The Bodum eSantos is a very interesting beast. They sold the electric Santos in various forms (including Apple iMac colours!) for about 7 years. But for just 2 of those years, they also did a mini model, and only in two colours (clear, smoke grey). I have both.
Bodum used an angled interior base to determine automatically when to shut the water heater off. Two temperature probes under the hot pad, one higher up, one lower down. As water boiled off, and the water level lowered, the upper probe would register over 105C, and shut the heater off, completing the brew.
Lots of plastic too, but BPA free, apparently.