A Tale of Two Kettles

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When sourcing items for our new kitchen, looks are important.  Several months ago, after an exhaustive internet search, Dan and I were sure we had found the perfect looking electric kettle.

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Sunbeam’s sleek looking KE 9400 glass kettle from its Designer Series not only met our ‘must look good on the counter’ criterion, but also satisfied our requirement that the water would not be boiled in a plastic container (we have become wary of hot plastics that may release harmful elements into foods and liquids).

As we could only find the Sunbeam kettles for sale in Australia we asked our Aussie friend Alissa to buy one for us when she visited Sydney earlier this year.

Its arrival was cause for celebration.

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Even Jack was interested in learning all about it.

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The only strike against the Sunbeam kettle is it takes a really long time to boil water here (we had anticipated a slow boil because it was designed for 220 volts in Australia not 110 volts in the US).  For months, we patiently accepted this inconvenience in return for a safe and aesthetically pleasing boiling experience.

Until, that is, we made a recent visit to NoNu — our favourite vintage store.

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NoNu, in nearby Dumont, NJ is one of the best vintage stores I have been in.  Not only is it full of cool stuff, but everything is in great condition, and the owners Ken and Jon (not to be confused with Dan and John) are really nice and very knowledgeable about the items they are selling.

Dan and I first visited NoNu in May and had great fun exploring the store.

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There’s something for everyone…

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from lighting

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to clocks

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from footwear

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to frocks.

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Dan and I have returned to NoNu every month.  On a recent visit I spotted, and fell in love with, a beautifully designed chrome kettle.

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I instantly pictured myself using it to make tea.

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The circa 1970 GE kettle manufactured by General Electric Canada is now ours, and is gleaming on our kitchen countertop.

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It not only has classic good looks, but also boils water in a fraction of the time it takes the Australian Sunbeam. So, for now at least, the Sunbeam is taking a break, and our vintage find is taking care of our daily boiling needs…

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and making me smile.

live. enjoy. repeat.

2 CommentsLeave a comment

    • Thanks Chantal and, yes, you certainly can employ old things with modern. There was so much great design in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and it’s fun discovering things from the past. Buy things that you are drawn to and don’t be afraid to use them every day (rather than place them on a shelf to admire). Have fun with retro!!

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