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Comment by jonsen | Hacker News Reader

I’ve baught the same kettle several times during more than 20 years years. Very durable design. It fullfils all the points, except the bonus point. Price is close:

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Philips-HD4646-00-kettle-anti-lim...

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Why multiple times? What about durability?

Could have been for different people as presents? Lost in a move? Etc

Presents. One new for myself. Edit: Two actually. Retired one after about 10 years for safety reasons. Still have it as a backup.

Several times over the course of 20 years is not that bad. I'm guessing he wouldn't be buying it every 2 years (like common appliances that break apart right after guarantee period).

Some people I know have a 50 year old kettle. Sure, they look a bit old fashioned, and have marks and scratches, but they still 100% boil water.

I don't really see any reason kettles can't be made to last that long - it isn't like the human need for boiling water is going away anytime soon.

To get a design that lasts that long isn't much more expensive either - all it takes is very carefully recording what's broken on each kettle that fails, and modifying the design to avoid that failure mode. Within a few iterations, you'll end up with most kettles lasting 50 years.

50 years is a bit extrem, but my expectation would be 10 years minimum.

Have just one year to go for my Wilfa kettle (2L, temperature control, has filter, wireless charging, pours badly though)

I regularly use a Philips hand mixer, mostly for whipped cream, which was gifted to me in 1973.

Came to recommend the same one. My first one stopped working after a decade, now been on the second one for six years. (The "stopped working" thing is not ideal, but given the constant use, also not a dealbreaker for an electrical appliance.) I most like it for the big ... 'spout'? that allows filling it without needing the lift the lid.

I do remember it being the only decent option in the store. I guess other people have other priorities in kettles, for all those other models to stick around?

Stop working is the right way. I was a guest once where the kettle set on fire. Recommended this on as replacement.

Funny, I've spent entirely too much on the one I have in the US because it has a temperature control. I want my tea and coffee at hot, but below boiling so it doesn't wreck my mouth. He calls it a bonus but it's the one feature I actually care about.

You do realise you don't have to drink it while it's actually boiling, don't you? You can:

1: Leave it a few minutes to cool down

2: Blow on it

Jeebus! --talk about 1st world problems!

I just put a couple ice cubes in my cup and pour the brewed tea in.

I just use a bit of tap water, the Δt is about the same and it's less wasteful.

Thanks! I’ve started doing this myself and it works even better than ice.

My dog is sadder now though. She loves to eat ice, so if I’m opening the freezer less she misses out.

Temperature control is also important if you aren’t drinking black tea. Green, white, other other teas have optimal brewing temps.

While you can stop the kettle at those temps that is a lot harder than it happening manually.

We have a similar Breville kettle (it’s a Strix design sold under several consumer brand names) and it doesn’t have temperature control which is the cause of the OP’s troubles.

https://strix.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_(inventor)#Career

Similar Philips story for me - had several pairs of SHP2000 (and HP200, which is basically an earlier model nr for the same exact headphones) over the last 20+ years. They're comfy, sound great for their price and the quality hasn't become worse over the years.

I got a pair of HP200s in the 90s for 40 guilders ($20 USD). Easily the best value headphones I have ever purchased, was a shame when they got stolen.

As someone who remembers very little of the German he took in college, I’d like to mention that I’m amused that a kettle is literally a “water cooker” (Wasserkocher) in German.

kochen can mean to cook or to boil, so in this case water boiler is the literal translation.

According to some accounts Germans were unintelligible barbarians who couldn't have known cooking other than boiling bones to create broth.

"'temporarily' out of stock"

"Currently unavailable" LOL

Yeapp, that kettle got Hackernewsed SO badly!

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