Ovente Glass Electric Kettle
I've had my eye on a Le Creuset whistling kettle (available on Amazon) for a while, but the water here is so hard, I figured it would be a waste of money. Then my friend gifted me with one of these Ovente electric kettles and I've been using it for everything from tea to ramen noodles. I'm ever grateful to that friend. It occurred to me to use spring water instead of tap water like I do in my coffee pot.
The value of this wonderful appliance became evident as a result of having surgery at the time the pot was given to me. Knowing I'd be responsible for my care when I returned home from the hospital, I was concerned about safety when hoisting pans of hot water for tea and meals. The Ovente kettle is very light in weight and the lid adds more control over the flow of water and prevents one from sloshing it on themselves when trying to pour.
There are also two safety features which make this device invaluable. One, the pot turns itself off once it comes to a boil. Have you ever set a pot to boil on the stove and forgotten it? Two, if you lift lift the pot from the heating element while it's still heating (a no-no), the element turns itself off. The user guide advises to unplug the unit before lifting it from the base.
Even though one is cautioned to not allow appearance to drive the sale, as in the purchase of a car, I have to say the attractive design of the Ovente pot is more than just a plus. It fits in well visually and functionally with my other kitchen appliances.
I discuss the history of the kettle on Jaquo.
My place of employment permits time for a period of reflection in the course of the business day. For me, I usually avail myself of it in the afternoon when there's a lull in the call volume. My habit was to heat water, ferret out a few biscuits (cookies) and set up a rather simple tea. I use Earl Grey tea mostly. For me, it's not only the bit of thoughtfulness in which I engage at these times, it's the simple beauty of arrangement of the tea cup and saucer as well as the pot of hot water which reintroduce a bit of calm into the remainder of my day.
The selections below are for the next "tea for one" service I purchase for my desk. The glass design of the tea cup, saucer and and pot go perfectly with the Ovente kettle. I intend to add one to the tea setting on my desk at work. Since it's about time to replace the one I have, the one below will be my next purchase.
["... Earl Grey, hot ... ." Captain Jean Luc Picard commanding officer of the Federation starships: USS Stargazer, USS Enterprise-D, and the USS Enterprise-E]
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Just Gadgets Here
If you're like me, you're frequently on the lookout for more gadgets or appliances you can add to your kitchen. I would like to hear about your experiences with an electric tea kettle. Please feel free to leave any comments related to the hub below.
Some of the other kitchen items on my list are a kitchen aid mixer, a huge chopping block and a kitchen island on wheels. In keeping with my desire for more efficient use of space in my apartment, I prefer items which can do double duty. I'm willing to go the expense of one item that can replace two or more items in my kitchen. My kitchen is really small. The only one smaller I've seen is the one in other apartments I've visited. Multiple course meals are a challenge to accomplish in a tiny kitchen, but it's doable with a bit of planning and time-efficient menu selections.