It is not just a teapot… It is A Le Creuset Whistling Tea Kettle
Written: Dec 05 '01
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Pros: Colorful, French, chip-resistant, easy to use.
Cons: Can be heavy when full, has been known to sputter.
The Bottom Line: This beautiful tea kettle adds color and drama to my otherwise boring midwest kitchen. With 8 colors to choose from there is bound to be one you'll love.
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| vbfc's Full Review: Le Creuset Whistling Tea Kettle |
I’m a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle here is my spout
When I get all steamed up hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out
I’m a little teapot, short and stout
It is not just a teapot…
First, let’s get one thing out of the way. This is a review about a teapot. It is also known as a tea kettle to the manufacturer – but at my house it is still just a T-pot. It is a cookware item that is used to boil water. It does not do anything else, except whistle when the whistler (plastic whistling piece) is inserted. If you are looking for some magical kitchen appliance that will cook dinner and do the dishes – this isn’t it, even though the teapot is from Le Creuset and France.
That out of the way, the Le Creuset Whistling Tea Kettle that resides on the back burner of my stove is an old and trusted friend. I love this 1.8-quart teapot and for a period of time before I officially owned it, I’ll now admit, I lusted after it. Why you wonder? Well, the Le Creuset brand is known world over for creating some of the finest cookware in the world for over 75 years. I had to get me some!
Most of the Le Creuset cookware collection is constructed of cast iron – by hand, and then double enamel-coated. Besides creating rich and deep colors that do not chip or fade, the enamel coating keeps this teapot and other cookware pieces from absorbing flavors or odors. Not very important if you are boiling city tap water or Evian – but if you live in the middle of nowhere like me and have super mineral water, this is key. My Le Creuset Whistling Tea Kettle is still as beautiful, functional and perfect as the day it came home from Williams-Sonoma.
Important Details
What color starts your rainbow?
The Le Creuset cookware collection is available in a number of vibrant colors including Black, Blue, Green, Red, Jade, Citrus, White and my favorite – Flame. The simple names do not do justice to the actual colors. I recommend checking them out in person if you can or on a high-quality monitor at the Le Creuset web site.
Flame is really a color that will pull you in – deep. My teapot is the most wonderful shade of deep, dark orange. A true fall color that I love. It is a bright spot of color in my kitchen; similar to the glow the electric stove coil takes on when set on high. The top of the pot is the lightest and as your eye hits the middle of the pot the color deepens until you hit the bottom edge and the color is almost red, but isn’t – just a deeper, darker orange. This teapot is on fire – even when the stove is off.
The other color choices include a Blue that is really a bright cobalt blue or maybe royal to some. A high-energy color, the shade of blue that was so popular for kitchens two or three years ago. Black and White are both easy to picture – clean, simple, elegant. The gloss makes these classic shades work well in any kitchen. Citrus is about as bright and cheery as yellow can be – lemon, sunny – hard on my eyes – but a crowd-pleaser. The Green is bright, almost an emerald, while the Jade is deeper and more subdued – and harder to find. Red is easy – somewhere between a true red and a cherry tomato – it would be my first choice if it wasn’t for Flame.
Here is my handle here is my spout
Construction, form and function
Earlier I mentioned that most of the Le Creuset cookware collection is constructed of cast iron - BUT - not the teapot, which is actually enameled steel. This is wonderful for heating water because the steel conducts heat evenly across the entire kettle regardless of the cooking method (gas, electric, halogen or radiant ceramic like my mom has). Your tea water will be boiling in no time at all. It is important to “match up” the size of the teapot base to the size of the burner used to insure even heating. On an electric stove if this teapot is full and used on a too small burner, it may take an extra long time to heat. On a gas range if used on a burner that is too large for the base, the sides of the kettle may get “scorched”.
Once the water has boiled, it is important to turn the burner off. Don’t leave this kettle on to simmer on a low flame. Le Creuset suggests in their product information that this could be bad for the enamel.
When I get all steamed up hear me shout
Now this is the Le Creuset Whistling Tea Kettle so I should probably mention something about the Whistler, a 2 ½” piece of black molded plastic that fits into the spout of your tea kettle. If you leave it out, the kettle will not “whistle” when the water has boiled. If you leave it out, your toddler will make sure it disappears forever. Of course, the Whistler can be replaced for a small fee at the Le Creuset web site. The Whistler allows you to hear that the water in the T-pot is boiling, even if you are upstairs or a number of rooms away. The sound as I recall, is not unpleasant, I just stopped bothering with it. Just one more piece of plastic to keep track of.
Keep in mind that when the water has boiled, to be able to pour it out through the spout, the Whistler has to be removed. This is no easy task when your T-pot is new. The Whistler is made to have a tight fit so it will work properly. Also, the kettle has just been on a hot stove, so it is hot and so is the Whistler. I would highly recommend a potholder. The rest is up to you. My Whistler will stay lost.
Just tip me over and pour me out.
More on pouring the water. Be CAREFUL. If you have overfilled the pot, it may splash. Le Creuset recommends only filling this kettle about ¾ full – or just below the spout hole. If you do not use the “whistler” and you put too much water in, once the water boils it will “pop” and “sputter” out of the spout. This can be a bit annoying and it can also burn you. If you are cooking on an electric stove, the sputtering is not good for your coil. Consider yourself warned.
Finally, when pouring boiling water out of this tea kettle, be certain that the handle is “locked” in the upright position (yes, just like your seatback when flying). You will actually be able to feel the handle locking into place. This will keep the kettle from tipping due to the weight of the pot and water shifting.
The lid for this pot fits snuggly and will not “fall out” or pop out by accident. Sometimes, you will need to give it a forceful tug to get it out so you can fill the t-pot with water. The nice part of the tight fit is that steam will not "escape" while you are holding this kettle and you will not end up with "hot knuckles".
Care
Believe it or not – this T-pot can go right in your dishwasher – I put mine on the top rack – but this will be a hard fit in some newer machines. You can also just wipe it down with a damp cloth every other day or so. It never needs to be polished and after five years of continuous use, mine has no chipping or fading. As long as you take care not to bang the teapot, the enamel is guaranteed to last almost forever.
Before you use your Le Creuset Whistling Tea Kettle for the first time, be sure to give it a thorough washing. Just like with any new cookware item, you wouldn’t want any stray factory dust ruining the taste of your culinary creation – even if it is only hot water for instant coffee or tea.
Finally, the manufacturer recommends that you not leave any water in the T-pot when you are not using it. Sounds reasonable. The reason is to prevent mineral deposits. Keep in mind, that if you live in the middle of nowhere, you may have hard water, high (content) mineral water or some other malady that will “taint” the water you boil for tea. You may be forced to resort to … bottled water. If you stick with the tap variety, you tea kettle may need some extra attention from time to time to clean the “film” that may build up. I just use a little extra elbow grease. With the lid off, it is easy to reach in and clean.
The Le Creuset Warranty is pretty cool – it guarantees the enameled cookware, from the date of purchase, for the lifetime of the original owner. Hah- little do they know, but I am planning on living for another 60 or 70 years. Hope this little T-pot can hold on that long. Otherwise, I’ll be ringing up for a new one.
You can reach Le Creuset Consumer Services on their toll-free line, at 1-877-CREUSET (273-8738) or visit their website: http://www.thegreattable.com/siteguide.php
Then again, I am sure they don’t plan on giving me a new kettle, as this one is designed to last forever.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
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vbfc
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Member: VB
Location: The Rocky Mountains - a long way from NY
Reviews written: 93
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About Me:
Wacky mom having way too much fun with zany girls and lovable dad. ReadALLAbout it!!!
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