Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch Pro Kettle Review: Chic and Cheerful
Offering a solid range of temperature settings and a sleek, modern design, the Enfinigy Pro largely justifies its high price
Pros
- Modern, stylish design
- Excellent dual-walled insulation
- Variable temperature settings
Cons
- Expensive
A longstanding purveyor of quality knives and kitchen tools, German brand Zwilling has recently expanded into home appliances, producing similarly reliable air fryers, blenders and kettles. The most impressive model in its range, and one of our favorite kettles, is the Zwilling Enfinigy Pro; it’s aesthetically minimal, stylish, and brings a superb range of temperature settings and functions. While there are cheaper kettles available with similar abilities, the Enfinigy Pro presents some unique positives that help it stand out from the crowd.
Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch Pro Kettle review: What do you get for the money?
The Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch Pro will set you back around $170, making it one of the more expensive kettles we’ve reviewed. However, for that price, it certainly looks the part. The kettle features a sleek, dual-walled plastic exterior, available in silver or black, and has a 1.5l stainless steel container and a 1,500W heating coil internally (note: the version we tested used an 1,850W heating coil, which is reflected in the boil times below). The body of the kettle measures 6 x 8.6 x 9.6in (WDH) and it weighs 3.75lb. The Enfinigy sits on a square 360-degree swivel base, also home to its LED touch control panel, from where you can access its six temperature settings – 40°C, 60°C, 70°C, 80°C, 93°C, and boiling – and its keep-warm function. The kettle’s temperature markings are in Celsius, so if you’re unsure what these equate to in Fahrenheit we’ve handily converted them for you: 104°F, 140°F, 158°F, 176°F, and 199°F.
While the Enfinigy Pro’s features and finesse do a lot to help justify its $170 price tag, you may still find it to be a little north of what you’re willing to pay for a kettle. If you’re looking for a less pricey option, you can find cheaper and back-to-basics options at your local Best Buy or Walmart. However, if you’re happy to pay that little bit extra and aren’t in love with this Zwilling model, our other premium favorite, the KitchenAid Pro Line ($209), is similarly set up in terms of features but sports a more classic, retro-inspired design, which may suit more rustic or homely kitchens where the Enfinigy Pro’s space-age design would clash.
Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch Pro Kettle review: What’s good about it?
While it stumbled in some categories of our group kettle test, which we’ll cover in more detail below, the Enfinigy Pro was one of the best performers in a couple of key areas. The kettle’s dual-walled construction meant that it heated to an exterior temperature of just 84.9°F in use, which is nicely cool and safe, especially compared to the finger-singing 158°F+ that other kettles in our test reached. The kettle’s excellent insulation also meant it was top of the class in our heat-retention test, with the Enfinigy keeping water at an impressive 202°F when measured five minutes after boiling.
The Enfinigy also deserves praise for both its form and functions. While tastes may differ, I have found its sleek, modern look super attractive, making for a great addition to any kitchen aiming for a chic, minimal style. Other physical plus points include its seamless stainless steel interior and stainless steel limescale filter, which make it easier to clean than glass or plastic models, and allow less limescale into your tea and coffee, respectively. Although it doesn’t have a clear viewing window like many kettles, the Enfinigy Pro does come with handy milliliter and cup measurement markers on its inside, to save you from boiling excess water and wasting energy.
In terms of features, the wide range of temperature settings available on the Zwilling stand in its favor. Offering the ability to heat water as low as 104°F for baby food, as well as to specific temperatures for drinks such as green tea, matcha, oolongs, and English teas and coffee, this kettle will save you a lot of time and hassle if you’re a fan of a variety of hot drinks and are looking to make them well. Making it suitable for busy households is the Enfinigy’s keep-warm function, which can hold water at your desired temperature for up to 30 minutes. Both these functions can be controlled smoothly and easily using the responsive touch controls on the Zwilling’s sturdy swivel base.
Zwilling Enfinigy Pro Kettle review: What could be better?
There’s plenty to love about the Zwilling Enfinigy Pro, then, but there’s no getting away from the fact that its 1,850W heating coil holds it back quite a bit. (Note: while the versions of the kettle we tested ranged from 1,850W to 3,000W, most kettles sold in the US have a wattage of roughly 1,500W and will have different boil times to the ones listed below.)
In our kettle group test, the Enfinigy lagged way behind the mostly 3,000W field in terms of speed. The kettle boiled a liter of water in 3mins 45secs with a boil rate of 32.6°F/s. Compare this to the rest of the pack – which came in between 2mins 15secs and 2mins 25secs, with boil rates between 32.9°F/s and 33°F/s – and it’s hard not to be disappointed, especially given the Enfinigy’s otherwise solid design and relatively hefty price.
Another less serious quibble is the noise level the Enfinigy in use: while its peak loudness of 57dB wasn’t the highest we recorded (that dishonor goes to the Ninja Perfect Temperature at 63.1dB), it still makes it one of the louder kettles we’ve tested.
Zwilling Enfinigy Pro Kettle review: Should you buy it?
Thanks to its sleek, modern design, the Zwilling Enfinigy Pro is as much a decorative statement piece as it is a kettle – and retailing at around $170, this added aesthetic value is a welcome and necessary salve to its high price. Admittedly, it isn’t the fastest-boiling kettle we’ve tested, but its solid range of variable temperature settings, excellent dual-walled insulation, handy keep-warm function, easy-to-clean stainless steel interior, and deft touch controls provide more than enough positives to earn it top marks and a strong recommendation from us.