On a recent holiday to Iceland, I admired many stylish, Nordic interiors. Minimalist ceramics, heavy animal pelts strewn over chairs and floors, well-positioned soft lighting that set the perfect mood.
But there is one particular item that I haven’t stopped thinking about.
Placed in the corner of my room at Hotel Budir, in the middle of the Icelandic countryside was a distinctly modern kettle.
It was matte black metal, angular and minimal. I turned it on. In the corner of the base, a small electronic screen showed the temperature of the water as it rose by each degree. When it hit 99, it stayed on a rolling boil until I pressed its discrete on/off button.
“This is INSANEEE,” I texted my mum with a picture of the kettle. Within minutes we’d both located the brand of kettle online. Fellow Stagg was its name. Success! Oh, £150. Less of a success.
Since the holiday, Fellow Stagg has followed me everywhere. In the homes of trendy friends, on target ads, in interiors spreads in magazines.
Friends had similar experiences with Alessi plisse kettles, worth £75, or Smeg kettles, worth £119.95. Once you’ve seen them, their beauty continues to haunt you. Your regular kettle starts to look dated and disgusting.
On TikTok, kettle unboxings reach hundreds of thousands of views. One video of a young woman unpacking her “dream” white Fellow Stagg kettle (as part of her upgrade to her “matcha station”, but let’s not dwell on that) has 227,000 views. Another video of a TikTokker simply using her Smeg kettle has 394,000.
So why are these simple appliances suddenly standing out? According to interior stylist Alison Lovett, it’s because our kitchens have changed. “With the trend for sleek and minimalistic kitchen design at an all time high, and space at a premium in many homes, anything that does take up precious worktop space needs to hold its own and add something to the design,” she says.
And celebs have gotten into it, too. According to Homes & Gardens, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Vince Staples and Khloe Kardashian all own the Fellow Stagg kettle with the trademark gooseneck spout. Forget about the ‘It’ winter jacket or scarf, this season’s hottest purchase is the humble kettle. Just make sure it’s the right brand.
“Choose a sleek, Scandi-inspired model with minimal buttons and a shape that’s like a work of art to nail the trend,” advises Lovett.
As for the price tag? Well, at least you know you’ll be getting plenty of use out of it. “Perhaps it’s a backlash against ugly air fryers and unused lockdown coffee machines or appliances collecting dust,” Lovett notes.
@tannercolson The new Stagg EKG Pro and Pro Studio Edition from Fellow are the most powerful kettles yet, with a beautiful LCD display and a full menu of new customizable features. #fellowpartner
♬ original sound - Tanner Colson
Plus, it’s still relatively cheap compared to the alternative. “£200 for a designer model feels totally affordable in comparison to the cost and hassle of installing a hot tap,” says Lovett.
Moreover, Fellow Stagg, Smeg and Alessi are all covered by two year warranties, so it’s not like you’ll be sinking money into something irreplaceable that will break after six months.
Whether it be as a Christmas gift to yourself or someone you really, really like (i.e if a homeware nut that just *gets it*), this may genuinely be the purchase of the year. I’ll be looking forward to getting mine in 2025 once I’ve saved for the requisite eight months.
