Medelco 12-Cup Glass Stovetop Whistling Kettle
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Medelco 12-Cup Glass Stovetop Whistling Kettle
Customer Review: For Excellent Coffee and Tea!
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this glass tea kettle for use with my Bodum Chambord 12-cup coffee press. Although I am not a "coffee snob" I do like a very good cup of coffee, and the best coffee (and tea) is made in glass because there is no chance of tainting your coffee with metallic substances or Teflon.
This kettle is easy to use and easy to clean (you can even put it in the dishwasher if you like). It comes with a heat diffuser for use on electric ranges, but I suggest using it even for glasstop ranges as well. The whistle works well, but is a little more throaty than the high-pitch whistle on your standard metal tea-kettle. I use a probe thermometer and place it in the whistle hole, and let the water get between 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit - which is the proper brewing temperature for the best cup of coffee.
The kettle has a clean, retro design and is very well-constructed. Some reviewers have noted that the handle heats-up. I believe this is most likely because they are using the "big burner" on their stove and not the smaller one that is the proper size for the tea kettle (thus the handle is over the outside of the burner and causes it to heat-up). So just make sure to use the smaller, more appropriate-sized burner to prevent over-heating the handle. Regardless, the handle is pretty strong, and the entire kettle is solidly-built. The kettle is made in Germany, according to the documentation that comes with it (though the company is based in the USA).
I use glass almost exclusively for all of my cooking (like Corning Visions pots and pans, this Kettle, and so on) and if I can offer some suggestions to make sure your glass cookware (like this kettle) last you a lifetime, make sure that the outside is clean and dry when you place it on the burner, and turn the burner on low temperature for a few minutes and then turn it to medium to heat-up. Gently easing-up the temperature like that allows the glass to expand slowly and prevents cracking (which happens when you heat fast - though only rarely). Another tip I mentioned earlier - always use the heat diffuser! You probably won't need it for gas ranges, but for electric and glass-top ranges, use it to be on the safe side. When you take the pot off of the hot burner - DON'T place it on a cold burner or on the counter - this causes the glass to contract quickly and could possibly cause it to crack eventually. Instead, place it on a folded, dry towel or on a pot holder or two. Let id cool before you rinse it or clean it.
All-in-all, this kettle is an EXCELLENT buy! The level of quality of craftsmanship is superb and for the price - it's unbelievable!
Customer Review: Don't Expect Much...
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this glass tea kettle for my wife, who is an occasional tea drinker, and needed something to replace her rusted metallic kettle. Considering this would only receive light use in our household between her and I, we sought out something relatively cheap, but also something we wouldn't have to replace frequently -- if ever. While this tea kettle meets our needs of casual use, I echo the sentiment of other reviewers of how thin the glass is, and I must implore anyone considering to purchase this to heed these warnings.
First off, this glass is REALLY flimsy -- I mean, REALLY, REALLY flimsy. Please, believe, I am not exaggerating or overstating this fact; you know the "clink" sound glass makes when you tap it with just your fingernail? Heavier glass will give a lower clink, while this tea kettle almost sounds like its at the stage right before glass breaks, its such a high-pitched clink. The other problem with the thinness is that it makes the pot terribly light, with all the weight unevenly distributed to the slightly heavier plastic handle. WHY this is a problem is, when coupled with the overly wide spout, you have very little control of the swaying of the pot as water gently rocks back and forth during pouring, especially if pouring into a small opening. Furthermore, as its been said, for amounts under 7 cups (which, inexplicably, happens to be the point where the measurements on the side of the pot stops, 7 cup measurement for a 12 cup kettle), because of the curved rim near the spout, you practically have turn the kettle over to get the liquid out.
In summation, why this glass tea kettle receives a 3-star rating and not a 1-star rating, in spite of all its major design flaws, it serves our hardly demanding purpose; I occasionally make iced tea, so when I do, the water heats up quick, the whistle is loud enough for me to hear anywhere, and I'm dumping the water into a large pitcher. The true bright side of this kettle is it's quick boiling, which makes it okay to boil more than what you think you'll need, making the larger amount of water easy to handle (something my wife does when making a cup of tea). For these applications -- sporadic, never daily use, with the kettle kept somewhere it won't meet harm -- this glass teak kettle works, but if you're expecting a workhorse of a product, you will be disappointed.
Customer Review: wrong numbers, boils over
Summary: 2 Stars
The markings are dangerously wrong. However, better markings could have made this a 4-star or even 5-star product, so to be fair, I'll describe both the bad and the good.
The bad parts. There is no fill line to show how much the kettle can safely hold, and the actual amount is nowhere near the "12 Cup Capacity" printed on the side. If you fill it anywhere near the top, even below the base of the neck, it boils over and makes a mess. That is because water expands when heated, and boiling sends bubbles up to the surface; the narrowing at the top of the kettle exaggerates the effects of both, and you have to remove the top to pour. One reviewer said the top blew off; I have not had that experience yet, but I have had to clean up the range several times. The measure-markings on the side say "3", "5", and "7," but none of those numbers correspond with reality or even with each other. If you pour in 12 ounces of water, the level will be at "3," perhaps indicating 3 "cups" of four ounces each. (That would actually be three half-cups.) Add 10 more ounces and the water rises to "5," and 10 more ounces brings the water up to "7," so those "cups" are five ounces each. The total capacity is 64 ounces, i.e. eight cups, but the usable capacity is around 60 ounces and you have to guess where that is. The included directions say, "Fill carafe with water...." If you follow those directions, be sure to stand clear and keep a towel handy.
Aside from the danger of water boiling over, the wrong numbers are disconcerting. What else might they have skimped on, for example the plastic handle? Some plastics are good, but others fall apart, and only a chemist can know in advance. The thought of a plastic handle breaking and a glass kettle full of boiling water falling to the floor is worrisome to say the least.
The good parts. The glass kettle itself is a good idea: easy to clean, won't impart metal or scale to the water, etc. This glass kettle is less expensive than others, and easier to clean. For someone who is deaf or hard of hearing, a glass kettle lets you see visually that the water is boiling. (The whistle works but is breathy, not very loud.)
On balance, a glass kettle would be a good idea, but I would not recommend this one.
Customer Review: wrong numbers, boils over
Summary: 2 Stars
The markings are dangerously wrong. However, better markings could have made this a 4-star or even 5-star product, so to be fair, I'll describe both the bad and the good.
The bad parts. There is no fill line to show how much the kettle can safely hold, and the actual amount is nowhere near the "12 Cup Capacity" printed on the side. If you fill it anywhere near the top, even below the base of the neck, it boils over and makes a mess. That is because water expands when heated, and boiling sends bubbles up to the surface; the narrowing at the top of the kettle exaggerates the effects of both, and you have to remove the top to pour. One reviewer said the top blew off; I have not had that experience yet, but I have had to clean up the range several times. The measure-markings on the side say "3", "5", and "7," but none of those numbers correspond with reality or even with each other. If you pour in 12 ounces of water, the level will be at "3," perhaps indicating 3 "cups" of four ounces each. (That would actually be three half-cups.) Add 10 more ounces and the water rises to "5," and 10 more ounces brings the water up to "7," so those "cups" are five ounces each. The total capacity is 64 ounces, i.e. eight cups, but the usable capacity is around 60 ounces and you have to guess where that is. The included directions say, "Fill carafe with water...." If you follow those directions, be sure to stand clear and keep a towel handy.
Aside from the danger of water boiling over, the wrong numbers are disconcerting. What else might they have skimped on, for example the plastic handle? Some plastics are good, but others fall apart, and only a chemist can know in advance. The thought of a plastic handle breaking and a glass kettle full of boiling water falling to the floor is worrisome to say the least.
The good parts. The glass kettle itself is a good idea: easy to clean, won't impart metal or scale to the water, etc. This glass kettle is less expensive than others, and easier to clean. For someone who is deaf or hard of hearing, a glass kettle lets you see visually that the water is boiling. (The whistle works but is breathy, not very loud.)
On balance, a glass kettle would be a good idea, but I would not recommend this one.
Customer Review: Great, but not perfect.
Summary: 4 Stars
I started shopping around for a glass kettle since my old kettle started to rust. For about $10, this Medelco kettle seems like a good candidate.
Positive :
- All glass. Unlike Stainless Steel kettles, if there is any rusts, you will see it. This is why I chose this kettle.
Negative :
- The bottom of the kettle is smaller than smallest head on my electric range. This means that significant amount of heat will be loss dissipating around the kettle and range. Comparing to my old kettle, I can feel much more heat around the kettle. At high setting, it takes much longer to boil the water.
- With significant amount of heat dissipating around, it means that the lower part of the handle will get hot. I can usually get by by holding the upper part. But in several occasions when I left it on the range too long, it gets too hot and I need a oven mitt to pick it up. -- The lid handle can get too hot sometime too.
- You must take off the lid in order to pour water. This could become a problem when you're not too careful when opening the lid. Try not to lift it up since hot steam will hit your hand. Flip it to the side does the trick. No more steam straight into your hand.
- The "whistle" is not loud at all. Sometime the noise of boiling water is even louder than the whistle. If you just left it on the stove, and not paying attention, you might not hear the whistle at all.
- It's a glass, so there's no other way around this drawback. In case you want to boil several batches of water, you have to wait for the kettle to cool down a bit before pouring in cold water. Otherwise, the glass will break.
With all negatives, I still think this kettle is worth the price and the fact that I don't have to worry about rusts trumps all the negatives. Sure, it's a different kind of kettle and there's a limitation. But for the price and some adjustments on your part, this is a good kettle.