KitchenAid 1.7L Variable Temperature Kettle review
The 1.7L Kettle is a whopping $179, which makes it one of the most expensive electric kettles I've ever seen. Yes, Fellow makes $200 kettles, but Fellow's kettles have an esoteric purpose — the KitchenAid offering seemingly doesn't.
The KitchenAid 1.7L Kettle is an everyday, generic kitchen kettle, but is it enough to be one of the best electric kettles? To find out, read this KitchenAid 1.7L Kettle review.
Price
$179 / £179
Capacity
1.7 liters (1.8 quarts)
Heating element
Electric
Accessories
Limescale filter
Weight
3 pounds
Dimensions
5.8 x 5.8 x 10 inches
The KitchenAid 1.7L kettle is really expensive for what it is. It's $179 from Amazon U.S. and £179 from Amazon U.K..
This makes it around the same price as the iconic Fellow EKG range: the Fellow EKG Stagg and Fellow EKG Corvo are $199 each, respectively. However, these are both specialty kettles from a renowned specialty coffee brand. The KitchenAid 1.7L kettle is more of a generic everyday kettle.
In comparison to other general-use kitchen kettles, the Ninja Precision Temperature kettle I use every day is just $89, and the Cosori Glass Kettle is just $27.
The KitchenAid 1.7L Kettle excels with its design. The sleek-and-modern-yet-cool-retro vibe is almost reminiscent of Smeg, but with KitchenAid's individual charm.
I tested the sage green version, which would be my choice if I was buying it for myself. It also comes in black, white, and red. I'd like to see it in more color options to match the diverse colorways of other KitchenAid products, like the Artistan Stand Mixer and KitchenAid Blender.
The kettle has an angled spout and a pop-up lid, which is a little stubborn sometimes. Other users have reported the lid release button jams after a while, but I didn't experience this. It just took a few tries to get it to release on a couple of occasions.
At the base of the kettle is a temperature control slider. Instead of having buttons on the base like the Fellow and Ninja precise temperature kettles, the KitchenAid is controlled by this slider on the kettle itself. I found the slider easy to use and responsive, and never got stuck. There's a button on the side of the kettle, which is the on/off switch. Unlike Fellow's EKG kettles, simply selecting a temperature does not set the kettle on to boil.
When the kettle finishes boiling, it emits a one-note tone. If you've ever been on an airplane and heard the seatbelt announcement tone, it's the exact same. I felt like an air hostess every time my kettle finished boiling. It's actually adorable.
In terms of features, there actually aren't that many, especially considering this is a $179 kettle. There's no hold temperature setting, unlike the Fellow and Ninja offerings. You can't control temperature to the degree (like Fellow) or to 5° (like Ninja). It's 122°F-212°F (in increments of 18°F, except 203°F). Yes, this is still a great feature, but for $179, I'd expect a little more.
However, the kettle's actual performance is one of the best kettles I've ever tested (I'd hope so for $179…), which I'll discuss in full now.
As with all kettles I review, I put the KitchenAid 1.7L Kettle through a series of tests. Time taken to heat, volume while heating, and the ability to retain heat.
Pouring feel is really nice: the kettle doesn't leak even when pouring out large volumes of water in one go. The spout is angled and small, yet is still capable of pouring quickly.
Here's the results from the heating speed tests. I filled the kettle to its max (so 1.7 liters/1.8 quarts) and used water straight from my tap. It should be noted that my testing was done using a 240V version, as I live in the U.K., in the U.S. with lower mains voltages, the times may differ.
122°F/50°C
1 min 50 sec
140°F/60°C
1 min 59 sec
158°F/70°C
2 min 37 sec
176°F/80°C
3 min 5 sec
194°F/90°C
3 min 53 sec
212°F/100°C
4 min 1 sec
My Ninja Precision Temperature kettle takes 4 minutes and 10 seconds to heat its full capacity (also 1.7L), so the KitchenAid pipped it to the post by 9 seconds. Comparatively, the Cosori Glass Kettle took 4 minutes and 4 seconds to heat 1.3 quarts, and the Hario Gooseneck kettle took a shocking 5 minutes and 53 seconds to boil just 800ml (0.8 quarts) of water.
The KitchenAid really impressed me with its boiling speed. This is a very fast kettle that made light work of boiling huge amounts of water quickly.
The KitchenAid 1.7L kettle isn't just fast — it's also really quiet. To measure the volume level, I used the DecibelX app, as always.
Here are the results of my tests.
122°F/50°C
69dB
140°F/60°C
68dB
158°F/70°C
65dB
176°F/80°C
60dB
194°F/90°C
56dB
212°F/100°C
51dB
The KitchenAid 1.7L is noticeably quiet while boiling. I wouldn't have any reservations about making myself a cup of tea at 5 in the morning. The Cosori Glass Kettle was between 67-70dB while boiling, while the KitchenAid, Fellow, and Ninja were just 50dB while boiling.
For this test, I boiled a full kettle of water and then measured the water's heat after 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 120 minutes. Here are my results.
30 mins
74°C/165°F
60 mins
68°C/154°F
90 mins
61°C/141°F
120 mins
55°C/131°F
While I expected these results (as there's no hold temperature setting), I was still pretty disappointed to see such a drop off in the first 30 minutes. The kettle's insulation did a decent job of retaining heat after that initial drop, but I would still reboil the kettle after thirty minutes if I was making another tea or coffee.
If you live in a hard water area, you'll need to descale the KitchenAid 1.7L kettle semi-regularly. Upkeep will depend on your location. I live in one of the hardest water areas in the U.K., so I would descale about once every 6 weeks.
KitchenAid recommends using vinegar, citric acid, or lemon juice to clean mineral buildup (limescale) off the inside of the kettle.
The kettle itself, as I said in the 'Design' section above, is beautiful. There'd be no reason to store this inside a cupboard between uses: it's destined for the countertop. It's just gorgeous. At just 5.8 inches wide, too, it doesn't take up too much space. The heating element base is noticeably smaller than my Ninja Precision Temperature.
If you're not concerned about cost, then yes, the KitchenAid 1.7L kettle is a fantastic premium kettle that boils quickly, quietly, and prettily. Is it a necessary purchase if you've already got a basic electric kettle? No, not at all.
If you value a fast, attractive kettle that'll bring some pizzazz to your kitchen, I completely recommend the KitchenAid 1.7L. Personally, I wouldn't buy it, as I love my $79 Ninja Precision Temperature. The Ninja option does everything the KitchenAid does for $100 less.
However, that doesn't mean the KitchenAid is redundant. It fulfils its purpose as an electric kettle well, and looks a treat while doing so. It's just really expensive.
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You won't get the most extreme ends of either spectrum with this model, but it still suits a wide variety of coffee brewing styles. We found this grinder to yield surprisingly consistent results on the medium setting. (According to Kaleena Teoh of Coffee Project NY, this is the grinder of choice for many Brewers Cup Competitors.) And though it requires some elbow grease (and patience) to achieve results, the rubber grip facilitates a slip-free experience, and it's easy to tell when grinding is complete by the obvious decline in resistance. Fellow Opus: Hailing from the same brand as our pick for the best splurge coffee grinder, the Fellow Ode Gen 2, the Opus offers a similar aesthetic and quality. It even offers more grind settings than the Ode, with the ability to achieve an ultra-fine texture for espresso. However, it spills grounds more than most of the grinders I tested, resulting in significant coffee waste. Baratza Encore: This model comes from a brand with cult coffee-lover following. However, I found that it yields inconsistent grounds time and time again, and its above-average noise and grind time kept me from including it in the list of top recommendations. Bodum Bistro: This is a budget-friendly pick with a compact design that could work well for some. But its flimsy material, loud motor and consistent spillage made it lose significant points during testing. Porlex Mini Grinder II : Another low-cost option, this manual grinder yielded decently consistent grounds during testing. However, its adjustment dial does not feature guided numbers or other measurements to know what setting you're on. Included instructions are also a bit difficult to follow. How I Tested The Best Drip Coffee Makers During testing, we evaluated the range of grind sizes from each machine to measure versatility and ... More consistency. MONICA PETRUCCI FOR FORBES VETTED I scoured the internet to find the most popular and highly rated coffee grinders on the market, in order to test a range of products and see which came out on top. Then I performed a series of science-backed tests, as well as user-experience evaluations, to compare features and rank them accordingly. Grind Consistency One of the most crucial components of a high-quality coffee grinder is how consistent its results are. I used a Kruve sifter to measure whether the yields from the machine fell within the appropriate range for the desired coarseness. For example, if a significant amount of grounds got stuck in the coarse or fine setting (or both) when set to a medium setting, that suggested an issue with inconsistent grounds. I also checked to see whether grinders that advertise an ability to achieve fine grinds for espresso truly fit within the appropriate particle size for authentic espresso grounds. Speed I used a stopwatch to time how long it took each grinder to grind the same amount of beans on the medium setting. For manual grinders, I tried to utilize the same pace and technique in order to get an idea of whether there was a significant timing difference between the models. Noisiness Noise pollution can be a major problem with coffee grinders, especially for anyone who grinds their coffee early in the morning, while others in the house may still be asleep. I used a sound decibel meter app to measure the noise levels from each machine, recording both the average number and the highest number it reached, in order to see how each machine compared to the others. Grind Settings Longtime coffee professional and co-owner of Stone Creek Coffee Drew Pond emphasizes the importance of looking for a grinder with ample settings to choose from, especially if you're not tied to one coffee style. 'If you're bouncing between pour over, French press and espresso, getting the grind dialed for your particular brew method matters big time,' he says. That's why I prioritized including grinders with ample settings, from fine to coarse. I also made sure to test each of these settings to ensure that they reached the correct size threshold for the associated brewing type. Messiness It's unfortunately common for grinders to leak grounds before or after grinding is complete, or for them to get them stuck in the chute, which results in messy counters and precious coffee wasted. I took that into account during testing, taking note of any grinders that spilled grounds on their own, as well as ones that spilled them when knocking or adjusting the grinder across the counter. Why Trust Forbes Vetted The home and kitchen team at Forbes Vetted is dedicated to getting hands on with products and diving deep into research to help you find the best products on the market, from drip coffee makers to cast iron skillets. Monica Petrucci is the author of this article and a commerce writer covering home and kitchen topics at Forbes Vetted. Before spending years testing and researching hundreds of kitchen products (like milk frothers and rice cookers), she was a barista for three years. During that time, she learned the ins and outs of coffee grinding, brewing and serving, and she used that knowledge to bolster her grinder testing and research. For this article, we consulted several coffee experts. We interviewed Heather Perry, a two-time United States Barista Champion, CEO of Klatch Coffee and former President of the Specialty Coffee Association. We also consulted Drew Pond of Stone Creek Coffee, who has over a decade of experience in the coffee industry, and Kaleena Teoh, co-founder and director of education at Coffee Project New York. These seasoned experts provided guidance on the most important features of coffee grinders, how freshly ground coffee impacts flavor and more. We tested almost a dozen of the top coffee grinders on the market, performing several science-backed tests on each for the most reliable ranking. We consulted consumer reviews for several of these products, making note of any long-term issues or commonly faced problems that we didn't run into ourselves during testing. We prioritize timeliness and accuracy in all of our content at Forbes Vetted. This article was last updated in July 2025. What To Consider With The Best Coffee Grinders There are a lot of features to consider when shopping for the best coffee grinders. MONICA PETRUCCI FOR FORBES VETTED When shopping for an at-home coffee grinder, you should consider your own coffee making habits, as well as how much you're willing to splurge for the best results. Blade Type We only included burr grinders on this list, as they are lauded by multiple experts as being much more effective than blade grinders. 'With blade grinders, we are chopping the coffee (like spices), but there is no consistency in the grind size distribution,' explains Teoh. 'With burr grinders, we adjust the distance between the burrs and when it grinds the coffee, it gives us a more consistent grind size distribution." There are two varieties of burr grinders: Conical burr grinders and flat burr grinders. Conical burr grinders crush beans between two cone-shaped burrs, while flat burr grinders—true to their name—squeeze beans between two flat, rotating disks. 'The shape of the burrs impacts the particle size distribution,' explains Teoh. Perry says conical grinders are known for producing a more consistent grind. Additionally, 'this design can produce less heat, which some espresso drinkers find preferable,' she says. Flat burr grinders, on the other hand, are known for particularly clean and bright tasting coffee. However, 'they can run hotter, which some enthusiasts prefer to avoid,' she says. They're also known for being noisier. 'Regardless of flat or conical burrs, both are able to produce a good cup of coffee if you know how to dial in properly,' Teoh says. Hopper Size According to Pond, a coffee grinder's hopper size is "only important if you're grinding for a crew or batch-brewing every day." He doesn't recommend storing a large amount of beans in a hopper over a long period of time, as hoppers are typically not airtight and can negatively impact the quality of the beans. 'I dose my beans before I brew, put the entire dose in the grinder and grind that amount,' Pond says. 'I leave the rest of my beans in the bag or my vacuum-sealed container.' Grind Settings It's important to be aware of what your personal coffee preferences and habits are. If you are loyal to regular drip coffee, you don't need to worry about shopping for a grinder that has ultra-fine settings for espresso, nor extra coarse settings for cold brew. 'Buy a grinder that is capable of giving you control over the ranges of grind size you need,' Teoh says. While there are grinders out there that promise the ability to achieve a wide range of grind sizes, Teoh says it's not common to find one that does everything well. 'If you are looking for espresso grinders, I would suggest looking for one that is built specifically for espresso,' she says. 'Same [goes] for drip coffee.' Control Panel The most important quality of a coffee grinder's control panel is intuitiveness. There should be very few buttons and dials, and it should be easy to start using it without poring over a manual. It's also helpful for the brand to include guidance on grind settings and how they correspond with certain coffee styles, so switching between grinding for AeroPress and French press, for example, is simple. 'If you're interested in precision, check out models with digital displays and controls that allow finer adjustments compared with manual adjustment rings or knobs,' Perry says. How To Clean A Coffee Grinder You might already know that it's important to clean your coffee maker on a regular basis, but grinder upkeep is just as important. As Pond puts it, 'do it more than you think you need to.' 'Cleaning on a regular basis isn't just for flavor; it also assists in keeping your grinder in tip-top shape for the best possible performance," Perry says. 'Buildup of old grounds and oils can force the grinder to run slower and work harder, or eventually clog completely.' The first step is to consult your grinder's manual for instructions on how to properly disassemble and clean your grinder. But for most grinders, there are a few foolproof steps to follow. First, empty the hopper and grinder fully, tapping and brushing out any remnants of beans or grounds inside. Then, add Urnex Grindz cleaning tablets, which are food safe and specifically designed to clean burr grinders by absorbing coffee oils. Grind the tablets through the machine completely, and then empty the grinder again. You'll then need to 'flush' the grinder with about an ounce of coffee beans to rid it of any cleaning tablet remnants. Once that's done, unplug the machine and disassemble the blades so that you can get into the nooks and crannies with cotton swaps or pipe cleaners, cleaning off built-up residue. Finally, wash the hopper according to the brand's instructions (usually warm, soapy water is fine here), and once all the pieces are clean and dry, put everything back together again. How often you need to clean your grinder depends on how often you use it, as well as the roast level. 'Darker roast coffee will need more frequent cleaning than lighter roast coffee,' Teoh says. What Is The Best Coffee Grinder For Home Use? After performing several science-backed tests, we found the KitchenAid Burr Grinder to be the best when it comes to consistency, versatility, speed, noise and user experience. It's a great pick for coffee novices and longtime brewers alike. Is A High End Coffee Grinder Worth It? When it comes to coffee grinders, you don't have to opt for the fanciest pick in order to achieve high-quality coffee at home. However, it is advised to skip low-cost blade grinders, as these struggle with consistency and can damage the integrity of the beans. Burr grinders are a much more worthy investment. How To Choose A Good Coffee Grinder? Beyond prioritizing a grinder with burr blades and an intuitive interface, it's important to consider your own habits when shopping for a coffee grinder. If you tend to brew mostly espresso, you want to invest in a machine that has proven to yield ultra-fine grounds. Cold brew lovers, on the other hand, should shop for something on the other side of the spectrum.
