I kept Bob T's review in mind when I ordered, and decided if the handle got too hot I'd just use a pot holder if I had to, since this pot is SO beautiful to my eye (and even better in person), and the Hario Buono and others are not.Imagine my surprise when the handle didn't heat up at all and was completely easy to hold.A little trick I learned from my Alessi kettle Alessi Kettle By Richard Sapper with Melodic Whistle (9091 FM), is to sit it off center on the burner so the handle isn't over the burner at all. Better still, just heat the water in a pan, transfer to this, and use for the perfect pour.According to Blue Bottle Coffee's site (where it costs $135) it's not recommended for directly over a gas flame, so this method with the pan would be best anyway (unfortunately, my San Francisco apartment has an electric stove, not gas); but, again, the handle was never hot to the touch at all, and I was very surprised based on my expectations after reading Bob T's review, prior to my purchase.Per Blue Bottle:"It's a corny locution, true, but the Takahiro 0.9 liter kettle is the Rolls Royce of pouring kettles. There is no kettle, in our opinion, that is as silky and responsive to a pour. After a little practice, we got a stream of water that was so slow -- yet fine and unbroken -- that we could see the individual drops of water cohere like we were pouring the tiniest pearl necklace. And the coffee was good, too. Not recommended for direct heating over a gas flame."I've got a kitchen full of Mauviel copper pots, French white porcelain from Pillivuyt and Apilco, Le Creuset, a Chemex coffee maker, make my own vinegar in French oak vinegar casks, and so on, and this pot fits right in with all of that. It's a beauty to look at even when not in use (more so than you'd imagine from the pictures here).Highly recommended.If you read this review and it hasn't been updated in the months and years to come it means this held up to my satisfaction. If it doesn't hold up over the long run, I'll be back to update.