Braun WK200W Aqua Express Electric Water Kettle, White

The separation of kettle and corded base allows the former to be taken to the sink (or refrigerator if you're boiling pitcher-filtered water) without bother. It makes pouring at the table or in another room easy, as well. The cord can be wound inside the base so that only the needed length is exposed - neatening your countertop. The base has a "360-degree rotational connection," which means that you don't have to align the kettle in any particular way when replacing it. No buttons to press, no connector to snap.

The handle and kettle shell stay cool, obviating the need for a hot pad when picking it up, and the single control is as simple as can be: press it to start and it turns itself off when the water boils. If you forget about it, you needn't worry about boiling away all the water and leaving yourself with a burnt pot. (It will also turn off automatically if the pot is empty, the lid is opened, or the pot is removed from the base!)

The anti-calcification filter reduces scaling and thus the need to run a vinegar solution to clean out the buildup (something most people never do with their stove-based kettles). The design allows you to easily see the entire inside of the kettle, so you can keep an eye on things.

For those who regular drink tea or other beverages made with stove-boiled water, an electric kettle is a real convenience. This Braun kettle is about as convenient as they come.


Great Braun Electric Kettle   August 7, 2000
P. S. Brady (Inverness, FL USA)
271 out of 277 found this review helpful

We were recently in England and saw friends using an electric tea kettle that was different than any we had ever seen in the U.S. I had to have one. When we got home I found this lovely Braun electric kettle and purchased it immediately. It does all we expected. It has a large capacity so you don't have to refill it constantly. It boils very, very quickly and shuts off so I don't have to watch it. I love being able to take it to the sink to fill it without dragging the cord. It's very easy to clean because it detaches from the base. I like the large handle grip and the water window on both sides. We use it for everything instant including soup. How did we get along without it?


Clean Design, Very Functional   February 20, 2002
The Vinocat (San Rafael, California United States)
74 out of 77 found this review helpful

I got this after destroying a ... Alessi kettly by accidentally letting it boil dry until the plastic parts melted...

I was about to spring for one of the Zojirushi megabuck dispensers, when I spotted this unit. I have always liked Braun (more consistently good than Krups or Cuisinart) for their design and ergonomics. This pot doesn't fail to impress. This baby is FAST; It boils water at 1 minute per 8-oz cup (or faster, if you start with hot tap water). For a single cup of tea, this is about as fast as you can select a teabag and prepare the cup! BTW, this actually holds 7 cups, not 6 as described.

The design is very nice and clean-looking. The base is especially well-designed, since you can put the pot on rotated in whatever way is convenient. This is apparently a big win over the Krups kettle. The "mineral filter seems like overkill, but it does prevent splashing of the boiling water, and causes pouring to be very smooth. Cleanup is brain-dead simple (pour out the excess water after use, and flip the top open to allow evaporation). Pot itself does not get too hot to touch, and the handle stays completely cool. Automatic-off features work under all sensible scenarios: when it reaches full boil, when the top is opened for any reason, when lifted off the base, or when the pot is empty.

As for the Zojirushi dispensers? They may be useful if you want a lot of water (up to 5 liters for the big ones) held at a controlled temperature. But for most home uses, this need is rare, and otherwise deosn't justify the ... price tag.

For me, the Braun is one of those are kitchen appliances that took a while to see the need for, but now I couldn't live without. A real time and hassle saver!


Condensation on bottom solved....   January 13, 2004
Walker (Wake Forest, NC USA)
72 out of 79 found this review helpful

well, it's by design.

The problems with the auto-shutoff and the condensation are probably all related - the mechanism for turning the switch on/off is built into the base - what has to happen is steam moves down the spine of the kettle (the gray area under the handle). THis is a steam passage that vents into the base of the unit. At this point inside the base, there is a bi-metallic disc - it will expand with heat, and this activates the toggle lever that cuts the unit off. Also contained on the other side of this lever, is a button that protrudes from the bottom of the unit near the power receptacle - it is a very small red pin shaped object - this is what toggles the power off when you remove it from the base.

The condensation is from steam activating the cutoff. You might get a few drops of water from condensation on the bottom - however - all the electrical contacts are WELL shrouded (nice plastic covers - nothing exposed). No metal there to rust either - the disc won't rust. The bottom of the heating element is sealed up nicely.

So - the people noticing the condensation on the bottom? It's normal - look at the base where the gray part goes down from the handle.... there is a small steam vent at the bottom. Watch that closely as you boil water - you'll see the steam escaping. From the inside of the kettle you can see the inlet near where the lid hinges - it takes steam from the top of the inside of the unit and channels it down to the shutoff mechanism.

The handle design, while nice looking ,isn't as functional as I would like. I prefer the handles that come all the way back around to the base of the unit - those you can grasp near the top, the middle, or the bottom - eases strain on the wrist when pouring (I don't care, but those with hand/wrist problems would care).

Other than that:

-it heats water quickly. Faster than the phillips
-the cup measurements on the side are actually.... cups. 8oz. incrememnts
-lid shuts nicely. Opens easily. Good fit and finish.
-cord is short (won't trip over it)
-cord is actually grounded! (3 prong, not two - most aren't grounded!)
-heating element covers the ENTIRE bottom of unit - boils faster than other 1500 watt kettles
-very smart design for electrodes
-kettle rests nice on base... good fit and finish

cons:

-don't like the design for the cutoff (picky about mess - even 2 drops of water are 2 many!)
-don't like the cutoff when you remove it - one more part to fail
-don't like the fact that the lid won't open past about 80 degrees from horizontal (philips will open much farther).
-short handle limits positioning of wrist when pouring.
-cord is very short (might be a problem with some kitchen setups).
-lid design could be a bit better - lid fits to the inside of the body, allowing a small amount of steam to escape around the edges (people notice condensation on top of lid). Philips and others don't do that.

All in all - a great kettle. The weak point would be the safety cutoff when you remove the kettle from the base - if that small plastic pin mechanism fails, the switch won't stay on.

I have another kettle that doesn't have this feature, and have never found it a useful safety feature (all of them have built in thermal protection so if you leave it on and put it back on the base empty, they shut off). NOTE: if this ever happens, it takes a few minutes to cool back down where the switch will start working again. Fill the thing with cold water and let it sit for 5 mintues. Good as new.

If this were priced the same as a philips or others, it would get more stars.


yum, delicious plastic   December 15, 2006
Steve Patsy (Phoenix, AZ United States)
51 out of 69 found this review helpful

Prior to buying this product from Amazon I called Braun's customer service to inquire about the interior of this kettle. I wanted to know if the interior was made of plastic or stainless steel and if the water ever came in contact with plastic. I was told by a Braun representative that the interior to all their kettles is stainless but when my kettle arrived today the interior is plastic. So if you like the idea of water being heated in leaching plastic, then this is the product for you. On the other hand if you do not want any harmful plastic chemicals being leached into your hot water, then this is not the kettle for you.

INTERIOR MADE OF PLASTIC

Plastic, its what's for dinner!