Review: Le Creuset Zen Stovetop Kettle

Before I begin, I have to tell you something: I loved my old kettle. It was the first kettle I ever bought, it was baby blue, and we had a couple of really good years together. But lately, she’d started leaking a little… As in, every time she poured. And while I was content to continue using her and simply adjust to making tea over the sink, my husband didn’t feel the same loyalty.

So we had to choose a new kettle. Have you been to any kettle shops lately? They don’t exist. And the kettles on display in normal shops are just so freaking ugly. Boring, white, plastic. We couldn’t do it. Especially because, with a 4-cup-of-tea-a-day habit, we use the kettle a lot. At the same time, I didn’t quite feel ready to take the leap to stovetop kettle… All the stovetop kettles I’d met (admittedly, not that many) took too long to boil. They were heavy. The handles were painfully hot. I felt like I was making tea in the Middle Ages.

But finally we decided to take the leap, and here’s what we chose: The Le Creuset Zen Kettle. Now, I ask you, have you ever seen a more beautiful kettle? (No, the answer is no.) But I know what you’re thinking – how does it operate?

Well, we chose the Zen not only because of its lovely shape, but because it’s a 1.5 litre instead of a 2 litre. You know what that means? Less water, faster boiling time. It steams and then whistles when it’s ready, so you’ll know when it’s time to make tea. And it is surprisingly speedy – easily the same length of time as an electric kettle takes to boil.

Now check out that handle. It’s ingenious! Never gets hot, smooth to the touch, a delight to hold. It pours a steady, constant stream (with no drips!) It’s not at all heavy. And it is a joy to use. My only complaint is that the lid is a little sticky when you take it on and off to put water in, but I think that will ease up with use.

In short, I am completely enamoured with my new kettle. In fact, I’m so enamoured I’ve been upping my tea intake so that I can use it more. And I may just have thrown an impromptu tea party on Saturday afternoon so I could flash it around a bit.

So if you, like me, have been hanging on to an old kettle simply because you couldn’t see any better options on the horizon, allow me to introduce you to your new love: the Le Creuset Zen.

View the Le Creuset Zen Stovetop Kettle, available in a variety of cheery colours. Thanks to Mark Peddle for the lovely pics.