We have had several electric kettles, and as far as I can tell, they are made to be bascially disposable. This time we decided to go for a lower cost one, and just lessen the expectations. So far, so good.. I wish that I could find one with no plastic inside (the water level windows are plastic with rubber gaskets to prevent leaking).
I would like to avoid heating plastic in contact with the drinking water. The water does heat up quickly and so far, shuts itself off. Although it would be nice if it shut itself off a little sooner, as it steams the area quite a bit before turning off, and that does seem a little wasteful. Of course, the flip side,is that people like my husband, who like their water scalding, probably love that feature. If I could find a stainless steel kettle with no plastic or rubber inside, made in the USA, I would be willing to spend more $ on that. Until I can find one, I will settle for the "disposable" kettles, and hope for the best.