Kitchen appliance maker De Longhi's H1 profit up

MILAN, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Italian toaster and kettle designer De Longhi (DLG.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) reported a 73 percent rise in first-half net profit to 12.9 million euros ($19 million) on Friday, helped by higher sales and the benefit of lowering its debt.

De Longhi, known for its fashionable retro lines on household appliances, said revenue rose 7.8 percent to 686.4 million euros, helped by the strength of the euro, and core profit was 9.7 percent higher than a year ago.

Its sales in the household sector jumped 10.1 percent while those in the professional part of the business were flat, as a slowdown in the housing market -- especially in the UK -- weighed.

De Longhi, which has a market capitalisation of about 413 million euros, said it confirmed its targets for the year.

"We are satisfied with the results we have achieved despite the tricky macroeconomic situation," Chief Executive Officer Fabio De' Longhi said in the statement. (Reporting by Jo Winterbottom; Editing by Greg Mahlich)