Tom's Guide Verdict
The Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle is quick to boil and great for insulation.
Pros
- +
Good insulation
- +
Quick to boil
- +
Compact design
- +
Range of colours available
Cons
- -
No water gauge
- -
Stainless steel part of the body gets very hot
Why you can trust Tom's Guide
Minimum capacity: 250ml
Maximum capacity: 1.6 litres
Water gauge: No
Lid type: Lift out
Exterior material: Part stainless steel, part plastic, with stainless steel interior
Wattage: 3000
Cord length: 71cm
Weight: 1167g
Size: 25 x 18 x 24 cm
Variable temperature: No
If you’re looking for a kettle that will keep your water hot long after it’s done heating, the Kenwood Mersermerine Jug Kettle is worth a look. It boasts a premium, compact design with a modern appearance and is available in a range of colours.
As you will see in our Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle review, we found it quick to heat and great at keeping the water warm for a lengthy time. However, the stainless steel parts of the body grow very hot in the process and it’s fairly noisy too. There’s also no water gauge which could put off potential buyers. Having said that, this is a very sweet kettle, which will take up minimal space on your counter. Plus, it’s available in so many bright colours that you can really make a statement with it.
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Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle review: Price and availability
The Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle is available from Kenwood for £129.99 and from Currys for £129. It’s available in six colours including red, white, purple, blue, orange and black. It is currently not available in the U.S.
Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle review: Design
The Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle has a minimum capacity of 250ml, meaning it can boil a single cup of tea, and a maximum capacity of 1.6 litres, which is quite a lot considering its compact size — just 25 x 18 x 24 cm.
This kettle is available in a range of colours including red, white, purple, blue, orange and black. The plastic panel stands out for featuring a diamond pattern which gives it a false textured appearance — this makes it feel much more premium than plastic.
The lift-out lid has stainless steel accents to match the body, and the plastic handle feels well-rounded and comfortable to hold. There is no water gauge on the body, which means you need to look inside to see the minimum and maximum capacities. However, we noticed that this is quite hard to see as you fill it, because the metal gauge is on the same side as the handle inside. It comes with a lift-out limescale filter.
The cord is a good length at 71cm and there’s storage in the base if you don’t need it all. Despite its compact size, it is quite a heavy kettle, weighing 1,167g when empty and 2,746g when full — this is heavier than the average kettle in spite of its smaller capacity.
This is a single-temperature kettle which doesn’t make an audible noise, but a light illuminates on the base to show when it’s boiling. The base feels a little lightweight and flimsy compared to the kettle, but it’s adequate.
Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle review: Performance
During our testing, the Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle was quick to heat, taking just two minutes and six seconds on average to boil one litre of water. The coloured panel on the body stayed relatively cool, measuring just 60.6°C, but the stainless steel parts reached 82.5°C, which is a scalding hazard. The handle remained at room temperature. It is quite a noisy kettle, reaching 77.2 dB at its height of boiling, and it used an average amount of energy to heat one litre as well, at 0.114 kWh.
It didn’t leak or spit when boiling water at full capacity and needed three minutes and nine seconds to boil 1.6 litres, which is pretty speedy. The Bosch Sky Kettle needed three minutes and 22 seconds to boil 1.7 litres by comparison. Noise and temperature levels were very similar to the one litre boiling test, at 77.4 dB and 54.3°C on the panel respectively.
It scored well in terms of insulation, with the water temperature still measuring 71.6°C an hour after boiling — so you could return later for a second cup of tea if you wanted. It’s easy to pour a small amount of water out of the spout without any dribbling, and the accuracy is easy to control too. We noticed that if you remove the lid soon after boiling, you can catch and burn your hand on the steel parts, however.
Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle review: Ease of use and manual
The mesh limescale filter is easy to remove and refit, even if you have bigger hands. The lift-out lid is also easy to remove and seal shut; it feels like it fits into place well. You can easily fill this kettle up through the spout just about on full flow, although it does splash back if you’re not careful. You need to look inside to keep an eye on the water level because it lacks a water gauge on the outside. The kettle is controlled by a single switch just under the handle which flicks off automatically once the water has boiled; it couldn’t be more intuitive to use.
This kettle is tricky to keep clean because the stainless steel parts easily show marks and fingerprints. Otherwise, the coloured panel can be wiped down easily with a microfibre cloth.
This kettle scored full marks for its manual; the diagrams are clear and step-by-step guidance is given. There’s also adequate safety information as well as cleaning and descaling instructions. On top of this, contact information is supplied along with a troubleshooting guide.
Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle review: Verdict
On the whole, the Kenwood Mesmerine Jug Kettle would make for a pretty and practical addition to any kitchen. It’s compact to store, customisable with so many colour options, and has a premium feel to it as well. The stainless steel parts do grow overly hot, which you need to be aware of, but the majority of the body is kept to a safe temperature. It’s also quick to boil and keeps the water well-insulated too.
It’s not all perfect, being heavy to lift and noisy when boiling — our winner, the Bosch Sky Kettle, was noisier at 79.4 dB, but it was slightly faster to boil one litre and cooler to touch. Having said that, the Kenwood Mesmerine is a very stylish kettle, which those who are tight on space would be happy to display.
Katie Mortram used to be a Homes Editor for Tom's Guide, where she oversaw everything from kitchen appliances to gardening tools, as well as smart home tech. Specializing in providing expert advice for cleaning and home manintenance, she now works as Household Advice Editor for Good Housekeeping.