This is the kettle that boils the water for my all-important Earl Grey tea.
I have always had a Russell Hobbs like this one.
My parents had the same.
I’ve always liked the design. The slanting handle. The traditional shape. The perky, pin-point-accurate spout.
I wasn’t keen on the addition of the water gauge (which doesn’t work) or the loss of the red button, but in essence it is more or less as it always has been and should be.
But I have discovered that I am living on borrowed time.
This will be my last Russell Hobbs kettle.
Apparently this iconic design has been discontinued.
It has been superceded by ugly, dribbling jug kettles with their silly stands and built-in obsolescence.
A victim of its own longevity and the fact that people are too lazy to unplug it when it needs filling (or buy a water filter so they don’t have to).
Call me a crazy fool, but I can’t help but think that Russell Hobbs has lost his touch these days.
Would Dualit have systematically downgraded the quality and then discontinued their iconic toaster?
Would Waring have changed the jug of their classic blender to plastic, before binning the design for good?
Would Kitchen Aid have updated the shape of their time-honoured mixer to look more like a food processor?
Of course not.
I’m so sorry to have been the bearer of this sad news.
I couldn’t believe it when I found out a couple of months back that the model was no more. I’d bought mine only 4 years before, congratulating myself on such a great thrifty choice. After 4 years of heavy use in a hard-water area, it was struggling with a sporadic dodgy connection between lead and kettle (another apparent point of weakness, along with that non-functioning water gauge, but in an otherwise great design). It stuck out from the other kettles available at the time being sturdy yet affordable. And elegant. I preferred it, in fact, to the much pricier Dualit I’d had before (which didn’t pour as nicely and had a more finicky filling hole. And that wretched plate, like the jug kettle brigade. Spare me…).
So when the days I resorted to a pan of water on the hob outnumbered the days when the kettle deigned to work, I checked out possible replacements and was dismayed to find it wasn’t available anymore. Gone! And nothing comparable around which would leave me with enough change for tea bags. I’ve resorted to chunky, much less charming catering kettle (which arrived yesterday), but needs must.
It would be interesting to hear why Russell Hobbs axed it. We can all guess (insufficiently obsolescent, too reasonably priced for an honest chunk of stainless steel), but it would be nice to hear what they say. If you get a response, do let me know. And let this post stand as a petition to bring it back. All those in favour of bringing back the RH classic kettle, post a comment below!
I do have a charming whistling kettle (from Argos) for my stove – excellent for forgetful old boilers!
Sounds about right for me then! I will bear that in mind for when my trusty Russell Hobbs finally gives up the ghost.
Why do manufacturers do this … I am on my third crappy jug kettle since we moved in two years ago … one of them a Russell Hobbs, can you believe the lid melted … will definitely consider the whistling kettle Sarah mentioned above next time … thanks for visiting my blog … Bee x