Cuisinart PerfecTemp Cordless Electric Kettle (CPK-17)
Popular "stainless steel" variable-temp kettle that is actually the category trap - the lid underside, hinge, spout filter, and water window all touch water and are plastic.
The verdict: Minimal plastic contact
A textbook example of a steel-bodied kettle that is not plastic-free in the water path. The interior wall is stainless, but the lid underside and its hinge are BPA-free plastic and sit right over the water, the spout filter has plastic joinings, and the backlit water-level window is plastic in contact with the water. It is BPA-free, but multiple plastic parts contact hot water and steam - listed here as a caution, not a recommendation.
Verification: Community reported
What it's made of
| Part | Material | Food contact |
|---|---|---|
| interior wall stainless interior; grade unspecified by Cuisinart | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | Yes primary 🔥 |
| lid (underside) BPA-free plastic underside sits over the water and steam; specific resin unspecified by Cuisinart | Plastic other / unspecified | Yes incidental 🔥 |
| lid hinge plastic hinge in the water/steam path; specific resin unspecified by Cuisinart | Plastic other / unspecified | Yes primary 🔥 |
| spout filter stainless mesh with plastic joinings that contact water; specific resin unspecified by Cuisinart | Plastic other / unspecified | Yes primary 🔥 |
| water-level window backlit transparent window; plastic in contact with the water | Plastic other / unspecified | Yes primary 🔥 |
| temperature probe seal rubber seal around the temperature probe (reported); contacts water | Natural Rubber / Latex | Yes incidental 🔥 |
| exterior body stainless exterior; grade unspecified by Cuisinart | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | No |
| power base specific resin unspecified by Cuisinart | Plastic other / unspecified | No |
The Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 is a widely sold 1.7 L variable-temperature kettle with six preset temperatures, a keep-warm function, a backlit water window, and a cordless base. It's a capable, well-reviewed everyday kettle with a stainless body - just not the one to buy if avoiding plastic-in-water is the goal.
Pros
- Genuinely useful variable temperature presets and keep-warm
- Backlit water window and cordless base are convenient
- Widely available and well reviewed for usability
Cons
- Lid underside, hinge, spout-filter joinings, and water-level window are all plastic contacting the hot water/steam
- Marketed as "stainless steel" but is not plastic-free in the water path
Notes
- Capacity: 1.7 L; six preset temperatures plus keep-warm
Categories: Electric Kettles
Sources
Every material claim above is backed by these. This is the scattered info we centralized.
- review https://shouldit.com/kettles/reviews/cuisinart/cuisinart-electric-kettle-cpk-17p1/ teardown-style review - lid interior is BPA-free plastic contacting hot water, plastic hinge, spout filter plastic joinings contact water
- forum https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx390K78EVFX0JS owner Q&A - lid interior/hinge plastic, water-level gauge is plastic, removable water screen and probe seal contact water
- review https://oolongowl.com/cuisinart-cpk-17-perfectemp-variable-temperature-kettle-review/ independent review noting interior is stainless "except for a couple of plastic parts," box states BPA-free
Spot a mistake or something out of date? Let us know — corrections are how this stays accurate.