Are SMEG kettles noticeably better than cheaper supermarket kettles?

[Unsexypyjamas]

If you have a SMEG kettle, how much of a difference do you notice compared to a supermarket cheapie? Does it live longer? Boil quicker? Have less issue with limescale? Is it only slightly better (and prettier), or amazingly, you-wouldn’t-believe-the-difference better?

Have always thought I would love one if I had the disposable income! (I’d love a complete set of Le Creuset too!)

I’ve had both cheap supermarket ones and SMEG kettles. Honestly there’s not much of a difference. The SMEG feels more well made and sturdy but functionality, loudness, boil time and maintenance wise they are the same.

The smeg is definitely prettier. The handle on my smeg kettle broke after using it for 3-4 years .It happened around Christmas and we got a much cheaper Russel Hobbs kettle as a stop gap measure. But I’ve never been able to bring myself to pay the price for a Smeg again so the cheap one is still with us - working every bit as well as the Smeg did. Just not looking as good.

I'd never heard if a SMEG kettle until I saw a thread about them on MN asking very much the same question as you OP: are they worth it
The one, and I literally mean the one, thing I like Boris Johnson for, was his advice to use a stove top kettle rather than an electric one. I bought a whistling kettle from my local hardware store to put on my gas hob. It was good. Then I bought an as new Le Creuset black whistling stove top kettle for a song in a charity shop and it's brilliant .
So I don't know what a SMEG kettle would add to my life but I'm extremely satisfied with my stove top kettles. Fast boiling and for me, aesthetically pleasing.

Similar to a PP our Smeg kettle didn't last very long. We had it 2 or 3 years and then the coating started bubbling and coming off.

We replaced it with a far cheaper one that has so far lasted longer so they're style over substance in my opinion.

They're like timescale magnets and the lid on mine has gone floppy instead of having the sort of soft close which it had originally. The enamel is also cracking.

I don't think they are functionally different from any other kettle, but they are lovely to look at. Looks are important in a piece of equipment you use several times a day and have on permanent display on your worktop.

Exactly the same except for a label and a heftier price tag. Had a Smeg, it broke. Repair guy said it was no better made than a cheaper one. Replaced it with a £20 one and it’s still going strong and has lasted much longer. Don’t waste your money.

No they just look pretty for a year or two

No, they aren't ime

Get a Russell Hobbs one.

I've got a SMEG bean to cup coffee machine that I paid nearly £600 for and it's an absolute bastard. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've been able to switch it on and get a coffee without having to clean/descale/ do something to it. I almost dread switching it on.

We've got a Bosch Skyline kettle, and it's the absolute bees knees. We've had 2 in a row (hard water area) and it's stylish, but so well made. Think it was £65 but worth every penny.

Had a Smeg kettle, 'g' fell off quite quickly, then lid catch broke. Waste of money. I'm with other posters, get a Russell Hobbs.

I have a pale blue smeg kettle. As I only use it at 100 degrees it makes no difference, but it has an annoying peeping sound which I have to keep disabling when there’s a power cut.

My smeg had limescale and two letters fall off in 2 years

We've got one at work. It takes forever to boil. Really annoying. I would never get one just based on that.

Exactly the same as any other kettle. They all boil water. But aesthetically they are gorgeous. We had a pink one that died after 8 years and now have a blue one. It’s on display in our kitchen 24/7 so why would you not have a super pretty one?

Had my Smeg kettle for 4 years and it’s been fine . Still need to descale in normal timeframe as other brands, I live in a hard water area but logo and everything else still in place

My parents had one and got rid of it eventually as it was so heavy!

If you ard in a hard water area like me its gonna be dead in a few years anyway. So you may aswell get s cheap one.

We've had one about 4 years and its fine but they don't last longer than an average kettle just look pretty.

We had one. It was pretty but it broke quicker than the average kettle. I wouldn't buy another one. We also bought a matching toaster, that broke even quicker than the kettle.

mine didn’t last long - 18 months . it did look pretty, but I wouldn’t buy another based on that experience. I bought a Le Crueset stove top with a whistle after that which I loved but the enamel started shredding pretty quickly. Back to cheapies now!!

I’ve got smeg everything. The only thing worth it is the big range cooker as the oven is brilliant. Everything else is rubbish- coatings come off, bits come loose.

Really interesting, thanks all!

SMEG Kettle looks nice ..that's about it. We found ours very noisy. Wouldn't get one again.