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- Clear, well-marked water windows
- Affordable
- Light and ergonomic
- Limited capacity
- Only comes in black
- Longer boil time than more powerful rivals
‘Designer’ products so often translate to aesthetic beauty and a beefy price tag, but good design is about making a product better. That’s the thinking behind Includeo, Tefal’s first range with inclusive design; and nowhere is it better illustrated than with the Includeo kettle.
If you’re shopping for one of the best kettles for your kitchen, you’ll soon realise that practicality isn’t always the order of the day, with poorly marked water windows, tiny lights and awkwardly opened lids. This is where the Includeo kettle is different. It features two large water windows, with litres marked on one side and cups on the other, a double-sized rocker switch to turn it on, and a big button to open the lid. All of which makes it ideal for those with visual impairment, or even bleary-eyed mornings when you want a cuppa before searching for your glasses.
It’s also light to carry, with a chunky handle that makes it easy to grasp: as handy for someone with physical limitations (such as injuries or arthritis) as it is for a parent holding a baby. Plus, as you’d hope, it pours smoothly, and comes with an affordable price tag. However, its size can work against it when compared with other kettles, as it lacks both capacity (1 litre max) and power (2400W).
Tefal Includeo KI533840 kettle: What do you get for the money?
The Tefal Includeo kettle is priced at £50 and is available from Argos and Currys, with a two year manufacturer’s guarantee from both.
Fans of colourful kettles may be disappointed by the Includeo’s matte black plastic exterior but it’s not entirely plain. Metallic details lift the look and even serve a function purpose: the contrasting ring on the base, for instance, helps the user replace the kettle more accurately. If the Includeo’s style appeals, there is a matching toaster, just like some of the best toaster and kettle sets.
For the price, the Includeo feels good quality and well built, with plenty of design features that make it more pleasant to use. These include a handle with raised bumps, so it’s easier to grip, and a wide mouth when the lid is raised, enabling easier descaling and filling. The lid is opened by a large button that’s clearly seen.
While there’s only a maximum capacity of one litre – meaning you may end up boiling a few times if you’re using water for anything other than drinks, such as cooking or cleaning – the double windows are large and clear. They’re marked in both cups (up to four) and litres, with text that’s almost twice the size of most. Oddly, minimum fill isn’t marked, although one cup is. This equates to 250ml, making this a good eco choice as there’s no need to overboil for single drinks.
What do we like?
My favourite aspect of the Tefal Includeo is how easy it is to fill: the mouth (11cm at its widest point) and dimensions of the kettle (16.6×23.2x20cm WDH) means that no matter how short your kitchen tap is, you can fit it underneath without tilting. Its markings are also more accurate than some: when filled from a measuring jug, one litre of water did hit the one litre mark.
It’s light to lift – 720g when empty – and has a 0.7m cable from base to plug, so there’s more choice about where it can be powered. It poured well during testing: smoothly and accurately without any splashes.
While it’s far from the noisiest out there, you will hear the Includeo kettle when it’s boiling: I registered a maximum noise of 50.7dB from one metre away when boiling a litre of water (and the click of the off switch registered 55.7dB). It was a little quieter when boiling 500ml (46dB, the click raising it to 52.6dB). Water temperature was maintained far better than I would have expected from a jug without extra insulation: after five minutes, I registered 94°C, and after 10 minutes, 89°C.
What could be improved?
I felt the Includeo Kettle could be improved with some lighting. When turned on, only a small dot on the large switch lights up, meaning that if you’re at the other side of the room, there’s no clue if it’s heating up or not. A lit water window or light on the side could benefit those harder of hearing, or those who may not detect the rising boil, as well as families with noisy kitchens. In addition to this, while there’s a removable, washable limescale filter, it’s made from plastic mesh rather than metal, which can be less robust over time.
It’s also worth noting that you’ll be waiting longer for the Tefal Includeo KI533840 kettle to boil than one with 3kW / 3,000W of power. Its 2400W (2.4kW) meant it heated 1 litre from cold in three minutes and seven seconds – about 30 seconds more than a 3kW kettle – while using around the same amount of energy: 0.115kWh of electricity. At a rate of 25p per unit this would cost just less than 3p.
There is also a concern that the exterior grows quite hot. At boiling, the Includeo registered a top temperature of 60°C on the outside – lower than some but still hot enough to burn – which continued to increase as the kettle sat. After five minutes, the exterior reached 66°C, dropping back to 60°C after a further five minutes.
Should you buy the Tefal Includeo KI533840 kettle?
While it’s easy to think of Tefal’s Includeo kettle as a niche product, the reality is that improving an appliance so that more people can use it without issue has the result of improving it for everyone. I don’t have a visual impairment but enjoyed being able to see water markings easily and found its smaller, lighter size convenient. Crucially, nothing about this kettle feels like a compromise or a specialist product, making it the ideal gift for the older person in your life who’s in denial about grip or strength, or to make your own mornings more streamlined.
In an ideal world, there would be a choice of colour – black is not everyone’s cup of tea – so for something brighter, you may want to consider Russell Hobb’s Calm kettle in colour-changing frosted glass. I would also like to see more in the way of indicator lights.
Aside from that, Tefal’s Includeo feels like a step in the right direction for kettle design and is ideal for multigenerational households: it’s both all for one and one for all.
