Swan Symphony Kettle, Microwave, and 2-Slice Toaster Set in White, Contemporary Design, Easy Control, Energy Efficient, STRP1025WN

Product Information

The kettle is just as good-looking, with a handle that’s easy to grip and a light-up lever to show when it’s boiling. It’s also surprisingly light to carry around, so less of a struggle when full. A good-sized water window with multiple markings in litres means it’s simple to boil only as much water as required, while the minimum boil, though not marked, is an economical 250ml. In our tests, it performed well, boiling a litre of cold water in two minutes and 15 seconds.

The kettle has a wider than usual spout but still pours smoothly. There’s also a clearly marked water window, showing the max and min fill, as well as cups from four to seven (not litres). Its water window lights up blue when it’s on, while a button on the lid flips it up for filling – good for those who sometimes mix up levers. It’s speedy, too: a litre of cold water took just two minutes and 12 seconds to boil. What could prove to be a problem is the kettle’s minimum fill – around 900ml – meaning that if you only want to make one or two small cups, you will always be boiling more than you need. For kettles, we time how long it takes to boil a full kettle of cold water from the tap, as well as 1l for comparative purposes. Each litre of water was measured using the same jug, as it’s not uncommon for litre markings on a kettle to be incorrect or unavailable.Fortunately, it’s not a case of style over substance. The kettle boiled a litre of cold water in two minutes and 20 seconds and was easy to lift and pour from. Filling was less straightforward – there aren’t any markings on the water window and there’s only a max marker inside, meaning you may end up boiling more water than you need each time. However, we did like the discreet light on the lever and the kettle’s good build quality overall. The coordinating toaster has a high lift function to help prevent burnt fingers and even a reheat button, which is a useful extra on an affordable model such as this. Homemade bread fitted in the slots comfortably, even though they’re not the widest, and toast emerged evenly done, with only slight singeing at one corner. The toaster comes in a two- or four-slice version, the latter of which we tested. Its wide slots, lift-and-look feature, defrost and reheat buttons make it ideal for any busy household, especially one where it’s out on display, so its elegant exterior can be properly appreciated.

This set’s glossy faceted exterior with geometric shapes belies its modest price. Despite being one of the more affordable options in our roundup, it still has some premium features, such as a defrost option on the toaster and internal kettle illumination. Each toaster and kettle set undergoes real-world testing in a typical domestic setting, taking into consideration their usability, convenience, capacity and how easy they are to maintain and keep clean. The kettle’s weight when empty and full, is also noted.

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