There’s many a drip ‘twixt kettle and cup, but Sage’s Soft Top Luxe Kettle has a clever lid that gently releases steam and prevents hot water splashing out when you’re pouring out, making for a safer way to brew. But there’s much more to recommend this kettle than its lid, clever as it is – like its gorgeous dark blue colour, brushed stainless steel body, chrome accents and sophisticated styling. As highlighted above, the Soft Top Pure is swathed in Sage’s customary stainless steel so you can be sure it will look stylish on any kitchen worktop. Other design touches include a slim water level window on each each side, a large blue transparent viewing window on top, a tactile on/off switch with accompanying ‘ting’ sound, a 360˚ multi directional base and a nice big grippy rubberised handle for easy pouring. I’m also impressed with the spout design of this kettle which is perfectly shaped to allow the most gentleness of pouring with absolutely no spillage. The spout also includes a removable mesh filter for catching limescale. The Sage Soft Top Pure has a capacity of 1.7 litres so that’s plenty big enough to pre-boil a large saucepan’s worth of water. The heating element, meanwhile, is hidden from view beneath a metal plate so it should be a cinch to clean when it comes to descaling time. Although the Sage is undeniably stylish to look at, a smidge under a ton is quite a lot to spend on a kettle with a soft-opening lid as its main USP. Nevertheless, if you have the readies available or already own other Sage equipment, you know what to do.

If you’re looking for a range of kitchen appliances that really stands out from the crowd, look no further than Sage’s beautiful Damson Blue range. Boasting the Bambino Plus and Creatista Plus coffee makers, the Soft Top Luxe Kettle and The Toast Select Luxe toaster, their sleek styling and gorgeous dark blue, brushed stainless steel finish mean they’ll make a real style statement in your kitchen. If filling a kettle could ever be considered a joyous task, I found this one to be very pleasant indeed, but mostly because of the kettle’s gentle lid action. In my tests, the Sage boiled a measured cup of water in 1 minute and 6.27 seconds – I like to be pedantic about these things. I then performed a full test of all 1.7 litres and it came in at 3 minutes and 47.05 seconds, give or take a 10th or two. Hence, given this kettle’s 2.4kW consumption, it’s always best to just boil what you need and not half a kettle for a cup of tea. But then you already knew that. Sage the Soft Top Pure kettle review: verdict Sage are expert at designing kitchen appliances with cleverly integrated functions to take the stress out of cooking. Their range of smart appliances, which includes kettles, toasters, and blenders, through to their ice cream maker and microwaves, has been exactingly considered to give you perfect results every time, all at the push of a button. Whether it’s prepping, boiling, whisking, whipping, grilling, cooking and baking, thanks to Sage, cooking has never been so easy.

Sage is a UK subsidiary of Breville that specialises in higher quality domestic appliances. Sage products are usually very easy to spot since they are universally swathed in brushed satin-like stainless steel, whether it’s a toaster, a microwave oven, an espresso machine or a pizza oven. They all match perfectly together and that’s a clever thing because once you’ve owned a Sage product and realised how good it is, chances are you’ll want to match whatever it is you buy next with the style of product you already have. That’s good marketing for you.