Vintage Tea Kettles
Tara is a San Antonio-based award-winning landscape architect, writer and educator, passionate about eco-friendly solutions and growing her own food. She knows all it takes to help you create a sustainable backyard retreat that combines blissful charm with a modern take on landscaping.
If you want your home to look like its story is your story, you’ll want to fill it with one-of-a-kind items you’ve collected over time. And one of the best ways to do that is to collect vintage pieces. It helps that vintage is again one of the most popular design styles as we’re all craving a sense of homeyness with a nod to history. It doesn’t even need to be your history, as you’ll see with these six vintage tea kettles!
Our Picks
French Vintage Tea Kettle
This large aluminum tea kettle holds 2.5 liters of water. It has a hinged black bakelite handle with curves to fit your fingers. Each side of the kettle has an intentional indentation where the handle rests when it’s not in use.
Designer Advice:
Dated from the 1930s or perhaps even earlier, this vintage tea kettle can still be used to boil water or for decorative purposes. The lid fits nice and tight, and the handle rivets are in great shape. Its short, squat shape measures 6.5” tall without the handle and 11” wide, including the spout. Aluminum is a lightweight metal, and this aluminum teapot weighs just over one pound.
Vintage Camping Tea Kettle
Made in England, this is a Swan brand vintage camping tea kettle. It’s been well-used without any cracks or holes and measures 6” wide and 6” high. The lid is still well attached and opens and closes smoothly. The spout has a perforated guard so you can place loose teas directly in the kettle.
Designer Advice:
This vintage camping tea kettle is the perfect example of every camping trip from the 1950s and ‘60s. Perfect for your next camping trip or as a watering can in the house or garden. You can also fill it with wildflowers or cut flowers and place it on your windowsill or table to add color and story to your home.
Carafe Style Aluminum Tea Kettle
In excellent condition for its age, this carafe-style aluminum kettle can hold between 4 to 4.5 liters of water. It’s almost 8” tall by 10” in diameter. The inside of the lid has some scratches, and the kettle's interior is stained from years of use.
Designer Advice:
Originally from France, this aluminum kettle was made during the 1940s. If you don’t intend to use this large kettle for boiling water, it’s just crying out to be repurposed as a plant holder or a flower “vase.” You might want to drill a hold in the bottom of the kettle to let any collected water drain away.
Aluminum Tea Pot
The unique lid on this aluminum teapot opens by swiveling to the side with a tiny knob at the front of the lid. It is just over 8” high (11.5” high with the handle) and 12” across, including the spout. The base is 9.5” in diameter. This kettle can hold about 5.5 quarts and weighs just over three pounds.
Designer Advice:
Unusually for vintage tea kettles, this one has a dull rather than sheened finish. There is some pitting on the kettle, and the handle is rusted, which may make it better as a decorative item than to use for boiling water. You could hand paint the exterior and the handle in a solid color or get creative and decorate it in colors and patterns that suit your decor style.
Antique Aluminum Tea Kettle
Vintage from the 1940s, this vintage cast aluminum tea kettle has a black wood pouring handle and lid knob. It’s a genuine Super Health brand and has been well loved and used. The kettle measures 7” tall and is 10” wide without the handle and spout.
Two Gallon Aluminum Tea Kettle
Standing at over 11” tall, this vintage aluminum tea kettle holds up to two gallons of liquid. The base measures 9” in diameter, and the bottom is stamped with “Mirro Aluminum Reflects Good Housekeeping.” It has a wide black wooden handle and lid knob. Some of the black paint has been rubbed off over the years.
