Breville Remanufactured SK500XL Ikon Electric Kettle, 1.7-Lite

For most people, a kettle is the most heavily used kitchen appliance, so a poorly made one could be a daily source of frustration for as long as it lasts. I don’t think I’ve ever been frustrated or angry with this kettle – in fact, I often still pause to appreciate its beautiful and highly functional design. The swivel base is a key feature that I love, making it super easy to take the kettle anywhere in the house without worrying about getting tangled in a power cord as you carry scalding hot liquid. The top opens smoothly; the outer stainless steel surface is easy to clean; the heating element design enables me to boil a small amount of water, saving energy (and time); the ping sound is pleasant; and the handle design is great too.The interior does contain some plastic parts – in fact every electric kettle I’ve seen has some plastic parts (for example in the lid or water level indicator) so I think stove-top kettle is your best option if you want absolutely zero plastic. But all of the materials are sturdy and long-lasting. I haven’t seen any deterioration (rust or color change) inside the kettle in nine years and it still boils water very rapidly – enough for a mug of tea in 2 minutes.Newer Breville kettles are listed as BPA-free on both Amazon and the Breville website while the Ikon is not stated to be BPA-free. These newer products include the BKE820XL (which looks a little too fancy for my needs) and the glass kettle, BKE595XL, which is the version I might buy if I were to get a new one today. There are debates here (in reviews and the Q&A section) on whether the Ikon contains BPA – two helpful reviewers called Breville to check if the plastic parts are BPA-free (see the Q&A section) and Breville confirmed this, but I agree that it is odd that they don’t list it as such.It’s also true, as others have pointed out, that certain replacements for BPA may also be hazardous. For example, some BPA-free cups for kids were found to have higher estrogen-like activity than regular polycarbonate made from BPA (but they were mostly color-changing cups, so it was a pretty specific case). In the end, the best option I think is to buy products that contain as little plastic as possible. I’m not planning to change my Ikon kettle at this point since it doesn’t have much plastic in it and I’ve boiled thousands of liters of water already so I don’t think there’s anything left to leach out!I’d rate it 5/5 gold stars for functionality and 4/5 green stars for social and environmental impact (more on that below).The first thing that’s noticeable in terms of environmental impact is the packaging. It comes in a cardboard box, protected by a cardboard insert, although there are no statements on whether the cardboard is recycled or FSC-certified. Breville have come up with an Australian Packaging Covenant to address ways to further reduce packaging and use sustainable materials, so they do appear to be making an effort. One of the most important things in terms of sustainability is product longevity. The materials are high quality and designed to last and I think the same goes for the internal parts and wiring, etc. So, two key reasons why I rate it highly are that it has lasted a long time and also that it's designed so that you can boil a small amount of water (less than a cup), thus reducing energy waste.In terms of social and environmental impact, it was hard to find information (besides the above) on Breville. They have very little information on their website on this topic, just some statements about their commitment to conducting business ethically, including policies on labor, discrimination, environment, etc. The only hard data on their website is on gender equality – a breakdown of the workforce shows that approximately 20% of the senior managers are women while the rest of the workforce is more evenly balanced. This number of 20% is about average for senior management in companies worldwide – clearly a number that needs to change, but at least Breville is being transparent about it.They lose a green star partly for a lack of information on the company itself – energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, waste stream processing, etc.

We've had the sleek Breville Electric Kettle for about a month or so, and so far it is functioning extremely well and is really easy to use. The water gauge on the side could be a little bit easier to access visually when the kettle is off, but when it's turned on, the gauge is very well lit and nice-looking, making it easy to fill to the desired (or required) amount. The brushed stainless steel finish is very attractive and easy to maintain; I've been using a damp cloth to wipe it down and a clean dish towel to dry it and give it a nice sheen. It looks nice on the counter, too, and best of all, it heats water extremely well -- and with little noise -- in a short time. The kettle's design is great in general, as well as for an elderly, visually impaired person, in several ways. The on-off button is easy to use and well-placed, and has an indicator light as well as lighting up water level gauge. Some kettles have a flimsy-looking plastic lever near the base to turn the kettle on and off, which really turned me off many models. This kettle sits solidly on the base unit. The lid opens easily and quietly with the press of the button near the comfortable handle, opening wide enough to make it easy to fill, and closes easily by gently pressing it down. A great safety feature is that it turns itself off when the water boils, really important, while keeping the water quite warm for quite a while afterwards. Pouring is great, too, with the well-designed spout and mesh filter inside. I hope this kettle holds up well and doesn't develop problems later on. As a footnote, I gave my daughter this same model kettle as a gift several years ago based on her careful research and recommendations. Hers has had daily use since then and has shown no problems at all, such as some of those reported by other reviewers. On her recommendation, we bought this one and we're really happy with both its looks and its performance. I would definitely recommend this attractive, efficient kettle.

We had one for 8 years when the switch had failed. It was used minimum of twice a day. Loved it. Would not have bought another brand. This new one is just as great. Fast boil. Large capacity. Looks nice on the counter. Easy to pick up with Large handle.

I am a fan of Breville Kettles. This product woks well and you see quality when you look inside as well as outside. I can tell Breville strives to make a better product. My previous Breville Kettle lasted four years approximately. This kettle looks very similar but has some nice added changes/features.

I have just unpacked my second Breville Ikon kettle, and so far, I am very pleased with it. I replaced my first Breville, after approximately seven years' continuous home use, only because, though it was still able to boil water, the kettle's automatic shutoff stopped working, and I particularly like this feature. In these days of obsolescence, this time span is reasonable to me. I have been impressed by its overall quality. Major functions include: large 1.7 litre capacity; easy-grip soft handle; water filter; large pouring spout; brushed stainless steel, which is easier to care for than bright stainless steel finishes; auto shut-off and lighted water level gauge; and, a fully flip-open, see-through top for easy filling. The few plastic and rubber parts used do not come into contact with the water. On the negative side, over time, the filter fell off and would not re-attach, and the inside body of the kettle became discoloured from hard water deposits. On the whole, this is a lovely kettle, and I hope it will function as well as the first one did.

The kettle worked great and it was easy to clean until a plastic piece broke off on the bottom of the kettle that guided the electrical plugs into the base. I tried to fix it and it temporarily solved the problem, but after a couple of month it broke again. Will be replacing it with another kettle.

Love the slow opening lid and easy to clean…Good quality