Does your kettle fulfil my requirements? Please come and tell me about it!

[Hopefully]

Need to buy a new kettle, as old one leaks, boils for ages before switching off, and is generally a little past it's best before...

However, I drink a lot of tea, so I spend a lot of time with the kettle, so it needs to be perfect. I have looked around, but am completely overwhelmed. Can you tell me if your kettle fits my requirements?

1. Electric
2. Cordless if possible (so on a base)
3. Faintly attractive looking, which either means cream or stainless steel, I am unlikely (although it is possible) to find plastic appealing, and I don't want a bright coloured one that might not match when we move house next year.
4. Have a minimum level of one cup - ours has about half a litre as the minimum level because it's got a really broad base, and the electricity wastage is driving me potty
5. Not burn your hand off if you open the lid to put more water in soon after it boils (this often happens if we make tea then make dinner, or DP comes home just after I've made tea) - this probably discounts most traditional sound kettles, as you always seem to have to get your hand trapped under the handle and burned to get the lid off. Which is a shame, as I prefer traditional shaped kettles.

Please help! I am drowning in my own confusion and geekiness.

I have a steel M&S one. Meets 1-4. Not sure on 5 (never do this). PITA to keep clean though.

Yes! It's this one by Magimix

It is officially the best kettle I have owned and probably in the world. One cup: no problem. Push button opening so your hand isn't even in the way when you refill after just boiling. Insulated double wall stainless steel (beautiful and brushed) so no burnt hands, and rubber insulated handle.

I bought it from John Lewis and cannot believe I made do with shitty kettles my whole life. In fact I think I am in love with it. It is substantial and looks beautiful in brushed steel too.

And I don't even work for them. But would happily accept a matching toaster if they happened to be lurking

Mine is just a bog standard argos one, but I am lusting after this the tefal one cup one.

Another vote for the Magimix. We've just bought it after I saw it at my friend's house...[saddo emoticon]

We also tend to boil the kettle and then wander off, so the insulation really helps!

I would like to recommend exactly the same kettle as lupus. Tis brilliant. A little on the heavy side if you carry it around much, but that's really my only criticism.

It was rated v highly by Which? too.

This Krups one is brilliant.

It comes in black or in stainless steel. We had the black one then got a silver one. I think the black is better. It did start to leak as we are in a hard water area and used to fill straight from the tap so it got quite furred up.

The lid is easy to open and wide and not hot. The body of the black one isnt hot to touch - the black one is much better.

I like the look of that Magimix one. I'm especially impressed that the water level indicator is under the handle so it doesn't matter whether you hold the kettle in your right or left hand you can still see it.

Note as well on the Magimix, as well as the open button (which is at the top of the handle, as is the on/off switch) there is a helpful little rubber insulated crescent on the lid so when you do need to refill when kettle is already hot, you don't burn your fingers closing the lid, as well as not burning them opening it.

These little details make my tea-drinking day much happier...

Ooh, the magimix one is looking like a contender, although the krups one is also quite pretty. I looked at the Tefal one, but we also boil big quantities, and I think it would annoy me. Also I've read that it sometimes doesn't get the water hot enough, but no idea if that's a true story.

I'm so pleased there are other people who think about their kettles as much as I do...

Ooh, it's insulated?! That's genius! And so obvious now I come to think about it - why aren't all kettles? Mine gets boiling to the touch all over (apart from the handle, obv)

Have got britain filter one- turns pretty colours when on and has filter area you fill so never burns your hand

We've got the Brita water filter one too, and it is very good. I like having filtered water in my tea, but never remembered to keep the jug full. Boils v v fast too

The Tefal one cup thing doesn't get the water really hot enough for tea

We've just got the Magimix. It seems pretty good. At that price it had better be.

I like the 3 year warranty and the insulated sides. They don't stop the sides getting very hot when used heavily, but when only boiling a few cups of water the sides just get a little warm. I don't like the styling that much, but the brushed steel matches other stuff in our kitchen so it fits in quite well.