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6 November 2026 · My Store Admin

Best kettle UK 2026: quiet, glass, temperature control or filter?

Last updated 6 November 2026. Written by the Clean Smile Home team. We sell every kettle in this guide, so we've tried to be clear about where each one falls short. We don't run our own lab tests: test figures come from the independent reviewers named in the sources at the end, and specifications come from the manufacturers.

The short answer

For most UK homes, a plain 3,000 W kettle with a low one-cup fill line is all you need, and the Russell Hobbs Honeycomb at £21.16 does that well. Pay more only for a feature you'll use every day: quiet boiling (Buckingham Quiet Boil), temperature control (Cuisinart glass or Ninja), or a built-in BRITA filter (Purity).

That's the whole decision in two lines. The rest of this page explains the four features that actually change how a kettle feels to live with, what each of our kettles does well and badly, and what a kettle really costs to run over three years at this winter's electricity prices. We've linked to our longer guide on each model as we go.

Every kettle we sell at a glance

Kettle Type Capacity Stand-out feature Price
Russell Hobbs Honeycomb 26051 Plastic, textured 1.7 litres 1, 2 and 3 cup markers, lowest price £21.16
COSORI 1.5L Glass Kettle Glass 1.5 litres Water touches only glass and stainless steel £23.45
Russell Hobbs Snowdon 20441 Brushed steel 1.7 litres Classic look, one cup in about 47 seconds £23.91
Russell Hobbs Inspire 24361 Gloss black 1.7 litres Pull-off lid, cup markers £25.76
Cuisinart 1.7L Glass Kettle with Variable Temperature Double-walled glass 1.7 litres Any temperature from 50 to 100°C £26.65
Tower Empire T10052BLK Black and brass 1.7 litres Art Deco styling £27.59
COSORI 1.7L Stainless Steel Kettle Brushed steel 1.7 litres Plastic-free water contact, engraved level marks £30.35
Breville Curve VKT117 Gloss white and chrome 1.7 litres Quiet Mark certified £31.28
Russell Hobbs Buckingham Quiet Boil 20460 Brushed steel 1.7 litres Up to 75% quieter, according to Russell Hobbs £32.19
Russell Hobbs Purity with BRITA 20760 Glass 1 litre Built-in BRITA filter cartridge £41.39
Ninja Perfect Temperature KT200UK Matte black 1.7 litres Presets, 40 to 100°C in 5° steps, keeps warm 30 minutes £59.33

Prices checked on 6 November 2026. Every kettle above is rated at 3,000 W, has a 360° base and has boil-dry protection. We also sell two hot water dispensers, the Breville HotCup VKJ142 (£33.12) and the HotCup VKJ318 with variable dispense (£50.59). They aren't kettles, but they solve the same problem in a different way, so we cover them further down.

Who should buy which: the quick version

  • You just want a kettle that works and costs little: Russell Hobbs Honeycomb. Same 3,000 W boil as kettles twice the price.
  • You live in a flat, have a baby, or start work before everyone else wakes up: Russell Hobbs Buckingham Quiet Boil, or the Breville Curve if you prefer white.
  • You drink green, white or oolong tea, or make pour-over coffee: Cuisinart glass kettle on a budget, Ninja if you want presets, a digital display and keep-warm.
  • Your area has hard water and you hate scale floating in your tea: Russell Hobbs Purity with BRITA filter.
  • You want to see the water and avoid plastic touching it: COSORI glass kettle. For the same idea in steel, the COSORI stainless kettle.
  • You want it to look good on the worktop: Tower Empire for Art Deco, Russell Hobbs Inspire for gloss black, Snowdon for classic brushed steel.
  • You make one drink at a time all day: a Breville HotCup rather than a kettle.

What actually matters when you choose a kettle

Kettle listings are full of numbers, but most of them barely differ between models. Nearly every full-size kettle sold in the UK now runs at 3,000 W, holds about 1.7 litres and switches itself off at the boil. Which? notes that kettles range from about 2.2 kW to 3 kW, and that two kettles with the same wattage don't always boil at the same speed, but among 3,000 W kettles the gap is a few seconds.

So we'd ignore wattage and capacity and look at four things instead.

1. The minimum fill

This is the least glamorous spec and the one that saves you the most money. The minimum fill is the smallest amount of water you can safely boil. If it's high, you're forced to heat water you'll pour away. Which? suggests looking for a minimum of 300 ml or less, and points out that boiling a litre can use more than twice the energy of boiling 500 ml.

Most of our Russell Hobbs kettles mark one, two and three cups on the water window, and Mumsnet's reviewer measured the Buckingham's minimum at 235 ml, roughly one mug. Trusted Reviews measured the Ninja's at 250 ml and noted that many rivals start at about 500 ml. The Cuisinart has a 240 ml one-cup marker. If you mostly make one drink at a time, a clear one-cup line is worth more than any other feature on the box.

2. Noise

A standard kettle roars as it heats, then rumbles and clicks off. In an open-plan flat or a house with a light sleeper, that matters. Quieter kettles use changes to the element and base to cut the rumble. They aren't silent. Mumsnet's tester described the Buckingham Quiet Boil as clearly quieter than the other kettles it tried, but still audible, and our own product page says the same: quieter, not silent.

Look for a manufacturer claim you can pin down (Russell Hobbs says up to 75% quieter for the Buckingham) or third-party certification such as Quiet Mark, which the Breville Curve carries. Quiet Mark is a UK scheme run with the Noise Abatement Society that tests and certifies products as among the quietest in their category. We explain how it works in our guide to Quiet Mark and the Breville Curve.

3. Temperature control

Boiling water is too hot for green and white tea and for a lot of coffee. Which?'s temperature guide puts green tea at around 65 to 75°C and white tea at 75 to 85°C. Pour 100°C water on green tea and it turns bitter, which is why many people think they don't like green tea.

A temperature-control kettle stops heating at the number you choose. Some also hold that temperature for a while. If you only drink builder's tea and instant coffee, you don't need one. If you drink anything else, it's the feature you'll notice most.

4. Limescale

Much of England, especially the south and east, has hard water. Hard water leaves scale on the element, makes the kettle slower and noisier over time, and puts flakes in your cup. Every kettle we sell has a removable filter at the spout that catches flakes, but only the Purity treats the water itself, using a BRITA cartridge. Which? found that more than one in five kettles break down within two years and says descaling helps, especially in hard-water areas. For more on this, see why a BRITA filter kettle helps in hard-water areas.

What matters less than you'd think

  • Wattage. All of ours are 3,000 W. Manufacturer one-cup times range from about 43 to 50 seconds, which you won't notice.
  • Capacity beyond 1.5 litres. A 1.7 litre kettle holds about seven mugs. Unless you regularly fill a teapot and a pasta pan, the Purity's 1 litre is the only one where size might be a real limit.

Kettle types explained

Plastic and textured kettles

Light, cheap and safe to touch on the outside. The Honeycomb and Inspire are plastic-bodied with a textured or gloss finish. Which? notes that plastic kettles are lighter than steel or glass ones, which helps if you have weak wrists or arthritis. The downside is that some people dislike plastic in contact with hot water. If that's you, read on.

Stainless steel kettles

The Snowdon, Buckingham and COSORI stainless kettle are brushed steel, which hides fingerprints and lasts well. Steel sides get hot, though none of these are kettles you'd touch while boiling anyway. The COSORI is unusual because no plastic touches the water at all: the spout, inner lid, filter and level marks are all metal. We explain why that matters to some buyers in what plastic-free water contact means.

Glass kettles

You can see the water boil, which is oddly satisfying, and you can see limescale building up, which is useful. Glass kettles are heavier than plastic ones and show every mark, so they need descaling more often to look clean. The COSORI glass kettle, the Cuisinart and the Purity are glass. The Cuisinart's double-walled glass is designed to stay cool to the touch. Our full rundown is in glass kettles: pros, cons and the COSORI 1.5L.

Temperature-control kettles

The Cuisinart and the Ninja let you choose a temperature. They're different kinds of kettle, and we compare them in detail below.

Hot water dispensers

A HotCup holds a tank of water and heats one cup at a time, dispensing straight into your mug. It isn't faster than a kettle filled to one cup, but it stops you overfilling, which is the single biggest waste with a kettle.

The best kettle for each job

Best cheap kettle: Russell Hobbs Honeycomb 26051 (£21.16)

The Honeycomb is the cheapest kettle we sell and, for a lot of people, the only one they need. It's 3,000 W, holds 1.7 litres and boils a cup in about 45 seconds by Russell Hobbs' figure. The water window has one, two and three cup markers, so it's easy to fill only what you need. The anti-scale filter lifts out for rinsing, and there's a push-button lid and cord storage in the base.

What you give up: no quiet boil, no temperature control, and a plastic body. The textured black finish hides marks well, though dust can sit in the pattern. If you've never thought about your kettle except when it breaks, buy this one. We cover it in more depth in boil only what you need: the Honeycomb 26051.

Best for a quiet kitchen: Russell Hobbs Buckingham Quiet Boil 20460 (£32.19)

The Buckingham Quiet Boil is our pick for flats, early risers and homes with a sleeping baby. Russell Hobbs says it's up to 75% quieter than a standard kettle, and it still boils a cup in about 45 seconds. It has two water windows with cup markings, so you can read the level whichever hand you pour with, and a push-to-open metal lid that keeps your fingers away from steam.

Mumsnet's reviewer used it for two months in a four-person household in a very hard water area. They rated it highly for value, speed and ease of use, measured the minimum fill at 235 ml, and found it quieter than the other kettles they tested, though it still rumbles a little. They also noted that some owners say it gets louder with age. That fits what we'd expect: limescale on the element makes any kettle noisier, so descale it regularly if quietness is why you bought it. No variable temperature or keep-warm. Our full guide: is the Buckingham Quiet Boil worth it?

Quiet kettle in white: Breville Curve VKT117 (£31.28)

The Breville Curve is Quiet Mark certified and appears in Quiet Mark's own round-up of quiet kettles. It's a 3,000 W, 1.7 litre jug kettle in gloss white with chrome, a concealed element and a removable anti-limescale filter. The concealed element is easier to wipe clean than an exposed coil.

We couldn't find a published decibel figure for it from Quiet Mark or Breville, so we can't tell you whether it's quieter or louder than the Buckingham. Pick on looks and lid: the Curve if you want white and chrome, the Buckingham if you prefer brushed steel and two water windows.

Best budget temperature-control kettle: Cuisinart 1.7L Glass Kettle (£26.65)

This is the bargain of the range. The Cuisinart glass kettle lets you choose any temperature from 50 to 100°C for less than many plain steel kettles. It's double-walled borosilicate glass, which Cuisinart says stays cool to the touch, with a red light ring when it's on, a 240 ml one-cup marker, a wide hinged lid and a no-spill spout.

A note on reviews: Which? has tested a Cuisinart temperature kettle, but that's the metal CPK17 model, not this glass one, so we haven't used its results here. We haven't found an independent lab test of this exact kettle, so we're relying on Cuisinart's specifications. If you drink green tea or herbal tea and want to spend under £30, start here. More detail in the Cuisinart glass kettle and tea temperatures.

Best for coffee and tea fans who want precision: Ninja Perfect Temperature KT200UK (£59.33)

The Ninja is the most capable kettle we sell. It has six presets (60, 70, 80, 90, 95 and 100°C), a manual setting from 40 to 100°C in 5° steps, a digital display showing the live temperature, and Hold Temp to keep water warm for up to 30 minutes.

The reviews are split, and it's worth knowing why. Trusted Reviews liked it a lot. It measured temperatures within about 1°C of the setting, a 250 ml minimum fill, 48 seconds to boil 250 ml and 2 minutes 28 seconds for a litre. Its complaints were a functional look and beeps that some people will find irritating. Expert Reviews was far harsher in its group test. It measured a litre in 2 minutes 24 seconds, which is normal, but found the outside reached 78°C, the hottest of any kettle it tested, and recorded a peak of 63.1 dB, the loudest in its group. It also found heat retention among the weakest.

Our view: if you want precise temperatures, presets and keep-warm, the Ninja does those things well, and both reviews agree on that. Keep hands off the body while it's heating and don't buy it hoping for a quiet kettle. Both reviewers quoted an RRP of around £96 to £100, so at £59.33 it's well below its launch price. Our deeper guide: Ninja Perfect Temperature kettle for better coffee.

Best for hard water: Russell Hobbs Purity with BRITA filter 20760 (£41.39)

The Purity has a BRITA cartridge built into the top. You fill the hopper, the water runs through the cartridge into the glass jug, and you boil it as normal. The aim is less limescale in the kettle and your cup, and less chlorine taste. A change indicator tells you when the cartridge needs replacing, and replacement cartridges are widely available.

Two things to know before you buy. First, it holds 1 litre (about four cups), so it's a small kettle. Second, the cartridge naming varies by retailer: our listing and Argos describe a BRITA MAXTRA PRO Limescale Expert cartridge, while Russell Hobbs' Irish site says MAXTRA+. Check the code on the cartridge in your box before buying spares. The cartridges are an ongoing cost that plain kettles don't have, so include them in your budget.

If your tea grows a film on top or your old kettle has a crust inside, this is the one that tackles the cause rather than just catching the flakes.

Best glass kettle: COSORI 1.5L Glass Kettle (£23.45)

The COSORI glass kettle is cheap, quick (about 43 seconds a cup, according to COSORI) and uses Strix controls, a long-established make of kettle thermostat. Inside, water touches only glass and 304 stainless steel. The lid opens to two levels to cut splashing when you fill it, and a blue light comes on as it boils. At 1.5 litres it's a little smaller than most. Like all glass kettles, it shows limescale, so plan to descale with citric acid or vinegar every few weeks in a hard-water area.

Best for avoiding plastic: COSORI 1.7L Stainless Steel Kettle (£30.35)

The COSORI stainless kettle is the steel version of the same idea. The spout, inner lid, filter and water window are all plastic-free, and the level marks are laser-engraved inside the kettle. COSORI says it boils 250 ml in under 43 seconds. The lid opens to two angles for easy filling and cleaning. It's a good choice if the glass model's 1.5 litres is too small or you'd rather not look at limescale.

Best looking: Tower Empire, Russell Hobbs Inspire and Snowdon

These three are standard 3,000 W, 1.7 litre kettles with removable filters and 360° bases. You're choosing on looks, and that's a perfectly good reason.

Not a kettle at all: Breville HotCup VKJ142 and VKJ318

The HotCup VKJ142 (£33.12) has a 1.5 litre tank and dispenses one 250 ml cup at a time in under a minute. The VKJ318 (£50.59) has a 2 litre tank, lets you choose the cup size and has a stop button. Both have a drip tray, so you put your mug under the spout and press a button.

They suit offices, home workers who make lots of single drinks, and anyone with weak wrists who struggles to lift a full kettle. They're bigger on the worktop than a kettle, and you can't fill a saucepan from them easily. We compare the two approaches in hot water dispenser or kettle? and cover the smaller model in boiling water by the cup.

Cuisinart vs Ninja: which temperature kettle?

This is the comparison we get asked about most, because one costs less than half the other.

Feature Cuisinart 1.7L Glass Ninja KT200UK
Temperature range 50 to 100°C 40 to 100°C in 5° steps
Presets None listed 60, 70, 80, 90, 95 and 100°C
Live temperature display No Yes
Keep warm Not listed by Cuisinart Hold Temp, up to 30 minutes
Body Double-walled glass, designed to stay cool Matte black; Expert Reviews measured 78°C on the outside
One-cup fill 240 ml marker 250 ml minimum (Trusted Reviews)
Accuracy No independent figure found Within about 1°C (Trusted Reviews)
Price at Clean Smile Home £26.65 £59.33

Choose the Cuisinart if you want to brew green or herbal tea at the right temperature and you're happy to set it each time. Choose the Ninja if you'll use keep-warm (handy for a second pour-over or a pot of tea through the morning), want presets you can hit with one press, or want to see the temperature as it climbs. If you're not sure you'll use temperature control at all, the Cuisinart is a cheap way to find out.

What a kettle really costs over three years

The price of the kettle is often the smaller part of what you spend. Electricity is the bigger part, and that depends almost entirely on how much water you boil, not on which kettle you buy.

The cost of one boil

Heating a litre of water from tap temperature (about 15°C) to 100°C takes roughly 0.1 kWh. That's basic physics: about 4.2 kJ per litre for each degree, times 85 degrees. Real kettles lose a little heat, so the true figure is slightly higher. Ofgem's price cap rate for electricity from 1 October to 31 December 2026 is 26.32p per kWh for a typical direct debit customer, so a full litre costs about 2.6p to boil. One mug's worth (250 ml) costs well under 1p.

Why a 3,000 W kettle doesn't cost more to run

Wattage is how fast a kettle uses energy, not how much it uses. A 3,000 W kettle and a 2,200 W kettle need about the same energy to heat the same water. The faster one just gets there sooner, which if anything wastes a fraction less heat through the sides. So ignore claims that a lower-watt kettle is cheaper to run.

Three years for a typical household

Here's an example household making five hot drinks a day, every day, at the current cap rate. It assumes rates stay at today's level, which they won't exactly, since Ofgem changes the cap every three months.

Habit Water boiled a day Electricity a year Cost a year Cost over 3 years
Filling to the one-cup line each time 1.25 litres About 46 kWh About £12.01 About £36.02
Filling to a litre each time 5 litres About 183 kWh About £48.03 About £144.10

The difference is about £108 over three years. That's more than any kettle we sell except the Ninja costs to buy. This is why we keep going on about cup markers and minimum fill.

Add the electricity to the kettle price and you get the real three-year cost for a careful one-cup filler:

Kettle Price 3 years of electricity (one-cup habit) Three-year total
Russell Hobbs Honeycomb £21.16 £36.02 £57.18
Cuisinart glass temperature kettle £26.65 £36.02 or less £62.67 or less
Russell Hobbs Buckingham Quiet Boil £32.19 £36.02 £68.21
Russell Hobbs Purity with BRITA £41.39 £36.02 £77.41 plus cartridges
Ninja Perfect Temperature £59.33 £36.02 or less £95.35 or less

Temperature-control kettles can save a little more. Heating water to 70°C for green tea instead of 100°C needs about a third less energy, because you're raising it 55 degrees rather than 85. Keep-warm uses some energy back, so don't leave Hold Temp running out of habit.

The Purity's BRITA cartridges are a real extra cost we haven't priced here, as prices vary by retailer and pack size. Against that, softer water can help a kettle's element last, and Which? links regular descaling with fewer breakdowns.

Tips for getting the most from any kettle

  • Fill to the line you need. Fill the mug with cold water and pour it into the kettle if you're unsure. It's the biggest saving available.
  • Don't go below the minimum. Boiling too little water can trigger the boil-dry cut-out and shortens the element's life.
  • Descale regularly. In a hard-water area, every few weeks. Half-fill with equal parts water and white vinegar, or use citric acid, boil, leave for an hour, then rinse and boil fresh water once and pour it away.
  • Rinse the spout filter. Pull it out every couple of weeks and rinse it under the tap. A clogged filter makes the kettle spit when you pour.
  • Empty it overnight. Standing water leaves more scale. Fresh water also makes better tea.
  • Boil and discard when new. Boil a full kettle two or three times and pour it away before first use to clear any manufacturing taste.
  • Keep the base dry. Wipe up spills around the base and never put the kettle in a dishwasher.
  • Use your temperature settings. If you paid for temperature control, set it for each drink. Green tea at 70°C tastes noticeably better.

Common kettle problems and how to fix them

"My kettle has got louder over time"

Almost always limescale. Scale on the element makes the water boil unevenly, which adds rumble. Descale it and the noise usually drops. This applies to quiet kettles too.

"There are white flakes in my tea"

Those are limescale flakes. They're harmless but unpleasant. Descale, rinse the spout filter and check it's seated properly. If it keeps happening, a BRITA filter kettle or a filter jug will reduce it.

"My kettle switches off before it boils"

Heavy scale can make the thermostat cut out early. Descale first. If it still happens, check you're above the minimum fill and that the lid is fully shut, since steam needs to reach the switch.

"My new kettle makes the water taste of plastic"

Boil a full kettle and pour it away a few times. If you're sensitive to it, one of the COSORI kettles, where no plastic touches the water, is a better fit.

"The outside of my Ninja gets very hot"

That matches what Expert Reviews found. Keep it away from the edge of the worktop and out of reach of children, and lift it by the handle only.

"My glass kettle looks cloudy"

That's scale on the glass. Descale with citric acid or vinegar. Glass shows scale sooner than steel but cleans up well.

"My kettle won't switch off at the boil"

Stop using it. That's a fault with the automatic switch, and every kettle we sell should switch off on its own. Contact the manufacturer about a warranty repair or replacement.

Our verdict

If we were kitting out a kitchen today with no special needs, we'd buy the Russell Hobbs Honeycomb and spend the difference on biscuits. It boils as fast as kettles three times the price, it has proper cup markers, and that's what saves money.

We'd only pay more for something we'd notice every single day. For a flat or an early household, the Buckingham Quiet Boil is the one we'd choose. For green tea or good coffee, the Cuisinart is remarkable value, and the Ninja is the better tool if you'll use its presets and keep-warm, as long as you accept it runs hot and loud. In a hard-water area where scale really bothers you, the Purity is worth its smaller size and cartridge costs.

Whatever you buy, fill it to the line you need. That habit is worth about £100 over three years, which is more than the choice of kettle.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best kettle to buy in the UK?

For most homes, a 3,000 W kettle with clear one-cup markings and a removable limescale filter. At Clean Smile Home that's the Russell Hobbs Honeycomb at £21.16. Pay more only for a feature you'll use daily: quiet boiling, temperature control or a BRITA filter.

What is the quietest kettle?

Of the kettles we sell, the Russell Hobbs Buckingham Quiet Boil (up to 75% quieter, according to Russell Hobbs) and the Quiet Mark certified Breville Curve are designed to be quiet. Neither is silent. We couldn't find published decibel figures that put one ahead of the other.

Is a temperature control kettle worth it?

Yes if you drink green, white or herbal tea or make pour-over coffee, because boiling water can make them bitter. No if you only drink black tea and instant coffee. The Cuisinart glass kettle at £26.65 is a cheap way to try one.

Are glass kettles better than stainless steel?

Not better, just different. Glass lets you see the water and spot limescale, but it's heavier than plastic and shows marks. Steel hides scale and fingerprints and lasts well. Both can be bought with no plastic touching the water, such as the two COSORI kettles.

Do filter kettles really reduce limescale?

A kettle with a BRITA cartridge, like the Russell Hobbs Purity, treats the water before it's boiled, which is designed to reduce limescale and chlorine. The mesh filter in an ordinary kettle's spout only catches flakes that have already formed. Cartridges need replacing when the indicator says so.

How much does it cost to boil a kettle in the UK?

About 2.6p to boil a full litre at Ofgem's electricity price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh for October to December 2026. A single mug's worth costs under 1p. Overfilling five times a day can add around £36 a year.

Does a 3kW kettle use more electricity than a 2.2kW kettle?

No, not in any meaningful way. Both need about the same energy to heat the same amount of water. The 3kW kettle draws power faster and finishes sooner. What you pay depends on how much water you boil.

How often should I descale my kettle?

Every few weeks in a hard-water area, and every couple of months in a soft-water area. Use a vinegar and water mix or citric acid, then boil and discard fresh water once before using it again.

What temperature should water be for green tea?

Which? suggests around 65 to 75°C for green tea and 75 to 85°C for white tea. Black tea and rooibos are fine at or near boiling. A temperature-control kettle such as the Cuisinart or Ninja lets you set this exactly.

Is a hot water dispenser cheaper to run than a kettle?

Only if you'd otherwise overfill your kettle. A dispenser like the Breville HotCup heats just one cup at a time, so it stops waste. A kettle filled carefully to the one-cup line uses about the same energy.

Why is my kettle getting louder?

Limescale on the element is the usual cause, and it affects quiet kettles too. Descaling normally brings the noise back down. If it rattles or smells of burning, stop using it and contact the manufacturer.

Which kettle has no plastic touching the water?

Both COSORI kettles we sell. In the 1.7 litre stainless model, the spout, inner lid, filter and water window are plastic-free. In the 1.5 litre glass model, water touches only glass and 304 stainless steel.

What is a good minimum fill for a kettle?

Which? recommends 300 ml or less. Many cheaper kettles start around 500 ml. Independent reviewers measured 235 ml for the Russell Hobbs Buckingham and 250 ml for the Ninja, and the Cuisinart has a 240 ml one-cup marker.

Shop the kettles in this guide

For more on the brands, see our guides to Russell Hobbs, Breville, COSORI, Cuisinart, Ninja and Tower. If you're shopping for a present, our Christmas gifts under £60 list includes several of these kettles.

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