BELLA 1.7 Liter Glass Electric Kettle

My old electric kettle stopped working after a good 5 years of daily use for teas and pour-over coffee. I love the idea of a bright copper kettle whistling away on the fire, but I am too easily distracted not to use an electric water kettle with automatic shut-off instead (I can't even count the number of pots and kettles I've burned irreparably). I wanted an exact replacement of my HadinEeon glass kettle, but couldn't find one, so I chose this Bella instead. I'm familiar with their beautiful ceramic kettles which are out of my price range, but choosing a used borosilicate one with free shipping brought the price down to just $15. So I stopped shopping and put it in my cart. It arrived within 3 days! I love the blue light that glows up from the black base through the water, it's mesmerizing. And boiling water in a glass vessel reminds me of that scene in Blade Runner when Priss pulls out the boiling eggs from the glass pot. Good times. But I digress. The lid is secured with a pinch-to-open mechanism on top, so you either need to use both hands, pinch open the lid with one hand while the pot is resting on a stable surface, or have strong ring and pinky fingers to hold the handle while your first and middle fingers pinch open the lid. I wish it was one-hand friendly like my old kettle, with the thumb lever above the handle, but the Bella lid will stay open at 90 degrees without needing to hold it with your thumb, so I guess it's a trade-off. You also have to tug it a bit to get it in that position, but, no-biggie. Actually, I suspect that's the reason it was returned; when you open the lid, it resists at about 45 degrees, like that's as wide as it goes. Plus, it won't remain open, so it's awkward trying to fill the pot under the faucet (not to mention cleaning it). I was disappointed, but figured, oh well, $15, right? On the second day of use I thought, nooo, that just couldn't be how it was designed - maybe it was stuck or something - so I pulled the lid a little harder, and voilà! 90 degrees and it stays put! My biggest complaint was solved! The Bella also doesn't have a "keep warm" feature, a notification beep, or a temperature control panel like my old kettle, but, honestly, I never once used the thermostat on that one, so it's not worth the cost for me. This one has a large toggle switch with an audible "click" sound that's loud enough to hear in a quiet apartment, and in a few minutes your water is boiled and the heating element is safely and automatically toggled off again. Aah, simplicity and peace of mind. The only feature I truly dislike is the plastic strainer attached to the underside of the lid where the water pours out. I guess it's for loose tea leaves? I honestly don't know. Why would anyone want a plastic filter for their boiling water? See, that's when a thumb lift lid would come in handy too. But I think I can yank it out though. Another tiny complaint is the width of the handle compared to my old kettle; but, then again, I have small hands, so it won't trouble most people and I'll grow accustomed to it. But if you have weak wrists, it miiiight be a problem with the added weight of 1.7 liters of water. So, all in all, it does the job it's designed to do, looks lovely doing it, and is very reasonably priced (even new). If you've never used an electric kettle, now's your chance to try one out. Keep your stove burners free and give yourself perfect peace of mind.