The Search for the Best Non-Plastic Electric Kettle

Water tainted with a plastic taste from your electric kettle is certainly not something your taste buds appreciate, but ingesting water that tastes of plastic may be more than just bad for the palate. Unless you're using a non-plastic electric kettle, there's a chance that your kettle is leaching endocrine disruptors – such as BPA – into the boiling water. In this article, we take a look at how these endocrine disruptors can affect your health, and provide tips on where you can find a non-plastic electric kettle made of stainless steel or glass. If you scroll down, you'll also find a product comparison table (highlighting the pros and cons of various kettles) to help you make a smart choice in case you're planning on buying a non-plastic electric kettle.

Plastic Contains Chemicals That Mess With Human Hormones

Endocrine disruptors, chemicals that can cause health problems by interfering with the human endocrine (hormone) system, are found in a wide range of plastic products including many electric kettles. Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most famous endocrine disruptors, and it is often detected in foods and drinks that have been stored or heated in plastic containers. While the U.S. agencies continue to allow the use of BPA in most plastic products, an increasing number of studies suggest that a significant exposure to BPA may be linked to health problems like polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, impaired brain development and learning disabilities (in children), prostate cancer, breast cancer, thyroid problems, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and asthma – just to mention a few.

Finding the Winning Non-Plastic Electric Kettles

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Non-Plastic Kettles for US shoppers
Non-Plastic Kettles for UK shoppers

As a result of these studies, consumers have begun to demand products that are free of BPA and other toxins found in plastic products. As both stainless steel and glass are naturally free of BPA, phthalates, and other similar chemicals, products made of stainless steel and glass are gaining popularity among consumers. Companies selling non-plastic electric kettles, in particular, are seeing their sales increase as shoppers are growing increasingly wary of the potential dangers of hot, boiling water getting in contact with plastic.

However, finding a good non-plastic electric kettle that is as plastic-free as possible is not as easy as it may sound. While there are many kettles with stainless steel liners on the market (and some glass kettles), many of them still contain a lot of plastic parts.

HealWithFood.org embarked on a mission to find the best non-plastic electric kettle on the market. The criteria to determine the winner(s) included:

• Ideally, the kettle would be free of plastic parts. If it did have some plastic parts, they should have minimal contact with hot water
• The kettle should be cordless, and it should have a 360° rotational base (swivel base), allowing you to place the kettle on its base from any angle – an important feature for families with both left and right-handed members!
• It should boast an automatic shut-off feature for extra safety
• You should be able to hide any extra power cord neatly inside the heat element (the base), so the cord is out of the way
• It should have an excellent rating plus excellent customer reviews on Amazon

Based on the above criteria, the non-plastic stainless steel kettles listed below stood out. They all met the above criteria, but they also offered some nice bonus features (described in the "Pros" column in the Comparison table below).

Comparison of Non-Plastic Electric Kettles

Model:	Plastic parts exposed to water	Pros (other than those listed above)	Cons
Breville SK500XL Ikon Cordless 1.7-L...	During boiling: Water level meter During pouring: Lid and scale filter receiver	A solid cordless electric kettle with a beautiful, elegant design A pleasant, musical ping when the water is done heating (some reviewers complained that the tone too quiet, though) The spout is wide and well-designed	A weird smell in the new machine (caused by manufacturing residue) but most reviewers reported that the odor would disappear after repeated washings The kettle will get very hot on the outside (common with stainless steel kettles), so make sure you keep your fingers on the handle Quite pricey ($79.95 as per the Breville USA website at the time of writing, but prices may vary depending on where you buy this kettle. Click here to check the current Amazon price.
Kitchen Gizmo Stainless Steel Double-Walled Electric...	During boiling: None (the interior is completely plastic-free) During pouring: None. The lid and the spout are stainless steel.	The "Cool Touch" dual-walled construction lowers the temperature of the outside wall, reducing your risk of burning your hand. This construction also insulates the water inside, keeping it hot for longer Wide opening facilitates cleaning The metal interior is seamless Very good value for an affordable price (click here to check out its current price on Amazon)	No water level indication window, but then again, this is one of the reasons why this pot has less plastic exposure to hot water than most other stainless steel kettles Some people have experienced rusting issues with this stainless steel kettle No audio indication (bell, whistle) that the kettle has finished boiling
Oster 5965 1-1/2-Liter Electric Water Kettle, Stainless...	During boiling: Water level indicator (viewing window) During pouring: Lid and lime scale filter in front of the spout	A lot of reviewers praise the very short time this kettle takes to boil water Keep-warm feature to keep the water hot after it has boiled	There have been some complaints about this kettle leaking after only a few weeks of use The exterior is not insulated and can therefore get very hot The opening is somewhat narrow, which makes cleaning it a bit hard The power cord is rather short compared with many other kettles (though this can also be a plus) No bell or whistle signaling that the kettle has finished boiling
Breville USA BKE595XL The Crystal Clear Electric...	During boiling: Very small rubbery ring in the bottom of the water reservoir During pouring: Underside of the lid and lime-scale filter in front of the spout	This high-end kettle made of German Schott glass looks beautiful and modern, and you can watch the water boil The rubbery ring in the bottom of the pot is very small, almost unnoticeably, and according to the manufacturer, it is BPA-free	No audio signal indicating that the kettle has finished boiling

Want to Buy a Plastic-Free Electric Kettle in the UK?

If you live in the UK, you may want to order your electric kettle from Amazon.co.uk rather than Amazon.com. Click here to view non-plastic kettles on Amazon.co.uk.