BELLA Electric Ceramic Tea Kettle

This has become one of my most used appliances! It brings water to a boil in half the time it takes in the microwave, let alone the stove. Not only does this save time when making tea (which I use it for multiple times a day,) but I also use it to bring water to a boil to save time when cooking things such as pasta or steamed vegetables. (Pour the boiling water into the preheated cooking pot/pan, don't attempt to cook in this kettle!) I also sometimes take it out of the kitchen so I can have a second/third/seventh cup of tea while working in my home office or watching tv. This kettle is pretty- it looks good on your counter, and nice enough to use for serving guests in a more formal setting. I got the silver tile color, and the silver design is actually metallic, not a flat grey. I hosted a tea party themed shower with pots of loose leaf tea. I was able to quickly and conveniently heat water to fill and refill the teapots because of this kettle, and got many compliments on it. The kettle is incredibly easy to use and maintain. I follow the manual's cleaning and care instructions, and mine is still working and looking like new, despite heavy use and hard water. I love the safety automatic off switch. Another feature I love is that the cord can be wound up and stored under the base. 2021 edit: The original kettle I reviewed is still working fantastically, even after a cross-country move. I recently decided to get a second kettle for my home office, so I can make tea at my desk without having to haul the kettle from the kitchen every day, or go without it in my kitchen. (Yes, I use and love it that much!) After trying another brand and receiving a dud I returned it and went for my beloved Bella model. However, this one was defective. I filled it with water halfway between the minimum and maximum full lines, placed it on the base, and flipped the switch and nothing happened. I’m not sure if this was a defective product, if the quality has dropped in the last 6 months, or if this was simply damaged in shipping: it arrived in the original box with no outer Amazon box, and the box was dented/scratched up and had large holes punched on either side (Amazon, take note: I would have been furious if I’d intended to give this as a gift.) so it had clearly received a lot of very rough treatment during shipping. I chose to leave my rating at 5 stars as I do feel it’s an excellent product and assume I had some bad luck with damage done during shipping, but I admit my confidence in the brand is a little shaken.