Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

My original 2006 review is below. There are helpful comments, including my own comment in 2010 (hinge broke, bought another one) and 2012 (hinge broke after 18 mo, bought another one). My current kettle's hinge just broke - so that one lasted almost exactly 3 years. This one had minor buckling of the silver foil on the lid (near the spout) and on the handle (I went to check, I never noticed it). I keep the glass and silver heating element clean and shiny with vinegar (as in the product manual). By the way, I've never had a problem with unpleasant taste or smell, and I've never had the heating element fail. I just looked around for another brand of glass water kettle that might bring me as much joy as this one does, and I can't find one. I think the hinge lasts longer if you know it is delicate, and pay attention not to open it too far. The foil on the lid lasts longer if you are careful to open the lid enough so that the steam isn't repeatedly flowing over it. In the end, this kettle is so beautiful on my counter that I will accept its limited lifespan (like a delicate wine glass). I'm surprised, though, that Capresso doesn't care about the repeated one-star reviews, many of which complain about the cheap plastic hinge and the peeling shiny lid. I give whomever designed this an A+++ (for beauty) and an F for durability. 2006 review: My biggest rave is the Amazon.com customer service. I fell in love with the look of this kettle and found the best price on Amazon.com (with free shipping!) When it arrived, it only worked if the kettle was oriented one way on the base -- when it boiled, the water dribbled on the cord. Called Capresso Cust Svc -- 1st person said, it's supposed to do that. After another week, it got worse. Capresso would replace it if I paid it's shipping back to them. Called Amazon.com, got another in the mail days later, post-paid shipping back the first one to them. Wow! This kettle works just fine. Very rapid boiling of water, no complaints about anything. To keep the glass and that silver dome shiny, you do need to do the vinegar thing every now and again. Couldn't be happier.