Is Kettle & Fire Bone Broth Good?

The Short Answer

Kettle & Fire is Recommended. It is one of the few large-scale brands that prioritizes sourcing over shortcuts. They use 100% grass-fed and finished beef bones and organic vegetables, and they have explicitly banned "natural flavors" from their entire product line.

Most importantly, they are Certified Glyphosate Residue Free. Since glyphosate (Roundup) accumulates in animal bones, this third-party verification is critical for a product derived from concentrated bones. While it is expensive and doesn't gel like homemade broth, it is the safest and cleanest shelf-stable option available.

Why This Matters

Real bone broth is a nutritional powerhouse, but it's hard to scale. To cut costs, many brands use concentrates, yeast extract, or short simmer times that result in flavored water rather than nutrient-dense broth.

Toxins accumulate in bones. Lead, heavy metals, and glyphosate are sequestered in animal skeletal systems. When you simmer bones for 24 hours, you aren't just extracting collagen; you're potentially extracting these toxins too. This makes sourcing non-negotiable. You cannot use conventional factory-farmed bones for broth without risking a cocktail of concentrated contaminants.

What's Actually In It

Kettle & Fire distinguishes between their "Bone Broth" (for sipping) and "Cooking Broth" (for recipes). The sipping broth is the cleaner of the two.

Classic Beef Bone Broth Ingredients:

• Marrow Bones — From 100% grass-fed, grass-finished cattle.
• Organic Vegetables — Carrots, Onions, Celery.
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar — Essential for extracting minerals from the bone matrix. What Is The Mother Acv
• Organic Spices — Bay leaves, parsley, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns.
• Sea Salt — Simple mineral salt.

What's NOT in it:

• Yeast Extract — A common flavor enhancer used by brands like Pacific or Swanson to mimic savoriness (and a hidden form of glutamate). Yeast Extract Vs Msg
• Natural Flavors — Kettle & Fire publicly banned these to avoid hidden carriers like canola oil.
• Sugar/Dextrose — Often added to balance acidity in cheaper broths.

The "Gel" Controversy

If you put homemade bone broth in the fridge, it turns into "meat jello." This is the visual proof of gelatin, the cooked form of collagen.

Kettle & Fire usually does NOT gel in the fridge.

Does this mean it's fake? No.

Kettle & Fire uses a high-heat pressure canning process (retort packaging) to make the broth shelf-stable without preservatives. This intense heat breaks down the gelatin structure so it stays liquid, but the amino acids (glycine, proline) and protein content (10g+) remain intact.

If you demand the "jiggle" (which some believe is better for gut coating), you need to buy frozen bone broth (like Bonafide Provisions) or make it yourself. If you want the amino acids and convenience, Kettle & Fire is excellent.

What to Look For

Green Flags:

• Certified Glyphosate Residue Free — The gold standard for purity.
• 20+ Hour Simmer Time — Verify they don't just use "bone paste" or concentrates.
• No "Natural Flavors" — A rare commitment in the packaged food industry.
• Tetra Pak Packaging — BPA and BPS free (though lined with polyethylene).

Red Flags:

• Price — At ~$8.00–$12.00 per carton, it is significantly more expensive than standard stock.
• "Cooking Broth" Confusion — Their "Cooking Broth" line is cheaper but contains Mushroom Extract and Tomato Paste. It's still clean, but not as pure as the sipping broth.

The Best Options

The Bottom Line

1. Buy the "Bone Broth" for health. If you are drinking it for collagen or gut healing, stick to the classic Beef or Chicken Bone Broth cartons.

2. Don't panic if it doesn't gel. The protein is there (10g), even if the structure has been modified by the canning process.

3. Watch for sales. It is a premium product. Stock up when you find it on sale or use a subscription to lower the cost per ounce.

FAQ

Does Kettle & Fire have lead?

Independent testing has found very low levels of lead (often lower than tap water), which is expected as animals naturally have trace minerals in their bones. However, their grass-fed sourcing minimizes this risk significantly compared to conventional brands.

Is the packaging safe?

Kettle & Fire uses Tetra Pak cartons. These are BPA and BPS free. They are lined with food-grade polyethylene (plastic) to prevent the broth from touching the aluminum layer. While safer than cans, those strictly avoiding all plastics should stick to glass-jarred or homemade broth. Bpa In Canned Foods

Why does it taste "vegetal"?

Some users find the flavor more "vegetable-heavy" than homemade broth. This is likely due to the ratio of organic mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) used to flavor the broth without using artificial enhancers. Adding a pinch of high-quality salt often brings out the beefy flavor. Redmond Real Salt Review

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