I needed a new kettle. Now I don't need extra features, nor do I need ultra quiet or fast. Does it boil water? Yes? Good, functionality-wise that's all I cared about. But esthetically was another story. I wanted something PRETTY and I was willing to pay a premium for it. When I saw this kettle I fell in love. I read the reviews and noticed a few people found it had scratches on it when they took it out of the box, but I figured that was probably the exception, not the norm. When it arrived I was over the moon! How could I be this excited over a silly kettle? I figured I'd have to bring this up to my therapist sometime, but for the moment I couldn't wait to get it out of the box. I pulled it out and it was perfect - not a blemish to be seen. I sighed a deep breath of relief and pulled the base out of the box and it was... cheap, flimsy plastic, and rather warped. I was surprised a kettle of this price had something so poor quality for a base, but I decided to give it a chance, as once I placed the empty kettle on top of it, the base straightened out. I decided it wasn't a big deal, you wouldn't know it was a flimsy piece of plastic at a glance, and haven't given it much thought since. In fact, over the first few days the warp disappeared and it has sat true and flat ever since. The base has nothing to do with the poor rating I have given this kettle, it's more of an FYI. So back to that first day. I removed the lid and put some mild, soapy water inside and sloshed it about a bit. Somehow, when I went to pick up the lid to wash it as well, I nicked it with my fingernail. It didn't feel like a big deal, but surprisingly I gouged it right down to the metal. I was NOT happy - I keep my nails quite short and natural, and I did not hit it hard. I couldn't believe how thin the paint was. Then I started second guessing myself, I have very shaky hands, and I decided I must have hit it harder than I thought. I sighed, then scolded myself for not being more careful. So my brand new kettle hadn't even boiled any water yet and it was no longer perfect. My own fault I guess. From then on I was very careful when removing the lid to fill it, I didn't want to mess it up again, and if I turned the lid away from me I couldn't see the nick so I lived with it and was very happy overall. Fast forward a month and I've used it daily with it doing exactly what I expected of it - it boiled water. At this point I was pleased as punch with this kettle and I all but forgot about the nick. I decided to call the nick a "mark of character." So, I'm filling it at my sink, when my attention wandered for a moment and I lightly scraped it against the faucet. At first I hardly reacted, it was so light, but when I looked at it there was a 1.5" scratch across the top, very visible. I kind of stood there like an idiot for a second. Then I was just sad. This time I knew I didn't scrape it hard. And there was no hiding this scratch. I've come to accept this kettle has an extremely delicate finish, and this is likely going to happen again, maybe multiple times, in its lifetime. I'm fairly careful with my belongings, but I'm not perfect. I don't know if it's a design flaw or if it's just how it is with matte finishes, but I would advise that if you're looking for something that you actually want to use daily and you're not perfect either, steer clear of this one. I mean, maybe you don't care if it gets a few dings and scratches, looks aren't everything, right? But then why would you buy this kettle? Its looks are the only thing special about it. There are loads of cheaper options out there, really attractive ones too, that are functionally the same or superior. The only reason to buy this kettle is if its looks are appealing to you, so I consider scratches a huge deal. I thought you should know that this thing is a delicate flower and you need to be prepared to protect it. Expect to have to handle it with great care, and make sure you're perfect.
