Instant Pot Secretly Launched a Brand New Kitchen Essential—Here’s What You Need to Know

We just assumed that the Air Fryer, Air Fryer toaster oven and Instant Zest rice cooker were the only new appliances that Instant Pot launched in 2019 (besides, of-course, souped-up versions of the iconic multicooker). As it turns out, the hard-working brand also quietly dropped an electric kettle, which we just discovered hidden away on Amazon. The Instant Pot 1.5-litre Zen Electric Kettle retails for $170 and, like most of the brand’s products, includes more than a few bells and whistles. Let’s take a look.

For starters, Instant Pot’s electric kettle does more than just boil water — it lets you choose a specific temperature between 105°F and 212°F, with a little display panel giving real-time updates as the water heats. The feature is particularly handy if you like your herbal tea or drip-coffee brewed at a certain temperature. Besides the option to customize heat temperatures, the kettle also brings water to a boil instantly (ha!) with the simple touch of the Quick Boil button, so you can have your favorite beverage or a bowl of oatmeal ASAP.

The kettle itself has a compact design and is double-vacuum insulated to keep contents hot for up to two hours; plus, there’s a Keep Warm setting to make sure the water stays at a specific temperature. The kettle’s lid locks firmly in place while it’s operating, and has a push-button spout to help prevent spills. And no need to worry about the Zen overheating — the automatic shutoff feature takes care of that.

We’re not sure why Instant Pot is keeping the Zen under wraps, but the kettle has already garnered 19 ratings on Amazon, and customers — many of whom tested it for free — gave it a solid 4.6-stars. As one reviewer summed it up: “There are a lot of cheaper kettles out there, but this is by far worth the investment if you are a frequent kettle user.”

Buy: Instant Pot Zen 1.5L Electric Kettle, $104.81

This post originally appeared on Kitchn. See it here: Instant Pot Just Secretly Launched a Brand New Kitchen Essential