I did not compare the features of this digital tea kettle with others and I have not owned it long enough to speak to its durability, but I can say that it works for me and I am pleased with it. To emma3's points: The kettle works in a way similar to a tea pot on a stove. You turn it on and when the water is ready, you pick it up and pour it and the kettle shuts off. If you want some more water, you have to turn it on again (as you would a tea kettle on a stove). If you do not pour the water when it is ready, the unit goes into a standby mode, which keeps the water at 190 degrees by default (or at whatever temperature that you set). It heats up water very quickly and I get four large cups of tea from a full pot. Reheating takes only a minute or two.

I've had this kettle for 2 months. Overall it's a nice kettle and does what it is supposed to do - heat water. I am not picky about the settings, but I do admit they could be improved. One thing that makes me want to stop using the kettle is that occasionally the water turns blue. I still can't figure out whether it's some chemical leaking into the water or what. But I don't really want to check the water color before I pour it into my cup. I use filtered water so I know for sure it's not the water issue. Maybe Sears could help me figure this out?