Comparison · Kitchen · 2 models
Two 1-litre kettles: Sage Compact Kettle Pure against the Russell Hobbs Compact
Both hold a litre, both boil a single mug, and both are bought for a small kitchen. Sage's is glass and steel with a cushioned lid, 2400 W, narrow and deep, with no limescale filter stated. Russell Hobbs' is plain brushed steel, 20.4 cm tall, with a washable filter and a longer guarantee if you register it. This comparison sets their makers' figures side by side and says which kitchen each suits.
Quick answer
Side by side
| Model | Capacity | Minimum fill | Power | Height | Limescale filter | Guarantee | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sage Compact Kettle Pureglass and steel, 2400 W, narrow and deep | 1 L | 250 ml | 2400 W | 19.3 cm | None mentioned† | 2 years | View listing |
| Russell Hobbs 1 L Compactbrushed steel, 20.4 cm tall, washable filter | 1 L | 235 ml | 2200 W† | 20.4 cm | Removable, washable | 2 years | View listing |
Scroll sideways to see every column
† Figure from a retailer listing or otherwise awaiting confirmation from the manufacturer; other figures come from manufacturer manuals and leaflets.
Sage’s figures come from its UK product page and manual. Russell Hobbs’ come from its UK page and manual for the Classic Compact 24990, the UK sibling of the 24991-70 we track; the 2200 W rating is from Russell Hobbs’ European page and is marked as needing a check. Neither maker states a weight.
Two ways to build a small kettle
glass and steel, 2400 W, narrow and deep
Sage Compact Kettle Pure
- Capacity
- 1 L
- Minimum fill
- 250 ml
- Power
- 2400 W
- Height
- 19.3 cm
- Limescale filter
- None mentioned†
- Guarantee
- 2 years
Check price
Sage’s Compact Kettle Pure is a small kettle built like a premium one. The jug is SCHOTT glass with a brushed stainless-steel collar and base; the element is concealed; the lid is Sage’s Soft Top, cushioned to open slowly and release steam gently. It holds a litre — four cups — and boils from 250 ml. Power is 2400 W. Sage’s dimensions are 14.2 cm wide, 22.8 cm deep and 19.3 cm tall, with a window marked for minimum, maximum and cups. Auto shut-off, boil-dry protection and a thermal cut-out are in the manual; the guarantee is two years.
Strengths
- Boils from 250 ml — one mug — without a fuss
- Glass jug shows the level from anywhere; cushioned Soft Top lid releases steam
- 2-year guarantee, BPA-free window and jug
Limitations
- 22.8 cm deep — the widest of the small kettles
- Sage states no limescale filter and no weight
- Glass needs descaling to stay clear in hard-water areas
Good for
- one or two people who want a kettle that looks the part
- a worktop with depth but little width
- soft-water areas
Look elsewhere if
- a very shallow shelf
- someone who wants a removable scale filter
brushed steel, 20.4 cm tall, washable filter
Russell Hobbs 1 L Compact
- Capacity
- 1 L
- Minimum fill
- 235 ml
- Power
- 2200 W†
- Height
- 20.4 cm
- Limescale filter
- Removable, washable
- Guarantee
- 2 years
Check price
Russell Hobbs’ Compact is the plain answer: a 1-litre brushed stainless-steel kettle with plastic accents, 20.4 cm tall, a hinged lid that presses to lock, and marks inside for one, two and three cups. Russell Hobbs calls one cup 235 ml and quotes just over 50 seconds to boil it. There is a removable, washable limescale filter, boil-dry cut-out and auto-off. The guarantee is two years, plus a third if you register within 28 days.
Strengths
- 20.4 cm tall — the lowest full-size kettle here
- One-cup boil with 1/2/3 marks inside; removable washable filter
- 2-year guarantee, 3 on registration
Limitations
- The Amazon code 24991-70 is not on Russell Hobbs' UK site — figures are for the 24990 sibling
- Power stated only on the EU page (2200 W)
- Weight not stated
Good for
- an under-cupboard shelf
- one or two people who want the cheapest sensible option
- a second kettle for an office or bedroom
Look elsewhere if
- anyone who wants the exact code documented
- boiling a litre quickly
Power and the single mug
Both kettles are bought to boil less water. Sage’s minimum is 250 ml, Russell Hobbs’ one-cup mark 235 ml, and Russell Hobbs says boiling one cup instead of a litre saves up to 66 per cent of the energy — which is the argument for either kettle over a 1.7-litre family one that wants half a litre before it will switch on.
On power, the Sage is rated at 2400 W and the Russell Hobbs at 2200 W, the latter from Russell Hobbs’ European page for the 24990-70 and marked as needing a check. The 200 W difference is real but small: a few seconds for a mug, a little longer for a full litre. Russell Hobbs gives a one-cup boil time; Sage gives none.
Limescale: the decisive difference in hard-water areas
In a hard-water area every kettle scales. The Russell Hobbs has a removable, washable limescale filter, which is there to catch flakes before they reach the cup. Sage’s product page and manual for the Compact Kettle Pure do not mention a filter, and we record that as not stated rather than as absent.
The glass makes it more visible. A steel kettle hides scale until you look inside; a glass jug shows every flake and every white ring at the water line. In a soft-water area that is irrelevant. In a hard-water area the Sage is a kettle you descale regularly to keep it looking as it did on day one, and the Russell Hobbs is a kettle you rinse the filter of.
Size: low against narrow
The two kettles solve different space problems. The Russell Hobbs is 20.4 cm tall, the lowest full-size kettle in our small-kettles roundup, for a gap under a wall cupboard or a shelf. The Sage is a centimetre lower still at 19.3 cm, but its real distinction is shape: 14.2 cm wide and 22.8 cm deep, the narrowest kettle in that roundup and the deepest. It suits a worktop with room behind it and little to the sides; it does not suit a shallow shelf or a windowsill.
Guarantee and paper trail
Sage gives two years. Russell Hobbs gives two, and three if you register within 28 days — the longest promise of the pair. Against that, the Russell Hobbs listing code, 24991-70, does not appear on Russell Hobbs’ UK website; our figures are for its UK sibling, the Classic Compact 24990, which shares the 1-litre body, the height and the manual. That is not a reason to avoid it, but if you want the exact model documented, the Sage’s page is the cleaner match.
Which one, by kitchen
- Soft water, a kettle on show all day, a worktop with depth: Sage.
- Hard water: Russell Hobbs, for the filter.
- Under a low shelf or cupboard: either — both are around 20 cm tall; check the depth if it is the Sage.
- A rented kitchen, an office or a second kettle for a bedroom: Russell Hobbs, the sensible default.
- The longest guarantee: Russell Hobbs, on registration.
Sources
Facts checked 10 November 2026
- Sage Appliances UK — the Compact Kettle Pure BKE395UK product page and instruction manual PDF — Manufacturer documentation, checked 24 September 2026
- Retail listing (Sage) — Retailer listing, checked 24 September 2026
- Russell Hobbs UK — Classic Compact Kettle 24990 product page and manual (EU page 24990-70 for wattage) — Manufacturer documentation, checked 24 September 2026
- Retail listing (Russell Hobbs) — Retailer listing, checked 24 September 2026
Which 1-litre kettle boils faster?
On the makers' figures, probably the Sage: it is rated at 2400 W against the Russell Hobbs' 2200 W, a figure that comes from Russell Hobbs' European page and that we mark as needing a check. For a single mug the difference is seconds. Russell Hobbs quotes just over 50 seconds to boil one cup; Sage gives no boil time.
Do they have limescale filters?
The Russell Hobbs has a removable, washable filter. Neither Sage's product page nor its manual mentions a filter for the Compact Kettle Pure, so we record it as not stated. In a hard-water area that matters twice for the Sage: flakes are more likely to reach the cup, and a glass jug shows every bit of scale until you descale it.
Will they fit under my wall cupboards?
Both are low. The Russell Hobbs is 20.4 cm tall and the Sage 19.3 cm. Add room to open the lid and to lift the kettle off its base, and either fits under most wall cupboards. The bigger difference is depth: the Sage is 22.8 cm deep, which is a lot for a 1-litre kettle; Russell Hobbs does not state depth on the page we cite.
Why is the Russell Hobbs model number different?
The listing we track is the 24991-70, which does not appear on Russell Hobbs' UK website. The UK site lists the Classic Compact 24990 with the same 1-litre body, height and manual, and we use its figures. If the exact code matters to you, the Sage has the clearer paper trail.
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