Best BPA and Plastic-Free Kettles in the UK

Many of us are choosing to go plastic-free in as many ways as we can and this includes appliances. This isn’t just for environmental reasons; health concerns play a role too.

If you’re looking for a kettle with minimal amounts of plastic, we’ve reviewed 6 of the best below.

Not all of these kettles are 100% plastic-free, but they don’t have plastic parts coming into contact with the water.

Sometimes you will need to remove a plastic filter or replace it with a stainless steel one.

Best BPA and Plastic-Free Kettles in the UK

1. Susteas Stove Top Stainless Steel Kettle

This timeless stylish kettle is for use on all types of hobs including gas, electric, induction radiant and halogen.

Important to note: if using a gas hob, this kettle is not made for a large flame, keep to a small-medium sized flame to ensure safety.

This kettle is 2.6 L in max capacity and made of surgical grade stainless steel (it will not rust), aluminium and iron. The majority of the kettle is stainless steel and 100% BPA free.

It comprises three layers to enable faster heating and preservation of heat after the kettle has boiled. This in itself is energy saving. The three layers are stainless steel, aluminium and iron. The use of iron ensures better performance for induction hobs.

An important note: it is recommended to leave this kettle for five minutes after the whistle blows, to ensure safety while handling it. Due to the proximity of the spout, hob kettles have always been a little more dangerous when the steam escapes. However, it does feature an anti-scalding handle.

It also prevents water from overflowing by preventing the whistle from blowing, if water is filled up above the 2.6 L line.

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2. Russell Hobbs Cambridge 20070

This kettle from Russell Hobbs is affordable and still offers a great 1.7 L capacity and 3000 W power, so would be a great option for anyone on a tighter budget.

It’s not completely plastic-free — it has a plastic lid and a removable plastic level indicator.

As long as you remove the level indicator, there won’t be any plastic coming into contact with the water.

The internal rapid boil indicator shows you how much to fill the kettle for 1, 2 or 3 cups and it only takes 45 seconds to brew a cupful for one!

This indicator is however plastic, so you may want to remove this before use (it will clip on and off easily).

The well-designed spout means you can pour your cuppas without any annoying splutters or dribbles and the easy to remove lid means refilling your kettle is a breeze.

The spout has an easy to clean, removable limescale filter which means you should only get tip-top tasty tea and coffee!

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3. Ottoni Fabbrica Italian Top Kettle “Alice Nero”

This stylish kettle from the Italian brand Ottoni Fabbrica is a great choice if you’re looking for a kettle with longevity, as it is a bit of an investment piece.

It’s guaranteed to be free from plastic and BPA free, which is great. The inside is completely free from plastic, so there’s no danger of any plastic getting into your tea.

The kettle is made from sturdy 18/10 stainless steel, so it should keep you making cuppas for a good few years.

With a removable stainless steel lime scale filter and heat insulated handle, you can keep it clean as a whistle and ensure that you won’t be burning your hands as you use your slick, modern kettle!

Each part is made in Europe to the highest standard and is certified by the IMQ.

Despite being made in Europe, this kettle comes with a UK plug when bought in the UK.

Ottoni Fabbrica’s Italian Top Kettle is cordless and has a great capacity of 1.7 L – perfect for making plenty of cups of tea at once!

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4. Ottoni Fabbrica Italian Top Kettle “Fjord Satinato”

Here’s another 18/10 stainless steel kettle from Ottoni Fabbrica, which is one of the best brands to go for if you want something plastic-free.

Like the Alice Nero model reviewed above, the Fjord Satinato is an expensive kettle but could be worth the investment if you want something durable that is guaranteed to be free from plastic.

This kettle comes with a stainless steel lime scale filter.

 

5. ASCOT Electric Kettle

This ASCOT kettle comes in many colors and has a very stylish, ergonomic design. It is made of stainless steel, is BPA free and has no plastic contact with hot water.

The kettle has a capacity of 1.6 L and can boil the water in 5 mins. It has auto shut off technology and boil dry protection so you can focus on other tasks after switching it on to boil water.

This kettle is cord free, moreover, the power base has a 27-inch power cord.

It also has a specially designed pour spout which makes sure that most of the water goes into the cup with less splashes and spills. The kettle is lightweight and easy to clean.

The on-off button has an LED light and the base also has a hidden cord storage. The top finger-ring to pull off the lid does have some plastic lining, and this part can get hot to touch.

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Are plastic kettles safe?

We all know that plastic is practical and has so many uses in our everyday lives, but is all of this plastic actually doing us any good?

Plastic is known to contain chemicals that can have harmful effects on humans. These chemicals include phthalates, BPA and BPS (a common alternative to BPA).

BPA

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound found in a lot of plastic products that can leak out when the plastic is heated.

In a plastic kettle, there is an increased chance of BPA leakage due to the boiling water and steam.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor thought to cause several health problems, so it’s not something you want in your tea or coffee.

BPA is linked to obesity and is also said to disrupt the development of unborn children and young children who are exposed to this substance.

These health concerns have led some to call for BPA to be banned.

BPA contaminated foods and drinks could be causing a whole manner of issues in the human body, with speculated links to infertility, learning difficulties, diabetes, breast cancer and lots of other pretty major health concerns.

Due to the health concerns surrounding BPA, a lot of kettles are now BPA free. However, research suggests that BPA alternatives such as BPS could be just as bad.

Therefore, it’s best to avoid the water you boil in your kettle coming into contact with any type of plastic.

How to avoid plastic in kettles

Almost all electric kettles contain at least some plastic—it’s very hard to find an all-metal kettle. The important thing is to avoid the plastic elements from coming into contact with boiling water.

Look for a kettle with a stainless steel interior. Be careful when buying a kettle that looks like it’s made from glass, as it could actually be made from a transparent plastic material.

Even if the kettle has a stainless steel interior, it might still contain a plastic filter at the top. Often the filter can be removed easily, but in some kettles, you’re stuck with it.

Plastic Free Hob Kettles

Another way to avoid plastic in kettles is to opt for a hob kettle instead. This is a kettle that boils on a hob/stove, instead of electrically.

Our No.1 kettle choice is the Susteas Stainless Steel Kettle, which enables boiling hot water from the stove, whilst avoiding plastic.

Converting back to the stove means hot water in just as little time, but often without the use of plastic.

This can mean a much safer and energy-efficient cuppa and hob kettles are now extremely versatile. They can be used on gas, halogen, induction, radiant, and electric (if needed) hobs. Some hob kettles cannot be used on ceramic hobs.

The benefit of hob kettles is that they come largely plastic-free, and are quite well made. They consist of superior mechanisms, and so are not cheap to make. This tends to mean they will last longer, and will not need to be thrown out into landfills, unlike regular plastic kettles.

The design also tends to be superior, which may mean adaptations like better insulation, or a temperature gauge for different liquids; for example, boiling green tea or coffee.

Purchasing a hob kettle is becoming quite popular for making tea and coffee (inside it). In particular, the V60 pour-over coffee method. Customers report a superior tasting coffee after using the Vinecraft Traditional Kettle.

Even though hob kettles are usually a little more expensive than plastic kettles, the Vinecraft Traditional Kettle puts the plastic version in the shade, coming in as the cheapest hob kettle we could find. It may still be more expensive than the cheap plastic version, but it will last far longer.

We highly recommend this kettle for its functionality and performance.

It is known to be highly efficient as an induction kettle, boiling water much faster than a plastic kettle. It can be used on all hob types and has a 2.7 L capacity.

Overall, hob kettles are much more efficient and environmentally conscious. In the long run, purchasing a hob kettle will save energy and will last longer; saving money and the environment.

 

Plastic kettles vs. stainless-steel kettles

Despite the fact that both kettle types are just as able to boil you up a batch of hot water, there are some pretty major differences.

For starters, a plastic kettle will more than likely be super cheap to purchase (you could find a fully functioning plastic kettle for a few quid) in comparison with a stainless-steel kettle, which will usually set you back a few more pounds.

Secondly, there is a concern for health and safety. Plastic kettles could contain BPA which is released when the plastic gets heated up (see the section above) and this could have negative effects on our health.

Stainless steel isn’t going to fill your tea with BPA, though many people opt not to choose this material for other safety reasons.

The outside of a stainless-steel kettle will of course get hot, as metal conducts heat really well, so people with children in the house may opt for a plastic kettle for this reason.

The style also plays a big part in the choice of a kettle, as you want something that will complement your decor. Stainless steel kettles do tend to come in much more stylish designs than their plastic counterparts.

Plastic kettles also tend to be of worse quality, so appear cheaper also.

Longevity is something a lot of us will consider when splashing a bit more cash on an appliance, especially when the UK ranks 3rd in the biggest tea drinkers in the world!

We want our appliances to keep us going for at least a few years, so when shelling out for a high-end, plastic-free, stainless steel kettle, we need to be sure the build quality will last.

Moreover, with fears that BPA could cause health problems, opting for stainless steel seems like the better option.

Here’s a quick round-up of pros and cons for each kettle type, so you can choose whether going BPA-free is worth it for you and your family:

Plastic Kettles

Stainless Steel Kettles

 

Conclusion

If you are on the hunt for a completely plastic-free kettle, then you might want to check out the Ottoni Fabbrica Italian Kettle.

However, if you’re kettle budget won’t stretch this far, then opting for the Russell Hobbs Cambridge 20070 would be absolutely fine. Once the plastic indicator is removed from inside the kettle then you will get that same plastic-free cuppa and from a pretty well-known, household brand.

However, we recommend the Susteas Stove Top Stainless Steel Kettle since it saves electricity and has a good capacity along with being 100% BPA-free.