Elite Gourmet 1.7L Electric Kettle Review — Practical Variable-Temp Kettle

Intro

This is a practical review aimed at shoppers who want a useful, everyday gift rather than something purely decorative. The Elite Gourmet 1.7L Dual Wall Cool Touch Electric Tea Kettle (model EKT8717) is a programmable electric kettle with a borosilicate glass exterior, a listed 304 stainless-steel interior, a touchscreen for preset/adjustable temperatures, and a keep-warm mode. The listing spells out features that matter for daily use—variable temperatures, boil-dry protection, and a 360° cordless base—and owner feedback fills in how those features behave in real kitchens.

What it is / first look

The Elite Gourmet EKT8717 is a 1.7-liter (listed capacity) electric kettle designed for making tea, pour-over coffee, instant soups, and similar hot-water tasks. The listing specifies a borosilicate glass exterior, a food-grade #304 stainless-steel interior, and a dual-wall cool-touch body, plus a touchscreen with pre-programmed temp settings and +/- buttons to fine-tune temperature.

• Capacity: 1.7 liters (listed)
• Wattage/Power: 1100 watts (listed)
• Voltage: 120 (listed)
• Materials called out in the listing: borosilicate glass exterior, #304 stainless-steel interior
• Controls/Features listed: touchscreen with presets (White Tea, Green Tea, Oolong/ Coffee & Boil), adjustable temps, Keep Warm up to 2 hours, auto shutoff, boil-dry protection, 360° detachable base with hidden cord storage

Out of the box you’ll see the modern glass silhouette with a powder-coated finish on the handle and base (the listing color is Black). The listing describes a hinged stainless-steel lid and a mesh filter in the lid for cleaner pours.

Colors

• Black

Who this is a good gift for

Be practical: this kettle is best where a recipient either wants better temperature control than a basic kettle or appreciates the look of glass plus a stainless interior. The listing and owner feedback point to the following good matches.

The tea enthusiast who values exact temps

Why it fits: the listing advertises pre-programmed tea temps and +/- temperature adjustment so someone brewing green or white tea (lower temps) can avoid scalding. Assumption: the recipient actually uses variable-temperature brewing and will use the touchscreen presets.

The pour-over coffee fan who wants quick hot water

Why it fits: the listing lists pour-over coffee as a recommended use and the 1100W element is listed as heating quickly (the listing claims under 10 minutes to heat 1.7L). Owners report much faster heats for smaller fills—this is a good match if they mostly make one or two cups.

The new apartment or small-home cook who needs a compact hot-water station

Why it fits: cordless serving from a 360° base and a modest footprint (listed dimensions: 8.25"L x 6"W x 10.5"H) make it friendly for small counters. Assumption: they have 120V kitchen outlets and want a dedicated electric kettle instead of using a stovetop.

The traveler or office user who likes a reliable travel kettle

Why it fits: owners report smaller sizes in the product family and users who travel praise compactness and speed. Assumption: you either buy the 1.1- or 0.6-quart variants (those sizes are listed) if travel is the priority; the 1.7L is roomier for home use.

The gift for someone you don’t know well (safe practical pick)

Why it fits: it’s a practical, utilitarian gift with safety features listed (auto-off, boil-dry protection) and a mid-range price point. Assumption: the recipient drinks hot beverages often enough to use it.

In daily use

The listing positions the kettle as a daily-use appliance—tea, coffee, hot cocoa, instant soups, and baby formula are explicitly listed. Owners’ notes back that up: many people report daily use for pour-over coffee and tea, and frequent praise centers on speed, the audible beep when temps are reached, and the keep-warm convenience.

Controls and temperature behavior

The kettle uses a touchscreen with pre-programmed settings (White Tea, Green Tea, Oolong/Coffee, and Boil) and +/− buttons to fine-tune the target temperature. The listing says the display shows the real-time temperature and that the kettle beeps twice when it reaches the selected temperature. Owners consistently say the touchscreen is responsive and that the audible indicator/pulse is useful—good for someone who multitasks in the kitchen.

Speed and performance

The listing claims 1100W will heat up to 1.7 liters in less than 10 minutes. Owner notes provide a more practical look: several buyers report that smaller fills (1–2 cups) reach drinking temperatures in about 3–4 minutes, and many say the unit is noticeably fast for typical household use. If the recipient needs full-capacity boils often, expect longer times closer to the listing’s upper claim.

Keep-warm and everyday convenience

The listing describes an adjustable Keep Warm function for up to 2 hours and owners like that they can come back to warm water for a second cup without reheating. One repeated owner complaint: when Keep Warm is active and you pick the kettle up off the base, returning it sometimes requires manually turning the Keep Warm mode off—owners say it can stay on indefinitely otherwise. That’s a practical annoyance to know about if your recipient is absent-minded or prefers fully automatic shutoffs.

What owners praise

• Design and styling: many buyers call it elegant and like the borosilicate glass appearance and the blue indicator lighting.
• Stainless-steel interior: owners appreciate the listed 304 stainless-steel interior and report no plastic odors when heating.
• Safety features: the built-in boil-dry protection and auto-shutoff are frequently cited as peace-of-mind features.
• Daily reliability: several users report months of daily use with no issues and fast boils for small fills.

Materials & build quality

Listing facts are clear on materials: borosilicate glass exterior, a listed #304 stainless-steel interior, and a dual-wall cool-touch body. The kettle is listed as having BPA-free parts and a powder-coated finish (color listed as Black). Those are manufacturer/listing claims and the review relies on them as stated.

Owner feedback gives a mixed-but-leaning-positive view of build quality:

• Many owners praise the stainless interior and describe it as feeling premium and easy to clean, matching the listing’s #304 claim.
• Several owners love the glass styling and the blue heating indicator light.
• Minor concerns appear in owner notes: a few people call the base or base finish flimsy, and one person said the handle opening felt tight (more relevant to smaller hands or travel use).
• Multiple owners repeat the same practical requirement: do not overfill beyond the internal min/max marks. Owners report that overfilling (above about five cups) leads to boiling water spilling out of the lid area—this behavior is reported as a misuse risk when the kettle is filled above the marks the listing and manual outline.

Safety considerations

The listing includes several explicit safety features: auto shutoff, boil-dry protection, a cool-touch dual-wall body, and a detachable 360° base so the kettle itself is cordless while serving. The listing also claims BPA-free parts and a stainless-steel interior.

Owner feedback supplements that with real-world caveats:

• Overfill risk: multiple owners strongly warn not to fill above the internal max mark (the manual reportedly specifies between 3 and 5 cups). Overfilling is repeatedly linked to spilling or apparent leaks while boiling; owners emphasized checking the fill marks before use.
• Keep-warm behavior: owners report that if Keep Warm is active, removing and replacing the kettle on the base can leave it in Keep Warm mode until manually turned off. That behavior can cause the unit to stay on longer than expected unless the user remembers to turn it off—something to call out for households with children or when leaving the kitchen unattended.
• Base stability and cord: a few buyers describe the base as feeling less robust than the kettle; the listing does say the base has hidden cord storage and is 360° rotating for easy placement. Treat the base like the part that could show wear over time according to owners.

Practical safety advice for gift givers: include a note with the gift reminding the recipient to watch fill level and to read the manual so they use the min/max marks, and flag the Keep Warm behavior if they like to pick the kettle up during use.

Who should skip it

• If the recipient refuses any electric appliance in the kitchen or prefers stovetop kettles, skip this (it’s explicitly an electric kettle).
• If you need a heavy-duty commercial kettle for frequent full-capacity use, skip—owner notes suggest it’s best for household daily use and smaller fills are where it shines.
• If absolute automatic shutoff when returning to the base (with Keep Warm engaged) is a must, consider a different model—owners report you may need to manually turn Keep Warm off after replacing the kettle.
• If the recipient will constantly overfill or has small children who might tamper with the lid, this model requires attention to fill levels per owner warnings.

Verdict

Buy / Maybe / Skip: For most casual-to-enthusiast home brewers, this is a solid mid-range pick if you want programmable temps, a stainless interior, and a glass look without a big price tag. The listing’s specs line up with what owners praise: it’s fast for small fills, attractive, and useful for tea/coffee tasks. The two practical sticking points are a repeated owner warning about overfilling (follow the min/max marks in the manual) and the Keep Warm behavior that sometimes requires manually turning the mode off when replacing the kettle on the base.

Check before you buy

• Confirm the recipient has a 120V outlet (the listing lists voltage as 120).
• Remind the recipient to follow the internal min/max fill marks (owners repeatedly warn about overfilling and spilling).
• If keeping the kettle on Keep Warm is important, ask whether they mind manually switching it off when replacing the kettle on the base—owners report this can happen.
• Decide whether the 1.7L size fits the recipient’s daily habit; the listing shows smaller sizes (0.6 and 1.1 quarts) if they travel or need something more compact.
• Check the product listing for the current warranty and the manual; owners say the manual includes usage and safety details and is available through the product support link on the listing.

Overall: a practical, stylish kettle with useful temperature control and a stainless interior that many owners praise for daily use. Good as a mid-range, thoughtful gift—just add a note about fill-level care and Keep Warm behavior.