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Kitchen head-to-head

Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric KettlevsHamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880)

5 years apart, and the averages land 7.2 and 7.4. Only Performance moved much, 8.4 to 6.8.

Six preset temperatures and a keep-warm function, on the shortest-lived body in this group.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

The no-frills glass kettle: quick to boil, little to go wrong, and no temperature control at all.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Performance, Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle ahead 8.4 to 6.8. They come closest on Quietness, 6.8 to 6.4. Left of center is Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle, right is Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880).

Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle versus Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle run left from the axis labels, bars for Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) run right. Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle: Performance 8.4, Value 8.0, Durability 5.4, Ease of use 8.8, Quietness 6.4. Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880): Performance 6.8, Value 9.0, Durability 6.2, Ease of use 7.4, Quietness 6.8.Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle (left)Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) (right)PerformanceCuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle — Performance 8.4 out of 108.4Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) — Performance 6.8 out of 106.8ValueCuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle — Value 8.0 out of 108.0Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) — Value 9.0 out of 109.0DurabilityCuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle — Durability 5.4 out of 105.4Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) — Durability 6.2 out of 106.2Ease of useCuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle — Ease of use 8.8 out of 108.8Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) — Ease of use 7.4 out of 107.4QuietnessCuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle — Quietness 6.4 out of 106.4Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) — Quietness 6.8 out of 106.8Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle

Leads on Performance and Ease of use.

  • Six brewing temperatures on one panel without paying premium money
  • A household where several people want their water at different temperatures
  • You want a full-size kettle that also handles delicate green tea properly

Take the Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880)

Leads on Value, Durability and Quietness.

  • A guest room, an office, or a first apartment
  • You only ever want boiling water
  • Watching the water boil is genuinely part of the appeal

What each one gets wrong

Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle

  • Hard water and heavy daily use — this body gives up sooner than the others here
  • You are hard on kitchen equipment; the water window will not forgive it
  • You want stainless everywhere the water touches rather than a window and a seal

Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880)

  • Daily heavy use — the failure reports cluster fast
  • You want temperature control of any kind

Specs, side by side

SpecCuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric KettleHamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880)
ControlSix preset temperatures plus 30-minute keep warmOn and off
BodyStainless exterior, concealed elementGlass with plastic collar
Capacity1.7 liters1.7 liters
WarrantyThree-year limited

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is the 2015 Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) the safer pick over the 2010 Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle?
Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle leads on Performance and Ease of use. If Value, Durability and Quietness matter more to you, take the Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) instead. The 5-year gap shows in the totals as 7.2 against 7.4.
What does the 2010 model still win?
On Performance and Ease of use, yes. Those axes still go to the 2010 model. The 2015 one answers with Value, Durability and Quietness.
Which one ranks higher in "Two identical kettles, 2.6 durability points apart"?
Hamilton Beach 1.7L Glass Kettle (40880) sits at #2 in "Two identical kettles, 2.6 durability points apart", Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 Cordless Electric Kettle at #4.