Which coffee makers and kettles keep plastic out of the water path, the handle and the seals?
Short answer: we can't find a plastic-free coffee makers, kettles and brewer we can verify. Every candidate we checked had a plastic part beyond a small seal, or one we could not confirm. The list below says which.
Nothing in coffee makers has earned a spot yet. We checked one part, CoffeeSock's reusable cloth filter, and we can't tell if it's plastic-free.
The cloth is GOTS certified organic cotton and the box is kraft paper. The thread isn't named, and in a sewn filter the seam sits in the hot coffee. The maker hasn't said what it is.
Side by side
Every coffee makers, kettles and brewer we checked, and what kept each one off the list. The full evidence for each is one click away.
| Rank | Photo | Materials | Packaging | Price seen | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checked, not listed | |||||
 | CoffeeSock Reusable Organic Coffee Filters, 2 Pack (#4 cone) Cannot tell | ||||
| GOTS certified organic cotton | Not verified yet | Not linked | A major part is unverified | ||
Where plastic hides in coffee makers, kettles and brewers
Almost every electric coffee maker pushes hot water through plastic: the reservoir, the tubing, the valve, the basket, the lid. Hot water is the hardest job a plastic part gets, and the parts that touch it are the ones you can't see. Manual brewers are the better bet. Glass, ceramic and steel do the work, and the plastic hides in smaller places: a knob on a press, a handle on a moka pot, a gasket under the lid, a non-stick coating inside a kettle. A glass carafe with a wood collar, a steel press with a steel knob, or a stovetop pot with a wood handle is the real target. For anything electric, ask where the water travels before it reaches the cup.
What to check before you buy
- Water path: is every part the water touches steel, glass or ceramic, including tubing, valves and the reservoir?
- Handle and knob: steel, wood or glass, or a plastic one made to look like something else?
- Seal: a silicone or rubber gasket under the lid or the filter, and is it named?
- Coating: any non-stick, ceramic or painted finish on the inside of a kettle or pot?
- Housing and cord: on an electric unit, where is the plastic, and does water ever reach it?
Know of one?
If you make or own a coffee makers, kettles and brewers with no plastic in it, including the seal, tell us: chairman@amaterio.com. Send the maker's page and what the seal is made of. We vet every tip and publish the ones that hold up, with credit.
Checked and not listed
- CoffeeSock Reusable Organic Coffee Filters, 2 Pack (#4 cone)
Cannot tellThe filter is GOTS certified organic cotton, and the box is kraft paper. What nobody says is what it's sewn with. A cloth filter is a seam, the seam sits in the hot coffee, and polyester is the usual thread. Until the maker names the thread, we can't say these are plastic-free.