Braun WK200B AquaExpress Electric Water Kettle
|
List Price: Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Braun WK200B AquaExpress Electric Water Kettle
Customer Review: Unreliable product, poor service
Summary: 1 Stars
This product broke within about 5 months of the purchase date, after rather light usage. Apparently the problem was with the heating element: the light would turn on, but the water would not heat. That in itself would not have been so terrible if I got it serviced, repaired, or replaced within some reasonable time. But the amount of time this process is taking, the constant phone calls we have to make to check on status, to complain, to explain our case over and over again, the apparent indifference of Braun service people, all that makes it a very unpleasant experience and makes the value of this $50 appliance highly questionable.
It took a week for them to find my shipment of the defective product (they said they had not been processing shipments for a week); it took the technician only a couple of hours to determine that it cannot be fixed and could only be replaced, but it's taking over one month now for them to initiate a replacement, and even that is taking numerous phone calls on my part.
Seems to me that if this was a good quality appliance which would break very infrequently, and if customer satisfaction was important to Braun, they would do something to expedite the shipment of the replacement, or at least would return my phone calls. Why not issue me credit so that I could go and buy the stupid thing myself?? Or, why not FedEx a replacement a few days after they had received the faulty appliance and identified the problem?
The only good thing is that I bought it on Amazon.com, so my receipt and the model number is always handy whenever I need to call Braun or Appliance Sales and Service (which happens quite often).
I don't think I'll buy another Braun product, or at least a Braun product in this category. (I said that to the Braun service people, they did not seem to care. They were very polite but they seemed to be reading off of a script).
Customer Review: Perfect kettle for a serious user
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought three of these at once, one for my office, one for my husband's and one for our home use (2 black 1 white). All have been in constant use for 4-5 years and are going strong. I've been monitoring the ones being used at work, bc these get used on an hourly basis almost, and all is well. Here's the reason I felt compelled to write this review-- I had a scare with my home unit (turned out to be the outlet) and started shopping for new kettles. Even 4 years later, nothing can compare to this one. I had buyers remorse when I bought mine, bc it was right before the fancy 2 temp stainless units came out, and I paid about $[...] bucks apiece, which I thought was steep. But over the years I've used some of the other units that friends have bought, and they were all infuriatingly inferior. These are the judging parameters: This kettle is light, unlike the stainless models, which are wrist-breaking; Its surface is an easy clean polymer and doesn't show fingerprints and water spots like the new glass and stainless ones; its contact element is a full surface, not a coil, and has had no deposit issues that I can see on any of my units; The cord management is fabu; It boils super, super fast; The top pops with a touch of thumb and is easy to fill unlike the majority I've used that have to be filled through the spout, or else unscrewed, making it a two hand endeavor; The filter doesn't filter, but does serve as an aerator that makes for a calmer pour (some kettle spew the boiled water out in an uncontrolled way); It's simple-- one button, no parts. It's a unitasker, but the kind I love-- elemental and essential. Finally, it's beautiful in that it's not posing to be any kind of industrial or modernist statement. I've bought a few thing for their form over function, and regretted it. I hope this is still on the market when any of mine finally crash.Customer Review: The tea-drinking college student's greatest ally.
Summary: 5 Stars
I knew that when I went to college, I need an electric kettle. I'm an insatiable tea-drinker, and while a microwave is suitable for bagged tea, I still wanted to be able to make loose leaf tea with teapot and all. I purchased this kettle because of favorable reviews and the fact that it was both cheaper and larger than another model that had been recommended to me, the Adagio Teas Utilitea Variable Temperature Kettle. Fortunately, it proved to be a solid choice.
My complaints are few and minor. For one, the cord is not especially long and somewhat inflexible, so the kettle won't sit very far away from an outlet. However, the extra length of the cord will fit coiled beneath the base so that doesn't create any clutter, which also makes it easier to move the kettle around without hanging onto the cord. While heating up, however, the kettle makes a sound very much like rapidly boiling water--it's not a lot of noise, but it's still more noise than I was expecting. And although the kettle does, indeed, automatically switch off when the water boils, it's a much heavier boil than it needs to be for tea, so I have to either take it off before the water boils or let it sit for a moment afterward.
Nevertheless, I think that the good points outweigh the bad. The kettle itself is lightweight despite its size, feels sturdy and looks like an attractive appliance, is extremely easy to use, and does its job quickly. Having the kettle be a separate component from the base is definitely advantageous. Indeed, the kettle is such a nice little piece of work that I've even caught other students from my hall using it (I have to keep it in our common room/kitchenette because of fire safety regulations). It's worthy of all due credit.
Customer Review: Fast, Easy, with piece of mind
Summary: 5 Stars
Let's keep it simple...
The Pros:
- Auto on/off...No more worrying or having anxiety attacks about whether or not you left the kettle on. When the water boils, the unit automatically turns itself off.
- Clear, see-through water indicator/measure. Nice and easy to see and measure how much water is in the kettle.
- Dead easy, no thought process required to use. Just press the button and in LITERALLY SECONDS you'll start hearing the heating element heat the water.
- My Wife uses it to boil water for pasta! SOOOoooo much faster then waiting for it to boil in the pot!
- Easily detaches/attaches to the base. No special twisting or unscrewing or having wires attached. Just lift it up or put it down, very little fiddling required.
- Nicely ergonomic shape. Handle fits nicely in hand and the position of it makes it easy to hold and pour.
The Cons:
- None. If you pressed me and threatened to force me to watch reruns of Roseanne, then MAYBE I'd say a longer power cord would be nice. But that's not even a big deal since only the base needs to be by the power outlet, the kettle can go anywhere you need it to.
My Wife is forever rolling her eyes whenever I get yet another UPS package with some new "gadget" in it. But when I told her what this one gadget was and that she'd no longer have to worry about leaving the stove on for the kettle (not to mention the bionic speed it boils water), well the eyes weren't rolling anymore!...She's got enough going on in the day, this one little bit of piece-of-mind turned out to be a real blessing!
Customer Review: True to the Advertisement!
Summary: 4 Stars
A solid 4 Star rating for this convenient water boiler. For a few years I have been using the pitcher with the purified water but recently I thought (and believe, I do think a lot!) what if I had boiling water readily available on a constant basis? And that is why I purchased the BRAUN WK200B AquaExpress Electric Water Kettle for what now I consider a very nice price from my favorite by far, Amazon.com. Water boils fast and that has become the water for drinking and making just about any creation that requires such an important liquid. I have been using it for about a month and no complaints. Will have to wait the required 6 months trial in order to raise the Star Rating but so far so good. Easy clean up, water tastes tasty and having a nice cup of tea does not require turning the stove on and forgetting it till it burns (yes, we have been known to have forgotten this simple action and payed dearly for our neglect)the kettle, stove and maybe someday the house down. With an automatic shut-off it completes a great convenient package. As a fellow reviewer mentioned: How did I live without one for so long? I'll never never know. We use it 2 or 3 times a day, clean with white vinegar as the instructions easily suggests with no aftertaste and enjoy it all around. Now that winter is surely to arrive can anyone just imagine the many cups of fine tea that will be consumed throughout this great land of ours? 4 Stars for this one! A winner even if you don't ask me...