Customer Reviews

Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle

5 star:		(190)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

This kettle is everything you could want! I use it mostly for french press coffee, but my guests have used it for various kinds of tea, instant oatmeal, or hot chocolate with great success.

I did a lot of research on these kettles, and I found that the one thing to avoid was kettles with plastic insides. Every single one with plastic innards had comments about plastic taste in the water. Stainless and glass interiors didn't have this problem, but glass was more susceptable to scale buildup. So I went with stainless. There aren't many of these kettles with stainless insides, and the ones there are are generally more expensive. I looked at the Breville and some others, but they were simply too much money. This one, while not cheap, offered a great feature set, accurate temperatures, stainless interior, good controls, unobstrusive base, and pretty nice aesthetics.

The kettle is easy to fill, solidly built, and heats water very fast. It finishes its heat cycle with an authoritative BEEP that I can hear from the next room as I watch Sports Center. Another bonus is that even once it has reached temperature, it will keep the water at that temperature for up to 30 minutes, so if I'm busy doing something else, my kettle can wait until I get there, and my water isn't too cold or too hot! The most important thing about a good cup of french press coffee, besides the beans, is the temperature of the water.

The base is very minimal and you don't even notice it when the kettle is sitting on it, it looks like one piece of the kettle. The controls are easy to reach while holding the kettle by the handle, and the little LED light on the water level indicator is bright and helps you see the water level in a dimly lit early morning kitchen. It also automatically shuts off after a bit if the kettle heat has been turned off. The kettle will turn off automatically after a certain amount of time, but it also is easy to turn off once you've poured out your needed water by pressing the "keep warm" button again.

Cleaning is as easy as making a water/white vinegar mixture and letting the kettle boil for 10-15 minutes, then rinsing it out a few times. This removes lime scale deposits and calcification.

For the build quality, looks, features, and performance, I can't rate this kettle high enough! Look no further!

We've owned Krups FLF2-J1 electric kettle for about 4 years and while it was doing the job I secretely hated it for various reasons until I ran into CPK-17. While there were no reviews when I first saw it I decided to pull the plug anyway and I wasn't dissapointed.

Pros:
Selectable temperatures = No more burning toungs!
No smell that I detect
Stylish looking
Fits a cup more then Krups
Nice blue led when in operation
Surprsingly quieter then Krups
Beeps when ready
Keeps it warm for 30 minuites
Faster tea preparation when selecting lower temps
Cap opens with a push of a button (Krups had a twist off)

Neutral:
Price for some
Some plastic there, but not too much

Cons:
They didn't make one 4 years ago
Stains on Stainless Steel already

1/6/12: 1.5 years later not much to report, still working without any issues with daily use and 175 degrees is prefered temperature.

Time will tell, but so far I haven't found a better option amongst all electric kettles.

I did pretty extensive research before buying an electric kettle. The CPK-17 appealed to me on a few different levels. I liked the design, the materials used and the functionality. Although it's nice to have the option of different temperature settings, it's really only useful if you drink a lot of tea, which I don't. I generally use the "French Press" and "Keep Warm" settings, and there's also a Boil option (which is the next setting up from French Press). On the design side, it's a great looking appliance made from mostly stainless steel. Of course a big concern of mine is the use of BPA-leaching plastic in many kettles on the market, but there appears to be none on the interior of the CPK-17. The water level, as far as I can see, is covered with another sheet of steel. The only non-steel component I see on the kettle's interior is a silicone nub near the bottom, which nearly all kettles have and which are also heat-resistant. Another thing I like about the CPK-17's design is the 360-degree swivel capability of the kettle while resting on its heating element. And of course, the illuminated water level (on when the kettle is in use) is very attractive - a nice soft blue color. The pouring spout is perfectly-shaped which makes for a fool-proof pour every time. In terms of functionality, the CPK works exactly as advertised. Heat-up time is quick and the controls are responsive.

The major complaint I have with the CPK-17 is the fact that it's already scaling at the bottom and I've only had the kettle for 2 weeks. To me, this is crazy - especially considering I use filtered water by Multi-pure (one of the most advanced filtration systems available), so the water is as clean as it gets before it even goes into the kettle. No chlorine, no calcium, no lime -- so what's with the scaling deposits already? It's annoying, and I wonder if other owners have had similar issues. Anyway, I'm giving this product 4 stars. To recap...

Pros:
- great design, little if any interior plastic
- smooth functioning, fast heat-up

Cons:
- Scales easily after only a few uses
- Pricey

Hi.
I almost never write reviews but I believe this one deserve it.
I purchased this kettle from Amazon 6 months ago for $99. I really like the thermometer and could live with the stainless steel look. It worked like a champ until about 2 wks ago when I begin noticing how unusually long it is boiling. I use my kettles a lot for tea, hot water...pretty much 5-10 times a day. One time the water was boiling for close to 3 mins with scalding water splattering out of the spout. My husband suggested I wait no longer for it to shut off automatically and do it manually before it blows up.

That's when I contacted Cuisinart Customer Service only to learn that the only thing I can get from them is an exchange with me paying shipping both ways....NO thanks, I am not interested in spending any more of my money on something that may fail again.

So I called Amazon and begged them to take this kettle back and give me a refund. Amazon came thru and I got $79 back today.

I did lose $20 and my faith in Cuisinart products but at least Amazon didn't fail me. Thanks Amazon.

PS: When I took the base of the kettle off to ship it back to Amazon I noticed that it has been leaking under the base.

The MSRP is wildly overstated, and thus the resulting savings of 52% is false.
Cuisinart.com sells this kettle for $99.95, so the actual discount is 11%.

Update 2012 - that being said, this is a great kettle which performs flawlessly and looks great.

Junk, broke in less then 1 month. I only used it once or twice a day. Now when i try to boil the water or anyother button to press it makes a sound the lights are flashing but the water won't start boiling. The kettle that a owned before i had for 5 years and was still working, but i desided to get this new one. I however regret it. I called amazon they will give me a full refund. very dissapointed with the product.

This kettle is a serious fire hazard! Although I purchased it because I am a senior and it made sense to not worry about forgetting a kettle on the stove,the last couple of times I used the kettle I noted a mild smell of electrical wires burning. I couldn't identify the source and thought it must be my imagination. I'd used the kettle successfully for two months. Two days ago I boiled water for coffee. I DISCONNECTED the kettle from the base and UNPLUGGED the base because I was uneasy about the smell. I went out to clear ice off my car. I returned fifteen minutes later and the fire alarms in my house were all sounding. The house was filled with toxic smelling smoke. i went into the kitchen to see the plastic handle of the kettle shooting flames with flames coming from the plastic along the base of the kettle! I doused the flames but had I come in 60 seconds later the fire would have spread. Clearly the interior wires in the handle must have been smoldering when I went outside and later ignited the highly flammable plastic. I have looked up Cuisinart products since, and discovered that is a serious problem with some of their other electric kitchen appliances. The house was so smoke-infested that even when I opened all doors and windows, the alarms continued for 15 minutes! I had the strange ash the burning plastic produced all over surfaces - my books - my windowsills. And what I worse, I am coughing and coughing still from whatever I inhaled.

THIS PRODUCT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET! It is unsafe! Even if it worked well for a few months, its life is short and unpredictable. I could have lost my house!

I was on the fence for awhile between this kettle, the Breville Temp Select or a Zojirushi Water Heater/Dispenser. I was previously using a stainless stove top kettle, which made it a bit tricky at times, to get the water to the right temperature for the tea I was brewing. I decided on this one because it does everything I want it to do; boils water quickly and provides various water temperatures for different varieties of tea. It was also at a reasonable price point. I brew whole leaf tea and this makes brewing a fresh cup an absolute breeze! Easy to use, aesthetically pleasing and so far, nothing I would change!

Update 4/29/11
Purchased this Kettle in 10/10
It is now going to hit the trash.
It no longer heats up at all and I contacted Cuisinart.
They will send me a new unit if I pay shipping both ways, no way!
Not heavily used at all and very disappointed!
Thankfully, I have a traditional stove top kettle to use in it's place.
Everything made today seems to be so disposable and not made to last.....sad!

While I have only had this electric kettle for a short period, I am very happy so far. I never could replace my original, beloved Philips and bought a Krups as an alternative. The Krups failed after two years, which was ridiculous! I then tried an Aroma, but returned it to Target because of the terrible oily smell and taste I could never remove (after more than a month). While I do not need all the different temperature settings on the Cuisinart, I do like the "Keep Warm" setting.

There is no bad smell or taste, and the kettle performs as it should. It is a little pricey, but I was at a loss for options. A good buy if you can spend the money, particularly if you are a tea aficionado and need your water heated to different specifications.

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UPDATE: I am on my second one of these. Both have failed. I am so disappointed. When it works, it is great. The first one simply stopped working, and the second one heats only occasionally. Regretfully, I can no longer recommend it.

We purchase this kettle about 3 months ago, within the first month, we had rust at the bottom of the inside of the kettle. We had registered with Cuisinart, and they replaced the kettle for free, however, we had to pay for the postage to send the rusted kettle back. We received the new one in the mail after calling twice to see where it was, and finally received it after the second all about a week later. We have been using the second kettle about 3 weeks, and it already has rust on the bottom of the inside of the tank.

We like the features, but don't want to be drinking out something that rusts.

We also find the handle awkward, and it is burning hot on the outside so that you can't touch it. I am not so strong and like to support when I am pouring with two hands, but can't do it with this one, so my husband has to always pour.

We will go back to the old standard Black and Decker, plastic and metal.