Conor Pope reviews kettles

La Cafetiere Alice Kettle 129.95

Highs: In our specially staged kettle race this very posh Italian-made kettle brought one litre of water from cold to boiling in two minutes and 24 seconds, making it the fastest of the brands reviewed although its winning margin was less than two seconds. It is undoubtedly a very stylish, funky kettle and staff in the shop where it was bought - Avoca Handweavers in Dublin - expressed admiration for PriceWatch's exemplary good taste as we handed over the €130.

Lows: Although, while they heaped praise upon us, they may well have been thinking "what a mug!" - and who could blame them? Spending this much on something that does no more than boil water is ever so slightly bonkers. Apart from the fiscal irresponsibility, with a capacity of just 1.5 litres it was the smallest kettle tried.

Verdict: Funky, but at what cost?

Star rating: **

Morphy Richards Reflect Glass Jug Kettle 60.95

Highs: With its smoked glass and brushed steel finish, this is a fine-looking kettle. The glass allows you watch the water boil, which might prove hypnotically appealing to bored men and very young children. The glass jug allows you to gauge how much water you need. It has 3,100 watts of power which, the manufacturer says, facilitates rapid boiling. The hinged lid is locked and can be opened only if a button is depressed, making it easy to fill one-handed.

Lows: The button needs a good strong push so this might not be best for the weak of thumb. Although it has more power than most of the competition it still finished second-last in our kettle race and one litre of water took over two-and-a-half minutes to boil.

Verdict: Powerful and hypnotic

Star rating: ***

Le Creuset Traditional Whistle Kettle 85

Highs: This is a fine-looking, very well-made kettle and, as you might expect from Le Creuset, it has a long guarantee. Its bright redness is a lot more striking than all the other dull chrome and white offerings and will probably age well. It also looks wonderfully old-fashioned and with a capacity of 2.1 litres holds more water than any of the competition. It does not use electricity and works on all stoves, or even on an open fire if you don't mind burning the sides.

Lows: It takes nearly five-and-a-half minutes to boil and had PriceWatch wondering if there was some truth in the old adage that a watched kettle never boils (it does, just very slowly). Obviously it doesn't turn itself off and you'll need to take care when putting it down.

Verdict: Old school and cool

Star rating: ****

Philips Cucina 37.99

Highs: Although this was the cheapest of the kettles reviewed, it finished joint second in our kettle race, in an impressive time of two minutes and 26 seconds. It is lightweight and made a pleasing and unexpected chime when it boiled. It also comes with a filter which promises to deliver nicer, purer water - PriceWatch was unable to discern any difference between the filtered and non-filtered boiled water.

Lows: In an era of brushed chrome and fire engine red finishes, this did look a bit drab - although to be fair to Philips it also has the brushed chrome market pretty well catered for too. The filter might be a bit of a useless gimmick and will need changing.

Verdict: Excellent value but a little dull

Star rating: ***

Russell Hobbs Kudos Kettle €70.99

Highs: This brushed chrome kettle, all straight lines and sleekness, is modern and looks great, if a little flash. The lid has a natty locking system which should ensure you don't scald yourself if engaged in vigorous tea-making. When turned oit roars into life and almost instantly sounds as if it is on the verge of boiling, which, of course, it isn't - although it did boil its one litre of water in a very creditable two minutes and 26 seconds.

Lows: It is impossible to fault its functionality as it boils water fast and that is all it is supposed to do. Its super-funkiness may not age as well as some of the more traditional models. The oval kettle sits on a circular base which seemed a bit odd to PriceWatch, although maybe the designers were making a bold artistic statement that we missed.

Verdict: Kudos to the Kudos

Star rating: ****

***** Excellent

**** Great

*** Fine

** Below par

* Awful