Gift Guide, Day Twenty-Two

December 22, 2011

A Perfect Way to Boil Water

I think this is the most beautiful teakettle ever made.  A big statement, but I really do love this.  

I first saw it at the Museum of Modern Art – or at least one very like it.  You can see the picture here.  Designed by John G. Rideout in 1936, it was manufactured in Ohio. But that kettle has a design flaw – the only way you can remove the lid is with a screwdriver.

 This English version, which has been made by Picquotware in Scotland since the 30s, has a removable lid.  But more importantly, it’s still being made. When I went to the company’s website, I put my phone number in and ten minutes later I got a call from Scotland. It's too late to get it in time for Christmas, but who cares? In this case, a promise would certainly do. Anyone who loves this gorgeous object as much as I do would thank you every morning when they put the kettle on.

 Incidentally, when I told the man that I had burned up the handle on my first one (the handle is sycamore), he told me very sternly that I should have sent it back.  “We refurbish them so that they look like new,” he said. “We want them to last you a lifetime.”

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