Several times over the course of 20 years is not that bad. I'm guessing he wouldn't be buying it every 2 years (like common appliances that break apart right after guarantee period).
Some people I know have a 50 year old kettle. Sure, they look a bit old fashioned, and have marks and scratches, but they still 100% boil water.
I don't really see any reason kettles can't be made to last that long - it isn't like the human need for boiling water is going away anytime soon.
To get a design that lasts that long isn't much more expensive either - all it takes is very carefully recording what's broken on each kettle that fails, and modifying the design to avoid that failure mode. Within a few iterations, you'll end up with most kettles lasting 50 years.
londons_explore|5 years ago
I don't really see any reason kettles can't be made to last that long - it isn't like the human need for boiling water is going away anytime soon.
To get a design that lasts that long isn't much more expensive either - all it takes is very carefully recording what's broken on each kettle that fails, and modifying the design to avoid that failure mode. Within a few iterations, you'll end up with most kettles lasting 50 years.
andi999|5 years ago