Customer Reviews

Farberware 50123 Classic Tiburon 2-1/2-Quart Whistling Stainless-Steel Teakettle

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

I've searched a long time for a decent teakettle. I actually drink a lot of tea, and have been through about 8 teakettles looking for one that I could love. I've found it! This teakettle has a cute little design (the flared bottom) that is also very practical. It covers more surface area, so it boils faster - and it really does. I've always hated the whistle on teapots, and usually find myself tripping over the cats on my way to grab the kettle off the stove because I couldn't handle the noise. This whistle is nice and gentle, it doesn't make me jump out of my skin, and my husband can sleep through it. I haven't experienced the diminished whistle mentioned in other reviews. The handle is comfortable from whichever position you grab it, and high enough so that you aren't burning yourself when you grab it, you can get the lid off easily, and since your hand isn't right over the spout, no danger of steam burns.

The only thing I would recommend is flipping the cover open before you pick up the kettle - it's slightly awkward until you get used to it.

When I was ready to buy a new teapot, I was prepared to spend a lot of money to finally get a decent one. I didn't need to - this economical find has everything I was looking for. I've actually purchased three - one for me, one for my sister-in-law, and one for my mother. We're all very happy!

After searching high and low for a functional yet attactive stainless steel tea kettle, I've finally found the one! Initially, I wasn't sold on the stainless steel look, but after trying some enameled tea kettles that tended to rust with regular use (and fearing for all the paint I must be ingesting as I watched the inside coating wear away) I decided that stainless steel was probably my best bet. This kettle looks great, and I don't have to worry about leaving water in it. It also has a large enough opening to allow for periodic cleaning, a must on my list (larger hands may find the opening a tad too small.) The kettle has a nice 2.5 quart capacity. It boils water quickly, and it doesn't look bulky on my stove. At first, I thought the whistle sounded a bit muted, but I soon decided that this was a good thing. It's loud enough to hear, but it doesn't make you leap out of your skin. The flip-up spout is nice if you're pouring multiple cups of tea, but I find flipping it closed again a bit awkward. All in all, though, I couldn't be more pleased. This kettle is functional, attactive, and, with it's 18/10 weight stainless steel, built to last.

It works, but here is what I don't like;
The whistle was nice an loud the first time it was used, but got progressively weaker and weaker. Finally I could hardly hear it.
I ended up having to repair it. That required removing a screw in an awkward place, removing the whistle mechanism, streching out the spring that holds it against the spout, bending down a flange on the spring clip that holds the whistle against the spout, and reassembling it all. I should not have to mess with repairing a brand new teapot. The lever that opens the spout is very uncomfortable to use, and not anywhere as easy as my old Revereware kettle. The thing heats water, (how could it NOT?) and after I repaired it, it whistles. The lever I will live with. All in all, it is worth eight dollars. No more, no less.
I wish I had another Revereware copper bottom tea kettle with the nice little finger operated whistle. The round handle on this one does NOT stay cool, and requires a potholder.
I wish it lived up to the hype I read here before I bought it. It is nice and shiny, has a removable lid, and all that, so buy one if you are very very good with hand tools, you might need them.

First of all--it's a teapot: how good or bad could it be? Does water get hot in it when it's placed on a lighted burner? Yes. Does it whistle loudly when the water boils? Yes. But if you really like to boil water--I mean *really* like to boil water--then this teapot has a couple defects.

First, its circular handle goes directly over the spout as you pour, so your hand can get scalded w/ steam if you're not careful. Second, the spout cap is not easy to operate--you have to flip it to the 'open' position before you pour, and you have to be careful that the lever is not too hot.

I'm sure there are better designs out there if you have the time and money. But if you want a decent (and decent-looking) teapot for cheap, this one will do fine.

This is an update on the problem I was having with this kettle with gray stuff (flakes) floating in the water each time I used the kettle. After speaking with Farberware the consensus is that the residue is a coating that they use to seal the kettle but should not have been left in it. Somehow mine was missed (and I'm sure many others). Hopefully this isn't harmful since we ingested it daily for quite awhile! All I needed to do was fill the kettle up to where the gray area ended with vinegar for a couple of days, then I used a stiff brush and went over it really well and it all came out. Now the whole inside is just plain stainless steel. I wish I had paid more attention when first noticing this. One of the problems is that the top opening in this kettle is very small so you can't see into it very well. Daylight and a flashlight helps if anyone else thinks they are experiencing this.

I would now rate this kettle five stars but Amazon won't let you change the rating, only give an update.
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Original review: Beware! Inside of kettle sheds grey ashy stuff! --- I received this kettle on Nov 29, 06 and was thrilled with it, especially with the price which at that time was $12.99. I had owned a Farberware stainless steel kettle for ten years and accidentally left it at a condo we were staying at on vacation, so when I found this one at such a good price I jumped at it. I love the style and handle design, as I mentioned in my original review.

The first few weeks of using it I noticed stuff floating at the top of the water, almost with every usage, and thought it was too soon for minerals to be building up to that extent. We have medium hard water and after a few weeks of daily boiling of water in any kettle, minerals will start to build up on the bottom, just like with coffeemakers. Easy to brush out and rinse and start over. Since I was so busy over the holidays I didn't investigate this unusual occurrence....and just kept rinsing out the bottom every few days, not realizing we were ingesting stuff that was actually coming off the kettle every time we used it! Finally a couple of weeks ago I boiled water and poured the whole contents into a white bowl. There were grey flakes and sediment which I saved after draining off the water. After drying it became very powdery, or ashy.

I'm in the process of communicating with Farberware about this. They said they haven't had any similar complaints about this particular kettle. They told me that they do put a sealant on the inside of the kettle and any residue should have been removed during manufacturing, and have never heard of problems with it "coming off".

I just want you to be aware that there could be a problem with this kettle. I will follow up with any new information.

I had my Revereware whistling tea kettle for 20 years, and it finally developed a little rust spot on the interior and lost part of its whistle mechanism this month. I used that little kettle an average of twice a day, so I estimate I boiled water in it over 14,000 times! When I tried to replace it, I found the 'new' Revere kettles are flimsy in comparison .... a pale ghost of the old workhorse. I searched and searched for a replacement kettle I could live with; price was not an issue. I got my Tiburon teakettle last week and have had a chance to take it for a test drive. After reading some of the reviews on this kettle, I didn't know if I'd be happy with the spout mechanism, but it is really a nice feature and easy to use. I especially like the way it 'locks' open until manually closed. The little top-fill lid is a great feature and will allow me to keep the inside spotless. The way this kettle flares out on the bottom to completely cover the large electric burners on my stove is impressive .... water heats very quickly, and the top and sides of the kettle stay cool. The handle is sturdy and pretty, and it stays completely cool to the touch. The whistle is delightful ... more than strong enough to alert me to boiling water, but it doesn't set my dog to howling if I leave it whistling for 10 seconds. This is a really pretty design, much nicer than kettles I looked at in my local department store that were priced at 3 or 4 times as much. This kettle seems to be worth the $40 full retail price, but if you can get it on sale for $12.99 (as I did), grab it! I don't really expect 14,000 servings of tea from any kettle in this day of throwaway appliances, but this is a good buy.

I'm in love with this tea kettle! It exceeded my expectations. The design is sleek and the weight just right.
The spout works easily and best of all it has a whistle I can really hear-- you can't imagine how may bottoms I have boiled out of tea kettles because I forgot about them-- well, never again. This one lets me know with a nice loud but not shrill whistle when it is boiling. The handle is easy to grasp and doesn't get hot and the spout doesn't splatter all over the place. It is just great for an inveterate tea drinker like me.

This is a really great teakettle. You should buy it if you need one-- and the price is fantastic-- I just bought two more. I really loved my kettle-- then I knocked it off the stove accidently and the whistle and handle broke. So I ordered another and then another after that, rather than pay for shipping- now there is a spare!

Alot of these reviews are just wacky. Are these people high? Nitpicky. Delusional, maybe. I learned to take these online reviews with the proverbial grain or two of salt. I almost was afraid to order this kettle in the first place because of reading some of the reviews that made it sound so bad-- and as it turns out, it's great!

I took the broken whistle mechanism apart, so now I can adjust the spring in the current kettle to make the whistle louder, if I want. There is definately a variation. The second kettle has a whistle 40 % quieter than the first, and the loudness is a function of how hard the whistle is pressing against the spout. I'm going to save this job for when I am really bored though. Anyway-- great kettle-- try it, you'll like it.. And I reccommend that we all ignore some of the more extreme statements in online reviews. Best, Walter. November 2004. Cheers.

I've only had this kettle a month or two. The plastic used in the sprout cover has already melted at the bottom edge more than once. After the first time, I was very careful about turning up the gas, but even using only medium heat this has happened! Today I found a long drip of plastic off the edge after heating water, so I think this kettle isn't going to last much longer. I've always been very happy with Faberware products, regarding them as lifetime purchases. Not this one.

Considering how good the previous reviews are, I suspect something has changed in how they make this kettle.

Update: plastic handle cracked completely through in less than three years! Shopping for a new kettle and it won't be a Faberware.

I read great reviews about this kettle and so thought it would be a good buy. However it's never been very easy to get this kettle to make a sound. The spout cover doesn't seem to press down enough on the spout to seal it and thus create a whistle.

Other than that it's an fine kettle, but I always forget I've put water on so I need that whistle working.