I was also excited about these and tended to dismiss the early criticism as some enthusiasts being unrealistic in expectations. I finally had the opportunity to see for myself at Home Depot right before Christmas. The first floor model seemed ok but it had a lot of orange peel and the finish felt dry and not like good porcelain. There was a black Mastertouch nearby which had a far superior mirror finish and felt glassy smooth like porcelain should:
Much worse, though, was the second display model out on the floor for all to see. Have a look at this:
Apparently at least the early production of the kettles had both quality and shipping issues. I hope that these will improve, but my desire to own one myself has definitely dropped.
Sent from my iPad using
Weber Kettle Club