What is Reddit's opinion of
Electric Kettle by Cuisinart, 1.7-Liter Capacity, Cordless 1500-Watts for Fast Heat Up, Stay Cool Non-Slip Handle, Stainless Steel, CPK-17P1?
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90 reviews of this product found across Reddit:
Electric kettle. It will heat the tea to the exact temperature.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLNQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- 175 F for green tea
- 185 white tea
- 190 oolong tea
- 212 black tea
Not only does it help control flavor, but for green tea I can start drinking immediately after steep. Whereas with boiling the water you usually need to let it sit longer than steep time.
I can tell you what not to buy! cuisinart CPK-17 kettle The buttons are unnecessarily complicated. You have to push the temperature then push the start button. I can’t tell you how many times I think i put on the kettle to boil, and find cold water and a blinking set of lights.
Cuisinart perfect temp. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_gs29Fb8XAYCE2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Had mine for 5 years. Fast, nice preset temps, and nothing but reliable.
Highly recommend.
For pour overs though bonavita makes a nice gooseneck kettle. there is also the Fellow Stagg EKG
Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle. I bought mine 6 years ago. It gets daily use. Never had a problem with it. (I do have to periodically descale it, but that’s it.)
I bought mine at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLNQ/
Edit: added link
Similar reasons to you, I’m sure! I’m in a dorm without a kitchenette, and I love tea, so I needed an electric kettle. I wanted it to boil rapidly, and as I drink a wide variety of teas (as well as coffee), I wanted temperature control.
This was the best one I could find being sold in my area. It was, however, $100. I lucked out in a semi-unethical way: it rang up as twenty five, and it may have slipped my mind to correct that.
So far, I love it. I’ve drunk around two liters of tea to test it out (though I still haven’t had oolong or coffee), and every steep has been delightful. I primarily drink whites and greens, and because I’m lazy, I occasional use water that’s too hot. Using their presets have been great! I will say, I prefer my white teas steeped at a hotter temp than what you’re “supposed” to do, so I may never use that setting again, personally.
My ideal kettle would allow a manual input for temp, and a temp read out, but otherwise this is perfect.
Here’s a non-affiliate link to what I got for $70 on Amazon, if you’re interested.
I have this Cuisinart model http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=psdc_289753_t3_B0083I7THI
It's a little pricey, but will change the way you drink tea. It will especially be a revelation to you coming from microwaved water! Side note; it's $83.00 right now, down from the usual $100 I see it at.
Can anyone recommend a metal electric tea kettle? I don't want the interior of the lid or anywhere where water or condensation reaches or heats plastic parts. I have a Fellow Stagg gooseneck for coffee, but I want one with a standard spout to pour for tea and general usage because a gooseneck too slow (I need another kettle anyway for the kitchen). It should be a simple kettle easy to clean and built to last.
Quick google search shows this popular Cuisinart; however, there seems to be concerns about build quality and rust. I'm tempted to get the Fellow kettle with regular spout but I'm aware the products are overpriced.
I had an old Hamilton Beach from Costco but the interior of the lid is plastic.
I own a Cuisinart CPK-17P1 Electric Cordless Tea Kettle, it has temp settings for different teas, and apparently French press coffee should be heated just below boiling temperature.
This device is less expensive, less complicated and way safer than anything. You're going to be able to build yourself. I would highly recommend it over something that is very likely to kill you and people you love. https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ
The only kettle I can personally reccomend is this one. It costs $100 and I've had it for over 2 years now. The only downside is that the opening is too small for me to fit my hand in, so I have to use a bottle brush for deep cleaning. But the occasional boil white vinegar and water method is enough to keep it clean in my opinion.
I've had this Cuisinart for a few years and I'm pretty happy with it. It has a good number of pre-set temperatures for different kinds of tea, it heats up quickly and accurately, and it has a "keep warm" option that maintains the chosen temperature for half an hour.
Do you have an electric kettle? Ours has a “keep warm” button that keeps think water at temperature. Then you can turn it on way in advance and a few minutes before you’re ready plop the bottle in a bowl with the hot water (we got this one for our wedding years ago and love it).
We just do cold or room temp milk, eventually your baby will get used to it (unless there’s a specific reason why milk needs to be warmed).
By the way, this is the Cuisinart that I was mostly-happy with until it started to leak: https://smile.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ
Those quick-push temp settings were amazing! But I think the 'viewing window' seal failed, hence the leaking.
This one from Amazon is mine - it tends to fluctuate in price a lot and I know a few other places stock it. I think my husband grabbed it for my birthday when it was closer to $75 but he may have gone to Bed Bath & Beyond with a coupon knowing him.
Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric kettle, 1.7 L, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fab_v7DGFb41QMS8V
It’s higher cost than your range but you may be able to find it on sale or withe BB&B coupon. I use mine daily and it’s had no problems after several years of hard use.
Cuisinart CPK-17 We’ve used ours steadily for 4 years and it’s still going strong. My wife loves the temperature selector (200 degrees F for Aeropress coffee). It also boils very, very fast. It’s one of our favorite purchases.
If you happen to want to throw money at the problem, I have this kettle, which has a "keep warm" feature.
It'll reheat the water back to where it's supposed to be if it drops below some threshold for maybe 20min?
I use a Cuisinart PerfecTemp. Some folks have mentioned a leaking issue but mine has worked perfectly and has been getting some very heavy-duty use over the last ~6 months.
I have one of these that I use for boiling water. Guess that works.
So for starters, just the V60 and the filters will do. Do you mean [this](/www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B01GPMH590/) grinder?
Kettles are mostly nice if you drink a lot of non-black tea and get one with different temperature settings. I mostly like green tea and this bad boy has been a game-changer:
After a bit of research and having a Bonavita at work, I ultimately went with the Cuisinart PerfecTemp and I've been very happy with it.
Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_D7moybH4V4MZR
Commenting so I can come back in the distant future when I do finally decide to make bubble tea on my own. I have a few questions.
Curious, what tea leaves do you recommend for bubble tea? I'm still pretty new to the whole tea thing but I at least have the right kit going, including this baller water boiler.
Does the type of milk you add matter? For example, is there a big difference in flavor between soy milk, regular/2%/etc. milk, and half-and-half?
The video added maple syrup at the end, but is that normal? Like, I don't think my local bubble tea cafe adds maple syrup, and if they do then this is news to me.
Please help, I really want to brew tea. I don't feel comfortable having whatever is in my Electric Kettle.
I'm using Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle
What you see is the result of ONE water boil.
I have this kettle and like it. It is a more expensive kettle, but heats up quickly and keeps it's temperature for a half hour. I'm going to guess that the tea you've had in the past was low quality and not brewed well. The biggest thing to remember is the amount of tea is what determines how strong the tea is, not how long you brew it for. There are some exceptions, but for green or black tea this will be true. If you brew it for longer it will just over brew the tea, which can make it bitter. I've notice that pre-brewed tea from stores tends to not have a ton of flavor and are very watery. What teas did get from Teavanna that you liked?
Looks like we have the same method! :)
OP, the Cuisinart kettle (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ) is nice. It has a keep warm button that will keep it the water at your selected temperature 30 minutes. Not sure that's enough time for you but it's something to look into. I LOVE the different temperature settings and hey, it looks nice, too!
I also love my inginuitea. I tried little mesh tea infusers before and this type of infuser (Teavana and David's Tea also make them) is my favorite. Super easy to use.
I always recommend my kettle, the Cuisineart PerfecTemp, although it might only sold in the US since there doesn't seem to be a version in celsius. I actually got it for a bit cheaper at Macy's, I think more like $80 at the time.
Having a variable temp kettle is amazing, it takes out all the effort of having to try to get the right temperature, and it does it fast. I use my kettle for boiling water for cooking, because it's way faster than my electric stove, heh.
I love my Cuisineart electric kettle, but I'm not sure if it's sold outside of the US of if they make one in celcius unfortunately
I treated myself to this after a year or two of wanting a convenient kettle, it's held up perfectly for 5 years of constant use now. I'm a barista by day, tea lover at home, so it was sure worth it. Coffee, just like tea, often benefits from more control of temperature than the standard "off-boiling".
Not sure about those two stovetop kettles, how pricey are them? I always recommend this Cuisineart variable temperature electric kettle that I have, it's pricey at almost $90 but if you're a big tea drinker, it ends up being totally worth it to get the perfect temperatures for your tea fast and with minimal effort.
I love my Cuisineart kettle and highly recommend it, although it doesn't have a morning start time, it simply has temperature presets for different kinds of tea, and it's stainless steel not glass. It does have a "keep warm" feature and it comes to a boil pretty quick, and has a little mesh in the spout for catching mineral sales if you have hard water.
I'm not that familiar with kettles or pour over in general. This might be taboo here but I have the stainless Cuisinart that lets you select different temperatures. It doesn't have a slim spout. Like this one.
Why the slim spout?
Steeping and brewing are the same thing, it just means soaking the tea in hot water. The tea that's in tea bags is the same as loose tea, just generally ground up finer to fit in the bags for convenience.
Different types of tea are meant to steep at different temperatures. Black and herbal require boiling water, whereas green and white will "burn" in boiling water and make bitter tea. Different types of teas also have recommended steeping times, if teas steep for too long the leaves release acids called tannins which make the tea bitter. Loose teas are typically better because the larger leaves don't release tannins as easily as ground up leaves, and therefore aren't bitter.
Depending on how much you want to invest in tea, you can either use a meat thermometer to check your water temp, or you can invest in an electric kettle with variable temperatures.
This is the electric kettle I use, which is made for tea. It has the names of the tea on the buttons so you can just set the type of tea you're making, and it'll make it the right temperature. Highly recommended
It made a world of difference for me, too. Which kettle are you using? I love my Cuisinart PerfecTemp: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1443818719&sr=1-1&keywords=cuisinart+tea+kettles
Honestly most of it is just stuff we got on sale or at a Ross and Marshalls. The glass teavana sugar holder you can buy at their store, it normally has their rock sugar but we got it mainly for the jar. The electric tea kettle can be found here. we just waited for it to go on sale and got it for around 80$
Way more expensive on Amazon: Cuisinart CPK-17FR Programmable Kettle http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443033796&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=Cuisinart+CPK-17FR+Programmable+Kettle
I have a somewhat similar Cuisinart model. I got it free with credit card points. I probably wouldn't have paid full price for it before I tried it out, but I really like how it works and I'd definitely replace it with the same or similar if it gave out.
I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I want to purchase an electric tea kettle that I can adjust the temperature on.
I'm looking at this tea kettle. Is there a standard tea kettle? Thanks :o
I have Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle
Literally the best thing I have bought, it has 6 preset heat settings for steeping different tea types
if you find a tea shop that sells loose teas (chinese stores will sell lots of different types--where are you located?), you can pick up a lot of different types of loose teas for a reasonable price.
trader joe's has a good selection of bagged teas--their irish breakfast with milk and sugar is my morning tea of choice. i also really like flavored black teas straight if they're brewed for 3 minutes at 1 heaping tsp per 8 oz of water.
i'm also lustin after this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1F7TFSEVIWERO&coliid=I35VJZFH51AU9M&psc=1, but there's nothing wrong with my current electric kettle. sigh.
I have a Cuisinary CPK-17 and it's served me well. I generally use around 190-200 for oolongs (200 for darker oolongs), 175 or 180 for greens, and 200 or boiling for black. I'm never really sure what to use for white tea.
I bought that kettle last week off Amazon, was $79: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330136644&sr=8-1
I replaced my Utilitea. The Cuisinart is slower to heat water but I can be more precise with temperatures and I do like the "Keep Warm" feature, which is pretty essential for multiple infusions.
Temperature tends to be more important with the more delicate teas (green and white) than the stronger teas. As for a kettle, I use a Cuisinart. It's not cheap-cheap, but it is <$100 and works well.
Something that made a huge difference for us was investing in an awesome burr grinder, and then spending $40 or so on a Chemex brew pot. The filter in the Chemex is a lot thicker than most, so I find if I rinse it properly beforehand, I wind up with rich, delicious coffee that has not even a hint of bitterness (in fact, sometimes a little too smooth for my taste--I like a little bite!). You might try a Chemex and see if it makes a difference for you, since they're not expensive.
We also splurged on an electric kettle: this one, in fact, which would also help with tea-making since it has selectable temperatures for various tea varieties.
Save a buck, get it off Amazon
Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_uGe2zbKVEWY2S
Hello, Lovelies!
We had a 3.5 earthquake that shook the house at 3:45 am. I was already awake because I had got up to pee, but I think that would've shaken me awake anyway. All is well and nothing broken!
Lunch yesterday was Tuna on a Greek Salad. Dinner was leftover Keto Manicotti with Roasted Asparagus.
Our kettle broke so I had to go out to Target to pick up a new one. Hubby had bought one on Amazon; however, I saw all of the most current reviews said it sucked really bad so I had him cancel it. It was a Cuisinart too so it's surprising but maybe they had a manufacturing flaw. Fingers crossed the one that I bought will last a while. I make hot tea multiple times a day and need a working kettle. Of course, I picked up a few other things too, including a cute straw sun hat. I have a white and black one but wanted one in a more neutral color. After I checked out, I noticed it had makeup in the front of it. Why do people try on hats? Ugh...luckily they had one more that didn't have makeup on it and I was able to exchange it.
Then I remembered that I needed something for the tomatoes to grow on so I stopped by Lowe's. I could've spent hours looking at and picking out plants, but alas, I really needed to get back to work! I snagged a cutie flowering succulent and got out of there lickety-split.
I need to go use my new kettle to make some tea now and then I'll be back to see what ya'll have been up to. Big hugs!
XOXOXO
Hah yeah....except I got the Cuisinart one haha. This one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_s5BVFbRW821FE
Found the Cuisinart you were looking at for $85. Its a great kettle, totally worth the investment, great warranty too.
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ/
My setup at work has changed over time, but I think I've settled on this for now:
Every morning before I leave my apartment I grind 32 grams of coffee into a plastic 8oz container and throw it in my backpack. I tried the hand grinder + beans at work thing, but it was too noisy and got annoying really fast.
It is not cute, but this kettle is an absolute workhorse. I love it.
More like this one.
I have a nice electric kettle, as well as little dinky water boiler if I only need like a cup or two of hot water. Didn't stop me from looking at one of those fancy Zojirushi water boilers yesterday on Amazon again, which is like the third or fourth time over the past few months that I've done so.
And I don't even really have a good use case for it, since I don't drink coffee or tea. My electric kettle right now already works fine for the few times I want to speed up pasta or egg making, or when I'm filling the water trap in my smoker setup.
I've had this Cuisinart for a few years and am very happy with it. It has a good range of pre-set temperatures and heats fairly quickly.
My husband bought me this Cuisinart electric tea kettle maybe 5-6 years ago and I love it and use it every single day. It works perfectly.
I've been using this one for at least 7 years and it works great!
https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ/
The Cuisinart CPK-17 Variable Temp Kettle is on sale on Amazon currently.
Yes! Overall I like the Cuisinart with 6 temps, is large (1.7 L) and ready to use
I also have a smaller (1 L) bonavita gooseneck for my home office/tea /listening room. Really like you can adjust temp by a single degree, fast heating, and the pour control.
But overall I'd recommend the Cuisinart, just easier to use
I use a pre-programmed multi-temp Cuisinart Kettle.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLNQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hey guys! The Cuisinart CPK-17 got a surprise discount on Amazon just now...$60.83 at the time of this posting!
Aside from the obvious dicking around with mocktails you wouldn’t regret dishing out for an electric kettle and a tea infuser then hitting whatever local spot has loose leaf. I’m an oolong man myself—it’s the most diverse—but there’s a whole world of flavors in each category and they all come from the same plant. Don’t use water that’s too hot, and don’t steep it too long.
Oh, I can answer this one beautifully!
We used to use pour over coffee, one cup at a time. It took forever and was awful.
Do they have an inverter capable of up to 2000 watts? If so, read on!! If not, ignore my idea.....
So if they have an inverter, get them two things. First, this guy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLNQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This thing is beautiful. Gets water to the perfect temp in just a few minutes, and saves tons of propane vs conventional heating. If they cruise in the tropics they will appreciate the savings on heating the cabin.
Second, get em this dude: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005YY9X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=305DG4O1W7U4L&coliid=IYQ052FWO4QF9&psc=1
It is insulated, keeps coffee hot for a crazy long time, and its rugged stainless construction keeps them from having to have filters on hand!!!
All this results in coffee made effectively and efficiently at the cheap price of like 15 aH. give or take, depending on their battery bank.
Thermometer. Different leaves require different temperatures. Packages usually label what temperature you should steep at, so make sure you're steeping it at the proper temperature. Not every leaf is to boiling temperature. Personally I use one of these.
Some method of straining, like an infuser or a steeper like this one. I believe Teavana has its own version of a steeper. This is basically a teapot and infuser combined into one - It let's you brew the leaves directly in the water and there's a valve at the bottom that opens up when you push the bottom up against a mug so that the tea flows out while keeping the leaves in.
A scale or teaspoon measurement to get the exact amount of leaves per liter. This one's something you can eyeball.
That's about the bare bones for tea equipment. You can get fancier with a teapot and everything but if you're just looking to enjoy tea without starting an extravagant tool set or collection, this is all you need.
I have this one: www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSLNQ . I've only had it half a year, but so far it works well. It's pretty much as cheap as you can get with a variable temperature kettle that won't break immediately.
US. It's this kettle: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ
I can't really justify the cost to get one for myself at home right now, but it's on my Christmas list for sure. :)
Here are the amazon links for each kettle
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ
http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40
Hot tip.. bed bath and beyond sometimes carries both kettles and 20% coupons are plentiful.
Tea originates in China where it goes back thousands of years. The Chinese GongFu method predates everything else as far as I know and is, I think, the most rewarding. Despite the fact that GongFu can be called a tea "ceremony" it's much less about pointless ritualized activity than it is about getting the best cup of tea you'll ever have. Of course the first thing you'll notice if you look at the video I linked is that to do it properly it does require a bit of equipment, this can become expensive depending on your tastes. If you are going to get into GongFu I would recommend starting with a gaiwan rather than a yixing pot. Also you'll need to at least have a little pitcher, a tea table or tray, little cups, and if you don't have one already an electric kettle that can heat water to precise temperatures. From there you can expand over time easily to get a yixing pot, some tools, a bigger tea table, and tea pets! Tea pets are functionally useless but a really cool part of GongFu that is a lot of fun. Check out these resources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gongfu_tea_ceremony
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtWVkv_dw_c
- https://www.reddit.com/r/GongFuTea/
Recommended equipment and places to shop for tea and equipment:
- Dragon tea house on ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/dragonteahouse/
- Yunnan Sourcing: http://yunnansourcing.com/
- The most popular and arguably easiest to use electric kettle: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1442981450&sr=1-6&keywords=electric+tea+kettle
Another respected tradition is the Japanese tea ceremony which is very much about form and grace in the ceremony itself and is highly ritualized to demonstrate these qualities. If you like Matcha most of the ceremony isn't going to make it any better than a basic well conducted functional preparation will. Besides traditional ceremony however Japanese tea culture has a lot going on and if one is more partial to Japanese green teas then it might be better to look into the specifics of that.
As for what is the most highly regarded; I'd have to say Chinese GongFu then Japanese tea culture then everything else just because GongFu is the oldest in the world and has developed over thousands of years with the goal of brewing fantastic tea.
Not sure, never tried. But I highly recommend giving Adagio a try -- they've got their main loose leaf teas, and then they have community-curated blends you can order, which there are a lot of and there are sure to be some that interest you. The blends are loose leaf as well, and can include extras like berries or little chocolate nibs for additional flavors.
Plus, when placing your order, they give you an option to share on Facebook (I think, been a while since I've had to reorder. I always share privately to "No One" too because your friends really don't care what you order, ha), and they'll then let you toss a free sample bag or two into your cart, which is good for quite a good amount of cups of tea. And of course they have a reward points system.
If you don't have anything for brewing loose-leaf, they've even got you covered there: this personal teapot works extremely well. You just put your loose leaf in, dump the water in (which should of course be already heated, I have this little guy for that but you can just heat it however you normally do), let it sit for 3-5 minutes, then set the teapot on top of your mug and the liquid comes out of the bottom through a fine mesh filter. Been using mine for 3 years so far.
I swear I do not work for Adagio -- just a loyal customer!
I just bought this so I don't have to keep going to the kitchen. It's cheaper elsewhere. It's arriving today, so I'll let you know how it is, if you're interested :)
Personally, I don't often resteep, but that's because I'm a baby and have to wait so long for my tea to cool before I'll drink it that it just ends up tasting weird when I go to resteep, so I just make a big pot of it.
I have this one for my tea and love it! I never thought to boil noodles with it. I'm gonna try that now.
Is the water temperature a big deal?
In other words, is buying something like <strong>that</strong> worth it?
edit: my stash
If you're looking for a really high quality kettle this kettle is amazing, but pricey if you're on a budget. Good news: It has a 3 year warranty. For now though, your kettle should do just fine, you can always get a thermometer to check what the temperature of the water is. Or you could boil water in a pot and watch the bubbles using this as a guide.
When it comes to buying tea, as /u/Elijah_Baley_ mentioned, it really depends on where you live as to what you'll be able to buy in store. I understand not wanting to buy things online, especially with teas when you have no idea what they will smell/taste like, it's something I struggle with as well, but good websites have detailed descriptions of their teas to help with that issue.
Also, knowing what you're interested in can help a lot. For example, different websites are better for different varieties of tea. Some websites specialize in white teas, some in greens, etc. Some websites are great for flavored teas but not so much for straight teas.
Sorry for this massive wall of text! I'm relatively new to this as well so I understand being overwhelmed by everything!
EDIT: Okay...maybe the wall of text isn't as massive as it looked like in the live preview hah!
I'm not sure which model you have, but I would NOT get this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLNQ/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003KYSLNQ&linkCode=as2&tag=facebook0364-20
I have had that kettle only a couple months before it started leaking (out of the BASE, where the electric parts are) boiling water all over my counter and on my floor.
Meanwhile, a much cheaper kettle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044WWB8Y/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0044WWB8Y&linkCode=as2&tag=facebook0364-20 ^ That one has been going strong for over a year, so much so that I got one for my father too. If there's not enough water in the kettle, it'll start beeping at you too. So certainly makes me feel more safe than what happened with the more expensive Cuisinart. It has a 2 cup minimum water level, which is perfect for a 8 oz cup of tea. It is also digital (temps for heating are in intervals, so you can't get crazy specific with it) and has a temp display of the current water temp.
If you look at the reviews of the Cuisinart, you'll see that the "randomly spews out boiling hot water" defect happens a lot (click on the 1-star reviews) and when it does fail, it fails within 3 months. They also wanted $15 for "shipping and processing" for me to get a replacement under their 1-year warranty, and that's not including the amount it costs for me to ship it to them. Not a fan.
That one actually looks nice. I might pay for that.
The one I was looking at was sort of like this, but for more than twice the price.
Nope basically the same tho
My favorite is this Cuisinart. It's amazing. Lots of temperature choices.
I use this Cuisinart. Not sure what your price range is.
> Not many people have kettles in America because there electric supply is only 120 volts. > > A typical kettle uses 3000 watts and that would mean drawing 25 amps from the socket, this is too much for the American wiring.
A typical kettle in America uses 1000-1500watts and can heat 1L of water to boiling in under a minute. I know, because I own this one and this one and both heat water super fast at 120v.
Kettle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLNQ/ref=wms_ohs_product
I love this because of the temperature selections (including one for 175 degrees, which is recommended for the æropress) and the "keep warm" function. It's nice to be able to walk back in half an hour later and have hot water waiting for you at the perfect temp. I used to measure my water with a heat thermometer.
Grinder: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043095WW/ref=wms_ohs_product
I know this isn't a top-of-the-line grinder by any stretch, but it's a lot better than the blade grinder I used to use. I think it's reasonably priced for what you get.
Beans: http://www.urthcaffe.com/sh7.html
These are my favorite beans so far. Very dark, rich, and thick. If you like your coffee even more "murky," I would recommend these in a french press as well.
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