KitchenAid Artisan 1.5L Kettle Review

The KitchenAid Artisan 1.5L Kettle is an attractive, sturdy kettle that keeps water warm for longer than many similar devices. It offers a choice of water temperatures, so it is ideal for making different types of drink, from coffee to herbal teas. To top it all, the styling is immaculate; this is one kettle you’ll be proud to have on your kitchen counter. In short, it’s a great kettle, but you’re going to really have to want it at this price.

The Artisan 1.5L Kettle is part of KitchenAid’s range of premium appliances, known for handsome, sturdy design. While it comes at a hefty price, the Artisan kettle is a pleasure to use. Not only is it fast, it also keeps your water warm for longer.

Most importantly, you can specify the water temperature between 50 and 100°C.

Design and features

With a shape reminiscent of a traditional kettle, the KitchenAid Artisan kettle is not the lightest, weighing around 1.3kg without the base. But the sturdiness is part of its charm, as is the retro-looking round temperature gauge on its side, which lets you follow the heating process.

The Artisan kettle is available in six different colours: Empire Red, Candy Apple, Cast Iron Black, Onyx Black, Almond Cream and Medallion Silver. I tested the Empire Red version and can attest that neither the stainless-steel body nor the soft-grip rubber and metal handle showed many fingerprints.

On top of the handle you’ll find a round black button that pops the lid open. Should the metallic lid gets hot, there’s a rubberised area that’s safe to touch. The one niggle here is that the lid will only open part way, so you have to use something to push it open further. It’s fine using your hands when the kettle isn’t warm, but be careful when refilling a hot kettle.

The water indicator is situated behind the handle, a common, albeit annoying, position often used by kettle manufacturers. The markings are clear to read and come in handy 0.25-litre increments.

The controls of the KitchenAid Artisan kettle are located on its base. A sliding knob lets you choose temperatures of 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 95 or 100°C, lighting up with each increment like a status bar.

The power switch is slightly out of the way on the side of the base, but once you’re familiar with its location, using it becomes second nature. When you first connect the kettle to a power outlet or start the boiling process, it emits a trill, which also sounds when it has finished heating your water.

Performance

The beauty of a variable-temperature kettle such as the KitchenAid Artisan is that you can heat water to a temperature best suited to your drink of choice. While the optimal temperature for black tea and instant coffee is 90°C, many green teas are best brewed at 70 or 80°C.

It’s important, therefore, that the temperatures a variable-setting kettle purports to offer are accurate. The KitchenAid Artisan kettle produced consistent results across different temperatures, with variations of less than 2°C.

To reach 100°C, the Artisan kettle only took around two minutes 24 seconds when boiling a litre of water – a decent result given that some kettles achieve that temperature in about three minutes.

After 10 minutes, the water was at 86°C, reducing to 80°C after 20 minutes and 75°C after half an hour. After a full hour the water was still a respectable 65°C.

Should I buy it?

If you have the cash to spare and like the KitchenAid Artisan’s sturdy look, then this kettle won’t disappoint. But if you’re after a more affordable variable-temperature kettle, the Sage Smart Kettle comes with an extra keep-warm function.