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Our Philips HD-4662 stopped working this morning.
I rarely use a kettle but #2 child uses it daily for tea-making and getting hot water to poach eggs in. “It is faster than heating it up in a pan on the cooker” I’m told.
my needs are:
stainless steel satin or shiny
’cordless’ so you can pick the kettle up off of its base and fill or pour
water level indicator
Can be filled through its spout
has an easily removable lid for folks who don’t like spout filling
Handle on the side for easier pouring
fast-boiling
#2 child is interested in color changing ‘just because’
temperature control would be a nice-to-have feature
what kettles do you suggest?
Not after a boiling water tap - we have an espresso machine that has a hot water output.
I did suggest a coffee kettle with a gooseneck spout. It was rejected on account of ‘looks ridiculous’ and ‘how much!?!’ Also it would not meet several of those ‘must have’ criteria.
Russell Hobbs FTW.
For a couple of decades I was on a quest for a kettle where my only requirement was "not shit". It's harder than you think.
I finally found one that has been absolutely perfect, lasted well over ten years before dying. I replaced it with its 'new and improved' model and it's near-identical except it's new perfect-pour spout is a bit splattery if you tip it too fast into a pan of pasta. But anyway. This is what I have and would heartily recommend:
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07F8HZVFS
And this looks to be what you're looking for. Similar-looking kettle, only with the pointless gauge you want and coloured lights:
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Russell-Hobbs-20460-Buckingham-Stainless/dp/B00K8S89YI
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Russell-Hobbs-20460-Buckingham-Stainless/dp/B00K8S89YI
Claims to be 'quiet boil' so it might be a slower boil than mine, mine is rapid but makes a right racket. It's now notorious on conference calls (-:
It was rejected on account of ‘looks ridiculous’ and ‘how much!?!’
Heathens, get rid of them!
😉
Recently got a Russell Hobbs more or less as above after kettle death (but in black because it will apparently better match the toaster). Bought from Argos as they as least pay some tax and more importantly deliver to the local Sainsbury's next day for free.
Lid flips up when you press the button on the handle for filling, gauge on the side plus red bits of plastic inside show levels. Turns blue when switched on. 3kilowatt so fast. Don't understand the need for different temperatures of boiling in our house. About 25 or 30 quid IIRC.
We have that Russell Hobbs after its predecessor lasted a long time.
It is shit. And being replaced soon.
The pin that conducts the electricity between base and unit keeps bending and thus either poor contact and the kettle cuts in and out....or you don't notice it just hasn't boiled....
I have that Russel Hobbs. It’s ok. Quiet boils actually means ‘makes a very strange noise whilst boiling’. I like the step like gauge inside to measure cupfuls- just boil the volume you need. I had one similar previous, the plastic for the gauge perished and sent a jet of steam towards your knuckles. Which was unpleasant.
I've got that Russell Hobbs quiet boil (in fact I've got 2). Works well and has a 3 year warranty if you register it.
If you live in a hard water area buy a plastic kettle. Stainless to just die
Or fit a Brita drinking water tap with a P3000 cartridge and change the cartridge every 5 months.
Or descale your kettle once a month.
Dualit. I've got one I inherited from my mum. It was fairly old when she died in 2009, and it's still doing everything a kettle ought to.
This looks like the most similar one from their current range:
https://www.johnlewis.com/dualit-1-5l-electric-kettle/black/p5065187?sku=237747387&
We use the kettle a lot and I got fed up with them only lasting a few years, so recently got the Dualit Classic. It’s surprising how much pleasure you can get from a nice kettle but just the sound as it boils is worth the price in my book. Not had it long enough to know that is will last but if it’s half as good as the classic toaster we bought many years ago I’ll be happy. At least they stock most of the parts to repair it if it does break.
Not sure I’d fancy filling it through the spout through. Not that I’ve tried.
Cheers. Sounds like Russell Hobbs is the one to go for with Dualit offering a viable alternative.
Time to check in with #2 child now I have the collective Singletrack wisdom.
Yes, surprisingly hard to find a good kettle. We got one of these a couple of years ago, little bit noisy but it’s been a solid performer.
Don't they all just boil water? We have a black one from Asda. Cost about £10 5 years ago. Don't really have much more to say about it.
I finally found one that has been absolutely perfect, lasted well over ten years before dying.
Is 10 years good for a kettle? Sounds shit to me. My plastic one is 17 years old now and still boils water. Not sure what make it is. It's blue.
Edit : It's a Breville
Don’t they all just boil water?
Eventually.
And before developing incontinence. I think it's an inherent problem with external gauges.
Is 10 years good for a kettle? Sounds shit to me.
I said "well over." Could easily have been twice that, I would've made notes if I'd known there was going to be a test.
I have a Russell Hobbs looks very similar, lid is identical, and the mechanism for that broke a while ago, I think after 6 years. It has an obvious weakness IMO.
TBF they offered me 40% off a replacement but I'm going to have a bash at fixing it with metal reinforcement, which failing try another brand (a plastic Phillips lasted 16 years). COVID demotivation means it's in one of many piles of stuff lying around.
In other news, I got my vaccination today.
Some things in life one just does not need to think too much about (particularly when the questioner will not be the user)
I have the aforementioned Russel Hobbs. Does the job just fine. Boils water.
I said “well over.” Could easily have been twice that, I would’ve made notes if I’d known there was going to be a test.
🙂
I misread your post. I only know how long mine has lasted as I bought it when I moved North.
I have that Russell Hobbs above. After three years' use the metal baffles that were tacked to the bottom of the kettle detached and it became less quiet and then the switch snapped off so you have to use a fingertip to turn it on. I wouldn't buy another.