How to use a Kelly Kettle

Posted on by

From rather a lot of readers I would think there would be murmurings of…”what on earth is a Kelly Kettle, let alone how to use it?” From the other small proportion of readers, there is a probably a murmuring of “Hooray for the Kelly Kettle!” Those particular murmurs might be followed up by taking the thing outside immediately, to strike a match, (just because you can and will use any excuse to use the thing….I understand. Really.)

So how does it work?

It’s a bit like a rocket stove really, (which is wonderful for me, as I’m rather partial to the idea of a built in rocket stove* within the home and being in a rented apartment doesn’t allow much of that kind of building, damn it.)

What does it need?

Twigs and leaves really, and that’s all. It creates a rip roaring fire really easily and doesn’t need much to keep it going.

Is it safe?

Yes. As long as you use your common sense, and remember NOT to leave the plug in when boiling water, it’s a really easy safe contraption to use.

What can I use it for?

Boiling water (pictured here) and also cooking. For camping I think it’s excellent, for out and about I fancy a cup of tea moments it’s great and for city dwelling rocket stove covetting kinda people well… it’s the bees knees.

Far more detailed descriptions can be found on the Kelly Kettle website.

*Google the rocket stoves if you haven’t looked before. Some of the ones that are built within the house are so inspiring, it’s almost breathtaking.

 

 

26 thoughts on “How to use a Kelly Kettle”

  3. Ohhhhhh I love this. I am just imagining the farm tour in winter ….taking people up the top and boiling the kettle with them for a cuppa…..then not leaving unattended coals. Brydie does it take long to cool down once you have used it ,so that when you pack up you can just load it in the jeep?

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Kim, it does take a little bit to cool down, I reckon you could rig something up though so you can move it quicker to the jeep. The top bit is easy as it has a handle, it’s the bottom bit with the fire that would take a little longer to cool. You could roast a few marshmallows 🙂
      (Earth Garden shop sells them too Kim.)

      Like

      Reply ↓

  4. The ability to make a good cup of tea wherever you are is an ability not to be sniffed at (unlike a good cup of tea which should be sniffed, with your eyes closed, both hands united in caressing the mug and inhaled deeply for as many times as you need to return sanity to your world at any given time…) and thus, a Kelly Kettle should be something that each Aussie family is given once a year by the government of the time. Er…I seriously doubt that our government at the moment is going to give us anything, let alone a Kelly Kettle but it’s a great idea so I am putting it out there (for all of the governmental ministers that are reading this excellent blog post 😉 ).

    Like

    Reply ↓

  7. We use something similar that has a billy type thing on top (can’t remember what it’s called) and we LOVE it. Making and drinking Turkish coffee in the paddock for morning or afternoon tea has never been such fun or so easy. xx

    Like

    Reply ↓

  15. Back in my girl scout days- absolute decades ago- I had a homemade contraption made out of a coffee can and an old coffee pot. It was called a billy burner and not so good looking- but it served the same purpose and my sister and I used it down by the creek to make many cups of tea. Thanks for the new version and the kickstart to many memories, Brydie!

    Like

    Reply ↓

Leave a comment