Alessi Mami Tea Kettle

There's no doubt that Alessi make some very beautiful pieces. While lots of people are familiar with the Michael Graves kettle, and even the Rossi one, this Mami kettle seems to have gone under the radar. I think that's a pity; for me, this is easily the pick of the three.

First things first. The photo that you generally see doesn't do it justice; it looks like there's some black blob in the middle of it. In fact the kettle is an elegant, sinuous curve (reminiscent of a French Curve - for those old enough to remember what that was) that's finished in a flawless, polished stainless steel. It's quite difficult to get a sense for how sexy and understated a shape it is until you hold it in your hands.

Secondly, while the handle and the whistle are equally elegant and understated, the high point for me is the whistle. I was quite unprepared for how delightful a sound it makes. It just sits there, nonchalantly, until the time comes for it do its thing, and...Read more

This is an extremely beautiful object. It reflects the kitchen like a fish eye lens, and it makes me happy just to look at it. However, the plastic cap is PLASTIC. As in, it melts if you have the heat up a little too high. I'm not so good at monitoring the flame height of my stove when I first wake up in the morning, which was never an issue before buying this kettle -- I melted the cap the very first time I used it, and did it again a couple days later even though I was trying to be careful. Now, it's a not-so-beautiful object. Replacement caps are available at the Alessi store. I'm guessing it will cost at least $30. And I will likely melt the new one too.

It does seem that there must be some material they could use for the cap that doesn't melt. Aren't they supposed to be design geniuses? Just sayin'.