I constantly find myself boiling water for hot drinks, so it made sense for me to switch to an electric kettle. I’ve tried several different models, but currently, I’m loving my Aroma AWK-290BD 6-Cup Digital Electric Water Kettle. This kettle has everything I need for a quick, easy cup of tea.
It’s a six-cup kettle that gives me five temperature choices apart from simply boiling water. Each temperature preset will stay warm for twenty minutes. The IntelliTemp display gives me a constant readout of what the water temperature is, making it easy to get just the degree I’m looking for.
There’s a multi-color display that changes the hue to let me know how warm my water is getting.
The kettle is even easy to pour since it will lift right off the heating base once it’s done. The AWK-290BD is a quick, easy way to heat and maintain the water – I’ve had many delicious cups of tea thanks to its solid performance.
The Good
Good Preset Temperatures: The temperatures pre-set into the kettle are very good for making tea. Each type of tea seems to have its own ideal water temperature, so it’s handy to be able to select the right temperature at the push of a button. Once the water heats to just below the temperature it switches to keep warm mode, allowing the water to heat to the perfect level and then stay there.
Color Changing Display: I’ve seen this feature in other kettles. Although it’s not really all that crucial to me, I do have to admit it’s pretty fun. Instead of having to keep an eye on the thermometer reading, I can get an estimate of how warm the water is from across the room. This comes in handy if I have other things to do around the house while the water is boiling. My kids love it too: it’s fun to see them get excited as the colors move from green to red.
Accurate Thermometer: While the color change display is fun, it’s not as useful as the IntelliTemp display. This built-in thermometer gives a very accurate readout of how warm the water is. I’ve tested it against a handheld thermometer and have found it to be quite accurate.
Cordless: One of the kettles I’ve used in the past had a cord that couldn’t be removed, which made pouring very awkward. I definitely prefer kettles like the AWK 290BD that sit on a base while they heat. Once your water is done you can just lift it off and pour. Once it’s lifted up the kettle shuts off, so there are no worries about overheating.
Measures in Cups: This is just a small point, but I love that this kettle measures in cups rather than ounces. It’s a lot easier for me to measure the water that way, which makes this kettle much more efficient.
The Bad
Keep Warm Mode Shuts Off When Lifted: When you take the kettle off its base the “keep warm” mode shuts itself off. You have to turn it back on if you want to keep the remaining water hot after you pour. This is an important safety feature, though, so I’m willing to put up with the inconvenience.
Short Cord: I wish the cord on the base was a little bit longer than it is right now. While I am able to get it plugged in, I had to rearrange everything else on my counter in order to do so. This hasn’t been a problem since I rearranged my counter, though, so it’s certainly not a deal-breaker for me.
Using this kettle makes me think of another similar appliance, the Saeco 1167 50-Ounce Electric Water Kettle. The Saeco also has the color-changing feature, although on that model the color changing portion takes up more of the kettle. It’s a little more subtle on the Aroma AWK, which I like a little bit better. Because more of the kettle is made out of stainless steel it looks a bit better in my kitchen and matches some of my other appliances.
The Aroma AWK 290BD is definitely earning its keep from the amount of time and effort it saves me. The color change display and accurate thermometer tell me at a glance how warm my water is, and the keep-warm function keeps it at the perfect temperature.
The kettle works quickly and is easy to pour. It even looks great in my kitchen! If you’re thinking of switching to an electric kettle, or are just looking for one that will work well, I think you’d be really pleased with this model.
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