This kettle works great. It heats up water very quickly and also looks good on the counter.

I bought this kettle from Amazon about a couple of years ago, and must say I was pretty pleased by the performance. Cleaning the exterior was a chore though as the stainless wasn't treated as many stainless appliances now are.

The kettle has a flaw in my opinion that keeps it off the recommend list, the very lightly constructed power switch at the top of the handle. The switch always felt rather flimsy, but since the kettle boiled like a champ, I was please for a while.

I have large hands and one morning as I sleepily poured the kettle into my french press then returned it to the base, part of my thumb touched the button as I returned it to the base. I heard a click I hadn't heard before. Nothing was visibly damaged, so I decided to fill it and see if something was wrong, or if it was my imagination. It wasn't my imagination. The kettle switch would refuse to stay powered on. Flicking the switch indicated that it still got power, but something was damaged that prevented it from staying on. My guess is a small plastic component in the switch/power cutoff mechanism. The switch seems to have a long plastic rod that runs from top to bottom that enables the unit to toggle off when lifted off the base.

For the price paid, I expected something a little more durable, but decided to have it repaired rather than toss it out. I called Braun, told them my problem and they referred me to a repair center in a nearby state since there were none in my own. I packed up the kettle, sent it off, and didn't hear back after a few weeks.

I just called the repair center only to find out that the unit is sealed and that the only replacement parts you can get are the scale filter and the base. The repair rep even told me the replacement kettle would cost more than getting an entirely new unit. Nice work Braun. I told the Braun rep what the problem was, but they told me I could send it in for repair anyway. I'm out almost $10 for shipping and insurance, and get to toss an otherwise good appliance in the trash. Hopefully the repair center at least recycles it.

If the switch were better built, I'd give it 4 stars, and 5 if the stainless were easier to clean and it had a whistle to tell you when it was done. The nearly silent click to power off is useless if you aren't in the kitchen when it reaches a boil. More than once, I've had to turn it back on again to time the boil.

As it is, I give it 2 stars. I hate the throw-away mentality. I'll be looking for a better alternative as a replacement, maybe just an old-fashioned stove kettle. It may not be as fast, but at least it will last.

This is a great electric kettle. We drink a lot of tea & this works perfectly for very fast, very hot water.

Solid and good quality. I had the white Braun Electric Kettle for over 7 years. It was fantastic. My mother recently accidentally broke the button atop that opens up the lid. But honestly, I had been waiting for an excuse to by the new stainless steel one. I've had it for six months now and it's simply a good product. I agree that it is heavier than I expected and I didn't think through the fact that the outside of the kettle gets hot but that only makes sense...it's steel. The white one would get a little warm as well. I don't have young kids so it's not an issue.

Summary: You can't go wrong with either one of the kettles -- white, black or stainless steel (s.s.) This product will last forever! Consider the following: Try to keep the kettle away from any area where you may splatter a lot especially grease from frying. It's cleanable but why put it harms way...? The black or white can be washed down with a wet, non-abrasive sponge. The s.s. one can leave prints (like any stainless steel appliance) but can be cleaned with Windex or special agent and paper towel. If you have young kids and shallow counters, go with the white or black to be on the safe side.

We have been long time Braun fans and choose the Braun for it's legacy of quality and function...We went to lots of lectures by Braun's former design guru Dieter Rams. So when I woke up two mornings ago to find the kitchen counter flooded with water I was incredulous that it was the Braun kettle leaking. I moved the kettle to a plate and filled it with water. Sure enough the kettle leaks. I called Braun alias Procter and Gamble (the kettle is made in China by the way and not Germany!) and they told me too bad...the kettle was 8 months out of warranty and to call my local repair shop (and pay for the repair). The repairman told me the kettle is unservicable..ie throw it out! I was more incredulous and called "customer service" back. After a long time on hold, they again told me "too bad" the kettle is out of warranty by 8 months.....and I hung up. After reading the reviews on Amazon, I learned that you are not supposed to store the kettle with water over night..it still works fine..so we'll see how long we can keep boiling water for pots of tea before it goes to the landfill. What a waste of stainless steel and plastic.