Side by Side Comparison of: Medelco vs Hario vs Utopia Kitchen vs OXO

This is my second kettle. I broke the first one by mistakingly heating with the water level below the recommended level. I liked it well enough to purchase another one. I like it because you can see the water as it begins to boil. This is important for when I drink green tea or make cinnamon tea. It is great for making cinnamon tea using ceylon cinnamon sticks because you can monitor the water, keep it hot but not boiling and make a great pot of cinnamon tea!The little black top will melt if you have the water level too high and the handle will get hot if you have the fire too high or the pot off center. The whistle is a functional whistle that is loud enough for me to know its time for a relaxing cup of tea.

I bought this -- I just checked my order -- eight years ago! I use to have a metal tea kettle, but I looked inside it once and threw the rusting thing away. Bought this through Amazon and am happy, happy with its reliable service over the years. I have an old gas stove, so I don't have that induction problem that caused so many to downgrade the product. I'm also happy, happy to have the old gas stove. I use the tea kettle to boil water for coffee and, for the tea I just drank, to heat the water to 175. The kettle makes certain noises as it heat the water and I've learned to recognize the noise for 175. So I don't even need to use a thermometer, I know what 175 sounds like.Great service over the years. If you have gas burners, this tea kettle is all you need for coffee and tea.

This is my 2nd Medelco Kettle. I used my 1st Medelco Kettle for 5 years - just broke it last week. I love glassware, so this kettle is prefect for my kitchen. It's a bonus the glass is made in Germany, but plastic parts are made in China (according to a few Reviewers).Just read the instructions carefully before use. Use kettle as per instructions. I have used in on all kinds of stove tops - direct fire, electric coils, IH, electric glass stove - no problem if you follow it's instructions. Also it is glass and needs to be handled with some care.It is best used with small-medium flame and on stove tops that are not bigger than the base diameter of the kettle - otherwise the plastic cover & handle gets heated and will soften/warped. I usually boil it without the cover. It is easily washable especially if you have small hands. Stains or calcium deposits can be easily removed with vinegar, baking soda, glass cleaner etc and it looks are good as new. Best to wipe it dry after washing as I noticed the metal grip around the neck of the kettle can develop a faint "rust-looking stain" after years of use. No biggie as if is outside surface of the kettle.

Top notch, I've used it around 1000 times and I'm very pleased with it. I'm replacing it since it's inexpensive and it's got a few scuffs where I keep bumping it against something metal in the kitchen. I'm surprised how tough the glass is. I did break one by hitting it really hard against a metal towel holder accidentally. The other did get a few scuffs, it still works fine, but for the low price, I'm just replacing it rather than take any risks.

I went with this glass kettle because I didn't want to try and judge the quality of the metal ones (for flaking, metallic taste, etc) from the picture online. This is also a great price, so I figured if it didn't work out, I'm only out a few dollars. And it turns out I love it!Every kettle has good reviews and bad reviews. The bad reviews that I read about this kettle mainly had to do with the handle getting hot or being loose. I have had no problem with the handle getting loose, and I shake it around every once in a while to make sure. I've been using this kettle for a few weeks now (on my glass stovetop) and I have absolutely no problems with the handle. I use it on a small burner, and the handle barely gets warm. Using a larger burner may make the handle get warm, just because of the radiant heat, and the directions suggest an oven mitt probably for that reason. My knuckles do get near the glass when grabbing the handle, but with a little bit of care and after getting used to it, I am comfortable with it and have not burned myself. Just don't be stupid.Read the directions, only heat it over medium/high heat, and don't shock the glass with any fast temperature changes. Take it off the heat after it whistles and remove the lid before pouring. Don't heat empty or nearly empty glass.Some of the design elements that I find strange are the measurements on the side. Only 3, 5, and 7 are labeled, and there are dashes for 4 and 6. But it has a 12 cup capacity, so why not label the whole thing? Especially since you shouldn't overfill it, or underfill it. That's a minor thing though, and although I would've designed it a little differently, it doesn't really bother me.Also because of the shape of the kettle, when emptying it into your cup you have to turn it almost all the why upside down. This is only a problem because if you do it too fast, the steam could burn your hand as it goes by. But with a little bit of caution, it's not a problem. Again, just don't be stupid.I am very very happy with my kettle, and love to watch the water convect and boil through the glass. It's super easy to clean, and doesn't have a metallic taste (obviously), and has no paint or anything to flake off or deteriorate over time with washes.Glass made in Germany, kettle made in China.

This kettle is my favorite! I've had metal stovetop ones, and electric ones that plug into the wall, and this one beats both.Some people said the glass or the plastic broke easily, but we've had ours for about a month now, used it almost every day, and it's holding up really well. You're not supposed to have the plastic handle over the heat source at all - so just make sure to position it on your stove as such. If you have an electric stove, it comes with a little looped wire to place it on to distribute the heat evenly (since we have a gas stove, I can't tell you whether that works or not). For gas stoves, you just plop it on the range. They recommend not keeping it on the stove too much longer if it's started to whistle, so keep that in mind as well. We live in a 3 story house, and from the second floor you can hear the whistle if you don't have the doors closed. As for cleaning, you can reach in and and lightly scrub away any residue from water - it comes right off (although I have women's hands - the average man's hand might not fit?). I guess I'd also recommend not putting it on the table or other surface without a pad or something underneath it, after it's boiled recently. Just think of it like any other glass cookware. It's not as thick as glass bakeware, but it's not as thin as a glass french press. I wouldn't go banging it around a lot, but it's also not going to shatter if it taps something.Visually, it's kind of cool to be able to see the water boil. It's also supposedly the best way to make coffee/tea (boiling water in glass). And considering that the price of a glass water boiler that you plug in is really high, 10 bucks is such a bargain. I'm pretty sure the plastic electric water boilers cost more than that. Even if this one broke someday, I'd buy another one. Worth it. Loving it!*****UPDATE*******It's January 2014 and this kettle is still holding up strong!!

I can't say enough good things about this teapot. Someone bought this for me as a gift, and as soon as I received it and used it a few times, I went to Amazon and bought two to keep as gifts. I love that you can use it with both bagged and looseleaf tea. It's a plus that you can put it in the microwave because the entire teapot is made of glass. I wouldn't microwave the strainer, however. It's great that you can create two cups worth with a single serving of tea leaves or a teabag. The handle is large and makes it easy to hold the teapot. And it looks beautiful - very dainty.

Once in a while, you find something that takes function to an art. This is one of those things. Perfect size for two large mugs of tea, easy to see if the tea has steeped well, and very easy to clean. The basket holds the loose leaf tea and is easy to just spray out. No need for a tea ball, and the mesh is very fine so not much leaf or crumbs in my drink. Also beautiful to look at. I have already given away one of my old fashioned ceramic teapots, and am waffling on getting rid of the other two, this is so much more efficient and pleasant to use. Will probably keep one for the very rare occasion I need to make a larger pot of tea.

I used to make large pots of tea because I didn't know any better. Since learning that good loose tea can be re-steeped several times I've been searching for the best teapot. For whatever reason this little gem never crossed my path. I've tried a number of different pots, including some pricey ones, and I've never been completely satisfied.I found out that Hario makes teapots when I was considering trying one of their coffee servers for brewing tea. Needless to say I ordered it right away and haven't looked back.It's absolutely the perfect size. It makes one normal mug of tea or two smallish cups at a time. Steep it 2-4 times and you've got a whole pot worth using a fraction of the leaves.The mesh filter is extremely fine, but I generally don't use it because the spout is very well designed. The leaves mostly stay down in the main body and don't flow out with the tea when you pour it. Unlike some pots, the lid doesn't require the basket to fit properly which is great. It pours very cleanly without dripping, which a surprising number of teapots don't get quite right.The one thing that could be a little better is the thickness of the glass. As some other reviewers have noted it's pretty thin. I'd happily pay more for a version with thicker glass, but with a little care it's not really a problem, especially considering how cheap it is.Overall a great value on the best everyday small teapot I've found.

That's right, this teapot improves your brain function. Because you have to concentrate so much, so you don't break it! It's a glass tea pot, so one miss handling will have you ordering another one. I've use this teapot everyday for the past 2 weeks and I absolutely admire it!Anyone can love it, but how many admire it. It's perfectly engineered for my needs.Well it has a relatively small profile, when using 1 tbl of loose green tea, it yields exactly 3 cups of tea. So for me, it's exactly the right amount to make my daily fresh ginger and green tea drink. Which, if I say so myself, is delicious.Freshly grated ginger, green tea, lemon juice and honey. The big mesh bowl allows both the green tea leaves and then the grated ginger to effiently release their befenifical nutrients. The glass top fits perfectly over the rim of the meshed bowl, that not a speck of ginger or green tea leaf pours into my mug. All the components are easily cleaned. So that suits my inner Monkness. This is a teapot, not a tea kettle, so don't try to use it on a stovetop. If you stay in the moment and handle the teapot with extreme care, you won't regret this purchase. It makes a perfect (3) cup of tea.

I usually don't leave reviews for products. Almost never. Actually this might be my first. This should tell you something - to ignore my spelling mistakes and other signs of general illiteracy.But this teapot is fantastic. Some demographic info: I'm a 21 year old man, freshly adult, and recently turned tea snob. So naturally I need a teapot to accompany, nay supplement my loose leaf, nose upturned, calling-tea-color-liqueur lifestyle. Previously I had been brewing my tea in a thermos with a little mesh insert, a practice that if employed by anyone else I would surely mock brazenly.First impressions - I had read almost all of the reviews and some of them had mentioned that this teapot is rather small. When I opened it, I thought to myself "this teapot is rather small". But once I stilled my beating heart and actually made some tea I realized that it's pretty much the perfect size. Filling it close to the top, with a comfortable margin, I get enough tea for two very full mugs, and in my frugally heated apartment the pot keeps the tea piping hot for the second mugful.The basket is nice and large. I've heard others say that this is necessary for the leaves to swim, luxuriate, mingle, copulate, bask in their collective consciousness. Shoot me if I ever anthropomorphise tea leaves like that. But it is nice to have a big basket so that the water actual reaches the center leaves. To that end, it would've been nice if they included a diving board so that the leaves could indulge their inner child (or bud, if you will), but now I'm splitting hairs.It's made of glass, so it's breakable. I haven't broken mine yet, but I reserve the right to in the future, hopefully during the height of an argument. I think it'll shatter very well, but that's just speculation at this point.Only complaint (very minor) is that the handle is kind of hard to grip when the pot is full of hot tea. My hand has a tendency to slip down and touch the hot pot. But I just changed the way I held it, and that's been working well. I'm actually glad, I was getting a little set in my ways.Bottom line - buy it. It's not a samovar, but for one or two people (I can dream, can't I?) it's perfect. Very aesthetically pleasing, functional, the mesh is plenty fine, even rooibos can't sneak through, and I've had almost no stems get stuck. It's top rated for a reason.

perfect! this is my first glass teapot...or just teapot, ever! I'm so glad i got this. i like its pleasant round, squat shape. it's cute and delicate and i will take care of it. i already made peppermint tea with honey. Makes tea drinking special :) definitely recommend!

This product is great for making tea, filling a hot water bottle, ease in pouring into a container, etc. When I received this kettle, I read the instructions carefully, found the "ring" and proceeded to wash as instructed. I rinsed, and let dry overnight. In the morning I filled the kettle to the half way mark and put the ring evenly on the burner of the electric stove top. I placed the kettle on the ring and turned on the stove. About 30 minutes, it was boiling and I put a few tea bags in and let it steep for about 15 minutes. I then turned off the stove and proceeded to enjoy my cup of Tea. I purchased this tea kettle in October and i like it. The only negative I have is with the ring-the kettle slips off when I use it so I tried putting it on the burner evenly and then placed the kettle on top of it. Works like it should.

I didn't give this kettle 5 stars because it didn't do what the title said it would do....whistle. After putting the kettle of water on the burner, I went back later to check on it and found the water was boiling but the lid had turned upside-down. I poured some water in my cup, then placed the lid securely back in the kettle. A few seconds later, it popped up and out again...That explains why it didn't whistle. Overall, I'm happy with the kettle because I was looking for something for heating water at my office, not necessarily something that whistled. It's sturdy, well-made, beautifully clear glass, and came with good instructions concerning lid handle position, using it on an electric coil surface, etc....so I'm happy with that and the great price! However, if you specifically want a kettle that whistles, the one I received doesn't.

Itʻs ok, however the cap/lid is a real difficult item to get back on after it has been removed. I left it off because it would not go back on - really not a major issue for me as the whistling thing wasnʻt my goal. The opening itself is tight, but it can go in the dishwasher. For handwashing a tool with a handle will be neded by most - I have small hands and it isnʻt conducive to sticking hands inside.It does the job, heats water in a glass container. Goal met.

Had my pot for a little over a year, stopped using it for the last 3 months. Just began back using it this week for daily use and a mysterious crack appeared across the bottom of the pot. I'm not certain of when the crack actually occurred, but good news is that it didn't shatter or cause any damage to me or my appliances. Now that I'm aware of the crack I've disposed of the pot and am ordering a new one. Definitely have to be careful with glassware one small crack could cause an explosion of shards, but thankfully this didn't do that so I'm pretty sure that this is made of higher quality.

it's a good standard kettle with thick glass. i already accidentally melted/burnt the handle plastic a little bit from using too large a burner flame. the glass also really does not clean easily at all, it seems to retain water spots adamantly and obviously the shape makes it impossible to clean by hand. does it really matter? not a whole lot unless you're super anal about the appearance of glassware. maybe my dishwasher is really crap though, too, so it's likely not a problem with the product itself, i would guess. for the price you can't beat it.

Going to keep this short and sweet. This pot is cheap and works very well.The kettle works perfectly fine and holds a decent amount of water. As you can see in the picture, I have an electric stove, and it came with this metal thing that I have to put on the bottom so it can easily transfer heat. My pot hasn't broken yet so I will continue using it. It has been 2 months now and I use it 2x daily. The handle does get a little hot at times, but nothing that a towel can't fix. This small inconvenience is one of the reasons for 4 stars and not 5. The second is the top. The top can be a little difficult to pull off. I wish it was super simple, but just a little force and it comes off. Wished I can do it with no force. But for the price, I cannot complain.

This is such a good product. Gives you about3 standard mug size coffee cups or two good sizemugs. Had a friend over and we had leftovertea. Only reason I do't give 5 stars is because itdoes leave a small amount of tea leaves thatsink to the bottom but I don't see this as a dealbreaker. It's such an insignificant amount it reallydoes not matter. Hope this helps.

Nice teapot for watching loose tea leaves steep with or without the infuser. Many tea aficionados enjoy seeing the dance of the leaves and/or watching the color develop to the preferred strength. The infuser is the largest I have seen, especially for such a small pot. The glass is crystal clear and delicate.....very thin which means I don't use it for my every day tea ( that's the reason 4 stars not 5 ). I use my sturdy little Forlife teapot for daily tea; However, I do not regret buying it because it's simple, functional and pretty.

I really like the Hario Chacha Kyusu Maru Tea Pot, 700ml. I was a little hesitant to purchase this item because it looks like fragile glass and several other reviewers stated that it was fragile. Since I received it, I have used it daily for two months and haven't managed to break it yet. It is the perfect size for my needs as the sole tea drinker in my home. I get two tea cups of tea from each full pot and have yet to have a disappointing brew. If you are looking for a teapot to serve several people, this is not for you. One point that I would like to make is that this is DEFINITELY a two handed pour teapot. There is no way to pour using one hand without the strong possibility that the lid will slide off in mid-pour. Other that this flaw, I love this little teapot.

This is a great medium-sized teapot for brewing loose tea. I use gunpowder green tea, which I think has almost no bitter taste at all, and the leaves have plenty of room to spread out and steep in this pot. The fine mesh is small enough to keep most of the loose tea leaves out of your cup except for the smallest tea particles, and the size surprisingly fills a teacup four or five times if you fill it all the way up.The one drawback is it gets pretty heavy when filled with hot water, and the thin glass handle is a little difficult to hold onto while keeping the pot steady and level. The result is my hand sometimes slides down the handle and one of my fingers will graze the outside of the glass, which is REALLY hot. Besides a slightly burnt knuckle every once in a while, I do love this teapot.It's taken a bump or two against some metal cooking utensils and a hard stone counter top and not shattered, so I'm hoping it will stay intact for many many years.

Excellent teapot! Love the simple design and the lightweight glass. Have managed not to drop it or hit it yet, so I can't speak to the fragility issue some people have had.The one flaw for me was the strainer basket design. Overall the strainer functions perfectly well as an infuser and leaves only very fine tea particles in your cup.The problem is that the mesh is connected to the steel rim of the strainer in such a way that it tends to hold onto leftover tea particles. This may or may not be a problem for people using washing machines, but I wash everything the old fashioned way, by hand, and it can definitely be a pain to get every last piece of leaf and stem out of there by simply running it under the tap.

Lovely teapot.Easy to clean, except for the spout part, but doable.Wish it didn't stain so much, but any teapot would.Glass is always pleasant to look at (if you keep it clean)Can pour with just one hand, placing thumb on the lid.I don't really like the spout look, but wow it is practical as it doesn't spill and pours well.Also ordered a smaller 300ml for one person use as this one at time I find a bit too large, since I like to drink a lot of tea but brew small amounts of fresh tea each time.Like Hario brand so far and use three different teapots so far, one at work.

This is not my all time favorite whistle teapot. I would not buy another one. First you have to pry the lid off to pour the water out of the pot. It is a very tight fit in order to make it whistle so this represents a danger if you fill it all the way. Second for an electric coil it comes with a piece of metal it sits on to keep it from over heating. So easy to lose and very flimsy. What I do is only set my coil to 6 (yours may very) so it heats to a very low boil on a the smallest coil so as not to melt the handle. But when you do this it barely whistles. I gave a rating of 3 stars as I can see where the product may be adequate for gas or glass cooktops, but if you have an electric coil, look elsewhere as I am.

I got what I paid for. I love the idea of a lovely red kettle, but didn't want to spend the money, and had been concerned about the water taking on a metallic taste and problems with durability/spilling after reading LOTS of reviews for kettles in my price range (~$30 or under). This has taken heavy use for about a year and is in good condition. The base is glass (with ugly comic sans writing, but hey, I paid $8) and has not cracked or broken - we are careful to not move from extreme temperatures and to remove from the burner as soon as the water comes to a boil. It is a bit annoying that the top cover is a separate piece that must be fully removed and set aside for pouring, but this is the feature that creates the "whistle."I can't say that I hate it, since we will continue to use in the indefinite future, but I hope to someday replace with something more sophisticated. The one other thing to note - we have a glass-top stove that, admittedly, is not always kept to a pristine clean, but this kettle has picked up some unsightly brown grime on the bottom (I am sure, from times when we were using it on a less-than-clean cooktop, or with other pots splattering onto it), and I have thus been unable to remove it. I've tried strong dish soap and the abrasive side of a yellow and green scrubbie sponge, but am hesitant to use something stronger or more abrasive because it's made of glass (though the glass does not seem to be delicate or fragile).I have not attempted to wash in the dishwasher. I suspect that, were I to really make an effort, I'd be able to remove the ugly script on the exterior.

I searched a lot for a glass kettle for all the safety/health reasons most of us want to switch to glass. This kettle is all glass and only the very small lid is plastic. This part does not touch the water, however condensation does happen. The plastic part is not on the direct heat but it does heat a little, I don't think enough to release anything harmful into the tea.Unfortunately, the kettle made no sound when done. There was a very soft "windy sound" as if one had left a window slightly open on a windy day. That's all!The small metal trivet it brings is scary at first since it makes the kettle very unstable. I was very hesitate about using it due to this wobble. However, I filled the kettle to the 6 cups marking and the weight of the water kept it still. Also, had to mess with the trivet to level it out a bit but nothing much, light touches.Once I filled it to the 6 cups it will take anywhere from 25-35 minutes to come to a full rolling boil. Now, mind you it says to use on medium heat so you can't just crank up the heat. Of course I didn't listen the second time, just to test it out. I used medium high heat and this thing still took its good 20 mins to boil, slow tiny bubbles rolling boil still took 30 mins even with higher heat. I guess saved 5 minutes than from medium heat. Not worth it if you are looking for something quick. I'm looking into electric now see if it will be faster.

It's a so-so product.Pros:1. No metallic taste transferred to the water, as when heating water in a stainless steel pot or with SS electric kettle.2. The water from this thing tastes great and makes great tea.3. Good priceCons:1. Very dangerous. Imagine you drop it and it shatters while full of boiling hot water. I only realized this after purchasing.2. Heats up a lot slower than a metal kettle or electric one. Requires patience.3. The whistle is not all that loud. It really needs to boil hard before you'd hear it from the other room if there's any other noise. Generally better to stay in the kitchen while using this.4. Max capacity is supposedly 12 measuring cups, but the highest marker on the side is 6 cups. There's no line for Max capacity, only Minimum. You don't want it overflowing when it boils, so have to guess where to stop filling. This bugs me.Conclusion:I'll continue using it because I love the clean tasteless water it boils. But I would not recommend this product and wish I chose something else. It was also too fragile and inexpensive to bother returning. It might be an okay choice if you don't have kids and you're super careful, and if you place a high value on water quality.

This was a decent pot while it lasted. I really dug the retro coffee pot look. I completely appreciate that is apparently made in Europe, avoiding questionable labor law and quality issues.Howerever, mine lasted about a year and then cracked in hot dish water. This wasn't after use while hot, just a general "the teapot is generating dust and splashes" clean. Sadly, the bottom just broke out in the dishwater.The recommendation of this pot is to not actually brew tea in it it. Also, don't put it past medium heat. I never did brew tea in it, but I did take it to medium plus a few (handful) of times just to get it past 20+ minutes to get water near boiling when all I wanted was a cup of warm cup of rooibos and honey before bed.It's cheap, yes. But I really question if I would buy again.

First off, there are measurements on the side of the glass in cups: 3, 5, 7. I poured in 3 cups of water (as measured by my 1-cup measuring cup), and those 3 cups filled the kettle up to its 6-cup line.The directions that come with it suggest using only low or medium heat. That could work if you could wait all day for it. I used medium-high heat (on an electric stove), and it took a very long time to boil. Its whistle isn't very loud and could be difficult to hear from another room.I don't like the pour spout, but that could just be because I'm not used to the style. Carefully and precisely pouring the water over my tea leaves was difficult; I had to hold the kettle in such a way that I felt like I was pouring outside of my teapot (well, Ingenuitea, actually). The water pours out in a wide stream, not narrow like I'm used to—hopefully I'll just get used to that.On the upside, it does seem easy to clean. I was easily able to fit my hand inside it when cleaning, but those with larger hands may have difficulty.

This tea pot seems to work fine. I've been using it for quite a while now. However, the company advertised it as being made in Japan. The pot itself may be made in Japan, but the strainer it came with was made in China, so I will have to deduct 2 stars for the false advertising. If anyone knows of a lead-free teapot with no plastic that touches the hot water which is made in a country that produces products with a better reputation for quality and safety than China, please let me know! I still haven't found it.

The pros are: it is great for making about 2 cups of tea, so it's nice for sharing tea; see-through, so it is good for watching leaves unfurl and expand. Also, I am able to infuse tiny, Japanese tea leaves without getting so many leaves in the liquid; and the infuser is easy to clean. Cons: the tea doesn't stay very warm because of the thin glass and the exposed space at the pour spout; I have to be extremely careful when washing the pot and lid because they are so delicate and thin.

I don't trust this tea pot. The glass is SO thin, I'm afraid to touch it. A pro is the fact it's clear, so I can see when the water is starting to boil. But if I look away & it starts boiling too much, it shoots out of the spout. When pouring my tea, it's awkward to hold it with a pot holder on the thin handle. And I'm always afraid the glass top is going to come flying off & break. I like a big cup of tea, & this pot accommodates that need. But if you're at all clumsy, this is definitely not the tea pot for you!

I just got mine yesterday, but it came without a lid! I've seen that many others have reported the same thing. Before ordering, I would ask the seller to double check before shipping.I have to disagree with other reviewers who write that the teapot cannot accommodate 2 people. The unit holds about 2 3/4 cups of water. The cup I use isn't a mug, but it isn't a tiny tea cup either. I would advise new users to warm up their cups first so that the tea will stay hot.I hope this helps someone. I started making loose peppermint tea and absolutely love it. It's my nightcap :)

I already broke this glass pot. I've had great experiences with Hario products in the past. The glass was more delicate than I would've liked. I'll buy a different tea pot next time.

This is a beautiful tea pot and one of the larger ones I could find on Amazon. With that said, given the size of the strainer, there isn't a lot of room for actual tea. Another thing to be careful of is that the glass feels so frail and thin rather than well supported. I really feel like it is not durable enough to withstand much so extra care is necessary. Beautiful, but not functional.

This is probably the most inconvenient teapot I've ever owned. It requires a special trivet to use on an electric range (not sure about gas). The handle gets too hot to touch and you need a towel or oven mitt. It's not particularly attractive. The top needs to be removed in order to pour the water, which can be annoying and tricky when hot. I personally find the sound of the whistle to be annoying.It's fine for what it is, but I am constantly annoyed by it, and I can't think of any reason I would choose this teapot over another one. I bought this a year ago and threw it out this weekend because the trivet is difficult to clean and has finally reached the point where it smells like burning food whenever I use it. My next teapot will be stainless steel again.

I gave this product 2 stars because it is functional and it looks decent sitting on my black ceramic stove top. It is also inconvenient. I've burned myself twice trying to remove the top in order to pour water into my teacup. You must remove the top in order to pour the water and the top doesn't come off easily. The easiest way I've found is to place my thumb on top of the lever and push down so that the top pops off. When that happens, steam that builds up on the top splashes out on to your hand and/or countertop. Also, the Use and Care instructions state that you should not use this teapot with the heat setting on high. Therefore, boiling water for tea takes somewhat longer than it would if you could use the high heat setting. I find this unacceptable. It also doesn't pour very smoothly. I have yet to pour water from it without getting it on my countertop. I will be looking for a new teapot but will have to be content with this one until I can find something else. In short, I gave this product a star for it's asthetics and a star because it will eventually boil water. Otherwise, it is inconvenient and could possibly be dangerous if you're very unlucky.

Being somewhat of a scientist I put the kettle to a volume test, filling it twice with a measuring cup and also using their pre-labeled 6 cup marker on the kettle (there is no other volume marker on the kettle). Be forewarned, the 6 cup marker is not accurate and is actually less. The kettle is advertised as holding 12 cups of water total, but actually holds only 8 to the top of the brim. If you try putting 12 cups in, you will have 4 cups on the floor. Outside of this major descriptive shortcoming, I have not yet tried the kettle. If it functions well, and does not shatter easily, as others have found it to do, I presume it is serviceable (though perhaps not for my needs which require 12 cups usage) though misrepresented as to size. Hopefully, volume inflation by 50% (which is unlikely to be accidental and appears intentional) was the only misrepresentation.

Hi there, I bought this kettle on September 14. It worked fine at first, but now it has a long crack on the bottle. I promise I did not break it. And every time I will wait it to cool down and add cold water, so there is no way that heat-expansion and cold-contraction wil destroy it. Can I get a new one or can we do anything to fix that problem?

I did not receive the product pictured, but I did not feel it was worth the wait or hassle of a return.Mine has comic sans (arguably the worst font ever created) lettering rather than the charming lettering used in the picture. As it is my only kettle, and the rush of the morning often makes the simplest inconveniences (like waiting for a pot of water to boil and then trying to pour or ladle it to make coffee/tea) bothersome, I will use it for the time being. But I am secretly hoping a terrible accident befalls it so that I do not feel obligated to keep it much longer.It works fine. The top needs to be clicked in place to whistle and removed completely from the kettle (no hinge) to pour. It comes with a bent piece of metal (like a bent drycleaner hanger) to be used as a trivet between the glass and an electric coil. I anticipate this "trivet" will be misplaced behind the refrigerator or someplace equally accessible. I'm unimpressed.

Some things I learned after buying this kettle: 12-cups does not mean 12 actual 8-oz. cups. It is 12 cups as you would see measured on a coffee maker carafe, which is 6 oz. per cup.I read a lot of people complaining about how thin the glass is. Yes it is thin, but I don't feel like it is any thinner than a coffee maker carafe. Gotta be careful you don't bang it into anything.I bought it mainly to brew tea for iced tea, and I was not aware that you could not put your tea bags directly in the pot. I don't understand this warning, and I can't find any explanation anywhere as to why you should not do so, but since they warn against it I now have to pour the hot water onto the tea bags in my plastic pitcher...which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place.We have well water here, which is hard water, and after using the kettle only 3 times I noticed how foggy the glass has become. I can clean it out with some vinegar but I would like to be able to leave the kettle sitting out on my stove between uses and not have it look 'dirty' until I get the time to vinegar-wash it. I know I should have thought of that before I bought a clear glass kettle!Now here is the reason I wouldn't buy this again...I have an electric stove with coils. I must use the diffuser under the kettle as per the instructions. The transfer of heat through this diffuser is so slow that the first time I tried to boil water with the kettle 3/4 full, it took nearly an hour to boil. I had set the stove to medium heat as recommended. I've since learned that I have to set it on at least medium high if I want my water boiled in less than 1/2 an hour. I don't think I'm supposed to use it on heat that high, so I'm halfway expecting this kettle to crack wide open some day soon.I really don't care about the whistling feature, but I will mention for people that do care--it is a low gentle noise, not a high-pitched whistle that you could hear throughout the house. The first time I heard it I immediately thought of the sound of wind blowing in an empty bottle on a windy day.Since I use this kettle on the small electric coil on my stove, I have not experienced any issues with the handle getting hot or melting like some other reviewers have mentioned. I think the key would be to always use the small burner on electric stoves, and keep the flame down on gas stoves.I think I'm going to try to find one of the old Corningware kettles to replace this pot. Those did not require diffusers, were sturdier, and were not clear so they will hide the hard water film.

This tea pot looks very nice, and it works great - if you happen to be serving tea for exactly 3 people! It works ok for 2, but you can't use it alone! The strainer doesn't reach far enough down unless there's a lot of water in it - if you put in 8 or even 10 oz of water, the tea barely gets wet. And it can work for 4-5 people only if you're planning to do smaller portions and multiple steepings (which is definitely an option). I guess they want me to buy several in different sizes, which is irritating, since the big one *should* work well for smaller amounts, except for very poor design on their part.

The screen is a misery to clean out. Leaf material is caught under the basket rim.

Way too fragile. I've had this about 6 months, was very, very careful with it and it cracked this morning.

The company logo and other things that should be stamped on the bottom of the pot are instead stamped on the side of the pot. Also, the strainer/infuser doesn't reach down far enough to brew a half pot of tea. What I received has a different strainer/infuser than the one shown in the photograph.Otherwise, fine. It goes in the dishwasher and it's a good size for cutting back on caffeine.

I ordered this and I didn't get the lid, everything was in great condition but the lid was missing.

I loved this teapot when I first received it. Cute, can watch tea steep, etc. It took two weeks for a crack on the spout to appear, made me think I swallowed glass at some point. Then I tried to steep tea last night there was a huge piece missing from the spout. I don't know the return policy, pretty sure I don't qualify. It was a let down.

Does NOT whistle. I specifically wanted a whistling kettle.

I thought I would love this teapot, but not so much. You have to remove the lid in order for the water to pour out. It gets quite hot, so this is somewhat hazardous. The whistle isn't loud enough for me either. I did like that it was clear; however, the downside to that was that it picked up all the food/grime that is associated with cooking on a stove.

I bought this because it whistles, supposedly. I have the short term memory of a gnat, so I need a reminder that the kettle is on. Used it twice and it was fine. Third time it never whistled and it sat on the burner for 3 and a half hours, and finally woke me up with the smell of burning plastic which was the lid and handle starting to burn. I had to open all the windows the smell was so overpowering. Obviously something was wrong with the whistler. I will be buying one with an auto shut off next.

I just burned myself using this piece of garbage. I have an electric stove and the stupid little hunk of wire they stuck in there doesn't help, it actually doesn't sit balanced on an electric range. DO NOT USE IF YOU HAVE AN ELECTRIC RANGE AND IF YOU MUST, USE IT ON THE SMALLEST PLATTER POSSIBLE! It slides around on it's dumb wire insert and can easily fall off your stove if using electric. This units PLASTIC gets way too hot, the stupid plastic whistle cover cannot be poured through and has to be taken off while the unit is burning hot. That's why teapots have a lifting spout cover. DANGEROUS!!!! When you stick this on the largest electric platter on a generic stove it heats up the plastic handle. Poor design, poor execution and should be about $4.99. DO NOT USE! DO NOT BUY! Go to Wal-Mart or even your local grocery store and pay $6 more for a copper teapot that will last for eons.

I have NO idea how this has gotten so many good reviews. I've never had a kettle that's been so terrifying. Stainless steel kettles sometimes make my water have a strange taste, so I thought glass would be the answer for me. Nevermind.Twice the water has exploded from it, shooting the cap off several feet away and soaking the floor, the stove, and the surrounding cabinets with boiling water. The first time was so shocking, I made it a habit to watch for the water to come to a boil before the top even whistled. The second time I saw it happen. There were no bubbles at first, no sign of boiling even though it had been on for awhile, but then one large bubble came up from the bottom and the whistle chirped for a second, which I thought was weird, so I turned the stove off. It was fine and calm for about five seconds then the water started bubbling with a vengeance - I ran out of the kitchen at this point - and the top blew off and water exploded everywhere. If I had been standing by it, I would've been burned. I'm not sure why this would happen. Something science-y, I'm sure. But I keep it on the low burner, on a low temperature, following their instructions, and I'm not sure what else I can do to make it safer. It's a kettle. It boils water. I have never ever had a problem like this with any other kettle. Perhaps it's a defective one.I never want to use this again. It's just not worth it. I dont want to be burned. I can only be frightened senseless so many times before just saying "no".Also, it's not 12 standard cups, it's more like nearly 8. Apparently they're referring to a different measurement of cup. Coffee cups?

The plastic whistling top keeps MELTING! This is seriously aggravating, by the time the kettle is whistling, when I go to pull the top off it's melted each time. Not only does it melt and warp, it leaves melted plastic on the glass kettle, right where I'm pouring my water. Since I'm not into drinking/eating BPA and melted plastic, I'm tossing the whistling top and just using the glass kettle. That really says something about the quality. It's a whistling kettle and it can't even get to whistling without melting.

Missing parts. Not used. I was so looking forward to this!

I got this and was happy until less than a month the glass cracked and I can't use it. I did not put it in dishwasher, on stove or microwave. Not happy with this purchase at all and went with another brand.

Arrived without the lid.

A day into using the Tea Pot, the nose broke off. Very crappy quality of glass. Had to throw out the item, totally not worth the money.

When I received the package, the box seemed to have been opened once, and when I checked, there was no top lid inside. The pot itself looked very nice, so I hated that I had to return it.

Missing lid, otherwise it would have been a great product.