Chantal Enamel-on-Steel 1-1/3-Quart Tea Ball, Red

I like the look. It is great color. The down side is there is a warning the plastic whistle will melt on a gas stove and the base is pretty small.

I purchased this tea ball for a Christmas present for my mom, and she is very happy with it. The only warning is to be careful of setting it by other pots and pans for it can scratch the enamel, but if you take care of it it should give you no problems because it is made very well. It is beautiful, works great, makes for about 4 small cups of tea or 2-3 big ones, the whistle has a great sound. When I had problems with the first one I sent it back and Amazon replaced it quickly--they truly have excellent customer service. I highly recommend this product!

Who would think that after centuries of practice -- maybe even millennia -- humans could completely botch the design of such a simple item as a teapot? And this lovely-looking teapot is made by a great company to boot. Unfortunately, my little beauty will either have to go into the trash bin or be repurposed as a flower vase.

The bad:
No matter how low the flame, the handle on this teapot becomes *burning* hot on the stove. The whistle has to be pulled out of the spout by hand to pour the tea. Unfortunately, the cute little ring on the end of the whistle which is meant for pulling also becomes searingly hot. Since the boiling hot whistle stubbornly refuses to leave the spout without a very hard yank, getting your "relaxing" cup of tea actually requires donning enough gear to handle a nuclear waste spill. You need to wear 2 oven mitts -- one to protect the hand that is yanking on the whistle, and the other for the hand that is grasping the red-hot handle in order to...Read more