KitchenAid Teakettle 2-Quart Gourmet Essentials Porcelain Enamel Kettle , Black

perfect cup of tea
Love the kettle, it's easy to clean, heats water quickly, handle can get hot but not unbearable even my kids use it (sometimes we grab a potholder) and it looks beautiful.
November 2012. This kettle still sits on my cooktop and is used every day. No regrets about this purchase.

Would not buy this one again
ok, it does boil water, but when pouring the water splashes out all over if the pot is almost empty or almost full. The lid can not be opened if the spout top is in the up position and if you like to cheat and fill from the spout vs. removing the top, it will not work on this kettle. I might expect these items from a $15 kettle, but not from one this price.

Bizzare, inefficient design
It boils water - that's about the only thing it does right 100%. Otherwise, the design is puzzling at best: grip handle is not completely encased in plastic and gets hot through the metal part - be mindful else you'd burn yourself. The little lid pops out with vengeance, too tight and requires too much force to open. The spout mechanism can mandate the use of both hands at times, because it's clumsy and inefficient. The trigger should have been built within the grip and actuated like a gun trigger, with one hand. Lastly, the grip handle cannot be folded to the side, like a proper kettle's handle should - perhaps to prevent injuries, however, it could have been designed with a built-in indexing spring so the folding action requires some force, rather than be absent completely. A simple design akin to Copco Zingo's, if properly implemented with stronger materials and better craftsmanship, would blow this kettle right out of the water. Look around for better deals.

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KitchenAid Teakettle 2-Quart Porcelain Enamel on Steel Globe Kettle,Turquoise

Best Kettle for me...
Why I think it's the best choice after trying a couple of the more expensive models like All-clad Stainless:

1. Perfect size, not too big (maybe not good for people who make tea for 3 or more people at a time).
2. Perfect weight. Not too heavy since it has a plastic handle and not made of thick stainless. Handle doesn't get hot.
3. Porcelain is better than stainless because I think stainless leaves more of a metallic taste infused into the tea, especially those made in China which is almost all of them. This makes the best tasting tea. However after a month or so I found a few specks of rust develop. They stayed tiny though after even a few months. Iron is also a necessary mineral.
4. Well built.
5. Stainless top and rim, so it won't chip porcelain when putting the top on, or taking off.
6. Lever/trigger for nozzle lid has a nice feel and weight to it and works well.
7. Easy to clean.
8. Nice color.

A few negative points:...

Lovely teapot but too soon to comment on long term durability
This is a very basic teapot. Fluid flows out nicely when full; however, it tends to drip when there is very little water left in the canister because of the way the spout is angled. That isn't a major flaw as long as you are boiling more than approximately 1.5 cups of water. The aqua/turquoise color of the pot is lovely. We will have to wait and see if this pot lasts longer than my previous teapot which was stainless steel that rusted after a few weeks of use. While I hope the enamel coating will protect this teapot, I've only had it for a little over a week.

Cute but not a fan - Red
It may be a little persnickety to complain about a tea kettle, but what are reviews for but to examine minutia of our purchases and I was pretty disappointed by this kettle. My main complaint is that, especially when it is still hot, it splatters and spits and gets water everywhere. It is very difficult to get a small, even pour and since we make Melita/pour-over coffee every morning that is it's main function for us. But it is also difficult not to make a mess when making tea with the narrow neck of our thermos. It also does not have a mechanism to keep the whistle raised off of the spout if you choose, so it keeps whistling a little after being turned off which can be quite annoying early in the morning! And lastly I was really hoping the red would match my red KitchenAid mixer since they are the same brand but it is much darker. All that being said - two stars because it does boil water! And to those who complain of the handle getting hot be sure not to turn the burner higher than...

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