Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Anyone know if there is anything that can be done about the staining or mineral buildup that I've got going on in my electric kettle? While I can't taste any problems with the water, it sure looks unappealing!

That said, anyone have any favorites as far as an electric kettle goes?

I looked at CI's reviews and their favorite is just too big for my purposes (4 liters!). The alternatives get positive reviews on Amazon. However, there are quite a few comments about an "off" taste due to the hot water coming in contact with plastic inside the resevoir. This is also true of the newer model of the T-Fal Vitesse, which CI liked and I've used for years.

Gerard

Typically white vinegar is used to remove mineral build-up, e.g., running a cycle of vinegar through your automatic drip coffee pot. Not sure about electric kettles (never used one), but I don't see why you shouldn't give it a try. Just make sure to run a couple of cycles of water afterwards to remove any vinegar taste/odor.

Amy

They also recommend emptying and refilling the kettle after each use rather than just adding more water.

We have amazingly hard water (or not so amazing considering it is all filtered through the alps) and we can buy stuff stronger than vinegar to put through the kettle. Emptying each time does help. If the buildup is too big though vinegar may not be strong enough and you may want to look for something else.

Mary

Try letting the vinegar sit overnight in the kettle, then use a bottle brush to loosen & remove any stubborn stains. Vinegar ought to work but it will take more time than you think.

We have the Chef's Choice International. Pros - It is super fast, the interior is all SS except for the little plastic fill indicator (which the water doesn't even touch unless you really fill it up), it has automatic turnoff. Cons - There is no "Hey, I'm done now!" sound indicator, it's all shiny.

Thanks for the responses! My vinegar-soaked kettle is sitting outdoors as we speak. It's in pretty sad shape so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Thanks again!

Gerard

PS On a more upbeat note, I just got the "Fat" book noted on another thread. It looks great!

We have extremely hard water too. I have one of these in my kettle, works great!

http://www.functionjunction.com/index.c ... /index.htm

Gerard,

You can also use a solution of citric acid, which I find is easier to wash the taste than vinegar. Citric acid is available in bulk at health food stores, or cheaply as "Sour Salt" in supermarkets.

BTW, for anyone who loves electric kettles, Russell Hobbes just closed their factory this year. You have a few months to buy any which are in various stores' backstocks, and then they dissapear forever. None of the new manufacturers even come close to the same quality; I have a Russell Hobbes which is 18 years old.

That thing looks really cool. I wonder if it would help me on scale build-up on my immersion circulator.

Amy