the whistle on the kettle keeps popping off
Is it safe to use Teflon tape on a kettle whistle? I have a stovetop stainless steel kettle with a whistle so I don't walk away and forget it. The two parts of the whistle keep falling off (one outside and the other into the kettle). Is it ok to put the two pieces together with the Teflon tape between them?
Best Answer
Given that PTFE (Teflon) tape is meant for use on drinking water pipes, and PTFE is used for non-stick cookware (which gets much hotter than a kettle spout), I'd happily use it (the type for potable water).
Making a habit of consuming it probably isn't a good idea but flecks of non stick coating do sometimes get into food, without poisoning anyone.
I've recently read a research paper suggesting that PTFE could be used to bulk out food as a weight-loss aid: Polytetrafluoroethylene Ingestion as a Way to Increase Food Volume and Hence Satiety Without Increasing Calorie Content. I'm not sure I fancy it, and it would contribute to microplastic pollution - but the paper proposes PTFE making up 25% of foods, while the worst that could happen here is a few scraps. They say it's safe. In rats.
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