So you’ve got the best electric kettle that you can afford or you recently purchased a new kettle but after a month of daily usage, you find your kettle is taking longer than usual to boil and is looking a bit tired out. The freshly boiled hot water doesn’t seem as clear and there seems to be a metallic taste in it as well. This means it’s time for a clean and descale of your kettle.
If you don’t descale your kettle, this causes your kettle to burn out as more and more limescale builds up inside which effects the heating element. It doesn’t take a lot of time to clean a kettle and there are several methods for it. We’ve put together a guide for you to learn how to descale a kettle without costing a lot of money, effort or time.
Descaling a kettle with vinegar is one of the most common methods used to get rid of limescale in a kettle. If it’s done well or there isn’t much limescale to remove, then there’s no need to use bicarbonate of soda.
1) Fill the kettle with white vinegar up to the halfway point of the maximum capacity and then fill the other half with water. Less of this mixture can be used instead if you don’t tend to fill your kettle to the maximum fill line. Just make sure the water and vinegar ratio is 1:1.
2) Leave the solution to soak in the kettle for at least an hour so it can eat away at the limescale.
3) Once the time is up, pour the solution out and check inside the kettle to see if there is any limescale bits left. If there is, use a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda on a damp cloth and wipe inside to remove the remaining limescale in the kettle.
4) Clean the kettle out by filling it with water, giving it a swirl and pouring it out. Repeat this 4 – 5 times to get rid of the vinegar smell and taste.
5) Finally, fill the kettle to the maximum capacity and boil it. Pour this out and your kettle will be clean and limescale free.
For heavily limescaled kettles, you may need to repeat this process a few times to get rid of the limescale from your kettle. The vinegar solution can be left to soak in the kettle overnight as well.
Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Top Notch Electric Kettle
1. Easy Fill And Pour Spout
Having a well-designed wide spout can make it easier for you to pour hot water from it without the water spilling or chugging out on yourself or around the kettle cord. The wide spout also provides another way to fill the kettle without having to open the lid to the main body.
2. Eco Kettles Are Energy Efficient
An electric eco kettle will help to reduce your energy bills by providing low minimum fill levels so you only boil the amount of water you need to make one cup of hot drink. CO2 emmissions are also reduced with eco kettles.
Look for models that include a temperature gauge and keep warm function so you won't need to re-boil the kettle and waste more electricity. Make sure the model you choose has a clear water gauge so you only fill the amount of water you need.
3. Variable Temperature Settings
Most top end electric kettles will have the option to select the desired temperature level to boil the water to. This is ideal when you make a variety of hot drinks that require different hot water levels for the perfect taste.
4. Better Filtration
A removable stainless steel anti-limescale filter gives fresher water as limescale is filtered out more efficiently. When it can be removed, it can be easily cleaned quite often. Metal filters last longer and are less prone to limescale build up compared to plastic mesh filters.
5. Faster Boiling Speed
Cheap electric kettles tend to have slower boiling speeds because of low wattage powers of 1.5kW which can take up to 8 minutes for hot water to boil. The best electric kettles will have rapid boiling speeds of 3kW that takes 2.5 minutes to reach boiling point.
Is your kettle too far gone to be saved? If so, check out our Top 10 Best Electric Kettles here.
Carbonic acid is what you get in soda water. Coca Cola also has Phosphoric acid which is why it will dissolve a tooth left in it by the tooth fairy! Or for that matter limescale. Facts are useful things sometimes!