Review on Bodum 11883-259US Melior Gooseneck Electric Water Kettle - 27oz (Matte Black) - Perfect for Precision Pouring & Brewing by Mark Tompkins

I also bought this kettle in Target (it's much cheaper there) but I was inquiring if anyone knows what's going on with the leak. I think I may have figured it out. When unpacking the kettle, I read the instructions to see if the small piece of plastic (or silicon?) on the stainless steel tube was or should be packaging material. Nothing is said about this. I came to the conclusion that it did not need to be removed. Luckily, since I wasn't sure, I threw it in the box. When used without the silicone element, ours leaked - even more so when my husband used it and probably wasn't careful to keep water out of the hose when filling. But even just the condensate seems to send some water through the pipe. Logically, that's where the leak comes from. Now that I've put the piece back onto the pipe, it most likely won't leak. If I don't get back to that, that was the problem. If it continues to leak I will update the information. I removed the star because there is now plastic (or silicone) in the teapot, which I was hoping to avoid. Although it is above the water, the water condenses on top and flows down it.