Richmond Beehive Kettle

It doesn't get much more English than this. At least, as far as tea kettles go. This one, the "Beehive" with its distinctive shape, has always been one of the most popular with its manufacturer, Richmond Kettle in Norfolk. The coppersmiths in the east of the country have been around since 1893, and to this day they still do a lot of work with the old tools. Taking advantage of the precious metal's outstanding thermal conductivity for a kettle is an obvious choice. The only new feature of this model is that the bottom is just not solid copper - like the body of the kettle - but a ferromagnetic stainless steel, so that the beehive kettle in this contemporary design can also be used on induction stoves.

Our kettles have a very traditional shape for good reason: they have to heat large quantities of water quickly and energy-efficiently. This means for their body shape: little upper surface, but a large base area, because over the bottom surface (as desired) the heat flows in, but over the surface it (undesirably) radiates out again. Otherwise: high-set spout, so that the bubbling water can not splash out, and a firm handle on which the kettle can be held securely.