first impression: great kettle
921182
great electric kettle. i wasn't convinced, but after doing a head-to-head with an electric kettle that only heats to boiling, i have to admit that having the variable temperature really makes a difference for tea.  the only remaining question is, how long will it last?
846977
Great kettle at half the cost of the European equivalent!
1891804
Great kettle, handle gets a little warm though
2663633
I have to note a couple of things. First off I research a lot of the stuff I buy this kettle included. In some of the reviews customers mentioned hot handles and having to use two hands to pour because of the lid. One review mentioned off setting the kettle so the handle isn't in the line of fire/heat. This worked amazingly, the handle was quite cool. As far as the lid issue, perhaps the design has changed? The lid has in big letters remove lid prior to pouring, I remove the lid before taking the kettle off the stove to pour. I have uploaded a picture of my kettle sitting off center on my electric stove. Everything else about the kettle is true; loud whistle, easy to clean, fast boil. In short THIS IS A GREAT KETTLE FOR UNDER $15. I had an electric plastic kettle but I am phasing out all plastic that is used with heat.
2730707
This kettle is really good for its price. It heats up fairly fast, holds plenty of water and the inside is stainless steel and not plastic, which is the most important feature as far as I'm concerned. It's easy to clean inside as it has a flat bottom and the electrical resistance is hidden under it. The only minus is that, since it's made of steel, you have to be careful not to accidentally touch the outer surface with bare hands once the water is boiling - it's really hot! Make sure you use the plastic handle, it's safe and doesn't heat up.
614650
Excellent kettle. I spent a lot of time reading reviews and this one seemed to be the best of the large kettles. Some said it takes a long time to boil water. I disagree, when you take its size into account. I think it boils water just fine, whistles loudly every time, has a cool to the touch handle, fills easily, pours easily with the click open/shut whistle part on the end of the spout. It sits flat on my stove so it heats well. I highly recommend this kettle and I very rarely write reviews, and only wrote them when I am either very pleased or very displeased with my purchase .
1185241
This kettle is quick. I bought this kettle because of concerns related to hot water in contact with plastic. I figured that I would have to settle for a slow, heavy electric kettle. This kettle is quite fast, and it is not overly heavy. Its weight when full of water is comparable to other plastic kettles.

The outside of the product does not get hot since it has the lining.

There is a small hole at the top that is open and allows steam into it. I can see plastic and am unsure if it is BPA free. I plan to ask the manufacturer. I keep the lid open while boiling which allows the steam to escape so that nothing drips from the hole. I am unsure what the purpose of the hole is.

Over all a really great unit! I am pleased with the purchase.
1416832
I've waited a month or so to review this item. I had purchased a different brand 0.5 liter electric kettle, and it burned out in 3 weeks of light use ( about 15 uses), so I was skeptical with this brand too. I'm glad to report no problems so far.

It takes a little longer to heat the water but not terribly long. It does shut off automatically at boiling. I don't like having to wait several minutes between pots to heat additional water, but that won't happen often unless I'm brewing an entire pot of tea instead of a mug.

The design is cumbersome. The lid doesn't come off to fill the pot. It tilts on its axis 45* which gives you one small and one even smaller divided opening through which to pour in water. Steady hands and good aim needed! I don't like that it is plastic. The red color is as expected: a dull blue/tomato red. I own the Bodum electronic pour over coffee brewer in the same color. Sigh. It works perfectly, too.

I like the feel of the pot - just weighty enough to be sturdy, heavier on the bottom so it won't tip over. I like that it can be lifted off the base to fill and pour. I like having the large clear fill line window on the side. I like that pouring does not release a lot of steam on my hand.

Unfortunately, I think this pot is the best one can do for a 0.5 liter sized electric kettle without breaking the bank. This capacity is hard to find. The perfect little stainless steel pot I had to return suffered from poor quality control, so I'll sadly settle for this one that does work as expected.
2772661
I do not trust all these "honest-didn't-buy" reviews. But am glad I bought it. It is a good unit. It stays slightly warm to the touch and boils water fast. I haven't used electric kettles before, so was very surprised by how loud it is right up until it starts boiling. Around ten seconds into the boiling it auto shuts off. It is light and comes off of base easily. However, the biggest appeal for me is that water or steam does not come in contact with any plastic, there are no exposed heating elements, and the mouth is wide so that it is easy to clean if necessary.

We use it almost every day. I just hope that the heating element lasts.
848466
Pleased that I chose this kettle so far. The only thing I don't like is it's a little hard to hear when it shuts off, since there's no whistle.

I noted some reviews mentioning rust. I have not allowed water to sit in the kettle when not in use, and so far I see no signs of rust after three months of use.
4148024
I've only used it three times as I write this review but so far this is a great kettle.  The reviewer that mentions bad ergonomics may want to try actually pouring it with water in it.  This is a budget gooseneck for sure.  The metal is thin but it seems like it will last for a long time if it is not abused.  My three uses so far have been for pour over coffee and I'm sure it will get used from time to time for other things but its main job will be for the coffee.  It has a great controlled pour and a nice tip on the spout.

Update (March 13, 2015): Have used this at least once a day since receiving it for making pour over coffee.  Sometimes there have been multiple coffees or other things hot water has been needed for and it has been called upon.  It has been great!  I'm sure it is no Takahiro but for the price, this can not be beat.

I am looking through the other reviews today and see one reviewer mentioned the lid being loose.  This is true.  Be careful with that when getting to the end of the pour.

I notice another reviewer mentions the whistle hole not whistling.  It is not a whistle hole.  It is just a vent hole andcserves that purpose well.

With regards to the review mentioning bad ergonmics, that person should have used it for real before leaving that review.  With coffee, my pours go between three and four minutes and I have Kienbck's disease in my wrists and have had zero issues.
1734598
Inexpensive, kind of cute in a retro way, simple and effective. I really angsted over this purchase, read a lot of reviews and finally decided to give it a try. I couldn't be more pleased. For 20 years I had a Bodum stainless steel kettle. I loved the way it looked and worked and when it finally burnt itself to smithereens (no whistle), I saw from reviews that the newer version didn't have the same quality. I probably would have paid for it anyway if it was made well. After all, it is something you look at all the time and use every day. But more than $50 to boil water was alot for style without value. I had to find something else so I started from stratch in thinking about what I wanted. I wanted a whistle but not something so cumbersome that I would not use it consistently. I wanted glass for the pure taste of the water with no metal overtones or impurities. I was concerned that the kettle would break easily. But I thought about how I enjoy using double walled glass cups for tea and coffee and they are beautiful and amazingly sturdy. Finally, I was concerned and confused by what some people wrote about the handle getting hot and being bothered by having to remove the cover (which creates the whistle when boiling) before pouring. I finally decided to try anyway, thinking that even if it is a big mistake, it wouldn't be a big expensive mistake.
I have owned the kettle now for almost a year and I think it is a great little kettle. It doesn't take up a lot of space. It is light-weight. It boils water in a flash. You can see what's happening in a glance. The water out tastes just like the water you put in. I don't even think about taking the top/cap off when it boils-- just something you do without thought. It may look fragile but it has held up fine to normal use. The handle is not too hot to my mind, but I don't turn the flame up fully 'cause you don't need to for a fast boil. (I don't know how it would work on an electric stove. The kettle comes with a wire heat diffuser for electric stove use and that seems like a bother.)  I love my kettle!
4787247
Very Happy with my new electric water kettle. I purchased this because I like Pu-Erh and Green Teas. Both need to have water at specific temperatures to brew the best tea. I have made several kettles of water at different temps and so far so good. I do like the lit water level indicator and the keep warm setting. Two features my Breville water kettle didn't have. I am keeping my old water kettle because I love the look (blue and white ceramic) and I can take it with me when I travel or send it to college with one of my children. I know everyone seems to love stainless steel but it would be nice if Cusinart made a a ceramic or a colored water kettle option. I will be curious to see if the words on the buttons wear off over time like some reviewers have mentioned. I decided its not that big of a deal if it happens because I have had the same problem with a computer keyboard and my a/c control in my car. Seems like lettering on a black background is prone to wearing off, I have just purchased a set of keyboard stickers and trimmed them to meet my needs. A sharpie will probably do the job also. .
1899696
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS KETTLE!

It's great looking, inexpensive, stainless, and lightweight.

Actually, it's so lightweight that I was a little hesitant at first. Taking off the lid reminded me of pulling off a child's play kettle lid -- almost felt like tin.  But then after I used it, and have boiled it FULL of water, it was such a pleasure to pour as it's weight allows you to easily handle a full pot.

The other feature that I LOVE about it -- and was having a hard time finding -- is that the handle folds down. I don't like to fill the kettle from the spout, but rather through the opening at the top.  I use bottled water and measure it in a large Pyrex container so the top is much easier than trying to pour it through a spout. And if you leave the handle folded down (which I've done accidentally) and it's going at a full boil, the handle does not get hot!  You cans till easily grab it.

I seem to have carpel tunnel, and after a day on the computer, the lightness of it is so easy on my hands.

So glad I got it.
1948633
So far, I love it. I bought this one for my bedroom. Let me explain:

I bought this kettle a while back for my kitchen: Brentwood Appliances KT-1805 2.0-Liter Stainless Steel Electric Cordless Tea Kettle, 1000-watt, Red. This is a wonderful kettle for making a huge batch of boiling hot water for a group of guests or oatmeal for the family. But it takes a long time to heat up, and it is heavy. In the morning I dislike going downstairs to my cold kitchen in the winter and waiting for it to heat up. I'm cold, I want tea now!

So I bought this Osaka 1-Liter Gooseneck for my bedroom. It heats very, very fast, especially in comparison to the Brentwood 2-Liter. Even when full to maximum, it only takes about a minute using cool or room temperature water to start with.

If you pour very quickly and are unfamiliar with the gooseneck design (as I was), you may spill some because of the trajectory of the water. But I've had no drips or leaks. I just splashed a bunch on my second use when pouring too carelessly. Since then, no problems. I've used this device about seven times and I've only had it three days.

I boiled with water which I poured out the first time to clean it. No funny odors or tastes. No sign of damage. Came packaged well. No complaints here!
4664267
For years I've eyed the Bonavita gooseneck kettles. That magical spout that tempts me with the promise of a perfect flow as the water moistens and then soaks the coffee grounds that nestle in a paper filter. I filled a tin Italian olive oil drizzler with boiling water to replicate it, but of course the water temp dropped too much as I poured.

While this isn't the gooseneck version, it's doing pretty darn good for what it is...and one of the main reasons for a great review is the ability of the carafe to hold a temp as you slowly pour.

And how do I know this? Unlike most variable temp kettles that have a button for a variety of pre-set temps, this one displays the temp...even when the unit is no longer heating. If you are making the above-mentioned pour coffee using a cone and filter, the water temp in any kettle goes down as you wait the few minutes after the first wetting of the grounds.
Now I know if I walked away so long that the water needs reheating. Despite being somewhat lightweight, the carafe seems to hold heat nicely, as the readout confirms.
And no more am I at the mercy of preset buttons for various teas.
I bake a lot of bread, now I can set the temp as opposed to pulling out a thermometer and playing with the water so that it reaches the correct degree.
After reaching whatever temp you set, you can also set it at the temp you'd like it to stop or hold.

I confess I'm just a little nervous with one thing. When the kettle is filled all the way and I have it at a high setting, right before it reaches it's goal it makes a sound that reminds me of The Little Engine That Could. It seems to cycle on and off. 'I THINK I can, I THINK I can!'...and then it finally does. Not sure if it's really struggling or if that is just the way this brand of kettle works.
For now, it has pretty much all I want in a kettle. It would be nice if it signaled when it was done, but considering the beep was the first thing to go on my ill-fated yet ridiculously expensive Breville variable temp kettle, in this case, perhaps silence is golden.

UPDATE: Still love it, and really like the removable plastic cover over the control panel. No drips of water to damage delicate mechanics. Clearly mine is doing well whereas it looks like a few people got a lemon.
UPDATE 2/6/14: With heavy use, still going strong. I appreciate the temp readout more and more. After using many kettles over many years, this has been the best so far.
2807314
I love the red color. The opening at the top is a little small but the shape of the kettle determines the hole size.
So far it has worked very well.  The little filter inside the kettle nozzle fell out after a couple of days, as I am only
boiling water in it I didn't feel it was necessary and just left it out. Hopefully this kettle last longer than the
Black & Decker one I had previously which leaked from the little windows on the sides where you could check
the water level.  Very happy with it to this point, and would definitely recommend it.