A Thoughtful Gift: My Daughter's Pick for the Family - Xiaomi Electric Kettle 2 Lite

I have to admit, I'm a bit old-fashioned when it comes to making tea – until my husband had a close call with a burnt kettle. He fell asleep while boiling water, and the kettle's exterior got caked with a nasty layer of grime. I had to scrub it clean, and that was the final straw. Since then, we've only used electric kettles, which are so much safer and easier to clean.

We've had our fair share of electric kettles over the years, but one that stands out is our trusty old Bosch model that we've had for over 5 years. While it's still going strong, it's not without its flaws – the lid eventually stopped staying put, and the little 'whiskers' on the sides fell off. Despite that, it's been a reliable companion in our kitchen.

But, since the kettle was working, my husband promised to glue them back on, but, as the saying goes, nothing can be permanent, except for the temporary, and for about a year, the lid wasn't fixed, so we didn't buy a new kettle... We fixed the lid using a matchbox, which was kind of genius, and no one was bothered by this setup, we got used to it... On New Year's Eve, as we were exchanging gifts, my 14-year-old daughter presented us with a gift, and we were a bit surprised, because she's been preparing gifts for all holidays for a while now, saving up and asking for a bit more than necessary..., but this gift was truly the most needed and useful for all family members. We were all touched by the gift, and didn't expect our daughter to wipe our noses with her gift, which we really needed a long time ago, but since my daughter doesn't know all the nuances that I would have taken into account when choosing a gift, I'll outline these 'minuses' in my review later, and say that I wouldn't buy this kettle for some reasons... GENERAL INFORMATION

Where I bought it - the WB online store, because they stuck the label directly onto the box, and that's exactly why I dislike ordering gifts through online stores - you never know if the label will be on the box or not.

Price - I'm not sure, it was a gift, but it was around 2,000-3,000 rubles.Brand - XiaomiPurpose - electric kettleModel - Electric Kettle 2 LiteCapacity - 1.5 litersDESCRIPTION

I've got to say, the Xiaomi Electric Kettle 2 Lite looks sleek in its white design, and the heat-resistant plastic body is a nice touch. The hidden heating element is a clever feature, and the double-walled design creates a thermos effect that keeps the water hot for longer. The stainless steel kettle body is a great choice, as it's resistant to corrosion and has no seams or joints to worry about. The built-in filter in the spout prevents limescale from getting into your drinks. With a capacity of 1.5 liters, this kettle is perfect for a family of a few people. It's got a decent power output of 1500 watts, too. One of the features I appreciate is that the kettle automatically turns off when it reaches a boil. The compact design makes it easy to maneuver on my kitchen counter, and the 75-centimeter power cord is nice and long. The storage compartment for the cord is a thoughtful touch, too. The kettle's dimensions are 211x244x143mm, making it a great fit for smaller kitchens.

PACKAGING

The box itself is a nice cardboard design with a plastic handle on top, making it easy to carry the kettle home or give it as a gift if you want to.

The packaging is pretty standard, but I do have to say that the stickers from the seller ruined the look. Still, it doesn't affect the functionality. OUTSIDE LOOK OF THE TEA INFUSERThe tea infuser is a plain white color, which is a bit of a letdown. And the first thing that would've stopped me from buying it is that there's no window to check the water level. I have to constantly check if there's enough water inside. But, for me, that's not a big deal. I always pour out the water and add fresh, I'm a bit of a stickler for that - I've heard that reusing water can be bad for you, even though there are plenty of videos that debunk that myth. I've already figured out how much water I need to add for myself or the whole family, depending on the day. In weekdays, I fill it up for myself and the kids, and on weekends, it's just for one person, since everyone wakes up at different times.

The body material is plastic, and it doesn't get hot when it's heated up - it just gets warm, so you can't burn yourself with it. This is a major plus, as my previous plastic device got way hotter than this one.The plastic feels nice to the touch and it's got a matte finish.One side has the Xiaomi logo on it, but it's barely noticeable, which is a plus for people who don't like seeing brand names plastered on their devices in their home decor. The logo blends in perfectly with the main color of the device.The lid is a mechanical flip-open design, and it's got a wide, rectangular button on top that's super easy to press, you can't really miss it, and you don't need to aim for it specifically.When you press the button, the lid opens just a little bit, and you can see exactly how much it opens in the photo below, which shows me demonstrating how it opens.I have to lift the kettle by hand to open it fully, but the big plus is that the spout is really wide, making it super convenient for cleaning. I've got small hands, so I can still fit my hand in the spout, but I know some people struggle with narrow spouts. ... The inside is made of stainless steel. I didn't notice any weird smells from the kettle, and my water tastes fine. ... There's a measurement scale inside. And that's a plus, because I don't have to deal with cleaning the heating elements. ... There's a filtration system, but it's just a bunch of holes, not a proper mesh.And that's my second major complaint - I wouldn't buy this kettle again, and I'd look for a different model because of it. ... It's because our tap water is really hard, and I get limescale buildup after just one use. Check out the limescale buildup after a week - I have to clean it out every week.Now, let's talk about the kettle. And the closed plastic part - it's not like it's a beauty to look at, so I'm not a fan of glass kettles that show off all the limescale buildup.

For easy pouring of boiling water, there's a convenient wide, rectangular handle. The handle doesn't get hot. At the bottom, there's a switch to turn the kettle on/off.The base is round, and the underside of the stand has some product information printed on it.You can stash excess cord inside the stand, which is 0.75 meters long, and route it out through a hole.USAGE

I'm a total tea enthusiast, and I always start my day with a cuppa. It's become a bit of a ritual for me - I brew a pot of green tea, grab my laptop, and get down to business. I love writing reviews with a warm cup of tea by my side, and it's often the first thing I do in the morning. I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to scalding myself, so I always dilute the boiling water with a bit of cold water. I drink my tea out of a 730ml mug, and I'm actually on the hunt for an even bigger one - I haven't found one with a bigger capacity yet, but I'm on the lookout. Of course, I always follow up with a big glass of cold water.

Our kettle sits on our microwave next to the fridge, and its white color really stands out against the already faded white background that's taken on a warmer tone. We like its placement, which makes it easy to fit in without taking up too much space on the kitchen counter. It heats water up to 100°C, and automatically turns off. At first, the kettle seemed loud to us, but over time, it's either gotten quieter or we've just gotten used to it. When you flip the switch, the light turns red. The round base lets you spin the kettle to face any direction you like. Dimensions and Weight

Width

21.1 cm

Height

24.4 cm

Depth

14.3 cm

Weight

0.94 kg

This kettle is a bit shorter than the last one, which makes it a great fit for our microwave and leaves some space for the upper cabinets.

<\/a> <\/div><\/div> I've found myself winding down with a cup of green tea or coffee in the evenings, depending on my mood. I'll catch up on TV, scroll through my phone, or get lost in a book. So, my electric kettle gets a workout, and it's not just me - my daughter's a coffee lover, while I'm a tea aficionado. <\/a> <\/div><\/div>CLEANING <\/strong> Once a week, I add some lemon juice, fill it with just enough water, bring it to a boil at 100 degrees Celsius, let it sit for a bit, then drain the water and rinse it with clean water. <\/strong> And my kettle's good as new, no limescale in sight.

<\/a> <\/div><\/div>THE VERDICT <\/strong> As I was writing this review, I realized that my kettle has way more pros than cons. I can happily overlook those minor issues and call it a great gift.

Most of the time, I prioritize having a window on the kettle, but often those models with windows have heating elements inside that can be a pain to clean. In contrast, this one has a smooth, wide, and easy-to-clean surface. If I had to choose between the two, I'd go with this one, even if it means giving up on the window - the lack of heating elements inside makes a big difference.

I'm a bit bummed that it doesn't have a small mesh filter to catch any limescale that might build up in the tea infuser, which means I have to clean the kettle a lot more often to get the water sparkling clean. But, on the plus side, it's a lot easier to clean because the surface doesn't get clogged with big chunks of limescale and it breaks down a lot faster.

So, if it breaks, I'd definitely go for a similar kettle, and I'd definitely avoid ones with heating elements inside the kettle and opt for a wider lid.

I've got my daughter to thank for introducing me to a different kind of electric kettle that we didn't have at home before. And, in 21 years of marriage, we've gone through, if I'm not mistaken, four kettles – this is our fifth.

PLUS POINTS

it looks greateasy to cleandoesn't give off that plastic smellwide lidplastic doesn't get hothidden heating elementMINUS POINTS

no window to check the water levelno small mesh filter for water filtrationThanks for reading, everyone ^-^