Russell Hobbs 21600-57 tested: A quiet, stylish kettle

The Russell Hobbs 21600-57 kettle has a terrible name, but looks really smart. Its water container is made of glass. Just like aluminium models, the outside gets very hot. However, unlike a plastic cooker, you don't have to worry about microplastics being released into the cooking water. The base and lid are made of black plastic and two silver aluminium rings have been added to the top and bottom for decoration.

Design and material

Due to its own weight of around 1.8 kilograms, the cooker is quite heavy with a maximum water capacity of 1.7 litres and weighs a total of 3.5 kilograms. When you switch on the cooker, the LEDs inside light up blue, creating a cosy atmosphere. However, the colour of the lights cannot be changed. The kettle can be freely positioned on its base and can be rotated 360 degrees. This is particularly practical for directing the water vapour if the appliance is positioned under a hanging kitchen cabinet. The power cable enters the base through a slot in the side.

You can clearly see limescale deposits through the glass body, which means you will probably want to descale the kettle more often to keep it looking smart. The heating coil is concealed, which makes cleaning the kettle quite easy, even with a brush. Otherwise, you can descale it as usual with citric acid or other agents. The outside is also quite susceptible to water stains. These are particularly visible on the aluminium rings and the black plastic base and lid.

Lid and spout

The lid is quite large and opens to the rear hinge at the touch of a button. This makes pouring absolutely no problem. You only need to be careful when opening the lid if there is still hot water inside. This is because the lid flicks upwards when you open it, which can cause hot water droplets to be thrown around.

In contrast to the water container, the spout is made of plastic and is quite small. Pouring out water works without any problems and, above all, without dripping if you don't hold it too steeply. There is a removable limescale filter inside. You pull this out for cleaning. However, this requires a certain amount of dexterity.

Display and functions

The display on the glass jug is easy to recognise. Numbers are printed in black. The measuring lines are 0.5 litres, 1.0 litres, 1.5 litres and the maximum fill level of 1.7 litres. The kettle also has a green mark for exactly one cup (235 millilitres). If you just want to make a quick cup of tea, you no longer waste energy heating too much water.

The appliance raises the water temperature to 100 degrees Celsius and then switches off automatically. There is no option to heat the water to other temperatures, for example to achieve the perfect temperature for different teas.

The model has an output of 2200 watts. Boiling one litre of water using cold water from the tap takes around 3:38 minutes on average. If you fill the kettle to the mark for exactly one cup (235 millilitres), the boiling process takes around 1:26 minutes with cold tap water. I was particularly impressed by the volume during testing. The kettle is quiet and doesn't make any beeping noises when it's finished. It then simply switches off.

during the cooking process.

Conclusion: kettle boils water

The Russell Hobbs 21600-57 is a very good kettle that does its job quite quickly. The mark for exactly one cup is practical for everyday use. So if you don't need specific temperatures for making tea, this glass kettle is a fast-working, affordable appliance.

Electric kettles

EUR53,90

Russell Hobbs 21600-57

1.70 l

279

Electric kettles

EUR53,90

Russell Hobbs 21600-57

1.70 l

279