Why I Bought the Cuisinart Aura Tea Kettle
I am absent-minded. I make a lot of tea. As I start each day I put the water on to boil for my morning pot of tea. Then I go to my office to check my email or Twitter. I always mean to take my digital timer with me, but even when I remember to take it, I sometimes forget to set it.
My old stainless steel tea kettle had no whistle. You can probably guess what happened. Yes! I forgot all about the water. Hubby wasn't home. A couple of hours later I finally went to the kitchen to get something, but it was too late. The kettle was not only dry, but the bottom was black inside and out. I knew the pot was beyond hope.
I should have learned after letting the kettle burn dry a couple of other times that I should not leave the kitchen when the kettle is on. I was able to salvage the pot before because it was dry but not yet black. This time I knew I needed a new tea kettle -- one with a loud whistle.
Unpacking my Cuisinart Aura Tea Kettle |
I Order the Cuisinart CTK-S17MR Aura Kettle
Before I ordered the Aura Tea Kettle, I read so many reviews of stainless steel tea kettles my head was swimming. Not a one of them had all five-star ratings. But this one had a four-star rating out of over a hundred reviews, and as I looked before I started writing today there were 151 reviews.
I needed a kettle that would heat at least two quarts quickly. It had to be heavy enough to take a bit of abuse. I had to be able to fill it easily from the reverse osmosis faucet. The handle had to stay cool when the kettle was hot. The top had to be easy to remove and the kettle had to work on my glass-top electric stove.
In addition, I wanted the tea kettle to look happy in my kitchen and be reasonably priced.This model comes in many colors, and I picked the red tea kettle because it looked best in my kitchen. Most important, of course, the tea kettle had to have a whistle loud enough to hear from my computer room.
Directions for Using the Aura Tea Kettle
After unpacking my new tea kettle, I read the directions and followed them.- Wash with warm soapy water and rinse before first use.
- Don't fill past the fill line.
- Use a medium high setting on the stove.
- After the kettle reaches a full boil, let it sit for 20 seconds before pouring.
Getting My New Tea Kettle Ready to Use |
My Review
I have now had my tea kettle for six months. The finish is still shiny. There is no sign of rust on the inside or outside. No plastic has melted from the handle or spout lid. I have followed the directions to use only medium high heat, so I have used a seven setting on my stove instead of the highest setting that I used with my old kettle. I have found that a full kettle heats in about ten minutes. I'm wondering if those who gave this tea kettle bad reviews followed the directions.The one thing I would change would be to put the fill line where it is visible from the inside of the kettle when I'm filling it. It's under the spout on the outside. I now know where that line would be if it were on the inside, and I've had no problems. I just think it would be more convenient to have the fill line on the inside under the spout instead of on the outside.
The whistle is very loud, but I can still get distracted if I'm on the computer. For this reason I also take a portable timer set for ten minutes with me into my computer room. When the timer goes off or the whistle screams at me, I head back to the kitchen. I let the boiling water sit for 20 seconds, as per directions, and then pour it into a large teapot. After it steeps for five minutes I'm ready for that first cup of morning tea.
I highly recommend this tea kettle. The timer also helps keep me focused. When I'm concentrating on writing I can forget almost anything unless it's ringing on my desk a foot from my ears. If I step away from my desk, I will hear the whistle from wherever I go and head for the kitchen.
If you need a new tea kettle or want to get one as a gift, I believe you should consider this one. And while you're at it, get the timer, too. You will find lots of uses for it since you can set it for hours, minutes, and seconds.
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A timer is an absolute necessity for me, Barbara as otherwise my computer time would most likely lead to burned food in the kitchen and me being late to work. And a teapot with a whistle is very helpful. One can get distracted by the computer or even the TV without realizing how fast time goes by. Thanks for your helpful review.
ReplyDeleteI use that timer for much more than tea. I use it to wake me up to take my heart meds in the morning. I can't afford not to take them on time. I set it again to take my evening dose so that I don't get distracted on the computer. I use it if I want to work on the computer when I'm boiling eggs or have some other thing going on in the kitchen. I like that I can set it for up to twelve hours.I don't know what I'd do without it.
DeleteFirst, I wish to say, what a beautiful teapot! Like you, I have ruined a teapot or two in my time. A whistle would certainly be a big improvement. I can hear mine when it is boiling if I am listening for it, but it does whistle. I had no idea there was a fill limit on a teapot! When I am drinking tea, I doubt I have ever exceeded that recommended amount, but when I am melting ice on the stairs with it, I fill that teapot to the top. Right now, I don't need a new teapot, but when I do, I am coming back to this review to buy the Cuisinart Aura Kettle.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure all tea kettles have a fill limit. I confess I've never read the directions on any other one I've had. I think it's designed so you won't fill the pot too close to the level where the spout is. That prevents the water from boiling into the spout and possibly leaking onto the stove. I'm guessing that as more people started suing companies for every little thing, the companies are putting as many warnings as possible on their products and in their directions.
DeleteHey Barbara, I think I need one of these. I don't have a kettle at all and have boiled a pan dry while being otherwise occupied. I think a good loud whistle would help me remember that I put water up on the stove. I don't like to use more electricity than necessary either....So I think I just might have to get me one of these!
ReplyDeleteI used to have a whistling teapot and really liked it. This teapot sounds ideal. The timer is essential for sure, otherwise, yes, I'd be burning a tea kettle or two! Excellent review, thanks for the heads up on this one.
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