Appkettle review – The smartest kettle around?

Introducing The Appkettle

As just about everything in the home seems to be getting smarter, the kitchen is where many manufacturers and designers have focused their efforts and energies. Larger appliances seem to have received the smart treatment first, and anyone seeking wifi-connected fridges and washing machines won?t have to look far to find something perfect. However, the Appkettle wants to stand up for the smaller appliances and vies with the product range from iKettle for the title of smartest kettle around.

The product does everything users would expect from a smart kettle, not least boiling water. There?s a dedicated app for Android and iOS devices where owners can check the current water level, start the boiling process and manage their connected devices.

Appkettle Price and Manufacturer Specs

Appkettle Wifi Smart Internet App Enabled & Voice Controlled Kettle | Silver | 1.7L

• HIGH-TECH DOMESTIC KETTLE -- Developed from the UK, AppKettle is the result of several years of research and development into sensor and app technologies within small domestic appliances.
• VOICE-ENABLED KETTLE -- This smart kettle is compatible with voice-enabled home hubs and voice assistants, like Alexa.
• iOS COMPATIBLE -- Designed for iPhone 4s or Later with IOS system: 8.0 and above - Works with iPad/iPad mini with 8.0 and above. Notifications are compatible on all smart watches linked with compatible iOS devices.
• ANDROID COMPATIBLE -- Designed for All Android phones with Android system: 3.1 and above - Works with Android tablets 3.1 and above. Notifications are compatible on all smart watches linked with compatible Android devices.
• 2-YEAR MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY -- Shop with confidence. Your Appkettle is covered by a 2-year manufacturer's warranty. ALEXA and Phone not included..

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Pros and Cons of the Appkettle

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Appkettle Key Features

Our Appkettle Review

The Appkettle is smart, solid and boils water precisely as you?d expect it to. If, like me, you?ve never bothered with an expensive kettle before, you?ll be impressed with the features that await, even outside of connectivity. You can set the temperature you want to boil to down to the individual degree, and can also make use of the ?Keep Warm? function, which keeps your water at the right temperature for up to thirty minutes. Best of all, you can use that function both on the device and within the app. So, if you?ve boiled the kettle in bed but you?re not quite ready to get up, that will come to your rescue and save some time and electricity.

As you?ll have noticed if you?re a regular Robode reader, we tend to take it as read that you?ve got a phone or tablet with iOS or Android. That?s all you need to complete the setup process, which involves creating an account and adding the Appkettle onto your wifi network. From there, occasional dropouts aside, you should be good to go.

You?ll also want to add the Appkettle skill in your Alexa app while you?re there. There?s something downright fun about saying ?Alexa, boil the kettle.? Interestingly, the best use for that has come while cooking. I have an Echo Dot in the kitchen, and it acts like my dinnertime personal assistant. Whether setting timers or being lazy with heating the water for pasta, it definitely comes in handy.

A Truly Connected Kettle

Like most smart tech, the Appkettle is there for those that are either lazy or value time over money. Sure, this isn?t anywhere near being the cheapest kettle out there, but it?s worth it for the time it has saved. As well as boiling water ready for the first cuppa of the day, it also saves five minutes here and there when I?m in the office. My office is upstairs, and the kettle, well, isn?t. I can be sat here typing or doing the myriad of other tasks always at hand, and I can just ask Alexa to get that water boiling.

Given that I?ll usually spend the time it takes for the kettle to boil browsing Reddit or general news, that can be five more minutes of productivity. Depending on how much coffee and tea you drink each day, that can soon add up.

While I love the connectivity of the Appkettle, I should point out that it works perfectly for me and, potentially, me alone. I have an Echo of some sort in each room. I wear a Fitbit Versa 2, with Alexa built-in. If you wear an Apple Watch, you?ll get notifications in the same way as any other app, but you won?t have voice control on your wrist. If you use Google or another brand for your speakers, you may have a few issues controlling the device.

Essentially, it feels like this device was conceived with Amazon in mind, and you?ll need to be at least as deep into their ecosystem as I am to get the most out of your Appkettle.

The Appkettle App

The Appkettle app has its own pros and cons. As I?ve touched on previously, there may be occasions where the app simply forgets what it?s there for. While it?s working, it?s great. You?ll receive notifications when the kettle has boiled and have access to all the features and functionality found on the unit itself.

If anything, I?d suggest keeping the password memorable and straightforward, as you?ll need to remember it at some point, usually months after the initial setup.

Concerns for Kids

There are a couple of pros and cons to consider if you have kids in the home too. On the plus side, the precise temperate control means that the Appkettle can potentially fill in for your Perfect Prep machine in a pinch. The time-saving features will come in mightily handy too.

However, while the Appkettle looks excellent, I won?t overlook the lack of external insulation. Boil the kettle and touch it anywhere other than the handle and you?ll quickly find out that the water is hot. If your kids can reach the pot, and you like to switch it on remotely, it might not be the perfect option.

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Questions and Answers

Does the Appkettle Work With Alexa?

Yes, it does, and very well indeed. Carry out the standard setup as described in the manual ? it?s effortless ? and then add the Appkettle skill in your Alexa app, and you?re ready to make Alexa into your own personal kettle boiler. Voice control works across all Alexa-compatible devices.

How Do I Update the Appkettle?

Updates are carried out using the Appkettle app. They?re not automatic, so that?s one more reason to double-check you?re still logged in. Keep an eye out for these updates, as the Appkettle remains something that, even more than four years into its lifecycle, feels somewhat unfinished in some ways.

Incidentally, the best way to ensure you?re logged in is to keep an eye on the notifications. If you don?t get one when the boiling process completes and the beeps start, the chances are you?ve logged out.

How Do I Reset the Appkettle?

You can reset your Appkettle with the good old ?turn it off and on again? method, although there?s a bit of nuance to it. First, seat the kettle on the base and turn off the power at the wall. You can switch it back on immediately, at which point the LED display will show ?000?. When it does so, remove the kettle from the base and wait for the screen to change to ?—?.

When it does so, you can return the Appkettle to its base, and it should begin to work again correctly.

What Do I Do if the Appkettle Won?t Connect to Wifi?

There can be various reasons why an Appkettle won?t connect to wifi. One of the main issues involves the location of the kettle in your home. Microwaves are notorious for interfering with signal strength, and the fact is that kettles and microwaves aren?t always that far apart. If you can move the kettle, so it has a more direct line of sight to the router, you may have more success.

If you?ve tried everything and it still won?t connect, you may need to contact support and, in the worst case, return the item for a refund. As mentioned previously, the Appkettle seems to simply not want to work with some routers, and the most significant criticism most people seem to have involved that connectivity.

Does the Appkettle Work with Apple Watch?

At the time of this review, you?ll find Apple Watch connectivity limited. There?s no dedicated Watch app, although your device will display notifications as normal. Voice control is limited only to smartwatches with Alexa built-in.

I consider the Appkettle as a fantastic addition to my kitchen. It does exactly what it claims to, and I?m glad I waited a few months to review it. Had I done so within days, I wouldn?t have the full picture I have now. In the very early days, I had to fill, boil and empty three or four times to get rid of a plasticky stench when the kettle boiled. I also needed to find out for myself that the top level on the glass window shouldn?t be there ? try not to fill up to the top or else you?ll end up with water everywhere.