Choose an automatic tea maker if you want the appliance to handle loose-leaf infusion while you spend time with your friends: the Sage BTM800UK lowers and raises its basket and offers a black-tea programme. Choose a 1.7L variable-temperature kettle if the amount of water you can heat at once matters more; you will need to steep the tea separately and decide when to remove the leaves or bags.
If you would rather greet friends than watch an infusion, an automatic basket and black-tea programme are worth considering. Sage Appliances describes these features on its BTM800UK; check whether its 1.5L stated capacity fits your usual serving round.
If you are content to steep tea in a separate pot or with bags, a 1.7L kettle gives you a stated water capacity to compare with your guests’ cup sizes. Cuisinart and Tefal list 1.7L for the GK19U and KO760DG0 respectively; capacity alone does not establish how many drinks you can serve.
If you already have a way to steep tea, you may have little need for a motorised basket. The UK Tea & Infusions Association advises water at 90–98°C for black tea, so compare a kettle’s selectable settings with the instructions for the tea you intend to serve.
Choose it when: You regularly serve loose-leaf tea and want the appliance to lower and lift the infusion basket.
Allow for: The Sage BTM800UK has a stated 1.5L capacity, so compare it with the drinks you normally prepare at once.
Choose it when: You would rather heat water in a stated 1.7L vessel and brew the tea yourself.
Allow for: A separate pot, infuser or tea bags, plus your own control of steeping time and leaf removal.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Steeping while hosting | Look for an integrated lifting basket and a black-tea programme if you want the appliance to manage infusion; check its strength and warm-holding controls. | I want to talk to visitors without watching a loose-leaf brew and still remove the leaves when infusion ends. Around 42% of consumers put hands-off steeping first. |
| Water for a serving round | Compare the stated litre capacity with your usual cup or mug volume and the number of drinks you intend to make at once. | When several friends want tea together, I would rather assess whether one fill will cover their drinks than rely on a generic cup count. For around 33% of consumers, serving-round capacity comes first. |
| Manual brewing setup | Check for a temperature setting suited to your tea, whether the filter is accessible for cleaning, and what you will use to steep the tea. | If I am happy to manage the brewing myself, I want a straightforward heating setup without buying an automatic infuser. Around 25% of consumers make that their primary concern. |
A stated 1.5L or 1.7L capacity does not tell you how many of your cups or mugs it will fill, particularly if guests want another pour.
Work from the drink volumes and number of servings you expect, then compare the total with the appliance’s stated capacity. Plan for another cycle if the figures are close.
A variable-temperature kettle heats water; it does not perform the Sage BTM800UK’s automatic basket movement. With a kettle, you still decide how and when to steep and remove the tea.
Choose an integrated infusion basket if that step matters to you. Otherwise, check that your separate brewing method is practical for the number of drinks you make.
You may need to buy or reuse a teapot or infuser for loose-leaf tea.
Tefal UK Shop marked the KO760DG0 out of stock when its product page was checked on 6 October 2026.
Check availability and the complete model number before ordering. A similarly named kettle may have different capacity or temperature settings.
Sage’s BTM800UK represents the automatic loose-leaf route rather than a kettle-only setup.
Cuisinart’s GK19U is a variable-temperature kettle for heating water before a separate brewing step.
Tefal’s KO760DG0 is another 1.7L variable-temperature kettle to assess for manual black-tea brewing.
This variable-temperature kettle is an option for heating water when you are happy to brew black tea separately. Compare its 1.7L stated capacity with your serving round, and check that its selectable settings suit the tea you use.
No image available
Consider this kettle if you want to heat water for a serving round and steep black tea in a separate vessel or with tea bags.
Stated capacity: 1.7L. Stated power: 3kW.
Check its selectable temperatures against your tea’s instructions and allow for manual steeping; the litre capacity does not guarantee a particular number of guest servings.
The UK Tea & Infusions Association advises 90–98°C for black tea. Check the tea pack’s brewing instructions too, and choose an appliance setting that suits the tea you are serving.
No: a variable-temperature kettle can heat the water, provided you steep the tea and remove the leaves or bags separately. An automatic model such as the Sage BTM800UK is relevant when you want its basket to handle the infusion stage while you host.
Compare the appliance’s stated litre capacity with the volume and number of drinks you normally prepare, including any second pours. Neither the Sage BTM800UK’s stated 1.5L nor the 1.7L stated for the Cuisinart GK19U and Tefal KO760DG0 guarantees a particular guest count.
Check the terms for the exact model, including the warranty and how repairs or replacement parts are handled. Tefal UK Shop states a 15-year repairability commitment for the KO760DG0; confirm what that commitment covers before relying on it.