Anyone have real world experience with Kelly Kettles? The kettle appears to have some advantages and uses.

Pricey but efficient.

I have regularly been reminded of these devices and keep telling myself that I will/should/might get myself one. Unfortunately I get a stabbing pain in my rump every time I reach for my wallet and the pain reminds me that I have gone this long time without one and have always muddled through.

I get the same stabbing pain...however it is the g/f's foot and her saying forget it...

no real world myself but the are widely discused at a camp
stove site..used by the new zealand army in ww 2 and by fisherman in england in the 1900's..if you want lots of hot water
they are said to be really worth it..another company, Thermitte- not sure of the spelling--makes one with a handle on
the side that is said to be easy to use as you don't have to fool with the chain to pour..

You may want to do an ETS Forums search. IIRC there were several threads on this in the last two years, complete with links and several decent discussions.

Regards, Comanche7

These kettles were first knocked together of copper and tin in Ireland by the tinkers for fishermen. They would have been Kavanaugh kettles except we were paying those same fishermen to run german mausers ashore hidden inside a double walled boiler of the same concept. Thats how they got the money for the kettles and we continued with lost causes as a family tradition. The name kelly has utterly no historical connection, Clan Kelly being a bunch of lace curtain pubsmen and dancemen who are foolish enough to dance in the rain instead of brewing up a cuppa. Some brit had these cobbled up and slapped a catchy name on it.Kelly uses less letters is all. English fishermen sensibly go home at noon for tea instead of messing wtih these things out in the weather. Buy yourself a nice Sadler 'Brown Betty' and forget about it, unless the weather is about to make turf fires practical again, as tonight in California they are. Then the Kavanaugh kettles are marvelous affairs, as my old copper one has proven time and again.

I know what you mean Chris, McSwiney's are suckers for lost causes also......watch the wild geese fly!!!!

I also find these interesting but painfully pricey. A good description of its use on bicycling/camping trips can be found at:

http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2006/01/kelly-kettle.html

I believe the original posts about the Kelly Kettle have disappeared into the mists of time here on ETS. However, there is a cool article written by Schwert (an ETS member) here:
http://outdoors-magazine.com/spip.php?article126

Dave, imagine finding you here. All the best. Alan W.

I think that a Kelly Kettle makes a near perfect tool for just about any emergency kit.

I use my small 1-pint version for some day trips when a small fire and a cup of tea is perfect for lunch or a rest.

My 2.5 pint kettle resides in my car kit for when I am deployed to my EOC as a radio operator. In a wind storm or worse the large Kelly will serve as an endless boiler using downed wood, cones, paper, whatever as fuel.

These are pretty bulky, but not too heavy, and for a car kit or go kit are really just ideal.

Lee Valley is about the best place to get them in the US.

I highly recommend these kettles.

Ade....thanks for the link to my article too.

Ahh the pleasure of a hot cup on a cold wet day.......

[img][img]http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/4125/teaboil7099kx8.jpg[/img][/img]

I would go for the larger one. I like my coffee hot, strong, black and plentiful. A quart is a little small. Do they make a two-quart model? That might be a good start anyway.

i think i have seen large ones on Ebay...
and yes Alan--it's me--i cast a long shadow across the Web-

You may want to look at the Thermette. It is quite a bit larger with similar design.

http://www.thermette.com/

These are a half gallon, copper and again perfectly suited to larger kits.



I have not tried one of these yet but keep meaning to add one to my go kit.

Always look to Schwert for the very best photographs.

I was just thinking the same thing!

Schwert's photographs not only look great but the composition is excellent, I really look forward to his posts.

Mike

Here's a video of a head-to-head Thermette vs. Kelly Kettle boil-off. There's a bunch of stuff in the video, but the relevant part begins at 2:35.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJuJf44jwkA

Dave

That is a good video. I see the Thermette, the two Kelly's and the Eydon Storm Kettles as all offering a nice selection of sizes.....one or more should fit just about any persons needs.

I have a hard time thinking of a better device for an emergency kit. The ability to use all sorts of found fuels, even damp or low quality fuels is such an advantage. The efficient chimney produces boiling water fast and nearly endlessly with no need to carry around any petroleum fuels in the car or stored in your house.

The Thermette's ability to cook on top is something that makes it even more interesting for a disaster kit. Cooking on top of the tall tower is somewhat of a concern to me, but its large volume of water plus that ability definately makes me want to add one to my home kit. The side handle looks to be a knuckle toaster, but the Kelly design has its own special lift requirements too.

I generally stuff a few pieces of fat wood in the chimney of my Kelly's plus some splits of cedar. With these as easy starters I can use damp cones, wet sticks, shavings and splits to boil up water fast....and fun too.

I think I have finally talked myself into a Thermette. They expect stock by the end of this month and I think I am going to add one to my gear. They are local to me and I think I NEED one of these.

Have you any experience with heating food such as soup or stew instead of water?

Ponder..from what i have seen on other sites they are for water only as you can not open them to clean out burned on food..
in a pinch maybe, and rinse and boil to clean..

Yup, all these kettles are water only as there is no way to clean the inside out.

The Thermette comes with a support ring that can sit on top of the chimney....this support ring supports a pot for soups etc so you can cook and boil at the same time. You do have to remove the pot to add sticks though so this is a good potential but not a perfect setup. How tall and ungainly it is etc remains to be seen.

The large Kelly can be had with an accessory kit....really a small two piece grill that sits on the firepan only. This way you can grill something or possibly support a tiny pot over the coals after your boil is finished.

I have seen someone make a hardware cloth "ring" that fits the Kelly chimney that could then support a mug or small pot, but this is a very tippy operation.

I then to think of these as hot water boilers exclusively.

Schwert - "These are a half gallon, copper and again perfectly suited to larger kits."

That's just about the size I want for my coffee. Proper caffination is important. As to what everyone else is drinking, hey, that's their problem. Pretty too. Always a plus.

And, BTW, a very nice photo also.

I would still brew the coffee in it. Coffee, as long as it is straight up will leave a stain but it is easy to remove chemically. Worse case I pour in some sand, wet with water with a touch of detergent and shake. No problem.

I would have to stitch up an insulated cozy for the pot so the coffee stayed warm.

I would advise against brewing in the Kelly or Thermette. The Kelly would likely hold the grounds quite well in the tight areas of the chimney and there is definately nothing worse than stale coffee grounds to ruin your next boilup. I imagine the Thermette with its very restricted spout would even be more difficult to clean of grounds.

I just take a top-of-cup filter device, brew coffee in an cup with integral press arrangement or for my disaster kit filter brew into a Nissan thermos with cone. This way the water can be used for soups, tea, coffee, hot chocolate etc in a nearly endless manner.

Rancid coffee oils in my boiler would be something I would not want to have to figure out how to deal with.

BTW...thanks for the image compliment. Only the Kelly Kettle image is mine....the Thermette image came from their site.

As a means of ensuring that you have safe water to drink those are definitely the D.B's.

The way they taper down on the inside tells me that they can only be used to boil water. I need a container that I can boil soup in and won't have any trouble cleaning out. Also, I need my container to have an opening big enough to spoon from, and also big enough to store some things in when not in use. I don't like the idea of empty space in my kit.
I am designing my own compact wood gas stove that will accomplish all I need in a cook kit, and serve as storage for when not in use.

I just picked up my semi-shiney new copper Thermette.

First impressions....

Huge.
Cruder than the Kelly's.
Big.
Heavy.
Gigantic.
All soldered rather than just crimped.
Monsterous.

Galvanized steel fire ring on the bottom.
Tinned (?) burner top ring.
Steel cook ring for the top.

Lots of solder so the joints should not leak…hopefully they are tin not lead.

Knuckle burn a distinct possibility...care required.

It has a bit of the look of some of my metal work projects from 7th grade shop class.


Made in China.

That last bit surprised me...I thought New Zealand.

Anyway it is a giant boiler, that has a very efficient looking copper cone and a huge draft potential.

This will be boiled in sometime soon.

It looks like it has great potential for my express purposes of emergency water boiling.

I am glad I have my Kelly's though....

I only buy from China if there is absolutely no other way.

Hi Schwert - glad to see you got one, I'm really looking forward to your evaluation.

Dave

Another source for the Kelly Kettles in the U.S. is Garrett Wade (www.garrettwade.com).

Very comparable to what Lee Valley has (in their general stock). They charge a few dollars more, but available with the large Kelly Kettle (they call them "Foul Weather Kettles") is an accessory kit.

Quoting their site now: comprised of a small 5-1/2" diameter fry pan, a fire grate/grill, a deeper Cooking Pot, plus a Handle) can be used with the Base of the Large Kettle.

That might be a nice add-on to go with a Kelly Kettle, don't know how it compares functionally to the Thermette's advertised ability to cook with or without the water boiling on the base.

Dave

The grill kit for the large Kelly is not quite the same as the Thermette's cook on top aspect.

After you remove the Kelly from the fire pan you can place the grill and then use the residual coals to grill something or possibly place a small mug on it. The main issue is the size of the firepan....only a small pot can be set upon the grill or the coals will be smothered. I think the primary utility of the grill kit is to toast a sandwich or grill a kabob or something along that line.

The Thermette cook top can support a reasonably sized pot...say of soup while the water is coming to a boil.

The main problem as I see it is feeding the Thermette. It is possible to poke sticks through the large oval entry in the fire base, but otherwise the cook pot would have to be removed from the top quite often to drop stick into the cone.

Both are nice options...grill kit and cooktop for the respective devices but both present functional issues.

I have not bought the grill kit for my large Kelly, and likely will not.

I will likely add a 1.5 quart pot to my Thermette kit to prepare soup etc on the cooktop.

As to being made in China....well I have to admit I was a bit dissapointed as I thought it was made in New Zealand. However there is certainly nothing wrong with the device and that fact would not affect my decision to purchase a Thermette for my intended use.

Garrett Wade is a nice catalog eh? Both Lee Valley and Garrett Wade have nice tools and excellent service. There is another kettle available in the Lehman catalog. They call it a Storm Kettle made my Eydon. It is very similar to the Kelly's with slightly different sizes. I do not have any Eydon's.

I really think that one of these type kettles ought to be in just about anyone's emergency kit. In any natural disaster scenario the ability to boil nearly endless supplies of water using wood....low quality wood, damp wood, paper, cones, bark, really just about anything that will burn is just a superb option. A small gas fired stove or even the larger Coleman type burners are superb for ease of use and multi use, but for rapidly boiling water with found fuels these Kelly type kettles excel.

I am with ya...these are a bit of a hard sell, but they are damn functional devices.

How did the hurricanes hit you over the past few years....any power outages or worse evacuations.

It took me several years but I finally got my wife thinking along the same lines as me. In 1991 we had a moderate earthquake here...my worksite was badly damaged...hers was just fine. Communications were a mess between us. She found our local CERT classes (which I highly recommend) and in the course of several years we just keep adding to our prep. She got her HAM license, we volunteer at our community EOC for communications, have shelter management training, etc.

I highly recommend CERT training not for the actual skills learned, but for the entry point they make in family discussions and prep. CERT and any subsequent training opens up the ability to plan, prepare, and yes spend on some of the things that you mutually agree would be valuable.

Now a few 5gal bottles of water in the basement, 24 packs of batteries, a gallon or two of coleman fuel, a decent stove, tarp, rope, cord, sleeping bags, decent boots, tools....well you name it no longer has to have an immediate and daily use. Buying a few things for a kit that hopefully will never be used is hard to do, but CERT or similar training at least opens up the discussion.

I do love these Kettles for their very unique and fun abilities. I bought my first 1-pint Kelly for the fun of it and learned quite quickly just how nice they can be for more dire needs.

$100 on a wood fired water boiler seems high....and likely would not be my first emergency expeduture....but as part of an overall plan I do highly recommend it as a discussion item at least.

They are fun too

I have a Thermette and I love it (other then the wire handles) it really boils water fast. I was surprised how little wood it takes to get boiling hot water. I have done some cooking with it and it works ok cooking, but it excels at boiling water.

Welcome to the forum Bob.

I forgot to post a link of a review I wrote for it. I wrote the review about a month after I got the Thermette.

Here’s the link
http://www.thebackpacker.com/gear/stoves/thermettte_north_america_thermette.php



PS I just found this site earlier today, lots of great info here. Bob

Welcome to the ETS Forum BobS and Thanks for the link to "The Backpacker" I spent an hour checking out the gear reviews!

Mike

Nice review Bob...and welcome here also.

The handles have been a concern for me for a long time. It is probably why it took me so long to buy a Thermette.

I will look at the site and see what the original handles looked like and rework mine too.

Thermette makes a big deal out of being able to lift the kettle one-handed rather than using the bail and chain of a Kelly, but the close oval handles just look like a nasty burn to me. Lifting the Kelly with the bail horizontal is something I learned right quick.

What wire did you use to redo your handles?

Just a brief tip on how to clean things that have a small opening and maybe 'shoulders' that you can't get a brush or anything into: Fill the container about 1/4 full with soapy water and add some regular rice (instant doesn't work too well). For a quart container, I add about 1/2 cup of rice. Shake enthusiastically. The rice beats the junk off the inside surfaces of the container. Sometimes soaking first is a good idea, depending on what kind of gunk you've got inside. I've also used unpopped corn as the beating agent.

Sue

I made the new handle for my Thermette out of an old metal detector handle (not wire) that bit the dust years ago and I parted it out and saved the parts years ago (you should see all the junk I have saved.) I also made a handle for the one I bought my brother out of stainless steel bar stock and the handle from a auto window scraper.

I took the junk wires off it (they about fell of with no effort) I opened up the opening a bit. And then slid a piece of stainless bar stock 1/8 inch by 5/8 inch. 4 ¼ inches long (same length as the handle for it) I drilled & tapped 3 10x32 holes in it. I installed 2 studs (thread locked & pined them with a spring loaded center punch) and a 10x32 bolt on the bottom to keep the handle from slipping up. It sticks out kinda far and does not fold like the original handle. But It was extremely hard to use with the original handles without them bending and me getting burnt/ the new handle is very functional and strong.

Here is the address of some pictures I uploaded of the Thermette, some before the handle mod, and some after. A good place to find ready-made handles is to go to the Goodwill or Salvation Army stores and look for pots & pans you can part out.

ftp://members.toast.net/photos/Thermette/





As far as it being made in china, I tried (for over an hour of searching) to find them from New Zeeland, I could not, at one time they may have been a New Zeeland product, but not any more. I believe they are now an American company with the product made in China.

It does look crude and unfinished, but I’m interested in results more then the look. But it would have been nice if it had a better looking finish.


The soldered seam is not an issue, as it doesn’t get hot enough to melt the solder. But if you ran it without water (dry) I could easily seeing the solder melting, not an issue as I’m not going to use it with no water with the Thermette on the fire base. Why would you?

It is big, but not really that heavy.

The more I use it, the more I love it.

That link may not work, if not Go here.

http://photos.toast.net/slideshow.asp?us...&PictDisp=0


Sorry for the problem. But I have never up loaded pictures before today and am not good at it yet.

Here are a few pictures of a homemade WoodGas stove I made several months ago. It really gets hot, if you look at the cross-bar pot support I made for it, you can see where it’s melted. I made the cross bar out of 1/8 inch aluminum and it melted the first time I fired it up. The stove itself is made from a stainless steel canister set I got at a flee market for $1.50.

It puts out a ferocious flame with the fan on high. It makes more noise then my Svea 123. I don’t see myself using the fan on high as it’s just too hot, other then bringing a big pot of water to boil very fast. For cooking low speed seems to work well. I have only cooked with it in the garage on the workbench so far.

http://photos.toast.net/slideshow.asp?us...&PictDisp=0

Bob,

That is an excellent replacement handle. That removes the knuckle toaster design of the Thermette.

To post an image, just copy the image properties and click on the third icon in the post entry page, paste the image properties to the window that opens up and there you go....



I brought over one of your handle shots....I hope you do not mind.

That is a neat looking blast furnace stove too...

You have already done all the hard work getting the images hosted somewhere...that is where most folks have difficulty.

Good shots in both those photo threads. Nice work.

Just trying to post a picture to see if it works. This one is the homemade version of the WoogGas stove (www.woodgas.com )




[img]http://photos.toast.net/slideshow.asp?us...&PictDisp=1[/img]

OK....I grabbed this image property..

http://photos.toast.net/ImageResizeCache/9586f14a56a6bcde92962426a6a5ffde.jpg

Then put that in the image brackets [img]PasteThatProperty[/img]



And shazam...

I am not quite sure why your's is not working but maybe the property you copied is not quite complete or right.

Ah, I think I see the problem...you cannot post a slideshow address in the image brackets...you can only put individual images there...these have to have a .jpg ending to work.

So you need to go to your slide show and choose an image, right click on it and go to properties, copy those properties then paste it inbetween the image tags....try that.

My ISP gives me space (gives as long as I pay my internet bill) to store images on-line so a place to put them was easy. They are the ones with the built in slide show.



OK I’m trying this again, if it works here is a close up picture of the original coat-hanger handles.

Hey it worked; I’m not as dumb as I look! Well maybe…

Perfect....

Here is a picture of the other handle I made for the second Thermette I bought and gave my brother for Christmas. I made it out of an auto window scraper handle and some steel that I bent to the shape I needed on a pan break.

Holy crap! That is some fine craftsmanship there!

Anybody have anything new to report on the Kelly Kettle or Thermette - or similar device?

Anybody tried using the Kelly Kettle or the Permette with a camping stove?

Thanks.

I just got back today from a week camping at a music festival and used the Thermette to heat the water for my showers. They charge for showers at the festival and I have everything to do my own showers.

Mostly I used it as intended with forest debris (sticks) to heat the water. It takes about 5-min to heat the water to a boil. But I also used it a few times on top of my Coleman propane stove. I noticed it took a long time to boil the water, So the second time I used the propane stove I timed it. It took 9-1/2 –min to get a boil, and it was a very mild boil as compared to when it boiled with the wood. With wood it would shoot out water like a volcano.

It’s good to have options with it and have it work with different heating methods, but I ended up going back to using wood becasuse it's faster & more fun to use.

Good reply, thanks.

I love the idea of using found fuel but except for car or canoe camping, the things just seem too bulky and heavy. Am I missing something?

Nope, you aren't missing anything. Other than a sherpa. Honestly, they aren't something I want to hump, even if I think they are extremely cool.

I guess that’s important if all you do is long-distance backpacking. But I do a lot of car camping and also in a disaster situation I can boil water a lot faster then 3 people could ever drink it. And I can do it for no fuel cost at all. To me it’s a useful item. It also allows me to use it as a wood camp stove.

BobS, I want to get a Thermette for my car kit, car camping, etc. They are a bit expensive but I like their performance reviews and the use of found fuel should make it "pay for itself" after many uses.

How have you dealt with packing the unit in a car, avoiding soot transfer, etc.?

Did you get the whole cook kit?

Thanks.

It comes with the whole cook kit, Kelly Kettle’s sell it as an extra item. This may make the price closer to each other. But I would suggest that you either make or find someone that can make an aftermarket handle for the Thermette. I would not buy one and use it without a new handle. I can’t understand why they put such a poor quality handle on it?

Also if you like things that look great and look impressive the Thermette may not be for you. It’s not an item that is made to look good, but if you want something that works great and are willing to overlook its rough look it may be for you. It is a great performing item. I would say it works very well, better then advertised. The great thing about it is that the more the wind blows, the faster it boils the water. The wind makes the chimney effect work even better. In fact when the wind wasn’t blowing hard, I pointed one of those portable fans that have soft plastic blades (bought at the dollar store for $1.00) at the opening in the base. Doing this I was able to get the boil time down to 3-min or so. Not too bad for ½ gal of water. We used it to heat water for 3-people to take showers, it worked great.



The handles are its weak point, if you can fabricate new ones it’s a great item, if not you will be disapointed in it.




As far as packing it I used the cardboard box it came in, I reinforced it with duct tape and cut part of one side out for the new handle.

But I decided last week (while camping the whole week with it) that I’m going to make a wood box for it out of 1/8 inch plywood. I have lots of wood in the garage and I’m will put a hinge and a latch on it. It rained a little every day and I want to make a box for it that can handle rain. I have a friend that owns a lumber yard and has a dip tank with Woodlife wood preservative in it (like Thompson’s Water Seal only much better) I’m going to drown the box in it for a few hours to really let the preservative soak in. then give it several coats of polyurethane.

I just took a picture of it sitting in the original box with one side cut out, here is the picture.




I will also post a picture of the wood box I make for it when I get it done.

My emergency plans are as follows:

Plan A, drive out.
Plan B, walk out.

If I'm ready for B, and keep my tank at least half full, I've got A covered. I always assume that my infernal combustion engine has died in anything where I need to bug out.

Wow! How did I miss such a topic? This "kettle" is actually a remix of Russian Samovar (samo-var = self-boil): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samovar - the perfect boiling device of 18th century. I didn't know it's available in techno shape these days. Will definitely consider getting one.



Some thoughts on the Kelly device design compared to the ancient beauty.
- First off, the Samovar have removable top lid, so it's much easier to clean, faster to fill and pour out, more versatile if you plan not only water boiling.
- There are 2 handles pointing upwards (on the sides), so it's safer and easier to move it around and to pour out.
- It's equipped with tap at the bottom, so it easier to dispense small amounts of hot water (for tea).
- The conic shape of Samovar is proved to boil water more efficiently in an entire volume.
- There is no separate bottom part in samovar design (cooking ring?), all the fuel is turning to ash right in the chimney.
- The important accessory to Samovar is chimney extension tube, which could be stored inside of the samovar main reservoir.
- Another popular chimney attachment is the small teapot warmer (for priming tea leaves).

Ever since I can remember I've always wondered how those things were used. I always thought they were just for decoration. Thanks for the info. Somethings wrong though. The one in the photo looks out of place. I think it belongs in a smoke filled room with some gruff looking Russians having heated converstations and playing cards. At least thats the way they do it in my neck of the woods.

Looks like a trophy to me. I was about to ask what sport he won.

Isn't it beautiful? And functionality is the same if not superior compared to the Ugly Kelly - ages of the steam technology polishing By the way, the "decorative" side ribs aren't simply decorations. The copper walls are quite thin, so some reinforcement ribs are crucial to keep the device relatively lightweight and durable.

By the way, I'm not arguing against the Kelly Kettle. Just giving some ideas of possible improvements, like the BobS made heavy duty handle.

For transit, so far I have just used the cardboard box for my Thermette and large Kelly too. My small Kelly is in a nylon stuff sack.

I have not done the handle modification to my Thermette but it really does need one of Bob's sort of handle to make it a safe boiler.

I think these devices are simply perfect for an emergency kit. Around here tons of down branches, cones, bark, needles and the like are available at all times and even slightly damp will burn.

The half gallon from the Thermette is best suited for larger groups and static locations, but I would not hesitate at all to take it or the larger Kelly along on a canoe trip.

The one pint Kelly makes for a pleasurable way to brew up for a lunch on the trail if you pack is large enough to take the bulk. It is not much heavier than a stove/pot/fuel bottle combo, and makes for a relaxing brew up, but it does take a good amount of room (about the size of a large thermos bottle).

Over at one of the super efficient light backpacker sites there is a small following for Kelly's on the trail, as there is never any fuel to carry...but these guys eat nothing that requires much but hot water (nor do they seem to eat anything interesting).

Good report on the camp Thermette Bob. A crude but damned effective device.

That Russian thing looks neat, I want one…


Does anyone have one of these? And if so, how does it work?

Great site you all have here!

I've owned a Kelly Kettle for about a year now.
I am impressed with the quick boiling time, and miniscule amount of fuel required.

I bought mine at Water Strider:
http://www.waterstrider.com/camp-kitchen-gear.htm

If you scroll down you'll see the kettles.
But what I want to recommend are these items to compliment the KK(a bit further down from the kettle):

1. Kelly Kettle pot holder.
This device sits atop the chimney and works well for cooking in a small pot whilst boiling your water.

2. Folding water bucket.
A great way to transport water, and store the KK when not in use (just be sure to let it cool-off first!) I also store a dozen or so sticks of cedar kindling along side the KK. That way I can always be sure of having dry fuel. (2 sticks of cedar kindling will boil a kettle full of water!) I also throw in a few homemade sawdust-candle wax-egg carton firestarters.

3. Insulated plastic cup system.
Works great for cooking dehydrated foods and having a hot bev.

Welcome Newguy!!!