Few kitchen objects are as instantly recognizable as the Alessi 9093. A gleaming cone of stainless steel, a pale blue handle, and a little bird perched on the spout that sings when the water boils. It was designed by the American architect Michael Graves in 1985, and it has been in production ever since.
Here is the story behind the kettle, what you actually get, which version to choose and where to buy one.
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The story
The kettle grew out of an experiment. In the late 1970s, Alessi launched a project called Tea and Coffee Piazza, inviting architects to design a tea and coffee service and translate their buildings into tabletop objects. Graves, a leading figure in the postmodern movement, was one of them, and his design stood out. According to Alessi's own account, the 9093 that followed in 1985 was the first time the company entrusted a project to an American designer. Alberto Alessi wanted a product aimed especially at the North American market, built on a new and recognizable visual language.
Graves wanted the object to feel playful. "I wanted something light," he said of the design. "I thought, wouldn't it be interesting if I could use the water to animate the little bird perched at the end of the spout?" Alessi describes the result as a mix of European art, American Pop and references to pre-Columbian cultures.
It worked. Alessi says the 9093 has sold more than two million pieces and was its best seller for nine years. It is in the permanent collections of 18 modern art museums, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and it has appeared in 26 films and television series.
Why it looks the way it does
The 9093 is a textbook piece of postmodern design, the movement that rejected the strict rules of modernism in favor of color, wit and historical reference. Where a modernist kettle might hide its function behind plain surfaces, Graves turned every part into a character. The wide conical base gives it a stable, architectural silhouette, the row of small dots around the bottom reads like an architectural detail, the arched handle frames the lid, and the bird turns a mundane signal into a small performance. If that approach appeals to you, our Memphis design explainer covers the Milan group that pushed postmodern color even further in the same decade.
What you get
The current 9093 is made in Italy from mirror-polished 18/10 stainless steel. The handle and the bird-shaped whistle are polyamide, a heat-resistant plastic, in light blue on the standard version. The base is magnetic steel, so it works on induction cooktops as well as gas and electric. Alessi lists it at 22.5 centimeters tall and 22 centimeters across, with a capacity of 2 liters, which is enough for a full pot of tea or several pour-over brews.
A few things to know before you buy. This is a stovetop kettle, not an electric one, and it is a whistling kettle in the most literal sense: the bird sits on the spout and sings when steam passes through it. The mirror finish shows fingerprints and water spots, so it rewards a quick wipe after use. And the polished steel body gets hot, so use the handle.
Which version to choose
- Light blue. The classic, with the pale blue handle and a red bird. It is the version in museum collections and the one most people picture.
- Black. A black handle and bird for a more graphic, modern kitchen.
- White. A white handle and bird that let the steel do the talking.
All three share the same body and capacity, so choose by color. If you make coffee by hand, the 9093 is a handsome way to heat water, though a gooseneck kettle gives finer control when pouring. Our pour-over coffee gear guide covers the tools for that.
Where to buy
Alessi sells the 9093 directly from its online store, which also offers personalization on some versions. You can also find the Alessi 9093 kettle in light blue, the 9093 in black and the 9093 in white. Pricing and availability vary by color and seller, so compare before you buy, and check that the listing is the genuine Alessi product.
For more on the design history around it, read our mid-century modern explainer for what came before postmodernism and our guide to Dieter Rams' 10 principles for the opposite philosophy. More in our design and art hub.
