Retro Kettles

Retro Kettles

A retro kettle is bought on looks first, and that is a perfectly good reason, because the kettle is the one appliance that never goes back in a press. The 50s styling means a rounded body, a chrome or brushed handle and a colour rather than a finish, and the shades that move are cream, black, white, sage, mint, red and pastel blue. Underneath, these are ordinary modern kettles: rapid boil elements, concealed flat plates that are easy to descale, cordless swivel bases and automatic shut-off with boil dry protection as standard.

Two things are worth checking before buying on colour alone. Capacity, because several retro models sit below the usual 1.7 litres to keep the shape right, so a household making four mugs at a time should confirm the figure. And whether there is a matching toaster in the same range and the same shade, since that pairing is the whole point of buying retro rather than stainless steel.

Smeg makes the curved 50s Style kettles that define the category, with Morphy Richards and Russell Hobbs adding further retro-styled options. For a stovetop version see whistling kettles, and for the full range see kettles.

Retro kettles carry the highest prices in the category and are bought as gifts more than as replacements, which is why they take the largest reductions and clear first. Prices are live all year, so see what is reduced now on kettles on sale, or the Black Friday kettle deals.