Question from Ellen
Is there such a thing as a safe electric (cordless) tea kettle? so many reviews from Amazon talk about plastic parts, metallic taste, etc.
Do I need to go to a stove-top model? If so, do you recommend glass or steel? Enameled cast iron? (although I hear you have to empty it out each time)
I drink a lot of tea, so I need something safe, quality and preferably fast (hence the cordless) although the other two criteria are more important.
Thank you so much.
Debra’s Answer
I just heat water for tea on the stovetop in a glass pot (yes, I know, some have been known to shatter).
I haven’t looked at cordless electric teapots. I try to minimize and multitask my kitchen things.
Readers?
Hi
I was wondering if you would be able to help me as I have been looking for an electric kettle and found one which is the called the Brewista and they have said that the lid and base are both BPA-free polypropylene
– Handle is phenolic resin
– Kettle body is 25 gauge food grade 304 stainless steel (this is inside and out)
-silicone on inside for temperature control.
Would you consider this non toxic or safe to use as I am considering purchasing it?
Thank you
I don’t consider stainless steel to be safe.
Mine is glass with a metal bottom , cordless countertop and is fast. I also figured it would be better cuz the whole thing isn’t metal. I only put filtered water and it looks bead new after many years. No water stains or marks.
I’ve looked at many glass electric kettles and All have a stainless steel bottom piece inside. I suppose that would be less metal leaching than an entire stainless kettle??
Perplexed and irritated to Not find non toxic electric kettles.
Which electric tea/water kettle has No stainless heating element inside touching water?
Thanks.
I don’t think there is such a thing.
Hi Debra,
A lot of the glass kettles have a silicone ring at the bottom inside. Is the silicone ring toxic? Any toxic chemical would be leaching into the water?
Thanks.
All of the research I’ve done on silicone shows that it is considered inert. Many plastics show clear toxic effects. I’m not concerned about a silicone ring being a major source of toxic exposure.
Thanks very much for the information, Debra!
I just saw a nice glass tea kettle at Teavana, for stove top use (gas or electric, but not induction). It’s borosilicate glass, not sure how sturdy- seemed to have mixed reviews on their website. It does have a silicone ring inside the lid to keep it snug. They also had a Breville and a Chantal electric kettle that looked nice on the outside- but I don’t know if they are plastic free. I’m still very happy with my Xtrema ceramic kettle (but it’s not an electric kettle.. it’s for stovetop, works great on my glasstop electric range).
COMMENT FROM DEBRA:
I have several glass tea kettles of the borosilicate variety and love them.
Debra, do you still have your glass tea kettles? Just wondering if you were pleased with them over the long term or had issues with breaking.
I used these in my childhood and haven’t used them as an adult. No particular reason.
In all the years we only had one break. I let the water boil away and it cracked. It didn’t shatter. It just cracked.
This is the one I had.