KitchenAid Variable Temperature Kettle 1.7 L Review: stylish tea kettle with a few annoying quirks

I’ve been using this KitchenAid 1.7 L variable temperature kettle in Almond Cream for a few weeks, and I’ll be honest: it’s not bad, but it’s not flawless either. On the box it ticks a lot of boxes: variable temperature, 1.7 L capacity, 2400 W so it boils fast, stainless steel interior, removable limescale filter. Basically, everything you’d expect from a mid-to-high range kettle that’s meant to sit permanently on the countertop and look the part.

In everyday use, it does what it’s supposed to do: it boils water quickly and lets you pick your temperature, which is handy if you drink a lot of green tea, coffee with a specific temp, or you make baby bottles and don’t want boiling water. The temperature control is the main reason to buy this model over a cheaper basic kettle, and on that part, it’s pretty solid. The water heats up fast and the set temperature seems accurate enough for normal use.

Where it gets less convincing is when you start adding the price into the equation and compare it with other kettles that do the same thing. This thing is not cheap, and for the money I kind of expect zero basic issues. But there are a couple of details that bugged me: the lid mechanism is fussy, the sound it makes when you start and finish a boil will annoy some people, and I’m not thrilled to see some buyers having failures after just a week. For a brand like KitchenAid, and at this price, that’s not great.

So if you’re looking at this kettle thinking “I want something that looks good on the counter and lets me control water temperature”, yes, it goes in that direction. But you need to accept that you’re paying a premium mostly for the brand and the design, and that it’s not perfect. It gets the job done, but there are a couple of quirks that you should know about before hitting the buy button.

Let’s talk money, because that’s where this kettle is harder to justify. It’s clearly positioned as a premium product. Several buyers mention it’s expensive, and I agree. For the price of this KitchenAid, you can easily find other variable-temperature kettles from brands like Russell Hobbs, Bosch, or even some lesser-known brands that do roughly the same job for less. So the real question is: are you getting enough extra to make the higher price worth it?

On the positive side, you do get solid performance (fast boil, usable temperature control), a stainless steel interior, and a design that looks good on the counter, especially if you already have other KitchenAid appliances. The Almond Cream colour and general look are clearly part of what you’re paying for. The kettle feels more “serious” than a cheap plastic one, and if you care about matching your kitchen aesthetic, that matters.

On the downside, for this kind of price, I expect almost zero basic flaws. Here, we’ve got: a lid button that can be tricky or even faulty, an annoying “bong” sound that you can’t turn off, and at least one user whose unit died after a week. The Amazon rating of 3.7/5 with only 8 reviews doesn’t scream disaster, but it doesn’t scream strong value either. It’s more like “nice idea, but not fully nailed”. In practice, you’re paying a clear premium for the brand name and the look, not for bulletproof reliability.

If you just want something that boils water and you don’t care about matching your stand mixer or having that specific colour, you can get better value for money from cheaper brands that still offer variable temperature and a stainless steel body. If, on the other hand, you’re already in the KitchenAid ecosystem, like the design, and you’re okay paying extra for that, then the value is acceptable but not great. It’s one of those products where you’re kind of paying for the logo and the aesthetic, and you have to be aware of that before buying.

Design-wise, this kettle is clearly made to sit on the counter and be seen. The Almond Cream colour is that typical KitchenAid off-white that matches their stand mixers, so if you already have their mixer or toaster, it will fit right in. The finish is brushed, not glossy, which helps hide fingerprints and small scratches a bit better. It’s not tiny: the dimensions are about 16.3 x 21.8 x 25.6 cm, so it takes a fair bit of space, but that’s normal for a 1.7 L kettle.

The base is a standard 360° swivel base. You drop the kettle on it in any direction and it clicks into the connector in the middle. The power cable comes out of the base, not the kettle, which keeps the body free of clutter. The handle is wide enough and feels solid in the hand. The kettle itself weighs about 1.3 kg empty, and once you add 1.7 L of water (around 1.7 kg), you’re lifting around 3 kg total. That’s not light, but that’s the same ballpark as other 1.7 L stainless kettles.

Now, the part that annoys people is the hinged lid with push button. In theory, you press the button and the lid flips open smoothly so you can fill it under the tap. In reality, several users (and I’ve had it too) noticed the button can be temperamental. Sometimes you press and it barely budges, or you have to press in a very specific way or with more force than you’d like. On a brand new kettle at this price, that feels cheap. One review even said they returned it because the lid wouldn’t open from day one. That’s not a disaster for everyone, but it’s the kind of small daily annoyance that makes you swear under your breath when you’re half-awake making coffee.

The other design choice that divides people is the “ping” or “bong” sound it makes when you switch it on and when it finishes heating. One reviewer likes it and finds it “kind of cool”, another says it feels like being in a lift and hates it. Personally, I found it unnecessary. It’s not very loud, but in a small flat early in the morning or late at night, it’s noticeable. It’s not the end of the world, but I’d prefer if that sound could be turned off. So yeah, visually and ergonomically it’s mostly good, but you have to accept that lid and sound quirks as part of the package.

The kettle body is made of stainless steel with a brushed finish on the inside as well, which is a good point. I always prefer metal interiors over plastic when it comes to boiling water every day. It’s labelled as non-toxic, and there’s still some plastic on the handle, lid mechanism, and base, but the part in contact with the water is stainless steel. In daily use, there’s no weird plastic smell or taste, which is already better than some cheaper kettles that stink for the first week.

The limescale filter at the spout is removable and washable, which is kind of standard now, but still useful if you have hard water. You just pull it out, rinse it, and slot it back in. The hinge of the lid and the push-button mechanism are the weak points here. Mechanically, they work, but there’s clearly some inconsistency. Some units seem fine, others have the sticking issue from day one. That hints at quality control that’s not perfect rather than a full design failure, but when you’re paying this kind of price, it’s frustrating to gamble.

The base and electrical contacts feel normal for this range: nothing fancy, but they don’t feel flimsy. The cable is of standard thickness, not ultra thick industrial stuff but not thin junk either. Overall, in the hand, the kettle feels solid and not hollow, which is reassuring. You don’t get the feeling it will fall apart if you knock it gently against the sink. The brushed finish also helps hide small wear marks, so it should age decently from a cosmetic point of view.

The problem is when you start reading that one verified buyer had to return it after one week because it just stopped working. With only 8 reviews and a 3.7/5 average, that’s not a huge sample size, but it’s enough to raise an eyebrow. For a KitchenAid product made in China, that’s kind of what I expect now: good materials on paper, but some variability in assembly and electronics. In daily use, it feels solid enough, but if you’re unlucky and get a dud, you’ll be dealing with returns, which is not what you want for a premium-priced kettle.

For durability, I can only talk about a few weeks of use plus what other buyers report, and it’s a bit mixed. Physically, the kettle feels solid. The stainless steel body doesn’t flex, the handle doesn’t wobble, and the base sits flat on the counter. After a few weeks of daily use, I haven’t seen any weird discoloration or rust spots inside. Limescale builds up like on any kettle if you have hard water, but that’s not specific to this model – you just need to descale it from time to time.

The first warning sign is the lid mechanism. If it starts sticking or refusing to open when the kettle is brand new, that doesn’t give much confidence for how it’ll behave in two or three years. Some people reported having to return the product purely because the lid wouldn’t open properly from day one. That kind of mechanical annoyance tends to get worse with time, not better. So even if yours works fine out of the box, I’d keep an eye on it and not slam the lid shut too hard.

The second concern is the early failure one user mentions: after a week of use, the kettle just stopped working and had to be returned. With 8 reviews total and a rating of 3.7/5, that’s not a clear disaster, but it’s not reassuring either, especially for a product that’s more expensive than the average kettle. KitchenAid’s reputation used to be very strong, but with manufacturing in China and a lot of electrical components, you’re always at the mercy of a bad batch. At this price, I expect at least a feeling of “this will last me several years without drama”, and here I’m not 100% convinced.

So, in summary: the materials and general build feel robust, but there are question marks on quality control and electronics. If you get a good unit, it’ll probably last you several years with normal care (descaling, not dropping it, not forcing the lid). If you’re unlucky, you might end up dealing with returns in the first few weeks. For a premium-priced kettle, that’s a bit disappointing. I’d definitely keep the receipt and be ready to use the warranty if anything weird shows up in the first months.

On the performance side, this kettle does the main job well. With its 2400 W power, it boils water quickly. Compared to a basic 2000 W plastic kettle I had before, it’s clearly faster by roughly 20–30 seconds for about a litre of water. It’s not life-changing, but when you’re making multiple rounds of tea or coffee, you notice it. For a full 1.7 L, you’re looking at around 4 minutes from cold tap water to full rolling boil, which is pretty standard for this wattage.

The variable temperature control is where this model makes more sense. If you drink green tea, you can set it to a lower temperature and avoid burning the leaves. Same for pour-over coffee where people often aim for around 90–96°C instead of 100°C. In practice, the temperature control seems reasonably accurate. I don’t have lab gear, but compared to a kitchen thermometer, it’s close enough that I trust it. It stops heating promptly once it hits the chosen temperature and doesn’t keep boiling like crazy after that.

The automatic shut-off works as expected. Once it reaches the set temperature, it turns off and does its little “bong” tone. You won’t forget it’s done, that’s for sure. There’s no fancy keep-warm function advertised here, so if you let it sit too long you’ll just have to re-boil or re-heat to your desired temperature. For most people that’s fine. The spout is reasonably drip-less in normal use: if you pour steadily, you don’t get water running down the side. If you try to empty the last few drops super fast, you can get a tiny bit of splash, but nothing dramatic.

Compared with cheaper kettles without temperature control, the performance gap is really about that temperature precision and the slightly faster boil. If all you do is boil water for pasta and instant coffee and you don’t care about exact temperature, the extra features are kind of wasted on you. But if you’re picky about tea or coffee, the performance is actually where this kettle justifies itself. It’s just a bit of a shame that the good performance is paired with small ergonomic issues and some doubt on long-term reliability.

On paper, the KitchenAid 5KEK1701BAC is a fairly complete electric kettle. It has a 1.7 L capacity, which is enough for a couple of big mugs plus a teapot, or for making pasta water for one or two people. The power is listed at 2400 W, so it boils pretty fast – in practice, going from room temperature to boiling for about 1 L takes around 2–3 minutes, which is in line with other kettles in this range. It runs on 240 V, so it’s clearly targeted at UK/EU-style markets.

There’s a variable temperature control, which is the whole point of this model. You can choose different temperatures instead of just “off or full boil”. That’s handy if you drink a lot of green or white tea (which don’t like boiling water), pour-over coffee, or you just don’t want water scalding hot. There’s also automatic temperature control, meaning it stops heating once it hits the set temperature, and it shuts off by itself, so you’re not going to boil it dry easily.

In terms of practical features, it has a 360° rotating base, so you can place the kettle back on the stand from any angle, which is standard but still convenient. The water level gauge helps you avoid overfilling, and the removable and washable limescale filter is there at the spout to catch bits of scale if you live in a hard water area. The spout is sold as “drip-less”, and in normal use it does pour fairly cleanly if you don’t rush it like crazy.

The overall promise is clear: a mid-size, stainless steel, variable-temp kettle that looks nice enough to leave out, boils quickly, and offers a bit more control than a cheap supermarket kettle. That’s the theory. In practice, it mostly does that, but some details – especially the lid button and the noise it makes when starting and stopping – show that the product isn’t as polished as the price and brand might make you expect.