After my white oxo kettle (same design) gave up the fight after 7 years of use I decided to pay that little but extra for the brushed steel version. All in all a great buy. The lid and pouring action seem tighter/ stiffer than my previous kettle (not a bad thing at all really) but this may be as it is brand new and as the metal mechanism design is slightly different. I opted for the stainless version as I had dry boiled the white one a couple of times by accident and the white surface had begun chipping off- this was after 7 years of use mind you. It looks good, is easy to wipe clean, feels secure when filling and is lighter than the coloured versions imo. To avoid damaging the oxo kettle heat on a low to medium heat and always make sure it has a sufficient amount of water in it to avoid dry boiling. With a little bit of care, I estimate the steel version to last 10 years or so.