Stellar SEA35 Electrical Glass Kettle Review

Verdict

For the minimalist kitchen, nothing could be more pleasing than a glass kettle. Not only is there nothing to distract visually when it’s off, but there’s a mesmerising show of light and bubbles when it's on. In addition, Stellar’s electrical glass kettle won't see you blow your minimal budget; it costs less than £30. However, a 2.2kW element means that this kettle is slower than some others – from cold, it boiled a litre of water in 3mins 10secs, and its full 1.7-litre capacity in 5mins 24secs.

Pros

• Modern glass design
• Pours smoothly
• Easy to see fill level since there's no water window

Cons

• Needs to be descaled and cleaned regularly
• Slow to boil
• Limescale filter difficult to remove

Visually unobtrusive when off and enjoyable to watch when it’s working, Stellar’s Glass Kettle would make a great addition to almost any kitchen. Being completely clear means you can see exactly how much water you’re boiling and how far into the boiling process it is from the other side of the room.

It has plenty of practical features – boil-dry protection, a swivel base and a concealed element – but, like all glass kettles, limescale may be an issue if you live in a hard-water area.

Stellar SEA35 Electrical Glass Kettle design and features – Clever all-glass design

• Compact and short enough to fit under wall units
• Lights up when on
• No cup measurements

Glass kettles aren’t for everyone, but if colour isn’t your cup of tea then Stellar’s SEA35 Electrical Glass Kettle is a great-value option. Note, too, that inside it’s plastic-free, meaning that water will only ever boil against glass and the stainless-steel concealed element.

Admittedly, the limescale filter, spout and lid are made from plastic, but the overall impression is a premium one. The limescale filter in the spout doesn’t have the best design: with larger holes than a mesh filter, it may not provide the best defence against limescale in your mug – and, while it can be popped out, it’s awkward to do so.

At 1.7 litres, capacity is excellent considering that the kettle is a short, compact shape. Other niggles include the lack of cup measurements on the side, meaning you’ll need to adjust to boiling in litres, plus the measurements present are only in 500ml increments, so there’s guesswork involved for boiling 750ml, 1.2 litres and so on.

Stellar SEA35 Electrical Glass Kettle Performance – You may be waiting a while

• One litre boils in 3mins 10secs
• Pours evenly without splashes
• Full capacity took 5mins 24secs to boil

Filling the Stellar SEA35 Electrical Glass Kettle is straightforward. There’s a button to raise the lid, and although the opening is small, it’s serviceable. As a result of the position of this button on the handle, I did once or twice confuse it with the power switch. Note, too, there’s a 500ml minimum boil, so if you only want to heat enough for a cup of tea, you’ll be boiling a bit more each time.

From cold, Stellar’s Glass Kettle boiled a litre of water in 3mins 10secs, which is almost a minute longer than faster 3kW kettles. A full 1.7-litre capacity took 5mins 24secs – on average, about one and a half minutes longer than a 3kW kettle. While boiling took a fair amount of time, the kettle poured smoothly and without drips.

After the first few boils, there was a slight wash of whitish scale around the glass walls (our tester’s tap water contains high levels of hard-water minerals) that required washing to bring the kettle back to its gleaming appearance.

Stellar SEA35 Electric Glass Kettle conclusion

Cheap to buy and eye-catching too, the all-glass Stellar SEA35 Electrical Glass Kettle is a neat-looking appliance that’s easy to fill. However, it’s a little underpowered, boiling quite slowly, so if you want something that gets you hot water faster, you’ll be better off with an alternative from our list of the best kettles.

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