Comments on: We Got a Little Teapot

By: Alyce

Alyce — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:48:17 +0000

Zojirushi makes awesome appliances. But I would have killed my husband for paying $120+ bucks to boil water.

It is not attractive, but I could get past that in time. Maybe I’d knit a cozy for it.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:52:54 +0000

I agree about the fonts and overall labeling design – it’s a bit bold. I perfer stainless steel and black – but I have a white KitchenAid mixer, so I can be okay with white in some instances.

Maybe you could design a tea-kettle cozy for the electric kettle like they have for other kettles?

By: haly

haly — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:28:03 +0000

it’s great for tea drinkers and heating up baby bottles. my parents bought us one after we had the baby. it is ugly though. but nothing in my kitchen matches anyway.

By: Ian W.

Ian W. — Mon, 04 May 2009 06:42:47 +0000

I think the problem is in the name. It’s not an electric kettle; it’s an exotic Japanese hot water machine.

It’s definitely the coolest looking Japanese hot water machine I’ve ever seen. (also, only.) But it sure is an ugly tea kettle.

By: jenB

jenB — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:11:17 +0000

I believe it takes less energy to boil water this way than on the stove, but I could be wrong. It ain’t beautiful, but I like all its functions. :-)

By: anne nahm

anne nahm — Sat, 02 May 2009 21:16:45 +0000

As a novice tea drinker, I am curious as to why people don’t just microwave water to pour over their tea? I know the water is not hot instantly, but a minute doesn’t seem like that long to wait.

By: kristy

kristy — Sat, 02 May 2009 06:17:53 +0000

as to design: yuck
as to function: love fast hot water

By: andrea

andrea — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:16:18 +0000

we have a rice cooker from the same company, it’s awesome. :)

but yeah, it does look like something that might also take your blood pressure for you.

By: Mary@Holy Mackerel

Mary@Holy Mackerel — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:11:25 +0000

I’ve never seen such a tea kettle, but I think I like it. I like it a lot. I think.

By: CanMama

CanMama — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:07:24 +0000

as long as it does its job it deserves a proper place on the counter:)

By: joanie

joanie — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:37:32 +0000

I was too chicken to say what I thought before there were other comments up, but it looks like a breathing treatment machine. However, I live with my brother, so I’m used to having ugly appliances thrown on my counter. Have you seen a food dehydrator?!

By: mihow

mihow — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:56:13 +0000

Honestly, I think, other than the shape of it, what bugs me maybe the most is that every single font is a different size! The designer in me wants to slap it silly for such nonsense. :]

By: wendyr

wendyr — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:58:15 +0000

Well, first let me say that since I am married to an Englishman, kettles are important in this household. I am pleased to hear that purchasing one when we move to North America will not be as difficult as Mr wendyr feared. But that kettle. I apologize. It is not attractive.

By: sam

sam — Fri, 01 May 2009 05:20:57 +0000

oh man i want one of those. they rule.

By: peter

peter — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:58:15 +0000

Must be an Asian thing, like Erica and Emily said. My parents have the exact same model. That same brand and similar make is in almost every Asian family.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 01 May 2009 01:49:22 +0000

Toby-

Sweet!

Can you toss me a link to your kettle on Amazon or elsewhere? It sounds like my next purchase! It would pair perfectly with my Chemex, and my lady is a big tea drinker.

I’m all about function over form… and exact temperature stuff. I need to finish the PID + new water system retrofit on my old espresso machine soon!

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:56:59 +0000

It looks very European to me. Kinda cool, but I like simple things, so I wouldn’t have bought it.

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:53:54 +0000

being asian, this is no biggie. i have the same exact hot water pot and it’s awesome! hot water without the wait! it’s a keeper!

By: erin

erin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:16:48 +0000

I vote yes on the tea pot even though it’s not a pot, not really, is it? yes, it’s uggo but if it provides continuous hot water that won’t cause you to burn your mouth then it really serves a great purpose and makes me wish i had one.

By: Mihow

Mihow — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Please note: it us not I who loves this kettle. It just showed up one day.

By: tobyjoe

tobyjoe — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:49:39 +0000

Jon – the coffee machine is the venerable MT-500 and thus far the temp is right on.

The kettle is a little gauche, but I really like tea and it lets you choose the temp you want (important for delicate and premium teas!), and, once heated, it provides constant hot water. Helps for other things for which you need hot water, too.

It’s ugly, no doubt, but it works great.

By: Krissa

Krissa — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:31:25 +0000

Also in staring at it, I’ve realized my main objection is that I wouldn’t get to POUR the boiling water over my tea. That would really bug me. I apparently really like that action, since I had a really visceral reaction to just pushing a button for water. Maybe it reminded me of temping in all those soulless offices with machines like this.

By: Krissa

Krissa — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:29:32 +0000

To the people who use stove-top kettles … man! You’re patient. I need my tea a lot faster than that.

Also, um, I don’t like this, aesthetically. I think it looks like something from a doctor’s office. Also it seems like it’d be an energy hog, since some part of it is “on” all the time (at least the LED?) but I don’t know much about that stuff. I have an awesome Braun one that works fine and matches my other black/stainless-steel appliances.

But I’m fascinated that there are apparently translucent kettles out there!

By: Somer

Somer — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:24:58 +0000

If you’re going to use this thing all of the time, I guess functionality should trump looks. That being said, it does look a little like you bought this thing from Ron Popeil. I’m a fan of the old fashioned stove top tea kettle and I’ve always had one on my stove top, but some people are way too impatient to wait 3 whole minutes for boiling water so they end up with white plastic atrocities on their countertops :-D I adore you dear, but that thing is not fit to be seen in a working kitchen.

By: Egirl

Egirl — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:12:54 +0000

It looks like a trash can. Or a diaper pail. But maybe it works well?

By: jonathan

jonathan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:53:26 +0000

I use my tea kettle daily…

either for tea or French Press / Chemex coffee.

I would kindly suggest you try one, rather than the Capresso… unless that is the MT-500, which I hear is the closest thing to a Technovorm you can get ( in terms of temp stability )

By: nico

nico — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:44:14 +0000

I have the matching rice cooker. I keep it in a cupboard, so I hadn’t thought about the aesthetics.

However, my rice cooker sings me little songs. If your kettle does the same it should stay.

By: houpley

houpley — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:36:13 +0000

i also thought it was a bread maker at first. and since you asked … it is a bit cold/odd/medical looking.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:01:57 +0000

I thought it was a bread maker, so in a word? No.

By: erica

erica — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:58:37 +0000

man, we grew up with these things. i guess us asians need our hot water STAT. my brother and his family have that same exact one (and they do make rice cookers as well). it’s not the sleekest looking appliance, but you’re going to use it so much, you’ll start to think it’s cute!