Focus on: Stelton’s ‘Emma’ kettle

Apologies for the lack of posts over the past couple of weeks – I’ve been on a bit of a whirlwind tour around Europe, with blogger trips to Copenhagen and Helsinki, a city break in Budapest with a friend, and an exciting photoshoot in London. More on all that to follow soon, but first I want to kick off a new series taking a closer look at some of my favourite design classics.

I’m starting with the ‘Emma’ kettle by Danish brand Stelton. I know what you’re probably thinking: how can a kitchen gadget be a design icon? But this one really is: elegant and understated, with no flashy details or unnecessary features. In fact, I was secretly very excited when our old kettle broke a couple of months ago and I had the excuse I needed to replace it with this one!

Created by Sebastian Holmbäck and Ulrik Nordentoft, the cordless ‘Emma’ kettle was inspired by the golden age of Danish design in the 1950s and 60s. It’s a perfect balance of form and function, with a beautifully streamlined shape, a curved wooden handle and a double-walled steel body that doesn’t get too hot to touch. It also has a removable limescale filter – a must for me, as I live in an area with very hard water.

There’s no denying it’s a bit pricier than your average kettle at €149 / £139, but it’s a timeless piece that certainly won’t date. And, given kettles are used day in, day out and normally left on display in the kitchen, I think it’s worth investing in one that’s well designed and well made. I’m certainly enjoying having a pretty gadget out on the worktop, rather than the usual plastic or chrome lump with lots of ugly lights.

I opted for the grey version, but it’s available in a whole host of other colours, from classic black and white to on-trend nude, terracotta and pale blue (just bear in mind that some aren’t yet available with UK or North American plugs).

Over the years the kettle has been joined by matching vacuum jugs, pitchers, tableware and storage jars, all with the same clean lines and minimalist expression. And, brand-new for autumn-winter 2018 is the ‘Emma’ toaster, which has a handy defrost setting that lets you toast bread from frozen, plus lovely wooden detailing on the side.

Now, if I can just find a way to ‘break’ our existing toaster, too….

Stelton kindly gifted my ‘Emma’ kettle, but as always all words and opinions are my own.

First five images by Abi Dare; all other photography via Stelton