which kettle is not made in china

Have you been looking for a non-toxic tea kettle not made in China? It may be because you know that the background level of pollution in China and general lenient attitude towards quality standards are discouraging. Or, you want to support local manufacturers, which is praiseworthy. Maybe you want to buy products from countries that have more effective environmental and consumer protection laws. Whatever the reason – it’s valid, and I totally understand you.

Moreover, I have spent a lot of time trying to find a high-quality safe tea pot not made in China. You know what I have discovered? First, it is almost impossible to find one (due to lower manufacturing costs in China). Second, when it comes to tea kettles, I don’t have to worry about them being made in China if I choose the right material. Yes, even China-made cookware can be safe enough for you. Keep reading to learn how to find the best tea kettle for your quiet and enjoyable teatime. And for assistance in finding safe cookware, turn to my Safe Cookware Guide.

Best Electric Kettles Not Made In China

Safe Materials For Your Best Tea Kettle

Safer choices for a tea boiler include plain (undecorated) stainless steel and plain (undecorated) clear glass. We use cookware made of these materials at home. Not only are they free of toxins, but they are inexpensive as well. And here is very good news – if your non-toxic tea kettle is made of stainless steel or plain glass, it doesn’t really matter whether it is a product of China. In other words, it’s okay for your tea kettle to come from China if it’s made of stainless steel or glass.

Definitely, stainless steel looks beautiful. And it is the number one choice of professional chefs. This is because it heats uniformly and reacts well to changes in temperature. Cast iron, in contrast, holds heat for a long time, making it tricky for some applications.

Tamara Rubin tested several stainless-steel items with an XRF instrument and detected no lead, cadmium or arsenic in them. However, there are some downsides of stainless steel. Such as leaching of chromium, nickel, and iron into food during cooking (source). While iron and chromium are essential nutrients for which stainless steel may be useful, you don’t need nickel for your health. (In the 18/10 and 18/8 types of stainless steel, 18 stands for percentage of chromium, and 10 and 8 – of nickel.)

Even so, my research into safe cookware shows that stainless steel cookware is one of the safest cookware options in the market regardless of its manufacturing location.

Plus, when water boils for tea, it does not create conditions that stimulate nickel leaching. Because you pour the water immediately into a teacup. Also, water is not acidic like tomato sauce, for example. Hence, the odds of significant nickel leaching into the water in your best tea kettle made of stainless steel are very small.

Note that only clear non-crystal glass doesn’t leach lead or cadmium. Thus, Tamara Rubin tested glass kitchenware and found vintage glassware positive for lead. However, her testing of modern glassware with no decorations or added colorants detected no lead, cadmium, arsenic or mercury.

The glass in your best tea kettle should be absolutely clear — not even a hint of tint (especially the clear light green or blue tint that is often typical of recycled glass items.) Additionally, it shouldn’t be a recycled glass item if you want to avoid lead. According to Tamara Rubin, despite its environmentally virtuous appeal, recycled glass is often positive for at least trace amounts of lead, regardless of the tint or color or lack thereof. You can read more about glass products made of borosilicate glass, lime glass, and leaded glass in my Lead Free Glassware Brands post.

Xtrema is a very popular brand. Almost every single blogger who writes about healthy living promotes their products. Despite the fact that they manufacture their cookware products in China and from ceramic, Xtrema has been able to persuade the public that their products are safe. On the plus side, they publish their test reports that show compliance with the California Proposition 65 regulations. On the minus side, Tamara Rubin tested Xtrema and didn’t find them heavy metal-free. You can read more about that in my Safe Cookware Guide.

When Xtrema started selling their products, I bought what I thought would become my best non-toxic tea kettle. When it took a long time to boil water, I increased the temperature form low to medium-low. As a result, the bottom started chipping away. And pieces would crack off with a noticeable popping sound and fly around the kitchen. Even though I am a “stay cool” person, I stopped using it. Because it was neither efficient nor safe, in my opinion.

How To Buy A Lead-Free Tea Kettle

There are two regulations to look for – FDA regulations and California Proposition 65. In the table below, you will find their lead compliance limits side by side per the type of cookware/dishware. The measurements are in micrograms per milliliter (mcg/ml) after the item was soaked in a 4% acetic acid solution.

As I have mentioned above, there are no safe levels for lead because it accumulates in the body over time. However, when lead goes into your digestive system, there is a chance your body will not absorb all of it. (By the way, diets rich in fiber and lean protein reduce the absorption of lead.)

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, created by California Proposition 65, sets forth 2 types of limits for lead per day. The maximum limit for lead as a carcinogen is 15 micrograms. And the maximum amount of lead as a chemical causing reproductive toxicity is 0.5 micrograms.

So, if your tea boiler (large hollowware) follows the FDA limits, you can’t drink more than 15 milliliters of water out of it before you start increasing your risk of cancer. Fifteen milliliters is a little over three teaspoons – not very much. Considering that not all lead is absorbed, let’s say 6 teaspoons – still not much. And the safety limit for pregnant women would be much less than a teaspoon.

Related: A Helpful List Of Chemicals To Avoid During Pregnancy

As you can see from the table above, the California Proposition 65 limits are either 5 or 10 times more stringent. In our case, with large hollowware, it is 10 times better than the standard. So, 30 teaspoons of water from a tea kettle would be okay to drink without increasing the risk of cancer.

On the other hand, the California Proposition 65 warning does not always signal danger. For example, electrical cords usually trigger the California Proposition 65 warning because they contain BPA. I believe it is best to contact the company and ask what specifically triggered the warning.

Top 5 Kettles Not Made in China [don’t buy one before watching this]

FAQ

Which kettles are British made?

What is the safest kettle to buy?

Where are Breville kettles made?

Where are Alessi electric kettles made?

What is the best electric kettle not made in China?

The best electric kettle not made in China is made of a durable, BPA-free material, such as high-quality stainless steel or glass. Size, a handle which doesn’t get hot, ease of cleaning, and ease of use are other factors to look for.

Which tea kettle is not made in China?

The Simplex Kettle Buckingham is another tea kettle not made in China. Made by hand in England, the tea kettle is a premium device made of solid copper. It features a stay-cool ebonized beech handle and tin embellishments. In addition, it whistles when the water starts to boil. This copper tea kettleisn’t unnecessarily priced.

Where are electric tea kettles made?

This next electric tea kettle is made in the USA. This is a beautiful kettle piece that is designed like a Russian or Turkish Samovar. It has the brewing tea maker on the bottom and a porcelain teapot at the top of the unit. This option is available in white and stainless steel or black and stainless steel colors.

Where are electric kettles made?

Designs by the USA and European brands for electric kettles are renowned throughout the globe though their spare parts are manufactured in China. What is an Electric Kettle? An electric kettle is a small piece of equipment that heats the water. It is used to heat water at selective boiling temperatures.