Alessi Michael Graves Kettle with Bird Whistle, Blue Handle

Way overpriced
It boils water. It looks pretty on the counter. It has maintained its luster. You can get your hand inside it to clean.
Beyond that it is just an expensive pot that doesn't have the usual features of a Tea kettle.
You can't pour water until you grab the hot plastic bird whistle and pull it out. With hot stream gushing out this is an interesting game. We went through a couple "birds" before we got one that even whistled and as many others have said, it doesn't sound like a bird. It sounds like the whistle of a guy who was just at the dentist. It also has a cheap wire spring clip and lasts about a month. We have some Alessi stuff. Some is good, some is like this, overpriced... way way overpriced. Did I mention that it is not worth the money.
A Real Eye Catcher!
I have owned this tea kettle for about 10 years. Not only is it fully functional as staple in my kitchen, it's adorable. Everyone who enjoys tea at my house comments on it. It is very durable, heavily constructed, and uniquely designed by Michael Graves. And of course, it "whistles". This is one tea kettle that you'll never have to replace; you won't be disappointed. It looks as good today as the day I opened the box. It's definitely a 5-star item.
beautiful and unique
You know it when you see it, there is no other like it. I use mine daily and have for more than 15 years. I've replaced the bird once, though I did buy several extras. The first one broke after only a few months, but the replacement has been in use for the balance of the 15 years. The shinny finish is all scratched from cleaning and the bottom needs a really good scrubbing around the edges occasionally. There is some mildew build up in the rim on the bottom. I wish I'd taken better care cleaning it over the years, so it would have stayed all shinny, but with splatter from all the other things cooking on the stove, it required some scrubbing. If I'd thought about it, I'd have moved it off the stove when I was cooking other things. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd get another, but the one I have was a gift and hard to part with. So, bottom line, it holds up well, does everything it's designed to do. The handle is cool to the touch, but you do have to remove the bird to pour, so wait a...
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Nambe Bulbo Kettle, Stainless Steel and Wood

deceptive piece
I'm not normally one to review my amazon purchases but felt compelled to review this item. I purchased the Nambe Bulbo Kettle to compliment my modern kitchen but it did not even make it to my stovetop. Upon opening the box I was sadly disappointed with the wood handle which had a bright orange finish and looked nothing like the one pictured. I thought I was buying beautiful design piece but what I received looked like something you would find in a third world bazaar next to incense burners and candle stick holders. Needless to say, I sent it back to the amazon seller "trade concepts" which cost me $23.95 for return shipping (insured with signature confirmation as instructed). If you are considering purchasing because it looks nice in the picture, you may want to think twice.
Handsome, but not the most ergonomically designed kettle out there
Looks great on the stove and heats water just fine, but the pouring mechanism is clunky and the whistle is finicky.
Absolutely beautiful
Perfect addition to our kitchen with stainless appliances. I am suprised that it is staying so clean and the water stays hot for a really long time which eliminates the need to re-heatnthe water for a second mug.
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Bayou Classic 10 Gallon Stainless Steel 6 piece Brew Kettle Set

First All Grain Setup
Arrived as advertised and in a timely manner.

Setup Comments:
Some assembly was required - the pot had two holes in it: one for the thermometer and one for the valve. There were instructions, but they didn't cover where to put the rubber O-Rings. There was also a plastic device that was some sort of ball bearing thing that I never figured out what to do with.

This is probably obvious, but make sure that you test it for leaks with water before you use it on the stove. You wouldn't want to be dealing with hot liquid leaking out of the thermometer and/or the valve.

Usage Comments:

The thermometer is too high when mashing. A 10lb grain mash with the corresponding 2 1/2 gallons of water doesn't reach the thermometer probe.

The drain valve is high such that over a gallon of liquid remains in the pot when the pot is level. You have to "tip" the pot to drain the remaining liquid. I don't see that there was any real...
No more boilovers!
I really like this pot. I have made two batches of beer so far.
Pros:
It seems well made.
Handles are welded on.
Thermometer and spigot bolt on through hole in pot using o-rings to seal.
Bottom is thick and transfers the heat evenly.
Cons:
Probably should order some extra o-rings(came with 2 spare)
Packaging could be better. Mine came with a small dent courtesy UPS.
Great pot
Great pot at a great price. Everything was there. Durable, complete 10 gallon brew pot. I can't wait to taste last week's brew.
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Simplex Heritage Gas Tea Kettle, Chrome

This is the perfect kettle!
I've had this kettle for about 7 years and I felt compelled to give it my" thumbs up". I moved recently and had to leave my kettle behind. I am looking for a temporary replacement but none of the kettles I've looked at seemed to have all of the qualities I look for: design, whistle, cool handle, quick boil, no-fuss whistle removal, and capacity. Well, this kettle has it all (it's not modern, but the design is simple and timeless)! The whistle is in the spout, so there's nothing to remove when you pour ( this doesn't affect the water flow). Boils water super-fast! The handle is always cool (wood). Love it! Of course, it is a bit pricey, but it will last you a lifetime.
I Timed It!
Bought this to replace our Chantal Classic 1 4/5qt tea kettle. First of all, it's absolutely beautiful from every angle. A really gorgeous kettle, classic curves, stunning!!! A true timelessness, like having the Queen Mother in your kitchen, boiling up a spot of tea. We've gotten compliments from everyone, from Al the plumber to the newly married Google exec (who was a bit wistful at having recently chosen the Chantal).

Next point of comparison, function: the kettle has a turned wooden handle and can therefore be picked up off the boil without a potholder, a difference that we appreciated after the Chantal. Also the whistle is built into the lid, and will never need to be replaced, which is why we got rid of the Chantal (it had a gorgeous train-like harmonic whistle, but the reed-fitting costs $20+ to replace, and stopped working after a few months). After using it whistle-less for a period of time we decided to go with a replacement that would save us money by using less...
A great tea kettle
I am extremely pleased with this tea kettle. I have had many whistling tea kettles over my lifetime, but I definitely like this one the best of all. Aesthetically, it is a beautiful tea kettle and has an old fashioned charm. It feels very solid and not flimsy at all. In the past, I have had tea kettles that once they whistle and you go to pour the hot water into your cup or tea pot, they sputter all over the place -- sometimes even splashing your hands a bit! This tea kettle pours very nicely once it whistles. It has been very satisfying all around -- I'm pleased.
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Staub 1 Quart Round Teapot, Grenadine

Beauty over function
This teapot was at the top of my wishlist last Christmas (except in the color "le bleu"), and I was thrilled to find it under the tree! It is, by far, the most beautiful and interesting teapot I've ever seen and it dresses up my stove and kitchen even more than I had imagined. It is always one of the first things admired when someone new walks into my kitchen. It has an almost asian aesthetic which I find incredibly unique, and I love the way the handles fold down to allow you to remove the whole top. Not only is it sooooooo cool, but it's also nice to be able to get at the inside of the teapot to clean it. All the other ones I've owned had a very small top which made it difficult to clean off those hard water spots! But while this is the most beautiful and unique teapot, it is certainly not the most practical and it falls a little short in the function department. My complaints with it are the following:

1)Its terribly small girth: I have a professional Thermador rangetop...
Beautiful, BUT Flawed
No doubt staub makes a beautiful pot. The problem is poor design. Why? The metal-chrome-plated handles are attached to the pot in a way in which the handles form a loop around a peg on the pot. As part of the pot, this peg is ceramic coated cast-iron. As the metal handle opens and closes, the chrome metal rotates on the ceramic painted pot. You don't need to be an engineer to figure-out that chrome-metal rotating on ceramic paint is clearly an area of high-wear which will rust-out in the long run. Mine started to wear with only 3 openings of the handle. Hope they fix this design. This pot gets five stars for aesthetics, one star for functional durability for the reasons just noted.
Utterly the best teapot you could own
This is not only the most beautiful teapot I have ever used but the most useful. Being cast iron core with a luscious eggplant deep purple hue it heats fast and the water stays hot longer. The handles drop down to allow the cover to be removed, Talk about a piece of Zen art.

It looks beautiful on ones stove, or table and literally everyone who has come into the kitchen and has seen it on the stove has remarked what a beautiful teapot I have, and then inquired where they could obtain one. Nice thing is they come in a colour to suit just about any decor.

And because it is so hefty and well made it will probably become an heirloom in many families like French made Le Creuset and Emile Henry which in my family gets handed down generation after generation and is sought after as a gift or requested in a will.

This makes a great gift for a male or a female, for a birthday, wedding shower, mothers or fathers day, graduation or just to say thank you. Yes, the price is a tad...
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Chantal Copper Classic Teakettle-1.8 Quart

To brew the perfect cup of tea ...
... start with a Chantal tea kettle. After having purchased tea kettles that didn't whistle consistently even when full (the OXO Good Grips Uplift for one), it is nice to finally have one that does. No longer do I have to worry about putting the kettle on and forgetting about it! The water is heated very quickly, and it has a nice sounding harmonica whistle that is just the right loudness. I have a gas stove and the handle did get hot. Another reviewer had a good idea about using a pot handle hotpad (the Woolworks wool one fits well), but the handle cools so quickly that I find that I usually don't even use it. This is the nicest looking tea kettle that I've seen. Even though it is 2.5 quarts it's not as big and clumsy as some of the others. One look at the bottom of this kettle, and you know that it is sturdy, sturdy, sturdy! Most definitely a high quality kettle.
Not so pretty now . . .
I owned the white version of this kettle for a good 10 years when things started flaking off the inside. It was probably just build-up that I could have boiled away with water and vinegar, but I didn't investigate too closely because I'd been eying this copper beauty. After less than two years, it looks more like an old crone. You have to polish it for it to look decent, but, since it's copper plate, polishing seems to be taking off the copper. I can now see silver underneath..

As for function, it heats up quickly, the whistle works, and it's a great size. However, as several reviewers have pointed out, the handle is too hot to touch without an oven mitt after you've boiled water. And I want a bit more than function. I use a kettle several times a day, and it never leaves my stovetop except to be cleaned. So I also want something that looks nice. This ain't it.

I like these kettles, despite the too-high price, which may keep me from buying another.
Very disappointing!
This teakettle is the most "high maintenance" item I have in my kitchen. At this price, I expected a much better protective coating on the copper. I realize that copper does need to be tended to, but this kettle looks terrible all the time. I have been very careful to wipe it dry whenever I use it, but one drop that I missed left a black spot that still is noticeable, no matter how much I polish. And the first time I used the recommended polish to give it an allover clean up, the color changed dramatically -- it doesn't even look like the same kettle. And now, it needs to be completely polished EVERY DAY. Do not buy this copper kettle! Before I had to replace it, I had the black version, and it lasted me 10 years. Chantal's customers deserve better than this. This one is definitely not worth the money.
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