Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 Review
A simple and powerful kettle
Verdict
With its low minimum boil of 250ml and wide range of temperature selections, the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 is a great kettle that’s easy to pour. I’d have preferred a flip-up lid and choice of colours, but if this kettle suits your décor, it’s a great choice.
Pros
- 250ml minimum boil
- Easy to pour
- Multiple temperatures
Cons
- Have to remove lid to fill
- Only available in one colour
Key Features
- Minimum and maximum boilThis kettle has a minimum boil of 250ml and a maximum of 1.7l
- Temperature selectionSelectable temperatures: 20°C, 40°C, 70°C, 80°C, 85°C, 90°C, 95°C and 100°C
Introduction
Filling out its product range of small kitchen appliances, the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 is a great kettle with a low minimum boil and lots of temperature choices.
But is it good enough to be considered one of the best kettles that you can buy? Having tested it extensively, here’s my full review.
Design and features
- Large 1.7-litre capacity
- Multiple temperatures
- Minimum 250ml boil
Designed to fit in with the company’s other Series 5 products, such as the Haier I-Master Series 5 Toaster, the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 is finished in the same obsidian black colour. This gives the kettle a sleek, modern look, although it’s a shame that other colours aren’t available for those who want a splash of colour in their lives.
This jug kettle has a large 1.7-litre maximum capacity, so you can boil a lot of water, say for filling a pan before cooking pasta. It’s nice to see that the minimum boil is just 250ml – half that of many kettles and just about right for a single mug of tea or coffee.
To fill the kettle, you have to remove the lid, as there’s no fill-level window on the inside. I did find the markings on the inside easy to read. I’d have preferred a flip-up lid, as these make it easier to fill the kettle when it’s hot already.
There’s a removable limescale filter on the spout, which can be cleaned or replaced should it need it.
Using the kettle is easy. Hit the power button on the dock, and the kettle remembers the last temperature setting you used. You have a few seconds to change the target temperature, selecting between 20°C (a little pointless, really), 40°C, 70°C, 80°C, 85°C, 90°C, 95°C and 100°C.
Having a range like this is useful, both to suit the type of drink that you want to make and also to save energy by not having to heat water past the temperature you require.
As the kettle heats up, the temperature icons flash and then go solid to show progress. It’s a handy way to keep an eye on what’s going on. There’s then just a gentle beep at the end when the kettle reaches its target temperature.
Unlike the LED readout on the Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle KT200UK, the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 can’t show you the kettle’s current temperature. That can be useful. For example, I can look at the Ninja KT200UK and see if it’s hot enough to use the water or if I need to reheat.
A keep warm button will maintain the kettle’s temperature for 30 minutes, which is handy if you’ve got multiple drinks to make and want access to consistent hot water.
Although it’s quite tall, the Kettle I-Master Series 5 is easy to hold and pour with precision.
Performance
- Boils fast
- Power efficient
Boiling 1.5 litres of water, the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 drew its maximum of 3kW of power, using a total of 0.16kWh and taking 3m 44s. That’s what I’d expect from a kettle of this kind of power.
Running the kettle on its lowest fill level (250ml) took just 1m 3s to boil the water, using just 0.046kWh of power. Repeating at 500ml (the minimum level on many kettles), the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 took 1m 40s to boil the water, using 0.069kWh of power.
Lowering temperatures can help, too. Setting the kettle to 95°C and filling it with 500ml of water, I found that the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 took 1m 36s to bring the water to temperature, using 0.061kWh of power. That’s a small reduction in cost, compared to boiling, but all energy savings are worth it, and the kettle is at the right temperature when finished, and you don’t have to wait for it to cool.
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Should you buy it?
You want lots of temperature selections
This kettle has a wide variety of temperature choices, making it ideal for a huge number of drinks.
You prefer a kettle with colour
Available in one colour only, you may prefer a rival if you want something brighter and bolder to match your kitchen.
Final Thoughts
I’d have liked to have seen a few different colour choices, but if the Haier Kettle I-Master Series 5 suits your kitchen, it’s an easy-to-use kettle with a wide range of temperature choices.
If you fancy something different, then our guide to the best kettles can help.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every kettle we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main kettle for the review period
We measure the temperature of the water for different settings, and see how well insulated each kettle is by measuring 1-litre of boiled water after 20 minutes.
We boil one litre of water to see how fast the kettle is.
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FAQs
This kettle takes a minimum of 250ml, which is just about enough for a single cup.
Full specs
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
