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We have been through 3 of these kettles (don't get me started on how much time was spent with Bodum customer service). They all have the same problem -- after a few months the kettle stops making (or makes intermittent) contact with the electric connection,.DO NOT BUY THIS PIECE OF RUBBISH.
That cured that problem. The second is still going strong after 12-years, but not without extreme intervention.When the second kettle started to flake, due to intermittent switch failure, I opened it up. We have an all white kitchen, and can't stomach a 1950's style chrome tank, in full view on the counter. This solution mirrors the smaller Ibis version, which by the way, I own and use infrequently at the office (never any problems in 6-years).
The first one lasted about 2-years, before it failed (switch failure as mentioned by others). In Britain, we had countless choices for electric kettles, but not so in the States. It seems like an easy fix to make this part thicker, so I would hope this flaw has been resolved by now.A short while later, the connection at the base plate showed signs of overheating. It is fast, and the automatic shutoff feature gives peace of mind. There's a stamped sheet metal conductor inside, which is too thin.
As this represented a potential fire hazard, I eliminated the base plate altogether by connecting the power cord directly to the kettle itself. Even after 12-years of heavy use, the kettle appears as good as new.Bottom line: If you are an infrequent user, and you let it cool down between use, you might be quite happy with this kettle. Alas, Bodum, seemed to be our only choice for a contemporary white electric kettle.So, we're on our second large Ibis. I suspect the design is not robust enough to handle the abuse seen when attempting to align a full and heavy kettle to the base. This creates a high resistance point, which is prone to overheating.
I fixed this by covering the component with a layer of solder. Over time, it is likely that the pins bend just enough to create another high resistance joint, and thus cause overheating, which melts the plastic.Once we fixed those two flaws, the kettle has performed without fail, and we love it. But if you are a heavy user, don't expect it to last forever.
this particular model has a defective switch. I know abpout 3 cases when the switch stopped woprking within months of purchase. in this case it happened right away. No good.
The switch started flickering and not functioning properly very soon. Returned for a refund but have not heard from them in weeks.No refund either.
We bought this kettle to replace an identical Bodum model that we had for 4 1/2 years. After using it 3-4 times a day during that period the contacts finally wore out. We have found the replacement to be very satisfactory.
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