The kettle, that simple vessel with but a single use, to heat water, there's probably one in every kitchen in the world. Originally made from metal and heated atop a fire, range or stove, the modern kettle bears little resemblance to those original implements. Now available in powered or simple versions, in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, the modern kettle comes in every colour imaginable.

Let's look at kettles through the ages

kettles This Victorian copper kettle dates back to the 1880's.

It has a lovely acorn finial adorning the lid. This kettle could be cleaned and put to practical use on an aga or be an attractive decorative item.
The whistling kettle was invented just after the first World War. The stylish whistling kettle pictured here is actually modern but little has changed in the design of this type of kettle since its invention.. kettles
kettles A modern corded electric kettle. Invented in 1922, the early models had to be unplugged once the water started boiling or else you'd end up with a kitchen full of steam and the wallpaper falling off the walls. Later versions had a cut-off that turned the kettle off once the water started boiling.
Now we've reached current times. The modern kettle is cordless, meaning that the base is plugged into the electricity and the kettle sits on the base, connecting through a hidden connector in the base of the kettle. The advantage of this type of kettle is that they are left plugged in the whole of the time with the kettle being switched on by a flip switch on or below the handle. All of this type of kettle switches off automatically once the water reaches boiling point. kettles
kettles This modern ultra stylish kettle is made by Alessi
The modern kettle is normally made of plastic and they are available in all colours under the sun. kettles
kettles The very latest development in kettles is the "Eco-Kettle".

The Eco Kettle looks like a stylish electric jug kettle in appearance but it has a special feature that allows the user to fill the kettle to its maximum, but then allows them to boil one to eight cups according to their requirements. A government statement says

"If everyone boiled only the water they needed to make a cup of tea instead of 'filling' the kettle every time, we could save enough electricity to run practically all the street lighting in the U.K."

It is estimated that the Eco Kettle saves around 31% compared with the cost of heating water in a normal kettle. The manufacturers also claim that based upon average usage figures, it is estimated that ECO Kettles sold over the past 2 years have already reduced CO2 emmissions in the UK by a staggering 500 tonnes!