Cordless Electric Kettle

Say what?

Have they brought it back from the fuel–cell powered future?

Not quite.

But it'll do quite nicely.

When I trek to Richmond to give anesthesia

for a week every now and then the one thing I miss most — at least in the morning — is my exquisite coffee.

It's just too much trouble to put water in a tea kettle, turn on the hot plate I've dragged along, and wait forever for the water to boil, besides which I'm so groggy at 5:45 a.m. I may well leave the hot plate on after I leave for the hospital and end up burning up the Sheraton Richmond, not a good thing.

And then I've got to grind the beans.

All this stuff takes up space and it's just too big a pain in the butt.

So I drink my default coffee, brewed in a Senseo machine (below)

using coffee pods.

Better than 7–11, but not by much.

But when I saw the electric kettle pictured up top, I realized there was a better way.

From the website:

The advanced design of this brushed stainless steel kettle boils 1.75 quarts of water in just minutes.

The concealed heating element with 1500 watts of power is never in direct contact with the water, so mineral deposits don't build up.

There is an easy-read water level gauge and the kettle lifts easily from its corded base for filling and pouring.

Automatically shuts off when water boils and has a boil-dry shutoff protection.

$39.99 here.