Customer Reviews

Hamilton Beach 40886 Stainless Steel Electric Cordless Kettle

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

I am surprised to see this model is still being sold. I bought this in Canada ealier this year, and it worked only a few months before the base switch stopped working. Because I was now in the states, its was a minor hassle to get a warranty replacement through Hamilton Beach, but one was obtained and cost me $8 in misc shipping costs. That one worked only a few months longer, then died the same way as its predecessor. Fool me twice, shame on me, huh? There seems to be a fundamental engineering flaw with the base switch on the model. Hamilton Beach should take it off the market and re-think the switch. I really wanted this kettle to work for me, loved everything else about it.

This kettle is no longer working after only 3 months of use. The auto-off takes far too long to switch off and the kettle leaks terribly. The kettle gets too hot. Stick to a good plastic electric kettle.

Be Careful Issue #1: the carafe is stainless steel. It has no insulation. It gets very, very hot.

Be Careful issue #2: the switch at the base of the carafe is vulnerable and flimsy-looking.

That's it. Everything else about this is terrific. The carafe is stainless steel inside and out, and the water level gauge uses a siphon so it's not in direct contact with the boiling water. And, even the lid is stainless steel. If you're concerned about plastic outgassing during heating, or just the plasticky taste, this is a great choice. Capacity is great too.

Now, as to Be Careful Issue #1, we had a smaller electric kettle with a plastic carafe. It got hot too! Maybe not as hot as this one, but it was certainly nothing we'd leave within reach of our kids. Furthermore, even if the outside of a hypothetical kettle carafe was cool to the touch, it would still be filled with boiling-hot water. So the heat issue is mostly a moot point. As to Be Careful Issue #2, the switch ... well, it may be a weak spot more from an industrial design standpoint than a practical one. We haven't snapped it off yet. But, we are pretty careful about being gentle when we press it down. Don't flick it around like a light switch and you'll probably be okay.

Unit heats water very quickly. Like the stainless interior as it eliminates the "plastic" taste that is often found in plastic lined interiors. Cover has to be in place before it heats up which is a good safety issue. Cord neatly stores under unit out of the way. Would recommend this kettle and it's a good value for the money.

I've had this kettle for 1 year. Only used once a week during summer, but several times a day fall through spring.

Not too many features to consider when buying a kettle, but this one has them covered at an attractive price ($28.00). This kettle is Stainless Steel, has a visible water level window (back lit while kettle is on), boil dry protection (auto shut off), concealed element, cordless, and it pours very well.

The kettle has 5 level indicators; Min, 1.0L, 8 cup, 10 cup, and Max 1.7L. The level indicators correspond roughly to the following ounces: Min=32, 1.0 L=34, 8 cup=42, 10 cup=50, and Max 1.7L=56. I timed how long for each of these levels to reach boiling (auto shut off). I used the auto shut off as the time end because deciding when it is boiling by looking or listening to the water is way too subjective. Depending on your idea of what boiling water looks like, your times could be more than a minute less than these.

All tests started with 70 degree water:

Max 1.7L 7 minutes 30 seconds

10 cup 6 minutes 27 seconds

8 cup 5 minutes 21 seconds

1.0 L 4 minutes 25 seconds

Min 3 minutes 50 seconds

We've now had this kettle for more than 4 years, and use it several times a day for boiling water. It works great. We use it frequently for tea and coffee, and have never had any problems. Having stainless steel (not plastic) was important to us, and the price was perfect. It's hard to imagine what more you'd get in the models that cost twice as much. Nothing we need, in any event.

I had this kettle for about one month when the light stoped working. About five days after that, it stopped working all together. I took the base apart to see if I could fix it and found that wires had shorted together, burned off the insulations and fused themselves. I feel luck that this did not start a fire. Stay away from this product.

Bought the kettle at target. Lasted 4 months after which the kettle no longer turns off automatically. Judging by other reviews, this appear to be a generic engineering problem. If I have to be next to kettle to turn it off manually, I might as well use a regular kettle.

mine broke in 11 months. it switches off by itself before the water gets boiled.

Don't be tempted by the price--this is just junk in a fancy package. It broke on me after less than a year. Judging by the other comments on this site, I was lucky. Before this, I had a Braun which heated up quickly and worked for ten years without a hitch. This kettle took long to boil, the surface became dangerously hot, and both the on/off switch and the water level indicator stuck. Avoid.