Simplex Kettles Back in Business

I've been enjoying my Simplex kettle for a little more than a year now, after a tough search to find one of the last ones for sale in the United States. The venerable British company closed its factory without warning in the summer of 2010, after more than a century of manufacturing kettles. Last summer, I reported that a metalsmithing company had purchased the factory and planned to restart production soon.

An alert reader from Oxford, England, asked me to post the news again that Simplex is indeed back in business and plans to ship kettles to the USA beginning this month. Apparently my blogged struggles come up high in the Google results when Brits search online for "Simplex."  Sorry, ducks, I have no way to fix that. (Do Brits still call each other "ducks"? I only read historical fiction so I have no idea, but I hope so.)

My Simplex

To buy yourself a handsome, well-designed, problem-free kettle that will seriously last you a lifetime, click here. They are not cheap, but if you're the type who keeps buying and replacing crappy kettles, keep in mind that you will save money over the decades that you have this. It seems that they are only making the large-size, Edwardian-style kettle (would look perfect on Mrs. Patmore's stove in the Downton Abbey kitchen). It seems they are not yet making the more "Machine Age" beehive style.

But you'll still get your choice of copper or chrome, and gas or electric models. If you want one like Harry William and Kate have, get copper.