According to psychologist Barry Schwartz, the secret to happiness is having less to choose from. In his book, The Paradox of Choice (Harper Perennial), Schwartz describes how choice ultimately leads to paralysis. If you've ever spent hours sleuthing for something as seemingly simple as the perfect tea kettle, you know this is certainly the case.
So we've sifted through the exhaustive amount of options to a more narrow selection of 10 classic tea kettles to choose from. Have one to add to the list? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Above: The venerable Belgium company Demeyere makes a high-gloss finish Stainless Steel Tea Kettle; $64.95 for the small size (2.4 quarts) and $84.95 for the large size (6.3 quarts) at All Modern.
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Above: Both Alexa and Francesca swear by the Staub Theiere Teapot, available in black cast iron as well as a range of enameled jewel-like colors (cherry, basil, grenadine,aubergine); $149.95 at Amazon; photo from Distinctive Decor.
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Above: Sarah's favorite is the Water Kettle by Sori Yanagi, designed by the Japanese master, available in stainless steel; $150 from Unica Home. Photo from Antik Modern.
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Above: The BonJour Porcelain Tea Kettle in black enamel holds 2 quarts; $38.57 at Amazon.
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Above: The Opa Nuotiokahvipannu tea kettle is made by Opa Oly, the oldest manufacturer of stainless steel household items in Scandinavia; available for €59 from Retkiaitta.
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Above: Illinois-based Copco has been making teakettles since 1962; the Cambridge Stainless Steel Tea Kettle is $30.95 at Amazon.
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Above: Michelle has the Le Creuset Kone Kettle in black, enameled steel holds 1.6 liters; $114.79 from Langton in the UK.
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Above: Julie's next purchase will be the Kaico Kettle, designed by Makoto Koizumi and made of enamel-coated steel with a beechwood handle and maple knob; $140 at Emmo Home. Photo from Rakuten.
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Above: The classic Le Creuset Stainless Steel Tea Kettle is $100 at Williams-Sonoma.
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Above: The High Gloss Finish Solid Copper Tea Kettle from traditional Old English whistling kettle maker Simplex is $179.95.
For more dining room decor, sift through all 230 Tabletop posts in our archive, and for an alternative tea pot see our past article: The Teapot Transformed.
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on September 28, 2011.
