Kenwood vs Smeg Kettles

Kenwood and Smeg sit at opposite ends of the UK kettle market. Kenwood's range runs from the Abbey Collection cordless ZJP05.A0WH at £27 and the Rapid Boil ZJP09.000BL 1.7-litre at £34 to the Ripple Collection 1.5-litre at £39. Smeg starts at £119 with the KLF05WHUK 0.8-litre mini kettle and the WKF01PK 2.3-litre whistling kettle, with the KLF04PBUK at £160 and the KLF03WHMUK 1.7-litre at £189. The cheapest Smeg is £92 more than the Abbey Collection cordless at £27.

Kenwood's kettles offer a 3000W rapid boil, a 360-degree swivel base, dual water windows and, on some models, a removable limescale filter. Its wider range includes variable temperature control from 70°C to 100°C. Smeg's kettles focus on styling and extra functions: the KLF04PBUK has seven temperature settings and a stainless steel filter, the KLF03WHMUK has a limescale filter and a 360-degree base, and the WKF01PK whistles when the water boils. The KLF05WHUK mini kettle has a 1400W element and an auto shut-off.

Kenwood suits households that want a plain, fast kettle at the lowest price, especially for daily tea and coffee for one or two people. Kenwood's Ripple models at £39 suit buyers who want a 1.5-litre kettle with water windows for less than £40. Smeg suits buyers who want a retro look for the kitchen and are willing to pay more for it. The seven-temperature KLF04PBUK suits people who brew tea or coffee at different temperatures, and the whistling kettle suits anyone who likes an audible signal when the water boils.

Bottom line: choose Kenwood if price matters most and you want a rapid 3000W kettle from £27 to £39. Choose Smeg if retro design, seven temperatures or a whistle are important to you, from £119 to £189.