Category rating — not an assessment of any specific brand
This rating covers a typical, mass-market
small appliances product based on publicly available data.
It does not name or assess any specific manufacturer or product.
Individual products may perform better or worse.
Learn about verified ratings →
Below HIP Mark threshold
Score 3.0/10 — Standard mark requires 6.0
Standard
Silver
Gold
Category best achievable: 7.3
Depleting — materials are being used up with no way to replace them
This is what a typical kettle looks like today. It's built to last longer than the typical one. If the maker shares their data, the score usually goes up.
Category baseline
3.0 HIP
Below Standard
Category ceiling: 7.3 HIP
Regenerative Index
-7.0
Depleting
Category ceiling RI: -3.0
What this score means
This is the starting score for Kettles, based only on public data. No maker has sent us
their own data yet. The ceiling score (shown below) is what a product can reach when the maker
shares real evidence. To close the gap, makers apply for a verified rating.
Make this product? You can raise this score.
The starting score for this category is 3.0 HIP.
With full evidence, a product in this category can reach 7.3 HIP.
Our first verified product scored 6.9 and earned the HIP Mark.
Share your product data and we score what you can prove.
Apply for verified assessment
What to Check Before You Buy
- Look for stainless steel or borosilicate glass (heat-resistant glass) — not filled polypropylene (reinforced plastic). Plastic kettles yellow, crack, leach, and do not survive descaling well. Metal and glass kettles last decades of daily use.
- Check the element design. Concealed metal elements set into the base resist limescale better than exposed coil elements. A replaceable element is the single highest-impact spare part in the category.
- Confirm a replaceable lid and gasket. A kettle is rarely retired for a failed motor — it has none. It is retired for a cracked lid or a failed seal. Models that stock both as separate spare parts are a different product to those that do not.
- Check the warranty length. Two years is the EU floor. Three to five years signals the manufacturer expects the unit to outlast a single descaling cycle. Trade-grade lines (catering equipment) often have longer warranties than home versions of the same brand.
We do not name brands. The four checks above are visible on any manufacturer's product page if you look for them.
From our full buyer's guide →
Score Breakdown
How rare are the materials?
MSI · 20%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product contains nickel and copper, which are designated as Critical Raw Materials by the EU and carry high critical mineral designations from the USGS. The absence of submitted recycled content data and the likelihood of single-country extraction concentration for these metals in China drive a conservative score in the Scarce range.
Where do the materials come from?
SCR · 18%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The kettle's primary materials (copper, steel, and plastics) are likely sourced from China, which presents moderate concentration risk for certain components and falls into OECD category 3-4 for governance. The lack of a submitted due-diligence standard or verified alternative suppliers prevents a higher rating, placing the supply chain in the high-risk category.
Can it be recycled?
RC · 18%
3.0
Why this score ▸
The kettle is assumed to be glued with no take-back scheme, limiting practical recovery to approximately 20% of its weight (primarily metal components). Materials like ABS plastic and nichrome heating elements are technically recyclable but are routinely landfilled in standard infrastructure, preventing a higher score.
Can you fix it?
R · 13%
2.0
Why this score ▸
The product is assumed to be glued shut with no spare parts available and no public service manual, classifying it as unrepairable. As a mass-market kettle without a parts programme or iFixit score, it is designed for replacement rather than repair.
Is it made fairly?
SEI · 8%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product is manufactured in China, a moderate-to-high risk jurisdiction, with no submitted third-party audits, environmental certifications, or modern slavery statements. While ILO compliance is not claimed, the absence of independent verification or managed risk indicators places this in the elevated risk category.
How long will it last?
PL · 8%
4.0
Why this score ▸
The product has a 2-year warranty and a stated design life of 5 years, which aligns with typical mass-market small appliance norms. However, the lack of an IP rating and modular design prevents a higher score, as it relies on standard fasteners without explicit long-term parts commitments.
Does it give back to nature?
RI · 15% · scale −10 to +10
-7.0
Why this score ▸
The product is scored as Depleting because it relies on virgin mined materials with zero recycled content and no take-back scheme, fitting the criteria for conventional appliances. It does not qualify for the Extractive band minimum of -3 because the required 50% recycled content and verified take-back are absent. Consequently, the product actively depletes finite geological reserves with no credible pathway toward regeneration.
MSI 20% · SCR 18% · RC 18% · R 13% · SEI 8% · PL 8% · RI 15% = 100%
About the HIP Methodology ▸
Starting scores are low on purpose. We only count what we can confirm from public data,
so most products sit between 2 and 4 out of 10 before a maker shares their own evidence.
That gap between the starting score and what a product could reach is the whole point.
When a maker proves what their product is really made of, the score goes up.
The HIP Mark shows it has been checked.
Read the full methodology →
Consumer Summary
This kettle has an overall HIP Score of 3.0 out of 10, indicating it performs poorly in terms of sustainability. Its Regenerative Index is -7.0, which means the product relies entirely on new materials and is designed in a way that makes it difficult to repair or recycle. Essentially, this appliance is not built to last or to be recovered at the end of its life.
What This Means For You
When shopping for small appliances like kettles, look for products that offer spare parts and come with clear repair instructions to extend their lifespan. Avoid items that are glued shut or lack a warranty, as these are often impossible to fix and end up as waste. Choosing durable, repairable designs helps reduce the demand for new raw materials and supports a more circular economy.
Data Transparency
This is a category rating based on publicly available data. The following data fields were not submitted by a manufacturer and have been estimated conservatively using open reference data and the category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation):
material_percentagesrecycled_content_pctcountry_of_primary_extractionprimary_sourcing_countriestier1_supplier_countdue_diligence_standardalternative_supplier_existsdisassembly_typerecyclable_streams_pctrecycling_label_complianttakeback_schemedesign_for_disassemblyfastener_typespare_parts_availablespare_parts_years_committedservice_manual_publicifixit_scoreecodesign_in_scopemanufacturing_countriesenvironmental_certificationsthird_party_certificationrba_audit_completedmodern_slavery_statementilo_compliance_claimedip_ratingmodular_designsoftware_support_yearsprimary_material_originregenerative_certificationsclosed_loop_programmeend_of_life_programmematerial_origin_certifiedregenerative_practices
A verified rating uses manufacturer-submitted data and produces a more accurate, product-specific score.
Material Watch Points
- Nickel — EU Critical Raw Materials list
- Recycled content assumed at 0%
- Primary materials likely concentrated in China (OECD category 3-4)
- No due-diligence programme documented
- No alternative supplier documented
How this score was calculated
The HIP Score is a weighted average of seven dimensions measuring material
resilience, supply chain integrity, and end-of-life characteristics.
| Code |
Dimension |
Weight |
Score |
| MSI |
Material Scarcity Index |
0.20 |
3.5 / 10 |
| SCR |
Supply Chain Risk |
0.18 |
3.5 / 10 |
| RC |
Recyclability and Circularity |
0.18 |
3.0 / 10 |
| R |
Repairability |
0.13 |
2.0 / 10 |
| SEI |
Social and Environmental Impact |
0.08 |
3.5 / 10 |
| PL |
Product Longevity |
0.08 |
4.0 / 10 |
| RI |
Regenerative Index |
0.15 |
-7.0 (raw) |
Regenerative Index note: RI scores on a unique scale of -10 to +10.
Before weighting, the raw score is normalised: RI normalised = (RI raw + 10) / 2.
This product's RI band is Depleting.
Weighted HIP Score: 3.0 / 10
· Methodology v1.5
Base weights shown. Some product types use category-specific weight profiles —
see full methodology for details.
Read the full methodology →
Data Sources
This rating draws on the following public sources:
USGS Mineral Resources Program (public domain) · EU Critical Raw Materials List 2023 (CC BY 4.0) · World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation)
All sources are public domain or published under open data licences.
Full source list →
Rating Version
kettles@v1
Published 2026-06-11.
Previous versions remain available for reference.
About this rating:
HIP scores are based on public data at the date shown.
They show how well a product holds up over time — not a promise about safety or future supply.
Resourcehip is not liable for choices made based on these ratings.
Scope:
This is a category rating for Kettles and does not assess any specific brand or manufacturer.
Individual products may perform better or worse than this baseline.
Produced under Resourcehip Scoring Methodology 1.5 (CC BY-NC 4.0).
AI disclosure:
An AI model scored this rating on our own hardware — no data was sent to the cloud.
A human reviewer checked and approved it before it went live.
Model: qwen3.5:35b.
AI transparency notice →
Not financial or investment advice.
Ratings are for consumer information only.
Dispute this rating · Our methodology · All ratings
Assessed: 2026-06-17 · Next review: 2027-04-18 · Methodology 1.5 · kettles@v1
