What to know first
- Five one-touch temperature presets: Green (175°F), White (185°F), Oolong (195°F), French Press (200°F), and Boil/Black (212°F).
- 1.7-liter capacity (about 7 cups) with a 0.5-liter minimum fill line for smaller batches.
- Keep Warm holds your selected temperature for 20 minutes (you enable it with a button).
- Soft-opening lid is designed to reduce hot splash-back when opening.
- Cordless kettle sits on a 360-degree swivel base with the controls on the base, not the handle.
- Removable mesh filter can be rinsed to help manage scale deposits.
What the Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe is
Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe is a cordless electric kettle with built-in temperature presets for tea and coffee. Instead of just boiling water, it lets you choose from five set temperatures, then heats to that target and shuts off automatically when it gets there.
The big practical difference versus a basic kettle is that you stop guessing. If you regularly make green tea, white tea, or French press coffee, you can pick the preset and get the same water temperature each time without watching a thermometer or trying to time a cool-down after boiling.
It’s also sized like a main household kettle, not a tiny personal one. The kettle holds 1.7 liters (about 7 cups), but it also has a 0.5-liter minimum fill line so you can heat a smaller amount when you just want a mug.
Why it stands out
The best thing about the Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe is how it simplifies “I want the right water for this drink” into a couple of button presses. The presets are mapped to common brewing needs: 175°F for green tea, 185°F for white tea, 195°F for oolong, 200°F for French press, and 212°F for boiling and black tea. If you make different drinks throughout the week, that’s a real quality-of-life upgrade.
The keep-warm feature is also genuinely useful, with one important caveat: it’s a 20-minute hold. That’s long enough to get through a quick morning routine or make a second cup without reheating, but it’s not an hour-long “leave it all morning” mode. You enable it by pressing Keep Warm and then Start/Cancel.
Breville also put effort into the physical design details that affect daily use. The lid is designed to open softly to reduce splash-back, and the kettle is cordless on a 360-degree swivel base, so you can lift it and pour without fighting a cord. The controls live on the base, which keeps the handle simpler in your hand.
Finally, there’s a removable mesh filter. If you live somewhere with hard water, scale buildup is part of kettle ownership. Being able to remove the filter and rinse it under hot water is a small feature that helps keep the kettle working the way it should.
What it is like to own
Day to day, the workflow is straightforward: fill the kettle between the minimum and maximum marks, set it on the base, choose one of the five temperatures, and press Start/Cancel. If you want the water held at that temperature, hit Keep Warm first, then Start/Cancel. The kettle is designed to turn itself off for safety if it doesn’t have enough water (boil-dry protection).
Capacity is where this kettle fits most kitchens. At 1.7 liters, it can handle multiple mugs or a small teapot, but the 0.5-liter minimum fill line means it’s not wasteful when you only need a cup. That matters more than people think, because many large kettles are annoying when you’re just making one drink.
Cleaning and upkeep are typical for a premium kettle. The removable filter can be slid out from under the lid and rinsed under hot water. If you notice scale deposits, that filter is one of the first places you’ll see it, and it’s one of the easiest parts to clean.
One ownership note that trips some people up: this is a kettle, not a tea maker. It doesn’t include a tea basket or infuser. You heat water in the kettle, then brew your tea in a mug, teapot, or separate infuser.
What to know before you buy
This is a premium kettle, and it’s priced like one. It makes the most sense when you use it constantly and you care about the overall experience: the look on the counter, the convenience of presets, and the feel of a more finished appliance. If you only boil water occasionally, you’re paying for features you won’t use.
The temperature control is preset-based, not a one-degree adjustable dial. That’s perfect for most tea and coffee routines, but if you want to set very specific temperatures in small increments, you’ll be happier with a kettle designed around adjustable temperature control rather than a handful of beverage presets.
Also keep the marketing claims in perspective. A temperature setting is a target, not a guarantee of perfect, instrument-grade precision. In real kitchens, what matters is that the kettle reliably gets you into the right range for your drink and does it the same way every time.
The specs that matter
Big enough for multiple mugs or a small group, so you’re not running two boil cycles back to back.
You can heat a smaller amount for a single drink without having to fill the kettle halfway.
You can match water temperature to the drink (especially tea and French press) without guessing or waiting for boiled water to cool.
Useful when you want a second cup soon, or you get interrupted mid-brew, but it’s not designed for long holding.
A calmer lid opening is a real safety and comfort improvement when the kettle is full of near-boiling water.
Easier to lift and pour from any angle, and the handle stays simpler because the buttons are not built into it.
Helps manage scale deposits and is easy to rinse, which matters if your water leaves mineral buildup.
Who this product fits
You make green tea on weekdays and black tea on weekends
Instead of boiling every time and hoping you don’t scorch delicate tea, you can hit Green (175°F) for weekday cups and Boil/Black (212°F) when you want a stronger brew. It’s faster to decide and easier to repeat.
French press is your daily coffee routine
The 200°F French press preset gets you to a common brewing temperature without a separate thermometer. With 1.7 liters of capacity, you can make enough hot water for a full press and a top-off cup.
You want one kettle that works for one mug or guests
The 0.5-liter minimum fill line makes single-cup heating practical, while the full 1.7-liter capacity covers multiple servings when friends are over.
You care how your countertop appliances look
This is meant to be left out. If your kettle lives next to your coffee gear and you want it to feel like a permanent part of the kitchen, the Luxe is the kind of upgrade you notice every day.
What else to compare
If you like the idea of temperature control but want a different balance of price, precision, or features, these are the ones to consider instead.
Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe FAQ
Does Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe have adjustable temperature control?
It uses five preset temperatures rather than fully adjustable one-degree steps. For most tea and coffee routines, the presets cover the common targets without extra fiddling.
How long does the keep-warm function last on Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe?
Keep Warm holds the selected temperature for 20 minutes. You turn it on by pressing Keep Warm and then Start/Cancel.
Can you brew tea directly in Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe?
It’s a kettle, not a tea maker, and it does not include a tea basket or infuser. You heat water in the kettle, then brew tea in your mug, teapot, or a separate infuser.
What is the minimum amount of water you can heat in Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe?
The kettle has a 0.5-liter minimum fill line. Staying above the minimum matters because the kettle has boil-dry protection and may not run if there isn’t enough water.
How do you clean the filter on Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe?
The mesh filter is removable. You open the lid, slide the filter out, and rinse it under running hot water, scrubbing gently if needed.
Should you buy the Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe?
Buy the Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe if you want a premium kettle that makes tea and coffee routines simpler and more consistent. The five presets cover the drinks most people actually make, the 1.7-liter size works for both solo and group use, and the 20-minute keep-warm mode is genuinely handy when you’re making more than one cup.
Skip it if you just need boiling water or you only use a kettle occasionally. In that case, you’ll be happier spending less on a basic model. But if your kettle is an everyday appliance and you want it to feel like a real upgrade on the counter, the Breville the Smart Kettle Luxe is a strong choice.