Russell Hobbs 13355

Stylish inexpensive kettle

The Russell Hobbs Ceylon kettle was my first purchase when I moved into my house and I bought the toaster and kettle to match each other and was very happy. After a year or so the kettle broke and I replaced it with a different brand but it was useless and when it broke not long after buying it I didn't bother getting it replaced and went out and bought another Ceylon kettle because although the first one only lasted me a year I was very happy with it in that time.

The Russell Hobbs Ceylon stainless steel kettle is a jug shaped kettle that is made out of highly polished stainless steel. It really looks stylish and much better looking in my opinion than the brushed stainless steel that seems to be about everywhere at the minute. Because it is so mirrored it reflects the light and honestly seems to make the kitchen look a little brighter.
I originally paid £25 for this kettle but got my new one for £19.99 which is a bit of a bargain for a good kettle.

Whereas the one I replaced it with was wrong on so many levels this one gets it right. The size is perfect and although it is not the biggest kettle on the market at a capacity of only 1.7 litres it looks just right sitting on the worktop. The design really can't be faulted in my opinion.
Cleaning the outside of the kettle is a breeze and only requires a quick wipe and it will look like new again.

You need to lift the lid to fill the kettle as the spout is on the small side and causes a great deal of splash back but the lid is nice and easy to lift on and off and doesn't require any great tugging or pulling to remove it and once filled it slips back on easily.

The handle is placed on the back of the kettle and is in the perfect position for pouring. There is no need to over stretch the wrist to make sure you pour enough into the cup and because it is not placed on top of the kettle you don't have to worry about getting scalded from the steam.
The handle is made of thick chunky plastic that feels securely attached to the kettle.

Inside the kettle is has a removable limescale filter under the spout and this must be good because after the year I owned it previously there was no built up inside the kettle.
The most important thing to me at least is the taste of the water with this kettle. It tastes clean and there is no hint of metallic in it. The kettle I replaced this one with had a horrible metallic aftertaste that really distracted from the enjoyment of a cuppa.

Boiling the water is quick and if you are only filling it enough to make a couple of cups it is done in seconds but if you fill it to capacity it will take around 3 minutes give or take a few seconds. It can be a little noisy when it comes to the boil but it doesn't jump around and spit water from the spout like I know some can.

The base is also made of black plastic and is nice and neat and doesn't take up a lot of worktop space. There is also the option of storing any unused cord under the kettle so it really makes the worktop look nice and tidy.

Firstly because it is metal it can get extremely hot so you need to be careful you do not burn yourself on the outside of it when it is boiling. This isn't really a big problem as the handle is well placed but you should still be warned about it.
The major problem for me anyway is the lack of a water level indicator on the outside of the kettle. It's not a deal breaker in terms of buying it but it can be annoying having to either open the lid to see how much water is in it or giving it a swish and hazarding a guess if there is enough.

I am so pleased that I bought this kettle again. It is stylish and works well but it's not without its faults and I just hope it lasts longer than a year this time.