We've had this kettle for less than a year and we have to ditch it. The plastic whistling-stopper has slowly melted away around the bottom. This would also explain why the whistle had stopped working after a few weeks. There's really no reason for this to happen with a modern-day product using supposedly advanced heat-resistant plastics. But then again, it's probably just cheaply made. Go for the OXO; you get what you pay for.