Russell Hobbs Purity Glass Brita Kettle review: “reduces the need for descaling”

RRP at time of testing: £70 | Check price at Amazon, Argos, Dunelm or Russell Hobbs directly

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My verdict

This is a kettle that makes the most sense if you already know your water is working against you. Living in a Leeds postcode, my family and I are firmly in hard water territory. 

Our supply sits around 107.5 mg/l calcium on average, with some readings closer to 160 ppm according to Yorkshire Water, which in real life, translates to kettles that fur up quickly and tea that never quite tastes as clean as it should.

Against that backdrop, this kettle feels less like a luxury and more like a practical fix. It’s not perfect, but it does what it promises without much fuss.

How I’ve tested the Russell Hobbs Purity Glass Brita Kettle

I’ve been using the Russell Hobbs Purity Glass Brita Kettle at home for everyday family life for the last four weeks. Rushed weekday morning coffees to the inevitable ‘anyone else want one?’ tea rounds when family or friends visit, it’s been used in a real home.

The kettle comes with a three year guarantee

Our water is consistently hard, so it’s a good test case for whether the built-in Brita filter actually makes a difference over time. 

Alongside this, Mumsnet tester Natasha previously tested the plastic version of the Purity kettle in a very hard water area, which gives a useful comparison point for how well the filtration performs beyond just aesthetics. 

Russell Hobbs Brita kettle: what’s in the box?

With this kettle you get:

• The Russell Hobbs Purity Glass Kettle itself (with hinged lid attached)

• Brita Maxtra+ filter cartridge

• Instruction manual

With an RRP of £70, I was hoping we’d receive a spare filter cartridge and was slightly disappointed to just find the one. You can pick up cartridges via Amazon quite easily - but expect to pay above thirty quid for a pack of six. 

It's not quite a kettle that's ready to go out of the box

The filter status indicator is clear on the lid

What’s the Russell Hobbs Purity kettle like to use? 

The kettle has a few quirks. Because the water is filtered as you fill it, you can’t just stick it under the tap and be done. The filter chamber holds around two cups, so filling to the max (about four cups) means doing it in two stages - pour, wait, then pour again.

It’s not difficult, but it does take a little longer than a standard kettle, especially when you’re making drinks for more than a couple of people. We’ve got into the habit of topping it up straight after pouring, which makes the next round quicker and easier.

There's a few steps you need to follow to prep your filter

The filter itself is simple to use. After three weeks, ours is already down to 50% on the indicator, so you’re likely replacing it about once a month. That’s something to factor in cost-wise and to keep spares handy.

There’s also a bit of setup before first use. You’ll need to soak the cartridge, shake out any air bubbles, then run and discard two full kettles of water. It only takes a few minutes, but it’s not quite a straight-out-the-box experience.

How the kettle looks without the filter sat inside

The Purity kettle is compatible with Brita Maxtra+ filter cartridges

How quickly does the Russell Hobbs Purity kettle boil?

Once it’s filled, it is quick to boil - and it's quiet while doing so. A single cup boils in under a minute, which is exactly what I’d expect with a 3000W kettle - there’s no sense of it dragging its feet. If anything, it highlights that the only real delay is in the filling process rather than the boiling itself. So, in fairness, it offsets the filling stage. 

Russell Hobbs Purity Glass Brita Kettle: design and style

This is very much where the glass version earns its place compared to the plastic option. It has a clean, understated look. Glass body, stainless steel base and a black handle and lid. It feels more considered than a basic plastic kettle and sits nicely on our kitchen worktop without drawing too much attention to itself.

The blue light while boiling is a nice design touch

The blue illumination when boiling is subtle and quite useful, especially in a busy kitchen where you want a quick visual cue. 

We’re also trying, in a fairly realistic way, to reduce plastic in our home. So using a glass kettle feels like a small step in the right direction. Although, it’s ironic that the filter itself is, of course, plastic. Well, 50% bio-based plastic. So while you’re reducing plastic in one sense - you’re still reliant on it in another.

(L) The Purity Glass Brita kettle and (R) The Purity Plastic Brita kettle

Is the Russell Hobbs Brita kettle easy to keep clean? 

So far, yes. Because the water is filtered before boiling, there’s noticeably less limescale. After almost a month of using this regularly on a daily basis, I’m yet to see any limescale forming at the bottom of the glass version. 

When Mumsnet tester Natasha tried the plastic version in a very hard water area, there was no visible limescale after weeks of daily use either - a strong indication of how effective the filtration actually is across the range. 

The glass body here means you’ll see any marks if they do appear, so it makes it easier to keep on top of things. A quick wipe around the rim and base has been enough to keep it looking tidy.

It's neutral design means it'll suit most kitchens

Does it offer good value for money? 

This depends on how much the filtration matters to you. With an RRP of £70, it’s not cheap for a kettle and the ongoing cost of replacement filters does add up. Realistically, you’re looking at replacing the cartridge about once a month. 

If you’re already using a Brita jug, you probably wouldn’t need this kettle as you could use filtered water from your existing jug in any kettle. If not, there is an added expense with this kettle for something that isn’t strictly necessary.

Then again, for households dealing with hard water, though, it can feel worthwhile if it cuts down on limescale and improves the taste of your drinks like we’ve found. 

Final verdict: is this the kettle for you? 

If you live in a hard water area and you’re tired of dealing with limescale, this kettle does what it says it will.

It won’t transform your life, but it will improve your tea and coffee, reduce the need for descaling and look good while doing it. The trade-offs are clear: it’s slower to fill, holds less than you might expect and comes with ongoing filter costs.

For us, those feel like reasonable compromises. But if convenience is your top priority and you just want something quick and fuss-free, a standard kettle will always win.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen appliances, mattresses and vacuums that work for real parents. A former editor of LJMU’s Looprevil Press, she cut her teeth in journalism in 2010, earned a post‑grad diploma in Journalism and later led editorial at ExpatWoman in Dubai before joining Mumsnet. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines and products that make parents’ lives easier.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of hands-on testing. We never accept payment for coverage, and our verdicts are independent and honest. We may earn a small commission through affiliate links, which helps fund our work - but it never influences our opinions.

All prices are correct at the time of writing.

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