So why do they do it?

[bellinghman]

Tonight (well, last night, but I'm still awake), I bought a new kettle.

The last one was nearly a decade old, and the filter mesh had gacked up with lime scale, and I'd broken it trying to get the scale off. So it was time for a new one.

Tesco only had one model available. Good size, large transparent window going right round the front so you can see the water level without a silly little floating ball, a base which the top could swivel on, and one extremely strange feature that I didn't immediately notice. And I bought it.

Home, replaced the old kettle with this new one, filled it with water, and then boiled the first jug full.

Let's just say that it's a real geek kettle. It glows in the dark. It glows blue in the dark. There's a light inside, and it shines out through that large window.

I can't see any good reason for this feature, but oh does it look cool!

Comments

[lostcarpark.livejournal.com]

Wow! A kettle with a case window and cold cathode lighting... all it needs is a fan with LED lighting. Or would that be missing the point?

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Who needs a fan?

Actually, I'm beginning to consider getting some colourful plastic fish and putting them in.

[bugshaw.livejournal.com]

Are you sure it's not Cerenkov radiation?

Ooh Shiny...

[beckyl.livejournal.com]

We wants one! just cos it's cool. (Old kettle still functions fine, but Glowy Blue Light! Blue!)

Erm..excuse me. Temporary regression to six year old. Tescos, you say?

Re: Ooh Shiny...

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Yep. Breville Illuminator. 19.95 - apparently normally twice that amount.

Re: Ooh Shiny...

[lnr]

You know if we didn't already have a perfectly good kettle we'd be very tempted. But just being 9 years old isn't really a good enough excuse to replace it. Though it does tend to build up scale quickly and often leave bits in the bottom of mugs as a result. Not that I'm trying to make excuses or anything.

Re: Ooh Shiny...

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Keep holding to this thought - and soon you won't be able to get this kettle, because it'll be gone again.

Seriously, I even tried the Breville website, to see no sight of it. The closest is this, but the JK29 has the blue light like this.

Oh, my, that latter one has pulsating neon lights in the base, too.

(What do you see wrong with this?)

Re: Ooh Shiny...

[lnr]

Their release date does seem to have slipped somewhat, doesn't it.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

<Checks>

Don't think so - it still needs a mains cable, so I don't think Pitr has had a hand in the design.

[rillaith.livejournal.com]

Surely it's so you can make a cup of [caffeinated beverage] at [obscene still-dark hour of morning] without having to turn on the lights and suffering the accompanying "ow it hurts" reactions... Much the same as a dimmer switch in the bathroom. Except possibly of use to less people. Who makes coffee in the dark anyway?

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Probably. Though you're going to need to find a mug, teaspoon, tea/coffee/whatever, and there's a limit to how much you want to wave a kettle base with a live kettle on it around a kitchen.

Nah, I reckon the designer showed it to the marketing guys, they said 'Oh, cool, a new sales feature!', and it went from there.