Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm from Australia (and have also lived in the UK) and consider an electric teakettle a basic staple in the kitchen. Two major gripes: 1. If you look inside there are actually silicone(?) fasteners used that touch the water - consequently any water you boil in this one smells and tastes like metal and plastic/rubber, even after you've brewed it into tea. Completely unacceptable. Baking soda doesn't help much. 2. The stainless steel finish is HOT to the touch. Scalding/burning hot. I can't believe this thing is actually a consumer approved product. There is NO insulation whatsoever, yet this is a counter top product. You might as well just use a pot on the stove. Imagine if your stainless steel toaster burned hot on the outside. Three minor gripes: 1. The lid is not solid and seems like it would break in a fairly short lifespan of use. 2. You pretty much have to fill it by lifting up the lid. You can't use the spout for this, like you can with a lot of models. 3. This thing is heavy. Heavier than a pot you might use to boil the same amount of water. This adds to the risk of burns. On the plus side: 1. It looks fine. 2. This does boil your water quickly... so if you like the sound of bubbling water and that's all, then I guess you could buy this. Unhappy buyer - this one's going back. I wouldn't want this if someone gave it to me, let alone pay for it.