Many cookware-makers have tried—and failed—to improve on the classic kettle, adding finicky flip-up spouts or arcing handles. French brand Staub (Le Creuset’s lesser-known competitor) delivers a heavy-duty one-quart teapot ($120 at Whisk, 231 Bedford Ave., nr. N. 4th St., Williamsburg; 718-218-7230) that prizes function over frivolity but isn’t afraid of a little color, either. The enameled cast-iron kettle evenly distributes heat and—improvement!—features a removable lid for prepping one-pot meals.