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List Price: $79.99
Sale Price: $38.33
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I read reviews for many electric kettles and in the end chose the great Oster 5965. It had no reviews at all, but had all the features that were important to us:
Concealed Element
Short cord/cord keeper
Auto-off, no whistle
Boil dry protection
Mesh/screen pouring filter
Water level indicator
This kettle boils water quickly and my favorite feature is the Keep Warm button. Especially helpful if you tend to get sidetracked like I do. Just don't forget to turn it off! It pours neatly, looks nice on the counter, and is great when you are cooking and need boiling water. The on/off switch is a rocker button and the Keep Warm is a push button. These two were a plus for me as they are sturdy to the touch. I felt the spring type switch on the Aroma (a contender) felt flimsy and that the time would come when it would not 'catch' in the on position.
The only con is the opening for adding water is rather small. I was concerned about cleaning it, however there are directions in the manual for cleaning it with a mix of white vinegar and water, allowing it to sit overnight to remove any scale buildup.
If you have read reviews of other products where people complain that the kettle gets hot, this one is no different. But what do you expect from a steel kettle that is full of boiling water?? It's no different than if it had been sitting on the stove except that you didn't have to heat up the element and have the residual heat from the stove heating up your kitchen.
I paid $40 at Target and I recommend this Oster Brushed Stainless Steel Kettle.
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I bought this kettle to replace a plastic kettle that I've had for years. Concerns over plastic in contact with boiling water convinced me to buy a stainless kettle. There is a little plastic in the water with this kettle from the water level indicator but it is greatly reduced from my all-plastic version.
I bought this at Target because I wanted to check out the inside of it before purchase; there were no pictures online which is why I posted some at the top of this page.
It is 1500 watts and boils water fast. Also has a keep warm feature which is something I don't need. I have had no leaking water problems.
The opening is small but I can get my bottle brush inside to clean with no problem. The mesh filter pops right off. If you develop scale, just pour in a cup or so of vinegar, add some water & let it sit for an hour. I have very hard water so I do this every other week. I fill the kettle from my refrigerator water tap because that water is filtered. I had tried another pot before buying this one but I could not use my refrigerator tap; water ended up on the floor. This kettle has a nice flared spout that makes filling easy. I remove the mesh strainer when filling. I'm contemplating removing the metal bar that holds the strainer because I don't really need the strainer. The strainer hangs securely on that bar; no clicking anything to lock it. It's really simple/smart.
You'll see my little back dots on the water level indicator. (I'm referring to my photo above.) I added those with a Sharpie so I know how much water I need for everyday coffee making. I use the pour-over method to brew coffee directly in to my carafe. I use more water on the weekend, less during work week & the least when it's just me. I need things simple in the AM before I've had my coffee! The measurements are in liters on one side and cups on the other side of the indicator. This is very helpful.
Yes, it gets very hot when boiling water; it's a metal kettle with boiling water. Treat it like you would a hot pan on the stove you grab the handle not the pan. The handle is very comfortable to grip & far enough away from the body of the kettle to prevent burning. Also the kettle spins on its base so there is no need to grab the body to move it around. Just grab the handle & you're good to go. Yes, steam comes out of the spout & you may want to direct the spout facing out from under your cabinets; boiling water creates steam. Do not exceed the max water level. I tried that to see what would happen. It burped some hot water out of the spout; you could burn yourself doing that.
The "Keep Warm" feature keeps the water below boiling for up to 12 hours as long as there is enough water in the kettle. If there isn't enough water, the kettle has a "boil-dry, fail-safe device" which turns the kettle off. You just push a button to use this feature. I never use it but according to the instruction manual, the water is kept at 70 C / 158 F.
The cord wraps around underneath the electric base so it's out of the way. I always unplug this device when not in use. Just like my iron and toaster.
This is a pretty, curvy kettle; one of the nicest designs I've seen. I like the brushed stainless which looks nice next to my brushed stainless carafe.
Update 5/2013: I still use this kettle although I moved it to my cabin so it only gets used on weekends now. The kettle does not leak, still heats quickly & still looks good.
My coffee bean grinder: Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, Black
This is my carafe:
Copco 2 Quart Thermal Capacity Brushed Stainless Steel Carafe
I brew directly into the carafe using this filter cone (pour-over method):
RSVP Maunual Drip Coffee Filter Cone for Carafes or Thermos
I use these filters:
Melitta Cone Coffee Filters, Natural Brown, No. 6, 40-Count Filters (Pack of 12)
Best Deals for Oster 5965 1-1/2-Liter Electric Water Kettle, Stainless Steel
The Oster stainless steel electric kettle lives up to its reputation in our household. We replaced our old and trusted plastic Oster electric kettle of many years good service, because we became concerned with boiling water in plastic which can leach toxins. The new design is beautiful to look at and has the added advantage of a "keep warm" feature the older model did not have. It is a bit less easy to read the water gauge, but you get used to it. It still boils water very fast, keeps it warm if you so wish and has no nasty taste or smell like so many other models you read about. It is heavenly for a tea drinker like me who drinks as many as ten cups a day!! Perfect for a fast oatmeal, instant coffee, instant soup, jello, adding boiling water when cooking soup and much more. At your finger tips, withing a couple of minutes are 1.5L of fresh boiling water. It turns itself off, swivels 360degrees. Love our Oster. Very well built and we expect to enjoy many years of good service like we did the previous Oster model.
Honest reviews on Oster 5965 1-1/2-Liter Electric Water Kettle, Stainless Steel
I loved this kettle as the other reviewers did but at six months it started leaking thru the bottom. I don't know if this is a design flaw or a fluke.
UPDATE: I contacted customer service and was sent a new kettle with a slightly different design but the same item number. The design flaws appear to have been addressed and this one has had no problems even with daily use. We've already purchased another for my daughter at college.
UPDATE 2: The replacement kettle is now over a year old and still working great. Whoever gets up first turns it on and it is on most of the day almost everyday with several refills. Upgrading to 5 stars!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Oster 5965 1-1/2-Liter Electric Water Kettle, Stainless Steel
Number one, the price was irresistible and it is true stainless, not cheap plastic looking stainless At the time of this writing it was $30 or so. I am so tired of sticking a measuring cup in the microwave to create hot water this is such a time saver. I use this mainly to heat water for:
1) French Press Coffee
2) Tea
3) Soups
4) Grits and Oatmeal Instant Type
5) Unexpected Entertaining
6) The new Apple Cider Powder Mixes
7) Hot Chocolate
And the list goes on. I use only distilled water in the unit which will help the life of the unit by a few years and with any luck the life of me.
It does heat up fast only two minutes when it was half full and that may be incredibly valuable if electric is being rationed because I live in hurricane alley and have been out of electric weeks at a time. Being able to "borrow" a few minutes of someone's generator definitely comes to mind. This is also a great gift for someone already in such a situation. I also love this appliance for "boil water" advisories which we are seeing more and more of in any state in the nation. So, yes, I would not worry about distilled if I really need water during a boil water advisory and I would use this kettle.
I actually bought this because I will be away from home for a few months...and in "camp" like conditions. Luxuries will be few and so this is one of my picks to be with me.
For anyone in snow conditions this unit has to be a total necessity. I will have this with me when I go on a two week ski trip this upcoming holiday season. In fact I will plan a lot of ski meals around this kettle.
Downside? Well, I initially flipped out the cord was so short however, being short seems to be a big asset now and it is attractive enough to earn its prime property location in my kitchen.
EXTRA THOUGHTS: Thermal Ware can be a huge plus. If you are doing powered soup mixes, grits, oatmeal or noodles anything, you will need some heat retention capability because boiling water is not enough for some foods.
I am liking this series to buy next and in different colors so I know whose is whose when I am making small meals.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Foogo-Proof-Stainless-Steel/dp/B0025Y6742
