Fast to boil - even when filled to the max. I like the wide-mouth for pouring fast too. I use it for tea a few times a day but it's primarily for making coffee in the Freiling 1.5L coffee press. The wide-mouth makes the transfer fast. This is my first "cordless" hotshot and I don't think I can go back to the corded now - was always a hassle when pouring."

I'm impressed. It has all the makings of a product that will last at least a few years (3 months so far). And, if that holds true, I would definitely buy another.

Note: Still using this 6-10 times per day for tea and coffee and we both highly recommend.

This is a clever design that really works. It heats up quickly and you can simply lift the kettle and use it anywhere without dragging the cord around. The on/off knob seems a bit fragile but I've been using this thing 2-3 times per day for a couple of months and I'm quite happy with it. I recently noticed some salty crystals in the bottom of my coffee cup. I found that the mineral deposits that usually crud up heating elements simply sit on the bottom of this kettle. They don't stick to the metal, they just pile up. No boiling vinegar required, just wipe it out occasionally and it is pristine!

I purchased this kettle from amazon 2 months ago, and have used it many times every day since then. I liked it because it felt safer than using the range element, with it's automatic shut off and temperature control.
Last week it started leaving drops underneath on the power connector disk, the manual said it might do that, not to worry.
Today it leaked a full half cup of water onto the power connector. The wall inside the pot where the floor meets the sides is discolored in spots, that may be where the water is leaking from. The water comes out through the on-off switch and through the little water holes in the kettle base.
I don't feel safe using this kettle anymore.

I purcahsed one of these and within 3 months it was leaking all over the counter. Contacted the company and had to send it back to them. They have had it for over a month and I have had zero contact about what is going on. Warrnaty through this company is worthless and I will no longer purchase this brand of product.

This is a wonderful product for tea drinkers. It is so easy to use and the water is heated to the perfect temperature for a perfect cup of tea.

At first I was very satisfied with the kettle. This was our second one. The first one started to rost on the inside, we sent it back for exchange. Then this one (the second one) started to rost inside as well as started to leak. Now we are done with it. I can not recommend it at all.

We had this kettle for 2 months. We have a water softener, and use a Britta pitcher as well. The plastic lid broke with gentle use. The inside is pitted both in the bottom of the pot and the inside rim seal. The measure indicator leaks. We used this pot every day and need a kettle that is durable for daily use. The manufacture quality and materials used are of poor quality. This was supposed to be "stainless steele". It rusted and pitted terribly on the inside. I was shocked to see from what we were drinking our tea water! I would like to know what materials are really used in the manufacture of this item, and if there is lead or tin involved in the pitting and seal!!

Excellent product. Heats over 2 quarts of water in 7-8 min. Water stays very hot for 1 1/2 hrs. Automatic shut off. Nice design, brushed stainless steel, easy to keep clean. I am very happy with this product, had looked at several models, but decided on the Chef's Choice International kettle. Reasonable price and Free shipping at the one and only Amazon.com :-)