Identifying an Original: Alessi Richard Sapper 9091 Kettle

Along with Michael Graves’ kettle for Alessi, this 9091 Kettle is one of the most significant Kitchen-focused design objects of the mid and late 20th century. Sapper designed it in 1983 with the intent of featuring a melodic whistle made from brass, which plays two notes in harmony (E and B) when steam is sent through it.

To identify an authentic example, you will want to look for Alessi’s name stamped into the underside of the kettle. Our vintage had a copper bottom, though current production examples note steel bottoms. Critically, you will want to be attentive to the mirror polished stainless steel body of the kettle and the solid brass whistle. There should be a rubber cover for your finger when pulling the kettle open, though these can come off easily if purchasing a vintage example.

Richard Sapper was a German industrial designer, who became world renowned for iconic works such as this kettle, the Tizio lamp for Artemide, IBM Thinkpad, TV for Brionvega, among many others. While his design work continued into the “postmodern” period (as some might argue), his work and designs did not as neatly fit into the boxes of strict modernism or postmodernism. Instead, his works our often revered for their functionality and function-driver beauty.

Identifying an Original is a collaboration between Be Original Americas and Rarify.

[jrandalltodd]

Perfection. The handle confused me for a while after clients repeatedly melted it, but digging deeper, they were using XL open flame stoves and overdoing the flame. Original intent was European electric and normal flames. I recorded the whistle, it’s now an alert on my phone :)