Bite of the Best

What it is: An electric kettle that boils water; no stovetop needed How it comes: Model 685, stainless steel Where it is: Housewares stores, chefschoice.com and Amazon.com Who it's for: Anyone who wants an elegant looking way to serve boiling water without having (or needing) a cooking surface Suggested retail price: $69.99 Nutrition notes: NA Category: Kitchen Counter, Drawer & More

Bonnie: Since I renovated my home’s lower level, my bridge group plays there instead of in the kitchen/family room. It’s about 13 steps up to refill drinks using my instant boiling-water faucet, then down again with the full cups.

Since this is a thirsty, tea-drinking group — at least when there’s a chill in the air — I began wondering how I could simplify the process of making them fresh tea. I certainly didn’t want to halt the game or to serve them only when I was the dummy (the player whose cards are exposed on the table and sits out the hand).

Chef’sChoice Cordless Electric Teakettle to the rescue.

I can fill this sleek, elegant appliance with water, plug it in and play my cards—instead of playing water girl. The kettle quickly boils up to five 8-ounce cups of water and, if I’m so engrossed in playing that I forget that the pot is plugged in, will shut itself off automatically once the water boils.

I like that. I also like this as a graduation gift for high school kids for their college dorm rooms. It’s great for French press coffee, a cup of tea or an instant bowl of soup.

Most of all, it leaves me time to play cards, not focus on being a hostess.

Upcoming Contest News: In the next few weeks you'll have a chance to win a Chef'sChoice Cordless Electric Teakettle. Check back and complete the entry form in the marketplace.

Bryan: I am a fan of tea; green, red, herbal and black. Tea can be soothing, calming, invigorating and almost anything else you want it to be. Tea also can be difficult to brew when a kitchen is not at hand. My first experience living on my own (a college dorm room) was the equivalent of a desert island when it came to my culinary capabilities. Like man before Prometheus stole fire from the gods, I sat staring at a cold cup of water, wondering how on earth to heat it. What seemed so simple at home (with a stove) was now a Herculean task. Dorm regulations, of course, prohibited hot plates as fire hazards, leaving me with a lighter, a coffee mug and the phrase “I’ll give you a million dollars if that works”… (it didn’t). Bonnie brought down a gift from the gods and handed me a Chef’sChoice Electric Teakettle. The kettle met all fire-safety regulations for community living and was a hefty-sized jug that boils in minutes. The appliance is the perfect way to keep hot water at hand in a dorm, at the office, in a hotel or any other place you find yourself without a stove. Tea lovers rejoice.

Eric: I am not a fan of tea and although I enjoy the occasional strong mint flavor of a traditional Arabic tea, there is a paltry comparison to the mass-marketed teas of today’s “expectation economy.” I look at the Chef’sChoice kettle and see something more that just a vehicle for boiling water (the standard boiling point of water is 99.61 degrees Celsius), I see an overall useful kitchen tool. Instant hot water was a luxury I lived with while growing-up in Connecticut, and it came in handy for some of the quick-meal fixes that I, and most other kids I knew, could not live without. I’m talking about the Classic Bluebox (referring to Kraft Macaroni & Cheese) or the salty, but “oh, so delicious” ramen noodle packets. Not only does instant hot water help in a situation when “the watched pot won’t boil,” it also lends its virtue to a variety of other recipes:

1. A near-instant simmer of broth for the preparation of couscous;
2. Easy hard-boiled eggs. Simply place a few in the kettle;
3. A quick start for blanching vegetables or cooking pasta;
4. A handy solution in winter for melting the ice on the front steps…

Sometimes the simplest, and most practical, products are overlooked, but they are just as important as the can openers, or the microwaves of this world. With the ”average general attention span of a literate (person) being 10-12 minutes,” according to Simon Fraser University, it’s amazing that most consumers can boil water before they get bored. If it weren’t for products like the Chef’sChoice Electric Teakettle, I’m sure most people nowadays would have their boiling water delivered.