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Stove Top Kettles


The Stove Top Kettle: A Kitchen Tool with History

Few people know that kettles have a traditional value. Their origin – unsurprisingly – comes from the land of tea, China. The Chinese used the first cast iron tea kettles 900 years ago. Whistling kettles became popular in Europe in the 17th century. The invention of the kettle brought the possibility of heating water quickly on the stove and keeping it warm over a longer period of time.

Stove Top Kettles in the Interior Design Shop – Your Benefits

How Does a Stove Top Kettle Work?

Just as the name suggests, these kettles are placed on the stove and work with both gas and electric hobs. They have a thinner bottom than pots, so that heat travels through the water quicker. Once the water boils, steam is forced through the kettle's spout, producing a whistling noise. Early design kettles could only be refilled through the spout, in order to prevent the steam from escaping through another exit and dampening the whilstle noise. Thanks to better sealings, today most stove top kettles also allow you to refill them through an opening at the top. Stove top kettles work in a simlar way to a pressure cooker and usually have a capacity of 1.5 to 2 litres. For example: the KitchenAid Kettle in retro design can boil up to 1.9 litres. of water.

Alessi Revolutionises the Whistling Kettle

In 1982, designer Richard Sapper was annoyed by the whistling tone of his kettle: he found it too monotonous and boring. Instead, he wanted to create a melodic sound. So, upon his request, a craftsman in the Black Forest developed a whistle with a short melody. As soon as the water boils, you hear an E and a B-flat. Sapper also made changes to the original shape of the whistling kettle. He got rid of the lid, which would otherwise often fall off. Instead, the kettle is filled via the spout. He made it possible to open the kettle one-handed with a mechanism in the handle. Richard Sapper was one of the first designers to increase the value of an everyday item by adding more for the senses to enjoy. Even today, more than 30 years after his idea, Sapper's Modell 9091 kettle is sold by traditional brand Alessi.

One for All and All for One – The Kettle for All Stove Types

There is a fitting stove top kettle for every hob – whether ceramic glass, plate stove or gas stove. Generally, kettles are made of stainless steel. Most kettles are suitable for induction, such as the Kettle 9093 by Alessi. Nonetheless, when purchasing, you should make not of the suitability for induction stoves. An induction plate does not make the water kettle worse than a water boiler in terms of speed.

So there you have it! Buy your stove top kettle from Connox today for Best Price Guarantee and fast UK delivery.