Chef's Choice SmartKettle Model 688

High-Tech Tea Kettle Serves Up Precision Heating

The act of boiling water hasn't changed much since your cave-dwelling ancestor Og heated fetid H2O in a mammoth skull.

That's why the Chef's Choice SmartKettle is an enormous evolutionary leap forward for tea kettles -- and for tea nerds. The device adds a geeky element to the mundane task of stoking liquids by letting you dial in the exact temperature you want.

Operation is dead simple: Just enter a temperature on the unit's recessed front panel. We set ours to 185 degrees F for green tea, filled it to its max capacity of 1.5 quarts, and in five minutes the solid stainless steel kettle produced agua caliente at exactly the desired temp. (We checked.)

The kettle itself sits on a black plastic power base, but the heating elements are housed in the pot. A clear thermometer-esque fill bar behind the handle lets you know how much water remains in the reservoir. Intelligent touches like that help make the kettle a welcome addition to even a cluttered kitchen.

Two safety features make the SmartKettle a little dumb. If you don't lift the kettle off its stand within 20 minutes of reaching the programmed temperature, it shuts off. And when you do lift the kettle off its stand, the heating element turns off, so you have to push the power button -- again -- when you replace the kettle. These features save electricity, but they're inconvenient.

Still, precision counts, especially if you're a tea snob. If you're a geek who's seriously into his tea then you should probably pick one of these up. We're pretty sure Kevin Rose already has one.

WIRED First electric kettle to quickly heat water to the exact temperature you specify. Handsome and sturdy stainless steel pitcher. Alarm sounds just like a tea kettle's whistle.

TIRED Safety/power-saving features over-complicate the act of boiling water.

• Type: Kitchen gadgets
• Manufacturer: Chef's Choice
• Price: $100