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Despite the many ways technology has streamlined our lives, there has yet to be an invention that solves life’s pettiest niggles.

You know the first-world problems I mean: dropping toast butter-side-down; making a bowl of cereal and realising the milk is sour; having the best bit of your favourite show interrupted with an ill-timed ‘are you still watching?’ alert.

There’s also putting the kettle on, which may be an extremely minor inconvenience but still adds faff to the average tea-loving Brit’s day.

It’s a problem Swan has tried to solve with its latest appliance, the world’s first Alexa kettle.

The 1800W smart kettle uses voice control and the Alexa app for a Tomorrow’s World-style boiling experience. It even has different temperature settings to cater to your needs, along with a two-hour keep warm function.

It looks sleek, with an all-black gloss finish and simple LED display. Some smart home products lean too far towards futuristic design and stick out against analog interiors, but this will blend in to most kitchens.

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A double-walled structure keeps the outside cool, but the shiny exterior does attract and trap dust (seriously, it’s like a magnet for the stuff) so you’ll probably want to avoid touching it anyway.

More importantly, however, is the Alexa kettle’s ability to boil on command. It’s easy to set up using a QR code, then once you’ve connected your Amazon devices you can start playing with its functions.

When the kettle arrived, I waited for my boyfriend to come home before announcing, ‘Alexa, make me a brew.’ I think for a split second, when he heard it start boiling but hadn’t yet figured it all out, he thought I’d mastered telekinesis, which made the new appliance seem like a bit of an anticlimax.

Nonetheless, it’s halved our trips to the kitchen (one to boil, one to make the drinks) and we’ve both enjoyed personalising the commands and routines. Being able to stick the kettle on before you get home and have it ready for you is a particular highlight.

There are a few things that take a while to get used to when you’re used to analog cuppas. The water level isn’t visible when the kettle’s shut – you have to open it up or check the app to find out. And although it has dry boil protection, it’s best to keep an eye and make sure to turn off the keep warm function.

A friend also pointed out that it doesn’t actually make you anything; you still have to get up to make your drink when the water’s boiled.

The excitement of voice-controlling my everyday routine clearly still hasn’t worn off for me though, and I’ll relish every extra minute I would’ve spent waiting by the kettle.

Metro Recommends

Swan Alexa Smart Kettle, Amazon Exclusive, 1800W, Black

£99.99

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