I wanted a variable-temperature kettle for my tea. I have a $53 Salton kettle that has most of the same features I care about (minus being able to adjust the temperature by single degrees), but it has a plastic window along the side that made me nervous about the safety of the water.
Are the additional bells and whistles worth it for this one? ...Eh. It's kind of fiddly to use since you can't (as far as I can tell) raise the temperature in "jumps" any way but the presets, and you then have to shift it up and down by individual degrees with the + and - buttons. It also shows you the temperature for an hour after boiling instead of turning itself off, which is aggravating if you'd prefer lower energy consumption. Oh, and the water level marks are inexplicably placed so that you can only see them by twisting the kettle at a weird angle to stare at the part along the handle, which is bizarre and difficult one-handed.
But: it is 100% stainless steel on the inside, it lets me heat water to the right temperatures, and it has a live reading that lets me know if the water's cooled down (although I think you have to lift the kettle on and off the base to check the current temperature after it heats). The oddly-shaped spout doesn't at all make it hard to pour, so rest assured on that front. And the way it remembers the last temperature you used is a cute touch.
