Tea kettle recommendations???

[Jasmine-Rose]

I'm on a mission to find a good tea kettle. I had a copper one that was given to me as a gift but it reached the end of it's life. I got another but it didn't have a whistle and I left it to boil dry once too often (this bb is way too absorbing, and I'm getting old and forgetful). I got one with a whistle and about two weeks ago the whistle part fell out! Seems to me I've heard of kettles with harmonica sounds instead of whistles, which might be a more pleasant reminder than the shrieking whistle!

Any recommendations?

[beejayw1]

Mine is Farberware. It has a lid, which you remove to fill the thing, a whistle and an extra-heavy bottom. I love the thing, and it only cost me $14 at one of Macy's sales a couple years ago.

[mandarin2j]

I have a Chantal tea kettle with the harmonica tones you described--I love it! Mine's stainless, but the great thing about Chantal products is that they available in a variety of finishes, so you can work it into your decor scheme. One thing-they aren't cheap. Mine was $110 on sale.
My old roommate scorched the kettle once and I nearly had a cow. Fortunately, steel wool sorted everything out!

-Amanda

[sneezles]

I have one with a whistle and then one that is electric and shuts itself off. I tend to use the one that shuts itself off if I'm not staying in the room while the water heats!

[Ganache]

Hi--I've had an Oster cordless kettle for over 3 years that I'm very happy with. It has an automatic shut-off and is super quick. I went to an electric kettle after hearing they were more energy efficient even though there are so many beautiful non-electric ones.

[Hoosier65]

Speaking of tea kettles, has anyone ever seen a Brass one or know where I can get one?

[sassafras]

I also have a Chantal tea kettle. It was a wedding gift from a good friend who knows that I lOVE tea. THey are quite expensive, but the honer harmonica whistle is kida cute:D Not to mention that it drives DH crazy ~ sometimes I let it whistle a little longer:p I'm so bad!

[Little Bit]

I've got a Russell Hobbs electric model, think Faberware makes them. Very nice, since it's got a window to view the water level and an automatic shut off, so it won't boil dry. It cost about $60, but since I've had it five or six years, it has, over time, cost less than the stovetop models I was burning up one by one. :o

[aggie94]

I love my Good Grips Uplift tea kettle.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004OCN3.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg

It whistles, but it's a lower pitched hum, like a harmonica sound. And the spout opens and closes by movement of the handle, so that when you pour, the handle lifts and the spout opens, and when you stop, the handle goes back to its normal position and the spout closes. We use it everyday - it's one of the best wedding presents we got!

[Shirley Ekstein]

Wow!!!!!!!!
One place we English are all madly ahead of you!!!!!!!!!!

NO-ONE over here unless they're deliberately doing old-fashioned has a whistling kettle, and even if they do it'll be for decoration, not for using.

We all have these automatic shut-off ones, and mostly the jug-types because you can boil just a teensy-weensy bit of water for ONE cup of tea or coffee or whatever. They also boil a whole kettleful madly quickly, like about 4 minutes, and nobody in England, these days, is willing to wait 20 minutes for a stove-top kettle to get its act together and decide to boil.

So - recommend a pretty one for decoration, and a proper one for using!

[Susan]

Originally posted by Shirley Ekstein
Wow!!!!!!!!
One place we English are all madly ahead of you!!!!!!!!!!

NO-ONE over here unless they're deliberately doing old-fashioned has a whistling kettle, and even if they do it'll be for decoration, not for using.

We all have these automatic shut-off ones, and mostly the jug-types because you can boil just a teensy-weensy bit of water for ONE cup of tea or coffee or whatever. They also boil a whole kettleful madly quickly, like about 4 minutes, and nobody in England, these days, is willing to wait 20 minutes for a stove-top kettle to get its act together and decide to boil.

So - recommend a pretty one for decoration, and a proper one for using!

How interesting, Shirley! Just this past year I got rid of my elderly tea kettle and have yet to replace it. I have been heating water in the microwave and then transferring it to my tea pot. I find myself drinking more tea now than when I had my kettle! I would love to hear what type of teas are commonly used in England currently.

~Susan~

[Julia1Pin]

and them my parents or in-laws (don't remember which) got us an electric one (looks like a pitcher). it's truly the greatest invention. It boils water quicker, and has an automatic shut-off, and keeps the water hot.

Forget old fashioned and go ELECTRIC!!!

[Jasmine-Rose]

Thanks to all of you for your replies.

I've seen electric ones that I like (as long as the lid lifts off so the inside can be cleaned), but I prefer to keep my countertops pretty bare so I didn't want something that would live on the countertop. I've used them at work and liked that they are fast and have automatic shutoff. Perhaps when I have my dream kitchen with the vast amount of counter space, a pantry, two ovens...

I had the day off today and was running errands and, because I was passing Home Goods, I decided to stop in to see what they had to offer. Now I own a Chantal stainless steel 2 1/2 quart kettle. I like the harmonica sound, though it was startling at first, and I only paid $40 for it! I know it seems a high price for a tea kettle but I use mine so much and have had so many that I've been unhappy with that I thought this one would be worth a try at that price. I can't say I'd have done the same if the price tag had been as high as some I've seen.

I thank you all again for your input.

- E.

[mandarin2j]

$40?! You lucky dog! Congratulations on your good fortune...Now, what is a "Home Goods" and why isn't there one in Portland, Ore.? (pout, pout)

[Jasmine-Rose]

$40?! You lucky dog! Congratulations on your good fortune...Now, what is a "Home Goods" and why isn't there one in Portland, Ore.? (pout, pout)
Home Goods is the housewares branch of TJ Maxx. They have lots of linens, kitchen gadgets, bakeware, etc. And as you can tell the prices are very good - I saw the CL 5 Ingredient cookbook there today for $5.99 and I previously purchased one or two of the CL annuals for $7.99 there. It's also where I go when I need picture frames - tons of them at a good price. Will you be sending me your Christmas list???:D

- E.

[Shirley Ekstein]

Hi Susan - re teas drunk in England -
Am afraid it's pretty much tea as tea, if you see what I mean (which you probably don't because that was a pretty impenetrable comment.) It's just the ordinary bog-standard Typhoo or PG Tips tea-bags - basic English tea, which is Indian tea, of course.
Have I confused you yet?
Anyway, these days it's very often made directly in the cup rather than in a tea-pot which, twenty years ago, would have been regarded as rank heresy.
Earl Grey is quite popular and so are Herb Teas, which of course are not teas, but tisanes.
China tea is sometimes drunk by people trying to impress.
(Mind you, there are shelves and shelves of different teas in the supermarkets, so guess I could be wrong. Have never seen anyone buying them - but the shops wouldn't clutter up their shelves if they didn't sell, so - who knows?)
Bet you're none the wiser after this reply than before it, huh?
Sorry!
Regards,
Shirley.

[Mamasue]

Shirley....thanks for the info on tea.....I love listening to you talk....er type! I wish I could see a picture of your jug type electric appliance. Do you mind explaining to us how you make proper tea. Do you heat your porclean tea pot with hot water first and use loose tea with strainer and all that jazz. Do you add your milk to tea cup first and then tea? I love PG Tips and just finished a large box that I have. I will have to purchase some more on my next trip to the city which is the only place that I know of where I can buy them other than the net. :)

[Susan]

Thank you, Shirley! I do so appreciate what you shared! I love your "lingo"! I wasn't confused too much. ;) I've never heard of PG Tips so I will have to look for that kind. I mainly drink loose Earl Grey (decaf! egads!). Let me echo Mamasue in saying that I would be interested in hearing more about how you make tea.