“Steamy windows!” belted out Tina Turner. I always thought she was singing about an erotic encounter, but now I believe she must have been testing kettles. There’s nothing quite like 12 of them boiling one after the other to fill your kitchen with mist, adding a soft-focus haze to everything in it and making every cold surface slick.
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Hair-frizzing humidity aside – I spent two days looking as if I had stuck my fingers in a plug socket – the bigger issue at the start was deciding how to test kettles. They all do the same thing in the same way. And they’ve changed little over the decades – a few from the 1970s wouldn’t be out of place in your home today. Beyond a few nice-to-have-but-not-essential features, the kettle remains fundamental and fuss-free.
Infini-tea and beyond
Until now, my contributions to the Filter have been based on tangible results. I tested air fryers, the colour and crisp of homemade chips allowing me to discern which were good and which less so. Before that, my kitchen hosted a blizzard of blenders (surely the correct collective noun) – and again, the smoothest smoothies and soups pointed to the appliances with the keenest blades and most powerful motors.
For kettles, it was clear that I needed gadgets to work out which were the better boilers of the bunch. And so, armed with a power meter, infrared thermometer, my phone running Decibel X, my husband’s phone as a timer and a probe thermometer, I began heating water. Lots of it. Litre upon litre of it. Enough to make hot drinks for everyone in my street and a few of their friends. And so, little by little, my kitchen became tropical-jungle clammy.
However, it’s not just testing that decides which kettle is spout and lid above the others: I also factored in the more tangible aspects, such as build quality – do parts feel flimsy; minimum fills – whether you’ll always need to boil half a litre when 200ml would do; and value for money – the price v what you actually get for it.
Simply the best
Only after all that did I decide which one I thought gave brew for buck: the Bosch Sky kettle (£100). Fast boiling, well designed and insulated to keep water hotter for longer, it’s a good all-rounder that would suit most households. For those hoping to spend less, Kenwood’s Ripple kettle (£32) was my best budget pick, offering style and substance with a low minimum fill, fast boil and choice of colours.
Of course, when faced with the news that gen Z are bypassing the kettle in favour of the less-efficient microwave, you may wonder why I bothered testing at all. It only seems right to turn again to Tina, the covert product tester. If you’re replacing your kettle, it’s important to know which one is simply the Best.
This week’s picks
Editor’s pick
Blades of glory: treat your kitchen knives with care, and they’ll keep you chopping for years. Photograph: 10’000 Hours/Getty Images
A good kitchen knife is an investment. So it pays to look after yours. Food writer and Feast joint deputy editor Anna Berrill spoke with experts to find out how to make your knives last longer – from the chopping surfaces that won’t blunt them to the best sharpeners.
We’ve also published pieces on how to make everything from your smartphone to your leather items to your coffee machine last longer – to save you money in the long run, and prevent things from going into landfill needlessly. What else would you like to see in this vein? Email us at thefilter@theguardian.com to let us know.
Hannah Booth
Editor, the Filter
In case you missed it …
Cin cin to aperitivo hour this bank holiday weekend! Photograph: Vershinin/Getty Images
Joanne Gould tested the best spritzes (all at the lower-alcohol end of things), from an apple and ginger gin liqueur to a rhubarb syrup. Serve with ice, prosecco and salted crisps (Felicity Cloake recently tested the best ready salted crisps for us). And if you want to know what it’s like testing booze for a living, Joanne spilled the beans for us last week. Cheers!
Get involved
Everything but the kitchen sink? Share your smart student digs kit list. Photograph: SolStock/Getty Images
Are you a student, or the parent of one? What kit has proved invaluable to undergrad digs, and life in general, and really helped you settle in? Also, what did you lug to your accommodation only to find you shouldn’t have bothered? Let us know by replying to this newsletter or emailing us at thefilter@theguardian.com.
