The Swan SK13110 kettle is available
in a range of colours to suit most kitchen décors and currently available singly
for £19.99, with a 2 slice toaster for £45 or with a 4 slice toaster for £55.
When my emergency (bought in a tea deprived panic), kettle sprung a sizeable
leak, I decided that I would have to fork out more than my usual £10. My
love of 'kitchen blue' mean that my choices were limited, but the reviews
seemed good so it was worth the risk.
Now I was aware when researching my purchase that kettle information would be limited, however what I could find out was ridiculously poor quality.
1.7 litre capacity (The average for any kettle)
Concealed element (Very common feature, but still nice to
know)
360° rotational base (Doesn't the image give that away?)
Water gauge indicator (In case you thought it was a sticker
on the picture?)
Fast boil and boil dry protection (Unless its an urn its not a fast boil,
'fast' is relevant)
Now for what they don't tell you, the
little points that can make or break a kettles appeal. It stands at 23cm high
and has a 16cm diameter base, which can make it appear quite large and
chunky. It's empty weight is 800g, which might not sound a lot, but is
definitely a hefty beast which makes it a poor choice for your frail Granny.
The cord length from plug to base is
60cm, not long enough in my opinion, however my plugs are raised from the worktop,
so I guess it would depend on your own circumstances.
The little indicator light on the
tubed switch it just that, little. But less is more so perhaps its a statement
rather than a 'glowing' beacon for beverages.
The lid clip seems extremely stiff, I
know this will soften with age, and sincerely hope it does before the kettles unavoidable
demise.
The handle is more than generous even
for my shovel like hands, though don't make the mistake of grabbing it anywhere
near the top. The lid hinge has a predilection for spewing steam at misplaced fingers, ( I will learn eventually!).
The water
gauge indicator on the side is peculiarly mounted, it isn't
flush to the side. Instead it juts out which might ruin the looks for
some. Also watch yourself on the outer casing as it doesn't seem particularly well insulated and can become extremely hot (boiling even!) especially the spout.
When you have an extreme addiction to
tea derived caffeine, like me, you quickly learn that the most important
kitchen feature you could own is a reliable kettle. Finding one is the
struggle. My longest lasting kettle lived for 3 years, the irony being
that it was a Tesco value one for under £5. The wonderful one cup kettles
only lasted me 6 months and I won't even name the expensive models that were
nothing but tea-less grief.
So far this chunky beast has
performed on par with expectations, but the future is always uncertain. Hence
an extended warranty!
Fun facts from Swan website
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