• This topic has 63 replies, 48 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by chip.
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  • £95 For a Kettle – Worth It?
  • namastebuzz
    Free Member

    OK – we go through kettles and toasters a lot. Frequent use by many equals constant failures.

    About 12 years ago I hit upon the idea of the “Toaster Bank”.. Costco are excellent at taking back returned items and giving you a refund without any query, no requirement for any receipt and with no time limit. So I bought a toaster and (subsequently) kettle from Costco and each time either breaks simply return it for a refund and buy another.

    Costco only carried a limited choice of either appliance and usually fairly pricey models but it all worked well. After the initial investment sometimes the replacement would be cheaper (a withdrawal from the bank) and other times more expensive (a deposit). At all times I was happy that there was always something in the bank and happily bought the next one.

    Took our latest failed kettle – Morphy Richards – today, after 3yrs service. Turned out I’d got it on special for only £30. After the refund I headed to the kettle aisle to discover the only kettle on individual sale was a Dualit for £95. For a kettle!

    I know they’re well made with replaceable parts etc but is it worth nearly £100?

    Maybe if it gives 10yrs+ of use I guess.

    Anyone used one?

    namastebuzz
    Free Member

    In fact, Costco are now only selling kettles and toasters made by Dualit.

    I reckon they’ve got tired of people returning all the crappy ones and have decided to sell ones that don’t fail.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    Frankly, if it cost £30 and lasted 3 years, I’d buy another one.

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    colp
    Full Member

    For £90 I’d want some rare elements in it.

    RobHilton
    Free Member

    Mine cost £8 from the Asda a year ago. It leaks like buggery, but the water’s hot.

    chip
    Free Member

    The costcos returns que is always a mile long.
    I remember seeing a gentlemen stood in the que holding a rather dishevelled double mattress complete with many and varied stains. I thought you have got to have a brass neck to return a mattress that appears to have been owned by a doubly incontinent sex fiend.

    stuartlangwilson
    Free Member

    Old school stove top kettle here, pretty much indestructible. On induction it’s faster than my old plug in kettle too.

    howsyourdad1
    Free Member

    It’s a lifestyle choice

    allfankledup
    Full Member

    I use costco to supply my toasters. We’ve killed a couple of dualits so far as well.
    Look at 100 as a kettle for life…

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    Did similar and sainsburys ended up with a £70 kettle.

    It was lasting well until i fully submerged it in descaler. I was reading the instructions for a shower head. It lasted a week or two more before giving it up. 😯

    twicewithchips
    Free Member

    For £90 I’d want some rare elements in it.

    Only the one at the bottom, is that rare enough?

    nealglover
    Free Member

    Frankly, if it cost £30 and lasted 3 years, I’d buy another one.

    Time machine to go back 3 years to when they actually sold that kettle, and had it on special offer ?

    spacemonkey
    Full Member

    Years ago my missus decided we HAD to have an Alessi hob kettle for £100+. Lovely to look at but a PITA as it takes up a hob space and is slow to boil.

    So 2yrs on and we agreed to get the same kettle but electric. Of course it was another £100+. More practical sure, and looks nice, but it doesn’t make my tea taste any better.

    Only worth paying that sort of money for aesthetics IMO.

    namastebuzz
    Free Member

    I remember seeing a gentlemen stood in the que holding a rather dishevelled double mattress complete with many and varied stains. I thought you have got to have a brass neck to return a mattress that appears to have been owned by a doubly incontinent sex fiend.

    😆

    Maybe I should have started a “what’s the worst thing you’ve seen returned at Costco” thread.

    I’d like to buy the same kettle again but unfortunately now it’s Dualit or nothing.

    namastebuzz
    Free Member

    Hob kettles are handy if you’ve got a range that’s always hot. With electric hobs they’re pants.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    we go through kettles and toasters a lot

    That’s a no then, surely?

    Kettles are one of the more fail-prone consumer durables. Don’t spend too much.

    nealglover
    Free Member

    Only worth paying that sort of money for aesthetics IMO.

    Or something that looks ok and will last 20+ years.

    I bought a Phipps brushed chrome jug kettle for about £70 in 1998 when I bought my first house.
    Still looks the same and works the same.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    How the chuff are you destroying kettles so fast? I can’t ever remember having one fail!
    We have a Dualit (to match the toaster) and it’s faultless, but it wasn’t anywhere near £100. I seem to remember £50-odd. It does boil water a lot faster than a cheap plastic thing, but that’s all it does. Boil water…
    It’s like anything, if you want a nice thing you have to pay for it.

    namastebuzz
    Free Member

    That’s a no then, surely?

    Kettles are one of the more fail-prone consumer durables. Don’t spend too much.

    Yeah but Costco will refund me the cash at any point in the future if it breaks. I guess I just resent having to put £95 into the kettle bank rather than the usual £30-50.

    Although I suppose it’s only £65 seeing as they just gave me back £30.

    chip
    Free Member

    You do know if you buy it you will have to buy the matching toaster.

    giantalkali
    Free Member

    What’s wrong with a £20 one from sainsburies? Boiled water nice and fast and looks fairly nice if you like chrome

    rmacattack
    Free Member

    short answer , no.

    willjones
    Free Member

    1982 Dualit toaster still going strong. Wouldn’t want to pour water in it though.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Pffft. Saved all the bother with Kettles by installing an £800 hot tap.

    fanatic278
    Free Member

    I got a Philips one from Argo for £40 because it was well-reviewed (I know – I’m sad). After 4 years a piece of plastic broke in the lid, but it was still useable. I phoned Philips for a replacement bit of plastic and they sent me a whole new kettle free of charge.

    So based on my experience, give Morphy Richards a call. They might surprise you.

    If not – get the Dualit. It might not be cost effective in terms of £/cup, but you’ll save the environment from the waste of disposable kettles.

    Edit: also looks like you can get a De Longi for £69: Costo kettles

    newrobdob
    Free Member

    I thought you have got to have a brass neck to return a mattress that appears to have been owned by a doubly incontinent sex fiend.

    😆

    Genuinely laughing out loud in public with that one.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    I wouldn’t pay for a Dualit toaster or kettle.
    That said, my dad’s Dualit is 20 years old and will be the first thing into oab household when he passes. 😉
    We have a 15 year old Kitchen Aid mixer – I’ve replaced brushes twice and just done crown gear it’s been used so much. Much better than chucking cheap gear all the time.

    namastebuzz
    Free Member

    We have a 15 year old Kitchen Aid mixer – I’ve replaced brushes twice and just done crown gear it’s been used so much. Much better than chucking cheap gear all the time.

    We have my mum’s Kenwood Chef. She bought it new in 1962. Use it every week.

    How do we break kettles? Big house. Lots of inmates. Visitors almost every day. A lot of cuppas. Plus I work at home so even more cuppas. Most last a year or so.

    CountZero
    Full Member

    I bought any number of expensive kettles, which always pegged out after a couple of years, then my folks bought a plain black plastic kettle, I think from Asda, cost about £15-17, and it’s still in use seven or eight years on.

    tomparkin
    Full Member

    We had a pricy Dualit kettle for a few years, eventually it failed due to a poor design (I took it to bits to try to fix it, so I could see how it failed).

    Then we bought a somewhat more pricy stove top enamelled Le Creuset job, which lasted a couple of years before rusting through. Happily John Lewis replaced it under warranty, this time with a yet-more-pricy shiny chrome Le Creuset job. Lasted 18 months before the wife killed it by boiling it dry for 40 mins or so.

    So my takeaway is that there is no such thing as a kettle for life. We just use a saucepan now, boils water just as well plus you can make your tea in it.

    Drac
    Full Member

    No, not at all.

    redsox
    Free Member

    Took our latest failed kettle – Morphy Richards – today, after 3yrs service

    You take a kettle back after 3 years? wow, that’s a level of tightness i’ve never seen before

    binners
    Full Member

    Aldi, obvs

    Who the hell uses a kettle anyway? Haven’t you got a huge array of upmarket coffee machines?

    onlysteel
    Free Member

    Mrs insisted on matching Dualit kettle & toaster when we had the kitchen redone. Toaster still toasting, kettle started leaking after around 2 years. Gone cheap ever since and they’ve all lasted longer.

    jimmy
    Full Member

    You can break kettles? Never known it (Morphy Richards owner).

    Mate wanted a kettle for his new flat about 14 years ago and bought a Porsche one for about £60/70. A Porsche kettle ffs!! 😀

    jimjam
    Free Member

    We’ve got the Kitchen Aid Artisan Kettle. And yes, you read that right plebs – Artisan. I can’t remember what it cost but it was + €130.

    I actually hate using it but it does have one saving grace, it’s very very quiet and I bloody hate the noise a kettle makes.

    binners
    Full Member

    Was it a £20 VW kettle originally, but they changed the badge and tripled the price? 😀

    namastebuzz
    Free Member

    You take a kettle back after 3 years? wow, that’s a level of tightness i’ve never seen before

    Well I’m going to Costco anyway, I don’t need a receipt seeing as they just check your membership purchases on the computer and they’re gonna hand me some money in place of my dead kettle. It’s a no brainer.

    I returned a Bosch Car battery (4yr one) about 4.5yrs after I’d bought it. They refunded me and bought another one to replace it. Simple.

    They sell these 12v Portable Jump Start Packs with Compressor built-in. Normally last 2-3yrs before they don’t hold a charge any more. Bought one about 10yrs ago and now on the fourth one. They refund each one and I just buy a new one on the way out.

    TheDTs
    Free Member

    I do the same with Screwfix Heat guns at work.
    BOSCH commercialcial one £100+
    Screwfix own brand £30 with 12 month warranty.
    We have about 6 at work so each time one fails it goes back for replacement. Heat guns for life.

    Costco lady I spoke to told me that they used to sell loads of big TV’s before Christmas and when a big footy tournament is on. They all get returned for a credit after Christmas / end of footy.
    I think they have changed their policy on the electrical goods now..

    namastebuzz
    Free Member

    Yeah they have a more stringent policy on TVs and computers.

    They used to have an unlimited return period on white goods, which I used to rely on with washing machines, but now they’ve cut it to 2yrs I think.

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