Phil Addison wrote:
SWIMBO bought a shiny new steel kettle, and now we can't listen to the
kitchen radio when its on (the kettle that is!!) because it makes such a
vigorous 'kettling' racket, and not just when it's near boiling. Last
weekend I talked to a guy in our independent appliance retailer and he
said they are all like that these days, its due to the trendy new
'concealed element' design.

The concealed element 'feature' is where the element is embedded in the
flat bottom of the kettle, rather than being the conventional 'bent rod'
style immersed in the water. I think the noise is due to the large flat
base acting as a kind of sounding board.

On a quick look it seems as if this style of kettle is all that's
available these days. Has anyone else come across this problem? Any
recommendations for a good quiet cordless kettle?

Phil


I've tried about five diferent makes/models and they all made a hell of
a racket. The water boils locally where it contacts the heat source,
makes a load of tiny steam bubbles, and this results in the noise. I
think the old non-concealed elements made a bit less noise, and they do
tend to quieten just before the water starts to properly boil. I've
also noticed that swirling the water around as it's being heated
results in a quieter boil - maybe because the agitation cuts down the
creation of steam bubbles on the element. Maybe a built-in impeller to
stir the water would reduce the problem? Anyone fancy making a
prototype? I'd be happy to pay a premium for a quiet kettle. :-)

Mike