Very easy to use, just pour water and flick the switch which is located at the base of the kettle. The kettle is a glass picture and the handle and trim is plastic (but no plastic parts will come in contact with the liquid inside the kettle). Once the liquid is at a rolling boil, the kettle shuts itself off automatically, which is a nice safety feature. I always rinse out the kettle and let it air dry on the rack after every use. I did recently notice discoloration inside on the metal heater. Currently investigating if this is rust or discoloration from the kettle overheating. Either way, I did not expect to see this after only a handful of uses.