I purchased this kettle to use primarily as a "gets the job done" kettle for my office coffee setup. I am serious about my coffee and have used more premium kettles such as the Hario gooseneck and the Fellow Stagg EKG. The Fellow is my go-to at home, but I didn't want to spend $150 again, so I purchased this Bodum kettle. My review of this product is at least somewhat informed by comparing its performance to more expensive products like the Fellow Stagg EKG.First, I want to address the leaking/steam valve issue that many other reviewers have complained of. In some photos I saw of this product before purchasing it, there was a plastic cap on the steam valve, but there was no plastic cap on mine. Bodum seems to have updated that part to a metal thingy that is, I hope, a lot more literal-fool-proof than whatever plastic piece they were using before. I took some pictures and added them to this review. To clarify: this kettle does not leak if you do not overfill it. If you fill it up to the fill line like a sane person, you will have a problem-free water boiling experience. Its design is in no way defective, and I have been using it several times per day for a few weeks now with absolutely zero leaking issues. It would probably leak if I filled it way past the line, but any kettle-- including the Stagg and other pricier options, as I've witnessed firsthand-- will leak through the lid holes if overfilled.Pour rate and quality: Before getting to the Bodum, I want to mention the speed of the pour for the other kettles I've owned. The Fellow Stagg EKG pours at a rate that I can only describe as glacially slow-- water comes out of it in a very slow and controlled drip, which is nice for pour-over coffee but feels ridiculous when pouring a lot of water at once, such as for French press or tea. On the other hand, my Hario kettle pours much faster, but it still allows for some control. So, if those are the ends of the spectrum, then this kettle from Bodum kettle pours quickly, at a rate that is most like the Hario and is honestly more pleasurable to use than the Stagg. I suspect it agitated the coffee bed more, even if the stream doesn't feel as delicate or controlled as the Stagg. The water stream produced by the Bodum is steady and does not break up or dribble, even when pouring from a height of several inches. Really, by all objective measures such as this, the Bodum's performance rivals that of any higher-end offerings.When filled to capacity with room temperature water, it boils in about 5 and a half minutes.Really, my only qualms with this kettle are with the cork on the lid and handle. They feel expectedly flimsy, but as other reviewers have said, I'm optimistic that they could be replaced with a drawer knob or something when-- definitely when, not if-- they break. When I'm buying in this price range, it's definitely not something I can really fault Bodum for. This kettle also does feel a bit wobbly on the base, but only in the way of a table with a slightly short leg. The base is plastic and feels sort of cheap, because it is. Does that matter? Again, in this price range, I don't think it does.In all the ways that count, this kettle functions identically to higher-end, pricier kettles. It's annoying to clean and has flimsy handles. The cord is short. It doesn't heat up with turbo speed or hold a ton of water. But so what? For less than $30, nothing will give you a good and controlled pour, a quick boil, and neat design.UPDATE (April 2023): I've had this kettle for over a year now, and I'm still immensely pleased with it. The cork on the lid and handle is still holding up well-- honestly, it's still like new-- after daily use. It hasn't started to rust on the inside or anything. It's still in perfect shape; I'm honestly impressed. I have experienced the issue where water leaks out of the bottom a handful of times, but I think I've discovered what causes this: the mechanism that automatically turns off the kettle once it starts to boil is seemingly triggered by steam, and if I attempt to turn it back on to maintain boiling or if I reheat more water a few times in a row, the steam causes enough condensation buildup around the switch that some of the droplets come out. I don't think this is "leaking" at all; if anything, this is really my fault for trying to push the kettle beyond the scope of what the manufacturer intended.