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Marketed as the world’s first smart kettle, the obvious pro with this model is that you can control it using your voice or via the Alexa app. Although this does come with some quirks folks, which I’m prepared to admit might be down to my proficiency using Alexa: I found she wasn’t willing to turn on the kettle if I asked her ‘to make me a cup of tea’ as advertised… but she was happy to respond if I asked her to simply ‘turn on the kettle’ or ‘boil the kettle’. Having reread the manual, it turns out you can teach Alexa to activate using favourite phrases, so I will try this and report back.
In addition to this, you can set schedules for when the kettle will automatically boil – for those over 40, think modern Teasmade that will sync with your phone alarm.
You can also check water levels, but if you don’t do this via the app, there’s no way of seeing how full the kettle is by simply looking at it – you would have to open the lid and look in, which means you’re at the kettle and you may as well turn it on!
In terms of ‘setting up’, in theory, it’s easy enough – use the QR code to find the kettle and follow the steps – but it took several attempts for me to get Alexa to recognise the kettle, and I resorted to downloading the app a few times and turning off the phone to see if that helped. I did get there in the end.
Swan Alexa Kettle Review
Score: 13/15 | RRP: £99.99
Watch our review video or scroll down to read our review...
How we tested eco kettles
Our testing was based on boiling 500ml water – enough to fill two average-sized mugs – to 100ºC, and we awarded each model up to 15 points for the following criteria:
- Energy efficiency, including whether the kettle offers a rapid boil function, different temperature settings and a keep warm feature (3 points)
- Features, points awarded for water level window, boil-dry protection, auto shut-off, cordless design, 360º base, built-in filter, hidden element and ease of pouring (8 points)
- Value for money, does it offer plenty of features, and does it come with a warranty? (2 points)
- Good looks, is the kettle stylish, and does it come in any different finishes? (2 points)
How energy efficient is the Swan Kettle
It ticks two of the three boxes from an energy efficient point of view, as there is a wide choice of temperatures, so you can boil the kettle to the temperature you need as opposed to the max temperature. It also will automatically keep water warm for two hours, and it will shut down after 10 minutes of inactivity. However, with 1.5-1.8 KW power, it’s much slower to boil than other kettles on test, (many of the more eco models featuring 3KW power), taking around 2 minutes and 30 seconds to boil one cup of water/500ml of water.
Is the Swan Alexa kettle good value for money?
Obviously given the smart tech, this is the more expensive kettle we tested, but it comes with a two-year warranty – as many kettles on test did – and has plenty of features to make it good value. However, if you’re not a tech-head and won’t make the most of the Alexa compatibility, it’s not worth the heftier price tag.
How does the Swan Alexa kettle look?
Sadly, this kettle won’t win any awards on the style front. The glossy black finish is a magnet for fingerprints, and overall the design and finish looks quite cheap, which is surprising for Swan as they have plenty of well-designed kettles in their range. However, this is about the smart technology, though in an ideal world, that wouldn’t mean that it had to compromise on style.
Should I buy it?
It all boils down (excuse the pun) if you embrace all other smart home tech or not. Though it was fun to talk to the kettle (up to a point), as you must take the kettle to the tap to fill it up with water, it was just as easy to press the switch in the old-fashioned way to turn it on as it was to use the smart, remote tech. However, if you love doing things via an app from your phone, and like the idea of a scheduled cuppa, then it’s the kettle for you.
It also gets the thumbs up if you’re keen on the eco credentials. So, if you're happy to compromise a little on style and aesthetic, this is a great option.
Looking to make your whole kitchen more eco-friendly? Check out our guide to making your kitchen more sustainable.
Specs at a glance:
- 1.5 Litres
- Voice activated
- Auto shut-off
- Temperature range from 40-100
- Cordless design
- 360 base
- Hidden element
- Power-on indicator
- Two year warranty
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Also consider...
Bosch Styline Kettle
Score: 14/15 | RRP: £84.99
Features
- Water level window
- Auto shut-off
- Cordless design
- 360º base
- Built-in filter
- Hidden element
- Easy pouring
With its rapid 3kW element for speedy boiling, four temperature settings, and a 30-minute keep-warm function, the Bosch Styline kettle is the best eco-kettle overall in our test.
Despite a slightly higher cost, its eco-friendly attributes, sophisticated design, and safety-oriented double-walled construction make it a valuable investment. While it might stretch the budget a bit, the Styline ticks the boxes for those on the lookout for both efficiency and style.
Why not consider an eco-friendly fridge to bring your energy costs down?
Pros: Quick boiling, variable temperature settings, keep warm function.
Cons: Quite pricey.
Read our full review of the Bosch Styline Kettle.
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Still looking? Check out our roundup of the best eco kettles on the market in 2023, tried and tested by YourHomeStyle.