When bought the house we are now living in we were fortunate enough to buy it just as the foundations were being built and we could therefore choose what style of kitchen, bathroom we wanted (within a certain range) etc. I was determined to have a red kitchen but after much debate and the fact that I may get bored of a red kitchen I decided on a red colour theme instead so the appliances and any accessories could be red.

So the search began and ended up with Morphy Richards. I have already reviewed the Morphy Richards Accents Coffee Machine in red and I am now about to review the Accents Traditional Kettle. Now I must first admit that I only bought this kettle because it was red and matched a range. As long as it boils water and makes me a nice cup of tea then I'm happy!

Morphy Richards have named the kettle a 'Traditional' kettle simply because it is the shape of what traditional kettles were and are. The picture on Dooyoo is the exact same as my kettle and almost has a retro feel to it especially with the shining chrome spout and lid combined with the metallic finish of the pillar box red kettle.

The kettle is made up of the following components: Lid, Lid Knob, Spout filler, Concealed element, 360 connector, Cordless base unit, Cord storage, On/off switch, Power on neon and Water level indicator. I probably shouldn't need to say this but the kettle comes in quite a compact box and is literally ready to be plugged in, water in and switched on. It is advised that for the first use you simply fill the kettle up, boil the water and then discard it and should there be any deposits in the kettle then these need to be cleaned away.

The kettle is known as a fast boil kettle and these can and do perform differently to other normal kettles. Now this Traditional kettle does sound quite loud whilst the water is boiling but once it switches off then there is absolutely no noise whatsoever. This is a normal function of fast boil kettles just before you run back to the store and ask a sales assistant why it is so loud! For me, this doesn't bother me as it takes such a short amount of time to boil the water.

The kettle does sit on a 360 degree connector which is fine if you like to swivel your kettle around but I like to have mine facing one direction (it looks neater this way!) but it does come in handy if you want to check the water level. The 360 degree connector is meant to be helpful for both left and right handed people as well as being able to be positioned on a worktop easily. However, the plug cable to the connector is actually quite short so you do have to position the kettle next to a plug socket.

Obviously using the kettle is pretty straight forward but it is advised that when you fill the kettle up that you use the spout and not taking off the lid as when filling via the spout it helps keep the filter limescale free. For the kettle to actually work you need to have at least the minimum amount of water in the kettle as it won't boil otherwise. If you do switch the kettle on with too little or no water in the safety cut out will switch off the power. If this happens just wait a minute or two then refill.

To switch the kettle on there is a small lever type switch at the back of the kettle and once the switch has gone down (it goes up or down to indicate on or off) the orange neon light will come on. When the water has boiled the switch will automatically switch off. If you want to re-boil simply wait a minute or too and repeat the process.

Like all kettles it is vital that it is descaled on a regular basis especially if you live in a hard water area like I do. It is best to use a suitable descaling product and following their instructions. Cleaning the outside of the kettle just needs a damp cloth and nothing abrasive. If you do take the filter out it is vital it is fitted back correctly as the kettle may not work if it isn't fitted in the kettle properly.

I've now had the kettle for around 9 months and I like it just as much now as I did when I bought it. However, it is vital that the outside of the kettle is cleaned on a regular basis as when you fill the kettle up through the spout if your not careful it will leave water marks. I don't have any complaints about the kettle but I do have one gripe which is the length of the plug cable as I can only have the kettle in one place on my kitchen worktop which is not the end of the world but it is a bit restrictive.

When it comes to boiling the water I do only fill it up as much as I need, I never boil more water than I should do or that I need and it is true to its fast boil status as within what seems like seconds the water has boiled and the switch is off. But it boils the water up so rapidly that it does take a second or too for the water to settle as I have had a few splashes where I've lifted the kettle straight off the connector but this was purely my fault rather than the kettles.

I have descaled my kettle on quite a few occasions due to living in such a hard water area and the kettle has come up as good as new but I do make sure I do it regularly and what I have noticed recently is around the lid limescale has started to build up even on the outside of the lid so I've had to descale this too. To keep the shine on the red metallic base I find it's best to boil the kettle, use a damp cloth to wipe it and then use a piece of dry kitchen towel and give it a good buff and it should shine like it is as good as new.

Apart from my gripe about the plug cable I cannot give this kettle any negative comments whatsoever. It boils the water quickly albeit a little loudly but as soon as it has finished boiling there is no noise whatsoever. It has a lovely design with a heat resistant black handle which contrasts nicely with the chrome and the red metallic. It certainly provides a nice focal point in the kitchen but best of all it does its job well!

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this kettle to anyone looking to replace their current on. It does come in a variety of other colours. I just think it's a bit more unique and interesting. I award it five fabulous stars!

~ Useful Info ~

Brand: Morphy Richards

Product Code: 43772

Price: £59.99 (Morphy Richards website)

Availability: online and in stores such as Argos.