Russell Hobbs Inspire 1.7L Kettle Review: fast, decent-looking, but not built for eternity

I’ve been using the Russell Hobbs Inspire 1.7L cordless kettle as my main kettle in a fairly busy kitchen, and I’ll be honest: it’s a pretty typical mid-range kettle with a few nice touches. Nothing fancy, nothing “premium lifestyle”, just a plastic kettle that boils water quickly and looks a bit nicer than the really cheap ones. If you’re expecting something bulletproof that lasts 10 years, you’re probably aiming too high for this price range.

What pushed me to try it was the combo of 3kW fast boil, decent Amazon ratings, and the fact that Russell Hobbs usually does okay on kettles. I also wanted something lighter than my old metal kettle, which felt like lifting a dumbbell when it was full. So this plastic body with a 1.7L capacity and a 3kW element ticked the boxes on paper.

In day-to-day use, it does the basic job: it boils water fast, it’s easy enough to fill, and the pour is fairly controlled. You plug the base in, drop the kettle on, hit the switch, blue light comes on at the back, and about a minute or two later you have boiling water. If that’s all you care about, you’ll probably be happy enough with it.

But it’s not perfect. The plastic feel is quite obvious, the noise is average, and based on some user feedback and what I’ve seen with similar models, long-term durability isn’t its strongest point. So my review is basically: good everyday kettle, solid for the price, but don’t expect it to be the last kettle you ever buy.

In terms of value, the Russell Hobbs Inspire sits in that mid-range sweet spot: not bargain-basement, not premium. For the price you usually see it at online, you’re paying for three main things: fast 3kW boiling, a design that looks nicer than the cheapest plastic kettles, and a known brand with a 2+1 year warranty. If that combination matters to you, then it’s pretty good value. It does the basic job well and looks okay on the counter, which for many people is enough.

Where the value is a bit mixed is on longevity vs. cost. If you get 2–4 years out of it with regular use, the cost per year is still reasonable. But if you’re unlucky and it dies right after the warranty, it’ll feel a bit annoying. Compared to some no-name budget kettles that can fail even quicker, this is still a safer bet. Compared to a more expensive stainless steel model that might last longer, this is cheaper upfront but potentially more “disposable”. It really depends how you see kitchen gear: long-term investment, or just something you replace when it breaks.

On the positive side, you do get nice-to-have features for the money: the blue illumination, the anti-scale filter, the 360° base with cord storage, and a decent pour that doesn’t splash everywhere. None of these are life-changing, but they do make it feel more thought-out than the absolute cheapest kettles. If you care about looks and a bit of convenience, that nudges the value up a notch.

Overall, I’d say the value is pretty solid if you want a fast, decent-looking kettle and you’re realistic about it not lasting forever. If your budget is tight and you just need hot water, a cheaper basic kettle will also do the job. If you want long-term durability, you might want to spend more. This one sits nicely in the middle: fair price, good everyday performance, average lifespan.

The design is probably the main selling point here. Russell Hobbs clearly tried to make a plastic kettle that still looks a bit “smart” on the counter. The textured vertical ridges on the body do help it stand out from the really plain budget kettles. In black with the glossy finish and chrome strip, it looks decent enough next to stainless steel appliances. From a few steps away, it passes as a tidy, modern kettle.

Up close, though, you can see and feel that it’s still a plastic appliance, not a metal one. The high-gloss finish picks up fingerprints and water spots quite easily, especially around the top and handle area. If you’re fussy about a clean look, you’ll probably find yourself wiping it down every couple of days. The textured sides hide marks better, but the smooth bits show everything. On the plus side, it’s light – at around 1.18kg empty, even when it’s full it doesn’t feel heavy.

The water window is on the back with level markings and lights up blue while it boils. Functionally, it’s handy – if the kettle is tucked into a corner, you can see at a glance whether it’s on and how full it is. The downside is that if the kettle is turned the “wrong” way on the base, the window faces away from you. Not a disaster, but slightly annoying if you like to see the water level from the front. The spout is narrow and shaped for what they call a “perfect pour”; in real use, it does pour quite cleanly with very little dribbling, even when you’re doing a slow pour into a cafetière.

Overall, I’d say the design is pretty solid for a mid-range plastic kettle: it looks nicer than the rock-bottom models and doesn’t make your counter look cheap. But if you’re expecting it to feel like metal or glass, it doesn’t. It’s clearly plastic, and the glossy bits do show marks. Visually, though, it’s good enough that you don’t feel like you bought the absolute cheapest thing on the shelf.

The Russell Hobbs Inspire is made from textured plastic with a high-gloss finish, and you can feel that immediately. The upside is that it’s light and easy to handle, especially when full – much easier on the wrist than a heavy stainless steel kettle. The downside is that it doesn’t have that solid feel you get from metal or thicker, higher-grade plastics. When you tap the body or grip it firmly, there’s a bit of hollowness to it.

The handle itself feels secure enough, with no flex or wobble when the kettle is full. The 360° base is also stable – it doesn’t feel like it’s going to tip if you put it down a bit roughly. The power cord wraps underneath, so you can adjust the visible length, which is handy if your plug socket is close. The plastic around the base and handle doesn’t get outrageously hot, but like most kettles, the body can be warm after boiling, so you still need to be sensible when handling it.

One area where the materials show their limits is long-term durability. There are user reviews mentioning the kettle dying after around 2–3 years, sometimes with the heating element or internal switch failing while the exterior still looks almost new. That lines up with what I’ve seen from similar plastic kettles: cosmetically they hold up quite well if you wipe them down, but the internal components are not built for a decade of heavy daily use. It’s not unique to this model, but it’s something to keep in mind.

So from a materials point of view, I’d call it practical but a bit cheap-feeling. The plastic keeps it light and easy to use, but it doesn’t give you that solid, long-lasting impression. If you want something that feels more robust, you’ll likely need to go for a stainless steel or higher-end kettle and pay more. For the price, though, the materials are acceptable, just not impressive.

Durability is where I’d be a bit cautious with this kettle. There’s an Amazon review in the data saying it was bought May 2023 and died Jan 2026, so roughly 2.5 years of use before it just stopped heating, even though the light still worked. That kind of failure – power light on but no heating – usually points to an internal thermal cut-out, switch, or element issue. It’s not shocking for a mid-range plastic kettle, but it shows this isn’t built to be a 10-year workhorse.

Based on my own use and experience with similar Russell Hobbs models, the exterior tends to age better than the internals. The textured plastic and gloss finish still look okay after a while if you wipe it with a damp cloth and don’t bash it around. The handle and lid don’t feel like they’ll snap off randomly. But the real question is the heating element and internal electrics. With daily use (say 5–10 boils a day in a busy household), I’d realistically expect somewhere in the 2–4 year range before something gives up, especially if you live in a hard water area and don’t descale regularly.

Russell Hobbs does offer a 2-year guarantee plus an extra year if you register online, which is decent and at least covers you if it fails early. But once you’re past that window, you’re basically in “replace it when it dies” territory. That’s honestly how most people treat kettles in this price bracket, but if you hate waste or want a buy-once-keep-forever appliance, this isn’t going to tick that box.

So in terms of durability, I’d say: good enough for the price, but don’t rely on it for the long haul. If you’re okay with the idea that you might replace it after a few years of solid use, it’s fine. If you want something that’ll keep going for 7–10 years, you probably need to spend more and maybe go for a sturdier metal model from a more “industrial” brand.

In daily use, the main thing you notice is the 3kW fast boil. Compared to my old 2.2kW stainless steel kettle, this one shaves a noticeable chunk of time off. If I fill it just above the minimum for a single mug, it’s ready in roughly 45 seconds to a minute, which lines up with the marketing claim. For a full 1.7L, it’s usually in the 2–3 minute range depending on starting water temperature. So if speed matters to you, it’s clearly better than the older, lower-wattage kettles.

Noise-wise, it’s not quiet, but it’s not especially loud either. It has the usual boiling roar in the middle of the cycle, then calms down right before it clicks off. I’d call it average noise: you can still talk over it in the kitchen without shouting, but if you’re in a small flat and someone’s sleeping nearby with the door open, they’ll probably hear it. Compared to my previous kettle, it’s maybe slightly quieter, but not enough to be a big selling point.

The auto shut-off works as expected. It clicks off sharply when the water reaches boiling, and I never had it keep boiling or run on and on. There’s also boil-dry protection: if you accidentally turn it on with almost no water, it cuts out instead of frying itself. I didn’t intentionally abuse it repeatedly, but on the one time I misjudged the water level, it shut down and I just let it cool before refilling.

Overall, the performance is nothing fancy but effective. It boils fast, the switch feels positive, the blue light is a clear indicator, and the pour is controlled with minimal splashing. If your main criteria are “boils quickly” and “doesn’t spit water everywhere”, this kettle ticks those boxes without any drama. Just don’t expect anything beyond simple on/off boiling – no temperature control for green tea or coffee nerds, and no keep-warm mode.

On paper, the Russell Hobbs Inspire 24361 is a 1.7L cordless electric kettle with a 3kW heating element, plastic body, and a 360° base. It comes in this textured black plastic with a high-gloss finish and some chrome accents around the lid and base. You get a removable anti-scale filter inside the spout, a pull-off lid, and an illuminated water window that glows blue when it’s boiling. No fancy digital display or temperature settings here, just a simple on/off switch.

Capacity-wise, 1.7L is enough for roughly 6–7 regular mugs. In real life, that means it’s fine for a couple, a small family, or an office corner where people make the odd tea or instant coffee. The brand claims it can boil one cup in about 45 seconds (versus boiling a full litre). In practice, if you only fill it for one mug, it does feel pretty quick, definitely faster than my old 2.2kW kettle. For a full load, you’re looking at a couple of minutes, which is standard for 3kW.

The box is basic: you get the kettle, the base, and the little mesh anti-scale filter already fitted in the spout. No extra accessories, no jug, no cleaning brush, nothing like that. Russell Hobbs gives a 2-year guarantee plus 1 extra year if you register online, which is decent for a kettle in this price bracket. It’s not a luxury product, it’s clearly designed as a mid-range, everyday appliance.

In short, the presentation is straightforward: simple controls, decent capacity, fast boil, plastic body. If you’re expecting loads of features and temperature presets, this is not it. If you just want an on/off kettle that looks a bit nicer than the entry-level ones and boils quickly, that’s basically what you’re buying here.