Kettles run out of steam quickest in the kitchen

KETTLES are the least reliable kitchen appliance, with a third failing after six years, a consumer study has found.

They are more likely to break down than other regularly used appliances, says consumer group Which? The study also found a gap between how long consumers expected products to last and when they failed.

Most people expected their kettle to last seven years, but one in five said theirs developed a fault after just two. Which? questioned more than 7,500 people on the reliability of their small household appliances.

People were asked how long they had owned a product and what problems, if any, they had experienced. Cake mixers and food processors were the most reliable, while kettles, steam irons and coffee machines were most likely to break down.

Experts pointed out that kettles were used several times a day, while cake mixers and food processors were used less frequently.