A short History of Kettles
The tea kettle evolved from the cooking kettle that was hung on a hook on an iron post in the cooking fire. The hook was turned to move the kettle over the fire, and a "tilter" helped to pour water from the kettle. Kettles were made of iron, one of the first metals to be mined and processed.
The English began making tea pots of unglazed earthenware in the mid-seventeenth century, but silver became a popular material in the early 1700s. The first known silver tea pot is dated 1670, but, by the turn of the century, all tea serving ware was made of silver including kettles. Silver kettles are still made today, but they have been surpassed in importance by aluminum and stainless steel for both stove-top and electric types.
In both England and the United States, the tea kettle's development was closely linked to the evolution of the stove. When stoves replaced cooking fires, the kettle was pulled from the fire and given a place on the stove. Most kettles are shaped like modified globes with flat bottoms to sit on stove plates. Kettles became ornaments for kitchens when they were manufactured with different metals like copper and decorated with interesting handles and enamel.
Electrifying the kettle followed in the early twentieth century. Although the first kettles were seated on individual electric coils, heating elements were soon built in and more refined models appeared.