It’s high (tea) time we pay more attention to our environment before it starts boiling.
We can start sipping away at our most used products and switch to more sustainable alternatives like eco kettles.
Think: better materials, designed to minimise water and energy usage, and created by a company conscious of that cuppa’s carbon footprint.
And that’s what you’ll find in our curated list below. In the coming months, we’ll also be introducing our new Brand Rating System, which will assess brands based on multiple sustainability-related criteria, including resource efficiency and product longevity. Learn more about it here.
Now, care to know which are our favourite sustainable kettles?
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Spilling The Tea On The Top Eco Kettles
Made from surgical stainless steel with a cool touch ergonomic handle and push-button technology that makes pouring a breeze, any tea lover will get carried away by Caraway’s durable kettle.
Take your sustainable tea and coffee moments up a notch with xtrema’s pure ceramic kettles that are sustainably manufactured with natural materials free of toxins.
If retro is more your style, SMEG’s color-popping eco-friendly kettle features a removable stainless steel limescale filter so there are no compromises in the quality of your brew.
Index: Eco-Friendly Kettles
- Caraway Jump to brand
- Hario Jump to brand
- Xtrema Jump to brand
- Alessi Jump to brand
- Etsy Jump to brand
- Smeg Jump to brand
- Great Jones Jump to brand
- Dualit Jump to brand
- Used Electric Kettles Jump to brand
Sustainable Non-Electric Kettles
Caraway
Caraway’s Kettle
Price Range: $245
Caraway introduces their modern take on a classic kitchen essential, the Whistling Kettle.
Their beautifully constructed non-toxic stovetop tea kettles will keep your boiled water clean and free from harmful chemicals.
Available in seven modern colours—from bright marigold to the deep, calming navy blue of the kettle we own—they come with a complimentary potholder making your kettle easier to handle after boiling water.
Like all of Caraway’s non-toxic cookware, the kettle’s stainless steel body is coated in non-toxic ceramic that’s free of PFOAs and can be used on any type of stovetop including induction, electric, and gas.
It released up to 50% less CO2 when produced compared to traditional non-stick coatings.
Its design is also highly heat conductive and boils water more efficiently. We actually timed how long it took to boil the same amount of water in this kettle and our old one, and Caraway came out on top by nearly two minutes!
About Caraway
Caraway produces planet-approved products.
Their plastic-free kettles and cookware are designed with ethically produced materials that don’t lead to any toxic run-off.
Caraway also supports BSCI and SMETA-certified manufacturing partners where employees are safe, paid fairly, given benefits, and work regulated hours.
All orders are shipped in packaging made of recycled materials, free of any single-use plastics, and using low-impact print dyes.
Hario
Hario’s Kettles
Price Range: $39–$84
Japanese for “King of Glass”, Hario designs and makes eco-friendly kettles in Japan.
Their drip kettles and stainless steel stovetop kettles boast an ergonomic design that might look a little unusual at first.
Once you start using it, you’ll appreciate how the Hario V60 “Buono” Drip Kettle and similar models feature a thin spout for easy pouring.
The gooseneck spout allows for a slow, steady, and controlled pour, making it perfect for pour-over, drip, manual coffee brewing, boiling water for tea or cooking.
Hario also has an electric kettle.
About Hario
While we’re not very familiar with Hario kettle manufacturing practices, we do know a little more about Hario’s factory in Japan which has been making its plastic-free coffee makers since 1972.
It makes their glass with electricity, as an environmentally friendly alternative to combustion smokestacks. Any excess glass material is returned to the furnace for reuse.
This Japanese company is also known to be working to increase the number of women in managerial positions and regularly participates in local philanthropic clean-ups.
We’ll be reaching out to ask some questions about their supply chain.
Xtrema
Xtrema’s Tea Kettle
Price Range: $183
Xtrema’s trio of non-toxic tea kettles are made using 100% pure ceramic, making them safe and free from metals or harmful chemicals.
Each piece, whether it’s the Retro, Swirl, or Asiana tea kettle is handcrafted by specialty Chinese ceramic artists.
As pure ceramic tea kettles, they won’t change the taste of the water you use for your precious cup of tea or ethical coffee, or leach chemicals, lead, cadmium, or metal.
Their 100% mineral clay construction means they won’t get scratched and reveal toxic chemicals underneath, a common problem with ceramic-coated products.
They withstand extreme temperatures so feel free to throw them on the BBQ grill, over a fire, in the microwave, or stovetop.
They’re also California Prop 65 compliant.
About Xtrema
Xtrema is a family-owned and operated company with decades of experience in providing uncomplicated, non-toxic bakeware and cookware.
Xtrema’s kettles are handmade in China because of the country’s reputation for producing ceramic products of the highest quality.
We’ll be touching base with Xtrema to find out more about working conditions, living wages, and the brand’s carbon commitment.
Alessi
Alessi’s Induction Hob Kettles
Price Range: $86–$250
The Alessi sustainable tea kettle range may feature novel designs (dragon, dinosaur, and bird-shaped whistles, anyone?), but they’re all made of classic stainless steel.
This includes their “designer boilers”, which feature a magnetic heat-diffusing bottom.
They also offer an electric kettle made with a thermoplastic resin, making it highly responsive to temperature without requiring toxic chemicals.
About Alessi
The Certified B Corp has taken an impressive approach to corporate social responsibility, including charitable contributions for orphans and striving to reduce environmental impact.
Most of their tea kettles and other sustainable kitchen products are made by skilled workers in Omegna, Italy.
Etsy
Etsy’s Vintage Kettles
Price Range: $5–$11,909
Vintage kettles are not only unique but they also do away with the manufacturing footprint of a new kettle.
Are you looking for a tea kettle for a particular aesthetic and budget?
Etsy has them all: splatter-ware, stoneware, and even kettles dating back to the 1700s.
Just be sure to steer clear of those older models that have potential toxin leaching—like those made of plastic, aluminum, copper, colour coatings (unless external only), and enameled cast iron kettles.
About Etsy
Invite Etsy over for a cuppa and you’ll be supporting small, independent businesses.
You can search for kettle sellers in the UK to minimise shipping impact, but regardless, you’ll receive it with carbon offset shipping.
Their data centers, website, global offices, and even work-from-home employees are powered by renewable energy.
Sustainable Electric Kettles
Smeg
SMEG’s Electric Kettles
Price Range: $119–$448
They may look like something out of that 70s show, but SMEG’s retro kettles feature all the modern tea tech.
On top of a keep warm function, the temperature settings allow for customisation for your favourite tea type and an auto shut-off feature.
Their enameled stainless steel surface (available in several colours) and uncoated stainless steel interior provides for the most efficient heat conduction, making them one of the best eco-friendly tea kettles.
Each kettle has an in-built but removable stainless steel limescale filter for cleaner cuppas.
About SMEG
A well-known eco-friendly appliance brand, SMEG combines high performance and energy efficiency in its range of kitchen and laundry products.
They prioritise easy-to-recycle materials such as steel, glass, aluminum, and brass.
As an Italian company, they adhere to REACH and RoHS standards set by the EU, which restrict hazardous chemicals and materials in their supply chain.
Great Jones
Great Jones’ Tea Kettle
Price Range: $165
Great Jones has collaborated with fellow coffee-lovers, Fellow, for their take on the best energy-efficient kettles.
Their custom Stagg EKG electric kettle includes a precision-pour spot specifically designed for pour-over coffee—though we’re pleased to tell you it’s very tea-friendly too.
The Great Jones x Fellow kettle features a built-in temperature control system and boil-dry protection, which ensures you don’t waste energy and harm your kettle by accidentally leaving it on and empty.
Great Jones Ethical & Sustainability Practises
Great Jones is a women-run, New York-based small business eco-friendly cookware brand that uses three main materials in its products: enameled cast iron, stainless steel, and ceramic nonstick.
Pieces made with stainless steel contain trace amounts of nickel, but they’re free of Teflon, using a non-toxic ceramic coating instead.
The products are made in vetted cookware factories all over the world, including Guangdong, Tianjin, and the US. We will be contacting Great Jones for more details about specific labour practices and worker protections.
Any returned cookware is recycled or donated via their partnership with Hot Bread Kitchen in New York.
Dualit
Dualit’s Tea Kettle
Price Range: $59–$129
Tea time equals green time with Dualit’s range of non-toxic electric tea kettles, all stainless steel designed to minimise limescale build up, and automatic shut-off functions.
At just 2300 watts, the Architect Kettle is an ideal low-watt kettle.
Their Classic Kettle has a one-cup setting for a quick cup on the go. Unlike others, it comes with a replaceable 3KW heating element to extend its lifespan.
About Dualit
Dualit values sustainability and ethical sourcing, which is why they offer reparable toasters and kettles and industrial compostable coffee capsules.
These coffee capsules are mostly Fairtrade certified, too.
Used Electric Kettles
Are electric kettles eco-friendly?
Typically not, however, used electronics are the most ethical electronics—and eco-electric kettles are no different.
There are many options when it comes to sourcing used kettles. They’re a common find at thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Gumtree.
To have a sip-worthy kettle shipped directly to your door, consider:
- eBay: eBay has a range of certified refurbished, seller refurbished, and used tea kettles. Many are made with stainless steel and some come with warranties.
- Amazon Renewed: You can find refurbished, open-box, and pre-owned kettles that are professionally inspected and tested and come with at least a 90-day guarantee. Many on offer are the best energy-efficient kettles, too.
If you’re wondering what type of kettle is more sustainable, we’d recommend looking for fully stainless steel kettles, as these are the most durable as well as the most non-toxic.
Be sure to check that the heating coils and brass fittings aren’t exposed, as they may leach nickel, lead, and heavy metals.
Electric Tea Kettle Vs. Eco Stove Top Kettle
If you’re wondering what type of kettle is more sustainable between hob kettles and electric kettles, the jury’s still out.
Choosing the most economical kettle is also somewhat confusing. Some suggest it takes the same amount of energy to heat the same amount of water—regardless of how you do it (unless the forgotten hob kettle is left to whistle away, of course).
Others recognize the potential energy wasted on the body of the kettle and the stove itself.
The main drawback to electric kettles, however, is that all the electronic components and mixed materials make them difficult to recycle and tricky to dispose of.
Electronics in general have this problem, which we think makes hob kettles arguably more of a sustainable tea kettle and a little greener than their counterpart.
How To Dispose Of Old Kettles
Kettles contain components that can be toxic when they end up in a landfill.
We recommend not contributing to the UK’s annual 378,200 tonnes of electrical waste by taking it to a local recycling centre.
While the recycled components aren’t valuable, the process will yield low-value metals that can be upcycled into other products.
Because recycling is far from the solution we thought it was, the best thing you can do is to look after your kettle for as long as possible.
To prevent limescale, regularly wash it with a 1:1 water and white vinegar solution by letting it soak for an hour then boiling it with plain water.
And don’t leave water sitting inside the kettle as this too will result in limescale.
