ProCook 1.5l kettle review: a stylish step up from a basic kettle

RRP at time of testing: £69 | Check price at ProCook

My verdict

At £69, the ProCook 1.5l kettle sits in a slightly awkward position. It costs considerably more than the basic kettle you might grab when your old one dies without warning, but it doesn’t have the temperature controls, keep-warm setting or clever display you often get when you start spending more.

It is, essentially, a kettle that boils water. The surprise is how much I enjoyed using it.

I’m quite fussy about tea. Between DH and I, our kettle gets through around four cups a day, ranging from builder’s tea to green tea. He believes a cup of tea should contain approximately half a pint of milk, while I’m particular about the water temperature, so no kettle is going to resolve all our differences.

The silver detail on the ProCook 1.5l kettle matched my plug sockets

Still, the ProCook made the process quick and easy. It boiled the minimum 500ml in 58 seconds and a full 1.5 litres in under three minutes. I also used it to get pans of water bubbling more quickly when cooking pasta, which is useful when four children are asking how long dinner will be.

It looks lovely too. The white finish and stainless-steel details make it appear more expensive than it is, but it isn’t enormous or overly showy. It fitted neatly onto our worktop without elbowing the toaster out of the way, and the excess cable tucked underneath the base rather than adding to the collection of leads behind our appliances.

There are thoughtful practical details as well. The water window is clear, the handle stays cool and the lid flips open when you press the button. I could refill it without pulling off a hot lid or putting my fingers near a cloud of steam, which I appreciated when making several drinks in a row.

It poured neatly when I filled it with enough water for two or three cups. At the full 1.5-litre capacity, it felt heavier and the flow became slightly spitty, so I had to slow down and pour more carefully.

My main complaint is the noise. It makes itself known while boiling, particularly as it gets closer to switching off. That didn’t bother me during the daytime chaos, but it was less welcome first thing in the morning when I was trying to make tea without announcing to the entire house that I was awake.

The minimum fill is also 500ml, while my usual mug holds around 300ml. This meant boiling more water than I needed whenever I made a drink for one.

There are no temperature settings either. Pouring freshly boiled water straight over green tea can leave it tasting bitter, so I had to wait for the water to cool. I would happily pay more for a kettle that prepares different drinks exactly how I like them, but not everyone will care about that as much as I do.

Overall, this is a simple kettle done very well. It is fast, attractive and pleasant to use, with most of the everyday details thoughtfully designed. Whether that is enough to justify £69 depends on how much you care about the appliance permanently sitting on your worktop. If you want something stylish and reliable without a control panel full of settings, I think it deserves a solid four out of five stars.

How I tested the ProCook kettle

DH and I used the ProCook as our main kettle for one week, making everything from builder’s tea and green tea to larger boils for cooking pasta.

It stayed on the worktop throughout the test and was filled, boiled and poured at different capacities as part of our usual family routine.

During testing, we considered:

• Boiling speed: I timed both its minimum 500ml fill and full 1.5-litre capacity.

• Everyday use: I assessed how easy it was to fill, switch on and return to its base.

• Pouring: I compared its handling and accuracy with different amounts of water.

• Noise: I paid particular attention when using it early in the morning while the children were asleep.

• Design: I considered its footprint, appearance, water gauge and cord storage.

• Comfort: I checked the handle and lid during repeated boiling and refilling.

• Temperature options: I considered how practical it was for green tea as well as ordinary black tea.

This was real-life family testing rather than a laboratory experiment, but I did time its boiling performance rather than relying on whether it merely felt quick.

I didn’t expect it to improve my husband’s tea-making skills - he still adds far too much milk - but I did note whether having a shiny new gadget in the kitchen would tempt him to put the kettle on more often. Spoiler alert: it worked.

ProCook white stainless steel kettle: what's in the box?

Inside the box, you get:

• ProCook 1.5L Kettle

• Cordless 360-degree base

• Removable limescale filter

• Instructions

There are no accessories to assemble or settings to work out. Before making our first drinks, I filled the kettle with fresh water, boiled it and discarded the water as instructed. After that, it was ready for the first proper tea round.

The power cord remains attached to the base and measures approximately 75cm. Any excess can be wound underneath, which kept it from trailing across the worktop.

What comes with the ProCook white kettle

How quickly does the ProCook 1.5l kettle boil?

Rapid boiling is one of this kettle’s biggest strengths.

It took 58 seconds to boil its minimum 500ml capacity. That is convenient when two people want a drink and nobody has remembered to put the kettle on until the last possible moment.

Filled to its maximum 1.5 litres, it boiled in less than three minutes. I used larger boils to add hot water to pans before cooking pasta, and it was noticeably more convenient than waiting for cold water to heat entirely on the hob.

The catch is that 500ml is quite a high minimum. One of my everyday mugs holds around 300ml, so making a single drink meant heating roughly 200ml more water than I needed. Over one cup that feels minor, but it's an appliance that's in use multiple times a day. A lower minimum would make it more economical for anyone who regularly makes drinks just for themselves.

The kettle heats fast and has a blue indicator light when switched on

What does the ProCook kettle look like?

There is no getting around it: this is a very good-looking kettle.

The white body and stainless-steel details make it feel polished and classic rather than student-y. It looked at home in our kitchen immediately. It's not so flashy that it demands attention and it's not cheap and plasticky, which is the ideal balance.

It is relatively compact for a 1.5-litre model too. Worktop space disappears surprisingly quickly in a family kitchen, especially as my DH loves a gadget. As well as a toaster, microwave and air fryer, we have a Nutribullet, a Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser and a coffee machine, so I liked that the ProCook didn’t demand too much room.

The blue light around the switch illuminates when the kettle is on. It is a small detail, but useful when you're desperate for a cuppa and want reassurance that it's on the way.

I also appreciated the silver lid, which matched my plug sockets. As a lover of shiny things, it appealed to my Magpie tendencies.

How easy is the ProCook kettle to use?

Very easy. There are no menus, temperature buttons or instructions you need to keep beside it. Fill it, press the switch and wait.

The kettle sits on a 360-degree base, so it can be lifted and replaced from either direction. This made it equally comfortable for both me and DH to use and meant I didn’t have to line it up carefully when putting it down.

The water-level window is positioned on the side and is easy to read. I could see how much I had added without repeatedly lifting the lid or holding the kettle up to the light.

Its push-button lid is particularly useful. Rather than pulling off a separate lid while the kettle is still hot, I could press the button and flip it open. This made refilling quicker and kept my hands further away from the steam.

The kettle has a convenient push-button lid release

Is the ProCook kettle comfortable to handle?

At approximately 1.1kg when empty, the ProCook feels fairly lightweight. The handle is comfortable to grip and remained cool while the water boiled.

It was easy to lift and control with less than a litre inside, including when I was filling several mugs in a row.

A full 1.5 litres naturally makes it much heavier. I could still lift it, but the extra weight affected how smoothly it poured. If grip strength or wrist mobility is a concern, I would avoid filling it completely unless you need all that water.

What safety features does the ProCook kettle have?

The ProCook keeps things fairly basic when it comes to safety. It switches itself off when the water has boiled, while the illuminated blue switch makes it easy to see when the kettle is running.

The push-button hinged lid was the feature I appreciated most. I could open and refill the kettle without pulling off a hot lid or putting my fingers too close to the steam. The handle also stayed comfortably cool throughout testing.

However, there is no child lock or cool-touch outer casing. The stainless-steel body becomes hot while the kettle is boiling, so it still needs to be kept well away from curious hands. In a home with four children, that means pushing it towards the back of the worktop and making sure the cord stays neatly tucked beneath the base.

Does the ProCook kettle have temperature controls?

No. This is a standard rapid-boil kettle, so it heats water to boiling point and switches off automatically.

That is perfectly adequate for builder’s tea, cooking and most everyday uses. It is less convenient for green tea, which can taste bitter if the water is too hot. As a huge green tea fan, I own a kettle that heats water to 80 degrees, and my teabags tastes noticeably different when they have the ProCook ketttle fully boiled water poured on them.

It's also not ideal for kids hot chocolate, as mine expect it to be delivered shortly after they request it and hate waiting for boiling liquid to cool down.

If your kitchen runs almost entirely on ordinary tea and instant coffee, you probably won’t miss this feature. If you have strong opinions about green tea, speciality coffee or children’s drinks, it is worth considering whether one of the best temperature control kettles would better suit your household.

Is the ProCook kettle noisy?

The ProCook is surprisingly noisy.

It starts relatively quietly but becomes noticeably louder as the water reaches boiling point. In the middle of the day, when the washing machine is running and somebody is asking where their shoes are, I barely cared.

The noise was more obvious early in the morning and late at night. If your kitchen is close to the children’s bedrooms or you regularly make drinks while everyone else is asleep, it could be irritating.

Its fast boiling time helps because the noise doesn’t continue for long, particularly when heating 500ml. Even so, anyone specifically looking for one of the best quiet kettles may prefer another model.

How well does the ProCook kettle pour?

With less than one litre inside, it pours very well. The spout produced a neat, accurate stream and didn’t dribble water across the worktop after I had finished.

l was impressed by the smooth pour of the ProCook kettle

It worked particularly well when filled for two or three cups, which is how I used it most often. The handle felt balanced and I could move easily between mugs without splashing.

At the full 1.5-litre capacity, it became less controlled. The additional weight made it harder to tip gradually and the water could come out slightly spitty. It wasn’t dangerous or unusable, but I had to pay more attention.

For daily tea rounds, keeping the fill level below one litre gave me the best balance between capacity and comfortable pouring.

Is the ProCook kettle easy to clean?

The smooth exterior only needs wiping with a damp cloth, while the wide hinged lid makes it easy to look inside when checking for limescale.

There is also a removable filter inside the spout to stop pieces of limescale reaching your drink. This is particularly useful if you’re dealing with limescale and researching the best kettle for hard water. The kettle will still need regular descaling, but I'm all for anytthing that makes life quicker.

The white exterior stayed smart during my week of testing and didn’t show every small mark or fingerprint. As with any pale appliance, tea splashes will be more visible than they would be on a black kettle, but the surface was quick to wipe clean.

Is the ProCook 1.5L Kettle good value for money?

This is the difficult question because £69 is a significant amount to spend on a kettle that doesn’t do anything especially clever.

There are much cheaper models that will boil water, and some similarly priced kettles offer variable temperatures or quieter operation. If you keep your kettle hidden in a cupboard and only care how quickly it works, the ProCook may feel unnecessarily expensive.

But kettles are rarely hidden away. Ours lives permanently on the worktop and gets used several times a day, so appearance and small conveniences matter more than they might on an appliance that comes out once a month.

The ProCook feels well made, boils quickly and is easy to fill, lift and pour at everyday capacities. The compact footprint, hinged lid, clear water gauge and cord storage all made it nicer to live with.

I think £69 is reasonable if you want a kettle that looks more premium and performs the basics very well. Plus, the two-year guarantee offers peace of mind. However, it is on the pricey side for an appliance that just boils water, without offering a choice of temperatures.

A removable limescale filter is especially useful if you live in a hard water area

How does the ProCook 1.5l kettle compare to other white kettles

Final verdict: is the ProCook 1.5L kettle worth £69?

The ProCook 1.5L kettle essentially does one job but it does it properly.

It boiled quickly throughout testing, looked lovely on our worktop and was simple enough for everyone to use without consulting the instructions. The hinged lid, clear water window, comfortable handle and tidy base may not sound exciting, but they are the features I appreciated every day.

The noise stops it from being ideal for early risers, while the 500ml minimum wastes a little water when making one mug. I would also prefer variable-temperature settings for green tea, particularly when spending this much.

Still, those drawbacks didn’t stop me enjoying the kettle. It performed reliably, poured well at the capacities we used most often and even encouraged DH to make more tea - albeit with his usual overenthusiastic approach to milk.

If you want lots of settings, £69 could be better spent elsewhere. But if you want a quick, stylish and well-designed kettle that will look good on the worktop and make the daily tea round feel slightly less ordinary, the ProCook is a strong four-star buy.

About the author

Zoe Griffin is a mum of four and Mumsnet content writer specialising in home essentials and appliances. She has 15 years’ journalism experience and has written for The Daily Telegraph, Mail Online, the Sunday Mirror and The Independent. When she's not on a laptop, she enjoys long-distance running, karate and cheering on Brentford FC.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of hands-on testing. We never accept payment for coverage, and our verdicts are independent and honest. We may earn a small commission through affiliate links, which helps fund our work - but it never influences our opinions.

All prices are correct at the time of writing.

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