Customer Reviews

Melitta MEK17W 1.7-Liter Express Kettle

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Some reviews here say that the auto-shutoff may be unreliable. I boiled a liter of water to test this. It shut off after 10 seconds of vigorous boiling. I repeated the experiment with the spout filter removed. It failed to shut down automatically - I switched it off after 30 seconds of rolling boil. Same with the lid open.

The spout filter is easily dislodged. This happened to me the very first time I filled the kettle. I have not observed that the lid closure is unreliable.

I like this kettle and will continue to use it with caution.

I hesitated to buy this kettle when my hot pot broke after years of college use because of some of the negative reviews, but I was desparate. It was the weekend when my hot pot broke, and I cannot make it through 8:30 Anatomy class without my cup of coffee. It was also the only one at Target that wasn't the $10 kind that I broke from daily use.

So far I've had it for a couple of months and have encountered no problems. I fill it up in the morning. Boil some water and make my morning cup of Joe. The automatic stop always works, and I don't have a problem with it at all. I use it on average 2 times a day. Once in the morning for coffee and then once in the evening for tea. Doesn't show any sign of giving out any time soon.

The only complaint I have about this kettle is that it is not really express. I try not to boil more water than I need to cut down on the time it takes to boil my water. It does take a bit of time to boil the water, but I am always multitasking so it's not a huge deal.

I have never needed to boil more than 1.0 L max of water. But I've watched this kettle before and I would never boil the 1.75 L max that they have marked. It looks dangerous and prone to boiling over.

A friend has been using this kettle for close to 5 years, and I bought this on his recommendation. I've had it for 6 months now, and it works flawlessly. The kettle is very safe to use, especially when you pour out the hot water. A couple of times, though, the auto shut-off feature did not work properly. The second time this happened I figured out that each of those times the lid had not been pressed shut. Since then, I make sure the lid is pressed down when I turn the kettle on and it has been working flawlessly. Plus, its relatively easy to clean.

As far as aesthetics and build quality are concerned, I am very picky and this kettle has been more than satisfactory on both counts.

I agree with the previous review except my problem is that on the second time I used it boiling water poured out of the bottom all over my counters & onto the floor which potentially could have scalded my dogs or a child or even an adult had they been standing near the counter. I'm waiting to see what Melitta says about a credit as I do not want another item like this. This was given to me as a gift.

I also reported it to recalls at www.cspc.gov I suggest anyone with the same saftey issues does the same. This item needs to be recalled

I bought this kettle a while ago and I use it at LEAST twice a day every day and so far it works fine. I just make sure not to fill it up past the 1.7 maximum L line because I think that might knock the filter out when the water boils. So far it's never failed me and it's enabled me to drink tea instead of coffee every morning

It's very very fast compared to a kettle, I was amazed at how quickly the water boiled and how simple it was to make boiled water. It can sit almost anywhere (I have it on top of my desk so with a flip of the switch it turns on and I have tea within minutes without having to go to the kitchen).

After having this kettle I cannot understand how anyone would ever want to use a stove to make boiled water anymore.

The automatic shut off has been working fine for me, the pot itself doesn't feel too hot when the water is boiled because it is made out of plastic (as opposed to metal which becomes scaldingly hot when the water is boiling) so I dont' have to worry about burning myself on the pot.

All in all I think this is a fantastic investment and a great time saver.

I asked for a tea kettle as a birthday present a couple of years ago after reading about them on Alton Brown's website. My husband thought it was a silly gift, but obliged. This wasn't the brand I wanted but we couldn't be happier with it--in fact, I just bought another one for my husband's office. We're well into our second year of daily use with this kettle and have had no problems with it whatsoever. I travel often for business and even take it with me when I'm driving. Really a fantastic product; follow the directions and it should serve you well. 2008 update...and we just bought our third for our second home. Truly an outstanding product!

This is an excellent device for boiling water. Faster than a conventional kettle on a gas range, auto shut off*** and no annoying whistle. ***But be aware that it shuts off after detecting pressure build up from the boiling water. If the lid is open or if the screen on the spout is off, the pressure escapes and kettle continues to boil. Excellent gift idea.

As of this writing, this little guy has performed reliably for me over the past 2 months with at least daily use. Bought on sale at Tahget, the hands-down best feature for me is that the metal floor is what heats the water. This allows me to boil a minimal amount of water (no heating element requiring full immersion) for my single-serving lifestyle. The cordless feature has been really handy, too, and the design is cute and Michael Graves-like.

My only gripe is that the kettle closes to a small top opening, and the inside won't dry out unless I leave the lid open. Haven't had any auto shut-off problems just yet (due to a dislodged filter/ajar lid), but will update if any problems emerge. Perfect for small apartments and college dorms, tea aficionados and instant-oatmeal breakfasters alike!

i love my kettle--i bought it my first year of college, used it daily, and packed it away when i went home for the summer. i was afraid as my second year started that my kettle wouldn't work after such a long period of inactivity, but it was still in perfect working condition. i've had it at least 3 years now, and it's endured quite a lot of abuse, yet still works as well as the day i first used it. the only complaint would be the noise as the water approaches boiling--it's a very loud roar which can be very unsettling, especially with sleeping roommates around. overall, this kettle has never failed me, and i can't imagine it doing so any time soon.

**edit**

apr. 2009

still working!

Our family purchased one of these for my son at college. I chose this model because it had an auto-shutoff. It works exactly as it says it should, consistently and well. It heats water quickly (time depends on how full it is) and shuts off when the water boils. Because the housing is plastic, it doesn't get hot to the touch.

Since my son came home, we've been using it around the house. Today we purchased a second one for my partner to use at work, because he's become so fond of the one we have at home. I have a nice Revereware copper bottom tea kettle, but it now sits idle.