Nendo's Wonderful Toru, an Electric Kettle for Alessi

Nendo and Alessi unveiled Toru, a sleek electric kettle designed to look like a simple metal pitcher with a dramatic handle that appears to pass right through the body. On paper, it’s a classic luxury-design flex: elegant shape, smooth pouring, and just enough minimalist magic to make people say, “Wait, a kettle can be that fancy?” But the real heat is in the reactions, where admiration instantly collided with suspicion.

Some commenters were genuinely impressed that a humble kettle could still be rethought at all. One praised the idea that even such an everyday object could be refined, while also asking the very normal-person question: does it still pour well when it’s nearly empty, or is this one of those pretty things that only works in photos? That split the room fast. The aesthetes swooned; the practical crowd started sharpening knives.

Then came the price panic. A trip to Alessi’s site revealed listings around £160–£170, plus one commenter’s disbelief that a design brand made shoppers wait for an AI answer just to learn the kettle’s capacity. Another person looked at the handle-spout trick and immediately blurted out the thread’s most relatable fear: if hot water goes through that part, won’t the handle get hot?

And because no internet discussion can stay normal, one comment spiraled into glorious nonsense by listing fake streaming platforms — ending in a full-on “It’s on Poob” meltdown. Verdict: Toru is either a beautiful kitchen sculpture or an expensive test of how much chaos one kettle can cause.