Le Creuset Kone Kettle 1.6L Garnet

Although this is an expensive kettle we decided to buy it as we were fed up with modern electric kettles breaking every 18 months or so. We could have gone for a cheaper stovetop kettle, but having had experience of these flimsy items on boats we decided to go with a manufacturer known for its quality. We are glad we did - not only is it well made but the blue ombre coating is very pretty.Yes, it does take longer to boil (on our gas stove), than an electric kettle but we are in no rush. You soon get used to filling it with exactly the amount of water you need.A couple of niggles. When you only fill it with just enough water for two cups of instant coffee, there is not enough steam to make the whistle very loud if you are in another room. However, a kettle filled ... MoreAlthough this is an expensive kettle we decided to buy it as we were fed up with modern electric kettles breaking every 18 months or so. We could have gone for a cheaper stovetop kettle, but having had experience of these flimsy items on boats we decided to go with a manufacturer known for its quality. We are glad we did - not only is it well made but the blue ombre coating is very pretty.Yes, it does take longer to boil (on our gas stove), than an electric kettle but we are in no rush. You soon get used to filling it with exactly the amount of water you need.A couple of niggles. When you only fill it with just enough water for two cups of instant coffee, there is not enough steam to make the whistle very loud if you are in another room. However, a kettle filled to the maximum can be heard at the bottom of the garden! The maximum level of water is marked on the outside - which initially makes it difficult to judge levels. This is just a matter of getting used to it.Finally a point to note if you have any strength issues - when filled with enough water for a pot of tea it weighs around 2.5kgs (about 5 1/2 llbs)Overall we are very pleased with this kettle.

Claude

Bought in black to reflect the black chimney stack on our ivory Aga which looks so classic, and once home immediately named it Claude - with a french accent, of course. The whistle is somewhere between a purr and a wheezing wind blown through a recorder. Nothing shrill, but not exactly delightful! Ah well. It could be worse. Boils decently in 4/5 minutes or so on our Aga boiling plate. We have hard water in our area - lucky the shop assistant asked before we left - and we were advised not to leave water in it overnight and to give it a vinegar rinse to regularly to remove mineral deposits, ensuring Claude lives a long, happy life. The lid comes off with a gentle pull, but not dangerously easily, while still holding the handle when refilling. It felt less heavy than ... MoreBought in black to reflect the black chimney stack on our ivory Aga which looks so classic, and once home immediately named it Claude - with a french accent, of course. The whistle is somewhere between a purr and a wheezing wind blown through a recorder. Nothing shrill, but not exactly delightful! Ah well. It could be worse. Boils decently in 4/5 minutes or so on our Aga boiling plate. We have hard water in our area - lucky the shop assistant asked before we left - and we were advised not to leave water in it overnight and to give it a vinegar rinse to regularly to remove mineral deposits, ensuring Claude lives a long, happy life. The lid comes off with a gentle pull, but not dangerously easily, while still holding the handle when refilling. It felt less heavy than it's 2L big brother, and considering the weight of the water, glad we went with this one. I find it mechanically sound and sturdy, and pleasant to use and look at. It's somehow a work of art.

Decent, but a little disappointing.

The colour is great, and the kettle overall looks fantastic. However a couple things have frustrated me about this purchase.1) I purchased the kettle at full price, which was fine. However the kettle took over a week to even ship, by which point it had gone on sale at 25% off. Since I hadn’t received the one I ordered yet (at full price) I made two attempts to contact le creuset to obtain a refund for the difference. They did not respond to me.2) the lid of the kettle has a small gap that allows steam to escape, which if not positioned to the side shoots steam up toward the handle which is dangerous.

Disappointing quality - twice!

I had long fancied a brightly coloured, cheerful whistling stove-top kettle and thought I'd be able to rely on Le Creuset for a quality product. Wrong. When it arrived, there were some small dark brown spots on the orange enamel, but seeing as I live a long way from a Post Office, let alone a John Lewis store, I accepted that I could live with this minor defect. However, within two months of use, the enamel cracked and peeled off on the base of the kettle, leaving razor sharp edges which scratched the cooker top.John Lewis Customer Service was excellent and they duly sent a replacement, while I returned the original. Unfortunately within just three weeks, the enamel cracked and popped off on the replacement kettle, this time close to the rim. All I did was put the ... MoreI had long fancied a brightly coloured, cheerful whistling stove-top kettle and thought I'd be able to rely on Le Creuset for a quality product. Wrong. When it arrived, there were some small dark brown spots on the orange enamel, but seeing as I live a long way from a Post Office, let alone a John Lewis store, I accepted that I could live with this minor defect. However, within two months of use, the enamel cracked and peeled off on the base of the kettle, leaving razor sharp edges which scratched the cooker top.John Lewis Customer Service was excellent and they duly sent a replacement, while I returned the original. Unfortunately within just three weeks, the enamel cracked and popped off on the replacement kettle, this time close to the rim. All I did was put the lid back on after filling it.Again, Customer Service have been good and are going to refund me once I've returned the kettle. I do not want a replacement. Such a shame that the Le Creuset brand has compromised on quality. My parents had a Le Creuset casserole pan which is now over fifty years old and not a crack in sight.

Great kettle…just wished the lid popped off easier

I bought the Volcanic Kone kettle. The bright colour looks great in our kitchen - that was really important to me as it will always be displayed on our stove / countertop most of the time. The handle seems well designed- it’s comfortable, and it bends to one side which creates room to easily fill the kettle with water. It’s also been easy to clean. The things that aren’t great - the price (fairly expensive - as a result it took me a while to finally decide to buy it), and the fact that the lid doesn’t pop off very easily. These 2 things aside, I've been very happy with it so far. I’ve only had this pot for around a month now, so I’m not able to comment on durability.

Hmmm

A Christmas present. Beautiful thing but it doesn’t filter out limescale, and to counter this the care instructions are to WASH IT AND DRY IT THOROUGHLY after each use. Who does that with a kettle? Is there really no additional filter I can buy anywhere?In addition I agree with a previous reviewer that it holds very little water.I can’t find a customer service contact at le creuset to ask about this problem.

It is a lovely kettle.

It is a lovely kettle. Love the flame colour. Reminds me of kettles from my childhood. I think all dishes were enamelled at that time. Purchased it as a gift. Have a cerise kettle and have been using it for 3 years now. I was worried that the plastic on the whistle and the handle might melt, but it did not. Was not sure about the plastic whistle at first, but realized now that if it would be metal it would get hot. Overall a good product, perfect size (as it would be useless to boil more water than that, as I owned a larger kettle before and never filled it to the top as it took too much energy to boil all that water) and it is pretty.

Just the best

I find that electric kettles don't outlast their guarantee for long so have been using stove top kettles for years on Agas, gas, ceramic and induction hobs. I've also had the enamelled version but found that it damages easily and that the inside enamel isn't very long lasting, presumably because you have to descale it.This kettle has no inside seam around the bottom so can't develop leaks and the stainless finish is completely resistant to descaler damage. The size is good for the average hob pan space.It does discolour a little if you overheat it, but so long as the whistle is pushed down this should not happen.I agree with another reviewer than the whistle seems a little flimsy, but it seems to last and is safe to open when the kettle is boiling.Personally I ... MoreI find that electric kettles don't outlast their guarantee for long so have been using stove top kettles for years on Agas, gas, ceramic and induction hobs. I've also had the enamelled version but found that it damages easily and that the inside enamel isn't very long lasting, presumably because you have to descale it.This kettle has no inside seam around the bottom so can't develop leaks and the stainless finish is completely resistant to descaler damage. The size is good for the average hob pan space.It does discolour a little if you overheat it, but so long as the whistle is pushed down this should not happen.I agree with another reviewer than the whistle seems a little flimsy, but it seems to last and is safe to open when the kettle is boiling.Personally I would prefer the handle to be attached to the body of the kettle in a more permanent way, but I'm guessing that this is a style throwback to an earlier version with a folding handle.

Poor design features

We purchased this kettle online and found the lack of information about the weight and general design of the kettle meant that we have ended up with an expensive kettle that is completely unsuitable for an older person of small stature. As instructed we tried to drain the kettle completely after use and found that the hot water splashed over our hands. We need two hands to use the kettle to try and maintain the balance. This kettle might be suitable for a tall person with good upper body strength, but we feel we have wasted our money and there is no option to return it. Beware online shoppers!

Poor quality, poor customer service

Bought this because of the Le Creuset name, and the 5 year warranty. Less than two years after purchase black material started coming off inside the kettle, then shortly after that rust began forming.I contacted Le Creuset customer service, because you know, 5 year warranty. Only to be given some silly instructions on descaling the kettle (there was no scaling). After following their instructions (of course this had no effect) I was told they would be reviewing this with their technical people. That was almost two months ago. They have not responded to emails since then.Just a warning, don't be fooled by the brand name and warranty like I was, this is not a quality product.