Sleek, slightly ‘retro’ styling and stainless good looks attracted me to this particular kettle. The fact that it is cordless and easy to use was an added bonus.
Unlike some cordless kettles, where you have to boil a fair amount of water to cover the element, the Phillips Filterline HD4601 has an element which is almost flush with the bottom of the kettle, meaning you can boil quite small amounts. This is important for several reasons; economy of use, speed and weight. The weight factor is important to me because I have trouble with my wrists and find lifting heavy items can be troublesome.
Another really useful, and extremely stylish, aspect of this kettle is the handle. It is of a slightly textured, black synthetic material and is a wonderfully rounded shape. It is also big enough to hold with both hands which, for me with my wrists, is really helpful.
The lid fits well although I have scalded myself, very slightly, if the kettle is very full and I have tipped it right up to empty it. Generally, though, the lid does not come off accidentally and it is topped with a cute little ‘ball’ handle on the top.
As for the filter, it slides in neatly behind the spout. I tend to fill the kettle through the spout so it seems that, if there was any debris on the filter, it would be being washed back in. However, we are in a soft water area and really don’t need the filter facility.
Being stainless steel, the kettle is easy to keep clean and looks great.
We have had ours nearly six years and the filter gave up the ghost earlier this year. I am not in a rush to replace it as there is no limescale in the kettle anyway.
I hope this kettle keeps going for many years to come. It is an integral part of the ‘look’ of my kitchen and compares really well to, and probably surpasses, much dearer ‘designer’ kettles.
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