Kettle Yanagi Sori -matte finish -Made in Japan

Good quality stainless steel. Hard to find the same quality in other made in China products.

Perfect. Everything, down to the last minute details.

I am a 300 pound, 6'4", corn-fed, beer-drinking, 40 year-old, white guy. I have only just begun to appreciate the finer things in life. I'm not hip to opera or ballet yet but I have a feeling that this kettle might move me closer to that (I still think that they're a scam, but I digress). Everyone appreciates different qualities. I am especially big on craftsmanship, form and function: this kettle has all of those and then something that I don't yet understand. In 50 years, I have no doubts that this kettle will appraise for thousands (or more) on Antiques Road Show.If you are like me, the first thing that you will notice about this kettle is that it was made by hand - a very skilled hand. The handle only folds down to one side, for example. If the handle was die stamped by a machine, it would have been trivial to bevel both edges of the handle. But this handle was beveled by hand. And time is money - so this handle is only beveled on one side and, as such, only folds to one side. This isn't a problem - just a personality that one must learn to live with - like a child, spouse, or an absent-minded professor.Additionally, I purchased this kettle with the matte stainless finish (which looks nothing like the picture - more like a typical shiny stainless appliance - not that I would mind what is pictured) and the "brushed" grain really shows some intangible, hand-finished imperfect qualities. And then there is the welding - this kettle was designed for pouring tea. And the most important parts of that are the spout and the gravity feed design. Every other kettle is stamped from a single piece of metal - not this one. The spout, which is a separate piece of metal and affixed to the kettle body via a skillful weld, appears to be hand-hammered.Finally, there's a welded screen on the inside of the kettle in order to prevent tea bags from wandering into the spout during a pour - wonderful attention to detail that you will not find on kettles in this price range ever. The lid fits loosely but, when the water boils, the form and function all come together: holding the lid down tightly causes the water to boil out of the spout. This is why the lid fits loosely (as well as the two holes that have been punctured). This is why others call this kettle "light weight" - the low mass allows the available heat to go directly into boiling the water.This kettle is worth $1000. Under $100, I will be purchasing these in bulk to fund my retirement, which will likely be spent in Japan. I hope they like large, corn-fed Mid Westerners.

I love the design a lot butwhen using it on a gas grill, the kettle color turns a darkish color.

I read many reviews before I bought this, including some criticisms, and, after using mine for a month I would like to share my own impressions. For openers, this kettle is obviously made in Japan, in the long Japanese tradition of artisan manufacturing. Materials and workmanship could not be better. I use a natural gas stove, and this kettle heats water very quickly, giving off a geyser of steam from the spout when the water boils. The handles are similar to old Bakelite, like those used on old Revere Ware pots we still use every day. The handle does get pretty warm by the time a lot of water boils, but it does not seem uncomfortably hot to me. The lid fits well enough, but there is no detente to keep it in place.when the kettle is tipped for pouring. While I suppose one could make it a two-handed affair, I have no trouble extending one finger to keep the lid in place when I pour, just as I do with my old, Brown Betty teapot. I saw one review that claims the handle melted and the knob on the lid broke. I can see where the handle might be damaged if it was placed and left in its down position over a leaping flame, and I imagine the knob on the lid might well break if it was dropped onto a tile floor. Likewise, the kettle might suffer damage if it was left to cook itself dry. I also read that boiling water surges from the kettle when pouring, and, indeed, the heated spout ensures water will sputter if the kettle is removed from the flame and water is poured immediately,, in one swoop. I just slow down a trifle, and I have no problems with it. As for cracks, seams, or rust, I've seen none of this, and the water where I live is hard, even fairly caustic. I don't often leave water in the kettle, and I don't brew tea in the kettle (that's what the pot is for...). All in all, I recommend this teakettle to anyone who likes the look of it. It is, indeed, a work of art that I enjoy using every day.

I don't expect things to not age, especially when used every day, but this hunk of alloy started to stain after a few months. now six months later, it's only gotten worse. it is also probably just an aluminum alloy, as it is not even slightly magnetic.I put a lot of research into this kettle, as I do with everything, and am greatly disappointed by this product. also, I do not leave water in it overnight, and treat it with respect, so it is not that I am a negligent user who turns the gas on high to where the flames cup the kettle. and even if I was, it still shouldn't stain.all that to say that this is a piece of crap, and it's my own fault for spending so much money on it. I thought I'd have it for the rest of my life, but instead, I'm gonna wind up turning it into a flower pot.did I mention that it's not made in Japan, but China? so the whole thing one big stained lie.