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- Stylish
- Pours very smoothly
- Easy to fill
- Only marked in cups
- Water markings hard to read
- Limescale filter has plastic mesh
It’s not just the charming name that should make you consider the Russell Hobbs Brontë kettle for your next brew. Despite the mid-range price point, it has plenty of features and a covetable style that make it a candidate for one of the best kettles you can buy right now.
Available in either matt Black or Stone, the look is more industrial chic than most. In the black colourway, elegant fluting combines with a chunky chrome-effect handle and stainless-steel details for contemporary simplicity that’s more than the sum of its parts. And, as you’d hope, there’s a Brontë toaster: perfect for those who prefer matching toaster and kettle sets.
In my testing, the Russell Hobbs Brontë kettle performed excellently: while not insulated, the jug retained the temperature of the boiled water well without becoming too hot externally, while its spout poured without a single drip. This, plus its subtle internal illumination make it an ideal everyday kettle with no compromise on style.
Russell Hobbs Brontë kettle: What do you get for the money?
The Russell Hobbs Brontë is a 1.7l capacity kettle that will cost you £60. It’s made primarily out of plastic, with a stainless steel band around the top part of the lid. Striking design is the kettle’s most obvious USP, but beyond the distinctive fluted exterior and metallic accents, there’s plenty of bang for buck. For example, the kettle features Russell Hobbs’s ‘perfect pour’ spout, which gives you a narrow yet smooth flow of water without drips or splashes. It also has a push-to-open lid that can be easily operated with a finger. Once the lid is raised, it has a wide mouth for filling.
Inside, there’s a removable plastic mesh filter to trap limescale, plus the 3kW heating element. A single water window is marked in cups, but with the max fill marked in litres.
The interior of the Brontë illuminates white: a subtle visual indicator to let you know when it’s boiling. Given its mostly plastic construction, it’s relatively lightweight. When empty, the jug weighs 850g, making it easy to lift and fill for most. As for its dimensions – 22 x 16 x 24.5cm (WDH) – it’s compact enough to tuck below kitchen cupboards when not in use. Russell Hobbs offers a two-year warranty on the Brontë kettle.
What’s good about it?
As well as looking good, the Brontë kettle feels good. Its exterior is tactile, especially the sturdy handle, which is easy to grasp and positioned far from the jug’s body to minimise risk of burning your knuckles. I liked the push-to-open lid too: compared with a removable lid, this made filling a quick job. And the pouring, which is a thinner stream than some, was free from mess. The lever to boil is well-marked with on/off symbols and produces a satisfying click when pressed and when the boil has finished.
While not marked on the water window, the minimum boil is one cup, making it suitable for solo households or those who often boil just enough water for themselves: a good eco consideration. Boiling a litre of water from cold took two minutes and 33 seconds, and used 0.118kWh. At a rate of 25p per unit, this would cost 2p – both figures about average for a 3kW element. The exterior didn’t grow too hot at boiling point either at 51.4°C.
The water retained its temperature well after boiling: after five minutes, I measured a temperature of 92.6°C and, after 10 minutes, this had come down to 87.7°C. The exterior (which wasn’t too hot immediately after boiling at 51.4°C) did grow slightly warmer as the kettle sat, though not excessively so: after five minutes, I measured 56.7°C, and 54.7°C after 10 minutes.
It wasn’t especially noisy when boiling either: while boiling a litre of water, I noted a maximum noise of 50.3dB from one metre away, and a smidge more for 500ml (50.7dB). Each time the kettle clicked off, this reached 55dB.
What could be better?
My biggest issue with the Russell Hobbs Brontë kettle is its water window markings. As well as only being marked in cups, these markings are small and hard to read, with the numbers within cup icons, especially when the kettle is being held to fill. I’m lucky enough to have good vision and I don’t wear glasses, but I found myself squinting here. Another problem is that the minimum boil amount – while an eco-conscious one cup – isn’t marked on the windows, meaning that you may end up boiling more than you need if you don’t measure the water beforehand.
The cup measurements themselves aren’t always accurate either: while 500ml equated to slightly over two cups (assuming that one cup is 250ml), one litre was noticeably more than four cups.
In terms of smaller niggles, I found the limescale filter awkward to remove. Plus, being made from plastic, it may not last as long as a metal limescale filter. I was also a little concerned by the kettle’s on/off switch, which had a little play in it from side to side. This feels quite flimsy, and isn’t promising in terms of longevity.
Should you buy the Russell Hobbs Brontë kettle?
Beautifully stylish while remaining practical, the Russell Hobbs Brontë is hard to better if you’re looking for a modern kettle. It boils quickly, keeps water temperature on the inside high, while not becoming too hot on the outside. Plus, it’s simple to fill and pours like a dream.
Ultimately, it’s hard to fault, although the water window could use a rethink. If you prefer your numbers big and clear, the Tefal Includeo KI533840 kettle would be an ideal option, or the Bosch Styline TWK8633GB.
Niggles aside, the Russell Hobbs Brontë kettle is a crowd-pleaser that most kitchens will welcome: a great mix of price point, features and seriously chic looks.
