Shopping Guides 5 Kettles

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1. Buyer's Guide (Image 1 of 6)

Whether it's an earthy Yunnan blend for breakfast, Darjeeling for afternoon tea, a refreshing iced Ceylon on a summer's day or a mug of builder's with a Hob-Nob, we do love our cuppa. So, to make your tea experience even more uplifting, here are five of the nicest kettles in existence today.

By Kerry Young

Your average kettle is a fairly straightforward beast, and yet there is still a surprising amount of clever tricks up the spout of the fanciest ones. Read on so you can look all knowledgeable in the shop.

Jargon Busting

Electric/Hob
It may be the 21st century but there are those that prefer the on-the-hob kettle - you can't wander away, let it switch off and have to re-boil it four times for one cuppa so it may work out more eco-friendly.

Removable Filter
If you can take the filter out, it's easier to keep clean, and so your water is clearer and there's less limescale in the kettle, making it more efficient (and more green).

Viewing Window
Allows you to see at a glance how much water is in the kettle and may deter you from filling it more than you need (again, helping the environment).

Cord Storage
They want to offer you a long cord in case there's not a plug socket handy, but you don't want to have too much cable trailing around, tempting toddlers to pull on it. So, if the extra cable is superfluous, you can coil it up neatly in the base (which is good for your environment).

*All products and prices correct at time of publication - April 2008