Mueller Ultra Kettle M99S In-depth Review
Overall Verdict
We really liked the Mueller Ultra Electric Kettle (M99S) for its excellent performance at an affordable price. Moreover, it has all the design features you’d want on an electric kettle with a quality to match.
Overall, it was really easy to use except for the somewhat uniquely shaped handle. The handle could have been a bit slimmer or curved at a more favorable angle to make more space for large hands.
Things We Like
- Fast boiling time
- Low energy consumption
- Quite when boiling
- Good heat retention
- Inexpensive
- Easy to use
Things We Don’t Like
- Handle not ideally shaped
- Cord wrap loosely
Our research into the Mueller brand revealed the Mueller Ultra Electric Kettle (M99S) to be their one and only electric kettle. Since it had a lot to prove, we bought it to test for $27.44 on Amazon (at the time of writing). The kettle has a slightly different design, especially the handle, and we were keen to see how it performed. Our first test run clocked quite a fast boiling time, but read on to find out how it scored overall.
8.1 Performance
We were pleasantly surprised with the performance of the Mueller Ultra Electric Kettle across all four of our tests. Compared to many of its competitors, it had a fast boiling time, consumed less energy, was quiet, and could retain heat well for up to 5 minutes.
7.8 Boiling Time
We evaluate all common electric kettles (not goosenecks) for the time they take to boil 1.5 liters of water—a middle ground of their capacity. The Mueller took 7 minutes and 14 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 quite fast yet comparable to other kettles with the same 1500 W of power in our data, worthy of a 7.8/10 score.
8.4 Energy Consumption
Our power meter recorded 148 Wh as the Mueller brought 1.5 liters of room-temperature water to a rolling boil. The result was slightly less than most counterparts, e.g. the Comfee CEKG003, and earned an 8.4/10 according to our rating system.
9.0 Noise Level
We also run a sound meter when testing the boiling times of kettles. The Mueller’s noise level peaked at 70.3 dB while reaching a rolling simmer. This is well below the CDC’s 80dB which is a safe level for up to 2 hours of noise exposure. This result was very good but not the best we’ve recorded, so we gave it a 9/10.
7.5 Keep Warm
Glass carafes typically don’t retain heat as well as stainless steel kettles. The Mueller, being a basic electric kettle, doesn’t have temperature control or a Keep Warm function.
Nonetheless, the kettle was able to maintain a slightly higher temperature than similarly designed competitors. After 5 minutes, the temperature only dropped to 203°F / 95.5°C from 212°F / 100°C, which equaled 7.5/10 in our scoreboard.
7.9 Design
The Mueller Ultra Electric Kettle is built to quality with all the desirable features including a mesh filter, an LED ring, water-level markings, and various safety features. The shape of the Mueller, especially its handle, is uncommon and somewhat cumbersome for larger hands, while the rest of the design is quite standard. We found this a bit of a peculiar match to its otherwise great performance.
In the Box
- One cordless kettle
- One corded power base
- One user manual
- Warranty: 1-year limited
The Mueller Ultra Electric Kettle arrived well-boxed with a foam pad on the top and the bottom. The instruction manual was standard, having basic information on the kettle’s parts, how to use, safeguards, cleaning and maintenance, troubleshooting, and warranty.
Dimensions
8.0 Carafe
The glass carafe of the Mueller is good for up to 7 cups of water—that’s a capacity of 1.7 L or 57.48 fl. oz. (+2). Its large lid opening of 3.15 inches in diameter makes it easy to pour in water from any faucet or container (+1).
There are water level markings clearly positioned in the middle of the carafe (+1). The plastic spout is a standard V-shape and a removable limescale filter is positioned by the spout (+2).
The heating element, much like many other cordless electric kettles, is positioned inside the bottom of the carafe. There’s a ring of blue LED around the bottom which will illuminate when the kettle’s running, making it easy to spot in the dark (+2).
7.0 Handle
The cool-touch handle is made of BPA-free plastic (+3). It feels secure and comfortable despite not having an ergonomic contour or anti-slip feature (+4). The power switch of the Mueller, however, is positioned on the handle as opposed to on the carafe.
7.0 Lid
The Mueller has a hinged lid that pops up to a 75° angle. The button is actually located in the middle of the lid and not on the handle—which instead houses the power button (+5). This button is cool-to-touch so you don’t have to worry about burning your finger.
The lid has a plastic exterior and interior so there is contact between hot water and plastic, which some people may not like. Nonetheless, we detected no odd odor during the first boil (+1).
Unlike some other electric kettles we’ve tested, this lid doesn’t have a silicone band around the circumference. Regardless, it still closes tightly (+1).
9.0 Base
The Mueller 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 round power cord on this Mueller is 30.31 inches, which should be plenty enough for household use. It has a three-pronged plug with a grounding wire which is typically safer than a two-pronged one.
7.5 Usability
The Mueller Ultra Electric Kettle is simply straightforward to use. We had no problem operating the kettle, filling and pouring in water. However, the design of the handle proved to be a little inconvenient.
7.0 User Control
The Mueller has a one-touch switch located on the handle (and not the carafe) and there is no digital display or temperature control (+1). Positioned on the handle, the power switch doesn’t have an indicator light, but the carafe still has a blue LED ring to let you know the kettle is running (+2).
The kettle has the usual automatic shutoff feature for when the temperature reaches boiling point (+2). It’s operated by a thermo fuse and only works with the lid closed. If you forget to close the lid, there is an additional dry-boil protection feature that turns the kettle off when there is no more water (+2).
8.0 Ease of Use
The Mueller has only a power button and a press knob for opening the lid so it couldn’t be easier to use(+2). The kettle doesn’t wobble at all during boiling, which means the base fits firmly to the carafe (+1).
The handle was sturdy even with the kettle filled to capacity(+2). It also has a good pouring angle between the arm and the kettle (+1).
However, the handle’s curve is a lot closer to the carafe than the average electric kettles. This may not be the best for people with big hands like one from our team members (-1).
The unobstructed and large lid opening of 3.54 inches could easily accommodate any faucet or container such as a water pitcher (+1). It is also easy to see the water level markings in the middle of the carafe if you need to do precise decanting (+1).
The round cord doesn't wrap the tightest around its storage, but it still fits tightly to the opening. After wrapping, the cord only sticks out 3.74 inches including the plug.
7.0 Cleaning
We encountered no issues when cleaning the Mueller (+2). Its lid doesn’t get in the way and the opening is large enough for an adult hand to fit through (+3). The limescale filter is removable for frequent cleaning and maintenance as well (+2).