The answers to our most commonly asked iKettle questions

Have you perhaps been indulging in a bit of browsing and buying online in lockdown? While we’ve been stuck at home, we’ve had plenty of time to scrutinise the little details, and consider a few home upgrades and style revisions. We’ve also found ourselves partaking in a bit of online ordering here and there, to upgrade our home while we’re in lockdown.

So, after 2 months of having moved your coffee breaks to your kitchen (although we do like the comfort of having our own favourite mug on hand) who’s considering a kitchen upgrade? We can take you a step of the way, without you having to try out a radical new colour on impulse, or some DIY with your fingers crossed. While you’re in the mood to modernise, we reckon our iKettle makes for the perfect piece of kit to bring stylish minimalism to your kitchen.

It’s a sleek device that makes your pick-me-up a thing of beauty. We love the precision that it provides in its various capabilities, like the variety of temperatures which it can heat water to - designed specifically to create the perfect drinking experience for your beverage of choice.

This attention to detail is a key factor in its design, too. The iKettle, in every feature of its design, fuses a sophisticated style with a core focus on ergonomics. Everything from the stainless steel body to the easy-hold perfectly weighted handle, and the simple push button to the innovative patented ‘Strix’ controller that makes up its base - quality and elegance were our top priorities with this device.

But, before you invest, have you got any burning questions about the iKettle? We wanted to shed a spotlight on the iKettle and provide our customers with a bit more info about this chic gadget. So, we compiled a list of our most commonly asked questions and provided our answers too, so that you’ll be well informed about the Smart Kettle and what it can bring to your upcoming kitchen revamp.

1. Why do I need a smart kettle?

May as well start with the classic question. This is one of those questions that we find that customers are always particularly intrigued about hearing our answer to.

Our answer is, essentially, that the iKettle is one of those appliances that you don’t know you need, until you have it - and once you have it, and you’re well acquainted with all its intelligent features, there’s no going back.

How many times a day do you reckon you boil your kettle? An awful lot, if you drink as much tea as we do. Yes, we can all stick to our usual plastic white model that does the job. But our perspective as innovators and providers of luxe kitchen alternatives makes us respond with ‘but you shouldn’t have to’.

Through the Smarter app, the iKettle is all about bringing benefits to your kitchen - its features include the Home, Wake Up and Formula modes - and using technology to make your home hot drinks altogether a lot more pleasurable.

It also gives you full temperature control and a level of flexibility unparalleled by a basic kettle. The iKettle can, naturally, heat water to 100°C for a quick boil for whatever you need. Or, 95°C - slightly less heat to make for the perfect temperature for a cup of coffee. Or it can heat the water to 85°C to create a great tasting green tea (minus the bitterness that can be caused in its flavour if the water is too hot).

What we love about the iKettle is the way that it’s intelligent without going over the top. Clever in a subtle, simple way, which leaves its users asking, ‘why didn’t this exist before?’.

 

2. Do I need to pay a monthly subscription to use the iKettle or the Smarter app?

Absolutely not. No hidden fees here. We don’t charge any extras for you to use either the app or the iKettle. The app is completely free for you to use, and it can connect up to all of your Smarter devices. All you need to access the iKettle features is a WiFi connection at home, and you’re all set.

 

3. The iKettle doesn’t have a water level in their body, so how do I know if it has water in it?

You’re right there, since we wanted to stick to our modern, minimalist, sleek design that suits every kitchen to a T, there’s no water level on the iKettle. But, we’d never let style come over substance. You don’t even need to be in your kitchen (or your home for that matter) to check on your water level - the Smarter app can tell you exactly how much water is in the iKettle - easy peasy.

4. If I’m having problems with my WiFi, or my phone has run out of battery, can I still use the iKettle?

Of course. It may be a smarter version of its ancestor, but the iKettle still works in the same way as an ordinary kettle (but better) when needed. In its base, the iKettle has a physical button that you can use to boil water to 100°C.

Just remember that you don’t need to use this button if you’re controlling your iKettle from your phone or smart home devices. But if you’re wanting to use any of the iKettle’s techy features, you’ll need to use your Smarter app through your phone.

 

5. So what can I do with the Smarter app?

All sorts. (This is where we, predictably, get a bit nerdy and a bit excited).

You can sync it up with your home voice recognition technologies (including Amazon Alexa, Google Nest Home, Siri and IFTTT). Once you’ve done that, you can allow yourself to turn into a bit of a diva, really. Just ask for your water to be boiled at the exact temperature that suits you, and the iKettle will get straight to work.

With the Smarter app, you can use Home mode to set yourself daily routines and plan your ideal tea break times during the day, then get the iKettle to boil water for these moments accordingly.

We also know that the app is the perfect helping hand when it comes to feeding times if you’ve got a newborn baby. You can use the app’s specially designed Formula Mode to quickly heat up some water (from bed) or set timers in the app to sync with established feeding routine and have everything that you need ready and waiting, to make the nighttime feeding ordeal so much easier.

Or, take the classic example of your morning cuppa. Most people stand and wait for around 4 and a half minutes for their kettle to boil. But with the iKettle, you can set it to Wake Up mode, where the iKettle will start to brew the moment your alarm goes off. It’s a kettle that knows just how important a cup of tea or coffee is to your day. Plus, this will end up saving you 27 hours a year, that’s crazy, right? Sometimes it really is the little things that make all the difference.

Just to note though, for security reasons, our API is closed and you can’t connect to third-party apps.

At Smarter, we take great delight in two things: innovative technology and a delicious cup of tea or coffee. This is why we feel that the iKettle is a great way to show off what we do best.

So now that we’ve answered all of your questions, if you want to treat your brews (and your kitchen too, for that matter) to a luxurious upgrade, let us point you in the direction of our online shop, where you can pick up an iKettle to give your reimagined morning routine a final flourish.