Chefman Electric Kettle 5 Presets In-depth Review
Overall Verdict
The Chefman Electric Kettle with 5 Presets (RJ11-17-CTI-RL) is only average in terms of performance, but strikingly inexpensive for the features it has. Standing out from similarly-priced kettles, the Chefman has a mesh filter, a tea infuser, and most remarkably, 5 presets. These are for green tea, white tea, Oolong tea, French Press coffee, and Herbal tea or black tea.
It is one of the quietest boiling kettles we have tested, and for some people this may be a key factor. However, the kettle failed to deliver in the one test that mattered the most—the boiling time test. Additionally, we felt the design cut corners with handle and the cord storage.
Things We Like
- 5 different presets
- Removable tea infuser
- Low price
- Quiet when boiling
- Removable mesh filter
Things We Don’t Like
- Slow boiling time
- Small opening
- Awkward handle
We bought the CETL-certified Chefman Electric Kettle with 5 Presets (RJ11-17-CTI-RL) t on Amazon for $34.34 (at the time of writing). We had high expectations for this kettle due to its 5 presets and removable tea infuser!
However, off the bat the controls were not that great and, considering its 1100 W of power, the boiling time was a little slow.
6.7 Performance
The Chefman Electric Kettle’s total performance score was quite good but that was mostly because of how quiet it was when boiling water. However, it had a really slow boiling time while energy consumption and heat retention were both average.
5.6 Boiling Time
For the common electric kettles (not gooseneck) like the Chefman, we evaluate the time they take to boil a mid-range capacity of 1.5 liters of water. This kettle took 9 minutes and 23 seconds to bring 1.5 liters of room-temperature water (80°F/26.7°C) to boiling point (212°F/100°C).
This result was slow but not entirely unexpected since it only has 1100 W of power and not the typical 1500 W. Therefore, it only scored a 5.6/10.
7.0 Energy Consumption
We used a power meter to measure the Chefman’ total energy consumption to bring 1.5 liters of room-temperature water to a rolling boil. The result was 155 Wh which was our standard for a 7/10.
9.1 Noise Level
During boiling, the Chefman’s noise level peaked at 69 dB while reaching a rolling simmer. This result showed that the kettle was extremely quiet while boiling and earned the kettle a 9.1/10. The CDC notes a sound level of 80dB for a period of two hours can cause hearing loss.
7.0 Keep Warm
The glass carafe of the Chefman doesn’t have the best material for heat retention. In addition, even though the kettle has temperature control via presets, it doesn’t have the Keep Warm or reheat feature like the Cuisinart CPK-17P1 among others. As a result, after 5 minutes, the temperature dropped from 212°F / 100°C to 202°F / 95°C. This equates to a 7/10 according to our data.
7.7 Design
The Chefman Electric Kettle has a well-designed carafe, lid, and power base. However, the handle could have better contour and grip support. Its control panel is quite compact, considering the 5 included presets. On the other hand, the removable tea infuser is quite a rare addition, especially for the kettle’s price.
In the Box
- One cordless kettle
- One corded power base
- One user manual
- Warranty:1 year
The Chefman Electric Kettle arrived tightly boxed with a foam pad on the bottom and one on the top. The instruction manual was detailed with information on the kettle’s parts, how to use, safeguards, cleaning and maintenance, troubleshooting, and warranty.
Dimensions
8.0 Carafe
The carafe is made of glass and has a capacity of 1.8 L (60.87 fl. oz.), or a little over 7.5 cups (+2). Despite its large capacity, the kettle actually has a rather small opening, 3.23 inches in diameter (-1). A rare feature of the Chefman is a tea infuser that can be mounted to its opening (+2).
There are water level markings in the middle of the carafe (+1). The plastic spout of the Chefman has a standard V shape. The limescale filter is positioned by the spout and is removable (+2).
Similar to many other cordless electric kettles, the Chefman’s heating element is positioned inside the bottom of the carafe. We also saw the boil-dry protection detector on the bottom of the carafe, something not usually visible.
There’s a ring of multi-colored LED that matches with the chosen preset around the bottom which will illuminate when the kettle’s running (+2). This makes it easy to tell which preset is running and also to locate the kettle in the dark.
- Green LED: green tea (175°F)
- Blue LED: white tea (185°F)
- Yellow LED: Oolong tea (195°F)
- Purple LED: French Press coffee (200°F)
- Red LED: Herbal tea and black tea (212°F)
5.0 Handle
The cool-touch handle is made of BPA-free plastic (+3). While it does feel secure, its contour makes it quite awkward to hold (+2). Along the top of the handle is the control panel with only two buttons, one for the power switch and one for toggling the 5 temperature presets.
7.0 Lid
The Chefman has a hinged lid that pops up to an 80° angle with a single push of the silver button located in the middle of the lid (+4). It moves out of the way enough to leave the carafe’s opening unobstructed to get water in even with the tea infuser attached (+2).
The plastic lid isn’t entirely cool-to-touch, only the open button. Unlike some other electric kettles we’ve tested, this one doesn’t have a silicone band around the circumference. Regardless, the lid still closes tightly (+1).
9.0 Base
The Chefman has a standard BPA-free plastic 360° swivel base that’s sturdy and fits the carafe well enough (+5). At the bottom of the base is the cord storage and also three small anti-slip rubber pads (+4).
Power Cord
The flat power cord is 29.72 inches long, which should be enough for household use. The cord uses a two-pronged plug which is typically considered not as safe as a three-pronged one. Nonetheless, it should be safe since the power base doesn’t have a metal casing but a plastic one.
6.8 Usability
The Chefman Electric Kettle could be a little more user-friendly. The handle was awkward to hold and the cord storage didn’t wrap well. In addition, the carafe’s opening was quite small, making it difficult to fill or clean the kettle.
7.0 User Control
The Chefman has temperature control fixed to 5 presets so there is no incremental adjustment by 1°C. Additionally, there’s no Keep Warm feature that many other kettles with temperature control have.
Its control panel has only 2 raised buttons and no digital display (+2). One is the on/off switch and the other, that has a thermometer icon, is to toggle between its 5 temperature presets including green tea, white tea, Oolong tea, French Press coffee, and Herbal tea or black tea.
As soon as you toggle between the presets, the kettle will start running with no need to press the power switch. If you want to stop the kettle at any time, simply press the power switch.
When the kettle’s running, the chosen preset will glow with a small red LED (+1). When the kettle finishes, it will beep once and automatically turns off.
As mentioned, this kettle doesn’t have a Keep Warm feature. However, a minor annoyance was that the instruction manual says that it does while the online specifications make no mention of it.
Like most kettles, the automatic shutoff feature will activate when the thermo fuse detects that the temperature has reached boiling point (+2). Remember to close the lid otherwise this function won’t work and, if you forget, the kettle’s boil-dry protection feature will turn off the kettle when no water is present (+2).
7.0 Ease of Use
The small opening was enough to pour in water from your tap or any container but not enough to fit one’s hand in (+0). Luckily, the lid pops up to an 80° angle and doesn’t get in the way (+1).
The control panel on the handle makes the handle curve in a weird angle and thus, awkward to hold (-1). Controlling is still easy though (+2).
The kettle seemed sturdy when we picked it up when it was filled with water to the max (+1). We also had no trouble pouring water (+2).
The lid has a plastic interior which may not suit those who wish to completely avoid all contact between hot water and plastic (+0). Nonetheless, we detected no odd odor during the first boil.
The water level markings are in the middle of the carafe for easy viewing and precise decanting (+1). The power base fits firmly below its carafe so the entire thing doesn’t wobble around during boiling (+1).
The flat shape of the cord made it impossible for us to wrap it tightly around its storage (+0). On the bright side, after wrapping, the cord only stuck out for 3.94 inches, including the plug.
6.0 Cleaning
Cleaning the Chefman is a bit tricky since you can’t fit your hand through the opening to wipe the interior (+0). Thus, you’ll need a clamp to do so but the lid doesn’t get in the way (+2). On the other hand, the limescale filter is removable for frequent cleaning and maintenance (+2). The tea infuser’s mount can also be dismantled for thorough cleaning (+2).