tea kettle recommendation?

leo said:

OK it is not about pots and pans but a relative. We are looking for the perfect kettle if there is
one. We considered instant hot but there is no hole is available in the counter top. Thanks for
any help here.

What difference does it make? Maybe I am missing something, but doesn't a tea kettle simply boil
water? If so, why would it matter what type of kettle is used to boil the water as long as the
container's clean and suitable to withstand the heat?

leo said:

We considered instant hot but there is no hole is available in the counter top. Thanks for any
help here.

You can use the hole that's normally reserved for the sprayer.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments

Quoted message said:

What difference does it make? Maybe I am missing something, but doesn't a tea kettle simply boil
water? If so, why would it matter what type of kettle is used to boil the water as long as the
container's clean and suitable to withstand the heat?

Some tea kettles whistle when the water is boiling. That can be something that you love or hate. (I
like having it call me.) Tea kettles can be different sizes. Handles can be different designs that
fit your hand more comfortably. Some handles get hot which is a bad thing. I like not having to use
an mitt to pour tea. They can be different cool shapes that strike your fancy and look good with
your kitchen decor. We got one as a gift some years ago from a houseguest (What! You don't have a
tea kettle?) which we loved but that fell apart rather quickly. The cool design was such that the
bottom plate fell off so it started to leak. We replaced it with a cheapo model that has been
satisfactory ever since.

--Lia

In rec.food.cooking said:

Some tea kettles whistle when the water is boiling. That can be something that you love or hate.
(I like having it call me.) Tea kettles can be different sizes. Handles can be different designs
that fit your hand more comfortably. Some handles get hot which is a bad thing. I like not having
to use an mitt to pour tea. They can be different cool shapes that strike your fancy and look good
with your kitchen decor. We got one as a gift some years ago from a houseguest (What! You don't
have a tea kettle?) which we loved but that fell apart rather quickly. The cool design was such
that the bottom plate fell off so it started to leak. We replaced it with a cheapo model that has
been satisfactory ever since.

And don't forget that some are made so that they will last you the rest of your life, while others
need replacement every few years.

--
...I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

Quoted message said:

What difference does it make? Maybe I am missing something, but doesn't a tea kettle simply boil
water? If so, why would it matter what type of kettle is used to boil the water as long as the
container's clean and suitable to withstand the heat?

That's like asking "doesn't a chair simply keep one's butt off the floor?" :> A tea kettle is a
tool. For tea drinkers it may be used numerous times during the day, multiplying the effect of
inconvience or bad ergonomic design.

I absolutely require a whistle. Some have spring-loaded spout caps that close automatically insuring
that the whistle will always work and allow you to fill it by turning on the water with one hand and
hold the pot to the faucet with the other. Others have spout cover/whistle units that you have to
take off and put back on.

Then there is the question of the inside material. The coating may wear when heated or foster growth
of "stuff." I cleaned out my parents' enameled kettle when I last visited- there was black flaky
material and I couldn't determine if it was flaking paint (dark paint) or mold. As soon as I got
home I checked the interior of my own kettle with a flashlight and it's still clean after all of
these years- whew!

Sue(tm) Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue said:

Then there is the question of the inside material. The coating may wear when heated or foster
growth of "stuff." I cleaned out my parents' enameled kettle when I last visited- there was black
flaky material and I couldn't determine if it was flaking paint (dark paint) or mold. As soon as I
got home I checked the interior of my own kettle with a flashlight and it's still clean after all
of these years- whew!

Sue(tm) Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

That might be minerals from the local water supply. I get a build-up if I don't empty and rinse
after every pot. It makes me *need* a teapot with a larger opening so I can clean it more often.

BOB

"leo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

OK it is not about pots and pans but a relative. We are looking for the perfect kettle if there is
one. We considered instant hot but there is no hole is available in the counter top. Thanks for
any help here.

leo

I want a tea kettle that has a nice, broad, flat bottom that fits over the large burner on my cook
top. Janet

leo said:

OK it is not about pots and pans but a relative. We are looking for the perfect kettle if there is
one. We considered instant hot but there is no hole is available in the counter top. Thanks for
any help here.

Are you looking for a kettle for heating water, or a pot for brewing tea? If the former, get an
electric kettle--they're much faster than stovetop models. If the latter, get a cast-iron teapot.

--
to respond, change "spamless.invalid" with "optonline.net" please mail OT responses only

[email hidden] asked in wonderment through message
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Quoted message said:

leo said:

OK it is not about pots and pans but a relative. We are looking for the perfect kettle if there
is one. We considered instant hot but there is no hole is available in the counter top. Thanks
for any help here.

What difference does it make? Maybe I am missing something, but doesn't a tea kettle simply boil
water? If so, why would it matter what type of kettle is used to boil the water as long as the
container's clean and suitable to withstand the heat?

All these are valid questions but it's more elaborate than simply providing the most basic of
functions. You have not considered style (color, shape, design), size (capacity), quality
(manufacturer, metal/ceramic, coated/noncoated), or use (gas, electric) in your equation.

If you're just looking to heat water, a simple pot will work.

Kettles are no longer something that one should be embarrassed about; they're an accessory to a
kitchen, specifically the stove. A kettle also allows a person make a statement about the
seriousness with which they make tea (Lipton need not apply).

Then there are the whistling vs. non-whistling varieties...

My personal choice is the Simplex copper (coil-bottomed). It's 1-3/4 quart capacity holds enough
water to make a pot of tea and several individual portions. The raised body (coils) allows it to
heat water more quickly than traditional kettles. The copper is /striking/ to look at and not too
difficult to clean when it gets spattered. Most importantly, the handle doesn't get HOT after the
water heats!

The Ranger

anything without a whistle....I've always hated those...the noise is similar to finger nails
scratching a blackboard...slowly from top to bottom..

Harriet & critters "leo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

OK it is not about pots and pans but a relative. We are looking for the perfect kettle if there is
one. We considered instant hot but there is no hole is available in the counter top. Thanks for
any help here.

leo

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 16:37:17 GMT, Scott <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Are you looking for a kettle for heating water, or a pot for brewing tea? If the former, get an
electric kettle--they're much faster than stovetop models. If the latter, get a cast-iron teapot.

Cast iron teapot!!!???? Good grief! Does it come with matching teacups?? I'm imagining a tea party
of orcs. :>

Sue(tm) Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 14:53:40 GMT, [email hidden] (Curly

Sue) said:

Quoted message said:

What difference does it make? Maybe I am missing something, but doesn't a tea kettle simply boil
water? If so, why would it matter what type of kettle is used to boil the water as long as the
container's clean and suitable to withstand the heat?

That's like asking "doesn't a chair simply keep one's butt off the floor?" :> A tea kettle is a
tool. For tea drinkers it may be used numerous times during the day, multiplying the effect of
inconvience or bad ergonomic design.

^_^ I'm starting to look at my chairs. :-)

I agree completely that there *are* differences. I like a whistle. Many 'cute' versions come with
instructions not to use over high heat. Skip those. It was not clear to me if the OP was looking for
a plain ol' water-boiling teakettle or one of the electric kettle appliances common in tea-drinking
societies. I believe many of those include automatic shutoffs when the kettle boils dry. As long as
I can hear my whistler shrieking from 3 rooms away, I'm happy with a 'manual' version. Had a 1-qt(?)
Revere Ware one for years (decades) that performed admirably.

The Ranger said:

Kettles are no longer something that one should be embarrassed about;

This is news to me! When was anyone embarrassed about kettles? Bad enough I'm supposed to be
embarrassed by being 3 years behind the style in eyeglasses, now I find out too late that I was
supposed to be embarrased by having a tea kettle. ;>

Sue(tm) Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Frogleg said:

automatic shutoffs when the kettle boils dry. As long as I can hear my whistler shrieking from 3
rooms away, I'm happy with a 'manual' version. Had a 1-qt(?) Revere Ware one for years (decades)
that performed admirably.

I wouldn't have anything other than a Revere Kettle at home :>

For work I recently got a T-Fal electric which has drawn admiring glances from quite a few
people when I fetch water. It boils at least a liter in 90 sec then shuts off automatically. I'm
hoping that by drawing water from the water cooler rather than the hall fountain I'll avoid
mineral deposits.

Sue(tm) Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue <[email hidden]> wondered in message
"]news:[email hidden] after I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Kettles are no longer something that one should be embarrassed about;

This is news to me! When was anyone embarrassed about kettles? Bad enough I'm supposed to be
embarrassed by being 3 years behind the style in eyeglasses, now I find out too late that I was
supposed to be embarrased by having a tea kettle. ;>

My Sainted Mother(tm), my MIL and dozens of their friends stash their tea kettles away. As one said,
"I don't want anyone to /see/ it!"

The Ranger

In rec.food.cooking said:

Had a 1-qt(?) Revere Ware one for years (decades) that performed admirably.

Me too. After seeing that my Mother had the same one from when I was a kid, I bought a
RevereWare one when my fancy-shmancy expensive fake-retro yuppie piee of [censored] bit the dust after
a couple of years.

--
...I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

"Curly Sue" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Scott said:

Are you looking for a kettle for heating water, or a pot for brewing tea? If the former, get an
electric kettle--they're much faster than stovetop models. If the latter, get a cast-iron teapot.

Cast iron teapot!!!???? Good grief! Does it come with matching teacups?? I'm imagining a tea party
of orcs. :>

Sue(tm) Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

I have a small cast iron tea pot - a Japanese tetsubin. I use it for brewing my green tea
and love it.

It's not that heavy...and I did see a catalog with little cast iron tea cups to match. I'll stick
with my mugs.

Paula