There seems to be quite a variety of Breville Classique cordless jug kettles but mine is the JK85 in chrome effect, it was given to me by my mother after she decided to buy herself a new kettle, not because there was anything wrong with this one but just because she fancied a new one, she's like that. The JK85 is very modern in its design, the chrome and black fitting in with most modern day appliances and looking very stylish on any modern kitchen counter. The main body of the kettle is, unsurprisingly, jug shaped and in a chrome effect with the thick angular handle being made of sturdy black plastic, essential for stopping the heat travelling up the handle and making it impossible to pick up the kettle, the lid of the kettle is opened automatically by pushing down on the button at the top of the handle meaning there's no risk of scalding your fingers as you fight to open the lid after it's boiled. Being cordless the actual kettle is separate from the cord, it attaches to a separate base unit on which it can be placed facing any direction, this makes it suitable for any kitchen layout and for left handed people.
The kettle has a 1.5 litre capacity which is perfect for families who like a lot of hot drinks or, as in my case, need a lot of boiled water for baby bottles. It has a boil time of approximately 3 minutes, which is about average for a 1.5lt kettle, and an automatic cut off meaning it won't over boil or waste electricity, switching the kettle on to boil is simple by pressing down on the switch at the base of the kettle by the handle (you can also stop it boiling in advance with this switch) The water gauge is on the back of the kettle by the handle and can easily be seen whichever way the kettle is held (by the handle of course) it is measured in 5 stages which equate to cups, the first marker equalling 4 cups and the 5th marker equalling 8 cups, this is particularly useful to those wishing to save electricity by only boiling as much as they need, the gauge lights up when the kettle is boiling although I'm not quite sure of the point of that feature. The kettles concealed element gives it that added extra safety which is always essential in a home with young children.
As well as being able to fill the kettle by opening the lid you can also fill it via the wide, round ended spout, some kettles I've used in the past have spouts that are too large or too small which makes accurately pouring the water tricky, as I have to fill baby bottles I need accuracy in order to avoid spilling the water and scalding myself so this kettle is great for that. The JK85 also has a filter by the spout which prevents any nasty bits, lime scale etc… from ending up in the cup, tea pot, bottle……..whichever vessel you are using. I have noticed it does make a strange metallic clicking sound when the water has finished boiling but this doesn't seem to effect it's use in anyway.
I've had the kettle now for around 6 months and my mum had it for several years before that, it's still in great condition, boils as quickly as ever and is going strong despite its age. It cost £36.99 new which is more then I'd usually pay for a kettle, unlike my dear mother obviously, but I can't deny it is good quality and has served my family well. It gets quite a bashing nowadays with Jack getting through 8-10 bottles a day, each one requiring freshly boiled water, it's probably wishing it was back at my mothers house being used for cups of tea or cheese sauce mix.
I do have a few issues with the kettle though which prevent it from being perfect. Firstly when it has finished boiling the chrome outer is very hot, I know that metal will heat up but you would think that because this was a household appliance they would be able to find a way of combining the stylish look of the chrome with some form of safe inner body which prevents the heat getting through, instead I have found myself catching my hand on the heat a few times and while it doesn't burn it is still momentarily painful, the fact that the chrome shows up every fingerprint and splash of dirt doesn't bother me though as it's easy to wipe clean. The JK85 also builds up lime scale quite quickly, which could depend on the type of water in your area, but if you don't keep it clean and on a regular basis then the scale will even build up around the outer lid of the kettle. Unfortunately the kettle is showing a sign of old age, which I suppose when you consider it's about 5 years old isn't too bad, in the form of a stiff button, sometimes you really need to press down hard on the lid opening button to actually get the lid open but this is down to the kettles age and not a fault in the kettle as it only started happening recently.
Overall I am happy with the kettle, it does help that it was a hand me down rather then having to pay for it myself, and despite the few faults I've found with it I'm happy to continue using it. As far as recommending it goes I would be cautious about using it in a home with toddlers who may accidently get near it just in case the hot outer body hurt them, also when it's full it can be quite weighty so I wouldn't recommend it to those with unsteady or weak hands, however it does it job well, lasts a long time and looks very stylish.
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
