Why are kettles so rubbish?

I don’t want a lukewarm green tea because it allegedly brews better

Who reckons that?

Green tea stops infusing as soon as the temperature drops, so it cannot “stew”. In China the water they put on green tea is  thermonuclear. you can’t think about drinking it for about 1/2 an hour.

Anything which isn’t plastic. I have a stainless steel Russell Hobbs, it’s the first kettle I’ve owned which wasn’t crap.

@smiffy here’s the beepy Sage smart kettle

Had a fancy Bosch one for about 15 years before it wouldn’t stay on, replaced with a Russel Hobbs (would usually avoid but was on offer and wanted something quickly), been wanting to replace it with a Ninja one but it’s lasted 10+ years now so there’s no need.

To help offset the Russell Hobbs hate, my kettle has been boiling water without leaking, dripping or exploding since 2009. It was one of their posh stainless steel ones and cost me £24.79 from Argos.

So I’d get one of those 2009 kettles, they were good back then.

Our Asda one is great, even for pourover coffee the spout seems to work well.

Is OP’s kettle thick with limescale? Our work one is, it gives me a kidney stone just looking at it!

Just gone into my amazon history and can see that i’ve bought 6 kettles since 2012. Hopefully this Bosch skyline will last more than 2 years.

Is OP’s kettle thick with limescale? Our work one is, it gives me a kidney stone just looking at it!Is OP’s kettle thick with limescale? Our work one is, it gives me a kidney stone just looking at it!

Nope again. I lived in Sheffield and now Scotland and the water is nice and soft in both locations. It really  is a mystery why they keep crapping out on me so quickly.

I have a 3000w Russell Hobbs one. It was £18. It boils water.

We likely have the same plastic jug at the office. Does for up to 8 of us daily, and has done for 8 years.

I got a nasty electric shock off a decent make kettle – not cheap (off the plastic switch).  Possibly a RH.   Currently on an Aldi special that’s been great.

Mine is 95% great. Had it for years, it’s quick, it has a nice blue light, it’s never missed a beat. But it pours like a bulldog that’s just had dental work. It’s just incredible, how do you get all the technical parts right and then forget that at some point someone’s going to want to take the water back out?

Agree about avoiding Russel Hobbs.

Mine is over 20 years old. Still boils water.

lukewarm green tea because it allegedly brews better

You know that bitter taste you’re getting with green tea. It’s not supposed to taste like that 😉

I suspect the fire isn’t real.

Conspiracy theorist!

My kettles have been pretty good.

I think the last kettle that died on me was pretty old 15+ years for sure  can’t recall what brand

one of the children took away my £20-£30 amazon-supplied multi-temperature one that was fine when I’d had it a year and has continued being OK for the last 2+ years.

I replaced it with a Bosch stainless steel dual wall multi-temperature kettle that’s been fine. That was a bit more than £30 and despite looking a bit prettier isn’t much better otherwise. The handle is a bit fat too and my hands aren’t small.

and I’ve a Fellow Stagg gooseneck kettle for coffee. That’s been great. Though a gooseneck isn’t ideal for making tea with. I couldn’t justify getting the Fellow Corvo as well despite its cool name as I had that Amazon-supplied kettle at the time.

just checking to see if any of the coffee puritans have chipped in with a ‘gooseneck’ kettle yet.  yours for £50 -200

Green tea stops infusing as soon as the temperature drops, so it cannot “stew”. In China the water they put on green tea is  thermonuclear. you can’t think about drinking it for about 1/2 an hour.

I am currently feeding my friend’s cat as she visits her parents in China. I took this photo of her kettle earlier because I was frankly gobsmacked how overdesigned it is.

If the above comment is true then it makes even less sense for her to own a kettle whose designer very clearly over thought “the problem”, as she only drinks green tea and which she only purchases from China (apparently the green tea from even the Chinese supermarket isn’t good enough)

I thought perhaps there was some weird belief that only water heated to 95° makes the perfect cup of Chinese tea or sumfink. I’m going with the “too much money” theory now.

OP, It’s you.   🙂

Just been to check, Russel Hobbs 10 year ago, under 20 Quid

OP, It’s you.   🙂

Just been to check, Russel Hobbs 10 year ago, under 20 Quid

Aldi special working fine in our house. Replaced a Russell Hobbs that now lives by the utility sink that has no hot tap. Russell Hobbs was relegated after about 7 or 8 years in the kitchen as apparently it no longer scrubbed up to standards.

I think that the Kelly Kettle on the previous page probably has a whistle in it. Yours for £6.95 allegedly https://www.kellykettle.com/uk/whistle-large

There’s lots of types of green tea – but generally it is recommended to be steeped at lower temperatures (70-80c) and for a relatively short period.

Really ^^ ? I am surprised that you can brew tea at temps as low as 70°. Although tbh I always thought you can easily over-brew green tea by leaving the teabag too long, if you use teabags.

A surprising thing I have learnt from my Chinese tea making friend is that the second brew made from loose tea taste significantly nicer than the first brew (less bitter) apparently that is to be expected. And also that filtered water (she goes as far as using distilled water) also makes a significant difference.

I was sceptical, too … but try a web search

I bought one from Tesco for a tenner when I moved house. I just wanted a spare kettle so there was one at either end while I was moving furniture. That was 5 years ago and it’s still going.

No name on mine probably a Morrisons own at least 4 years old. It boils water. Soft water area so no limescale.

Timely thread this as my electric kettle has started leaking at the base. I think it’s 2 years old but it’s a black plastic cheapo kettle from Tesco. I think it cost a tenner. Need to do the man maths now 10 for two years is a fiver per year. If I buy a £35 kettle will it last 7 years?

Splashed out on a Black Friday offer on a half price Bosch temp regulator- it’s very good

I’ve got a De’Longhi one, matches the toaster.

Bought them both when i redid the kitchen, 14-15 years ago. The kettle is still spot on, no scale, boils water, doesn’t leak, doesn’t drip. Catered for two tea drinking adults and all the boiled water needs for two kids and multiple housefuls of guests, plus 2 years of WFH (6-8 cups of tea daily)

Unfortunately the toaster is on it’s last legs, so i’m *probably* going to have to replace both…

Not just the OP. Our previous kettle lasted a good while. Maybe 7 or 8 years?

Replaced with a Russell Hobbs Luna based on reviews and wanting a quiet kettle. Yes it’s quiet but after max 1.5 years it often makes quiet crackling sounds when on at the wall but not boiling. Like there’s a bit of variable contact/shorting somewhere. So now we turn off at the wall when we’re not using it and need another one. Next one won’t be Russell Hobbs.

Not if we’re comparing monthly energy bills and want to keep polar bears in the arctic

We can if you want?  About 3p a day.  I don’t have kids, and I’m not buying ‘disposable’ appliances.  I’m good with my carbon footprint.

We have got a RH camping kettle which is fine when on hookup. The one we bought from Amazon was recalled even before we were able to switch it on due to risk of electric shock. It literally was delivered, then an urgent message a few hours later saying don’t use.

I bought one from Tesco for a tenner when I moved house. 

Roughly the ssme, so ours is about ten years old now. Don’t really see the benefit of spending £££ on a kettle – put water in, boil it, take it out. Boiling water is boiling water – an expensive kettle won’t boil it any nicer than a cheap one, surely?

The one we bought from Amazon was recalled even before we were able to switch it on due to risk of electric shock. It literally was delivered, then an urgent message a few hours later saying don’t use.

I bought a wallpaper steamer from B&Q once and it leaked from around where the cable plugged into it. I returned it to the store and met an obnoxious manager who flat out refused to refund even though I’d bought it a few days earlier because I didn’t have the receipt (in the past, they’ve been happy to look it up on their system by the card number used to pay for it). He was focused on that and ignoring my main complaint which was: forget the refund, this is bloody dangerous and needs a check/recall!

…Yes this is relevant. A steamer is basically just a kettle, after all.

I’m a Russell Hobbs fan, if you register you get a three year guarantee. They fail after about 2 years (usually the plastic switch paddle breaks or the window starts to leak) so I get a half price kettle every 4 years.

an expensive kettle won’t boil it any nicer than a cheap one, surely?

An expensive kettle can defy the laws of physics and boil water at a variety of different temperatures, apparently.

Oops, double post. Please see below.

Surely the STW answer is a Quooker hot water tap

“Not if we’re comparing monthly energy bills and want to keep polar bears in the arctic.”

https://tinyeco.com/boiling-water-taps-energy-efficient

“Here’s the short answer:

Yes, boiling water taps use less energy than standard kettles on a cup for cup basis.

However, there’s not that much in the energy usage and an instant hot water tap will cost you much more to buy.”

I have a Qettle that I got cheap from factory shop on eBay as the lasered logo was missing.

It’s a total game changer in the kitchen especially when you need boiling water for vegs or spaghetti. Can do a brew in seconds so great between meetings as well when working from home. Never go back to a kettle.