A liquid heating vessel 2 has a body 32 and a heater 16 mounted in a base portion of the body. The vessel body 32 has an annular surface 30 for receiving a seal 28 which is arranged between the heater 16 and the annular surface 30. An axially compressible spring means 38 is arranged to exert an axial biasing force for sealing the seal 28 against the sealing surface 30. The spring means comprises a plurality of tongues 40 which locate in recesses 42 provided in the vessel body 32.
