KitchenCraft Le'Xpress Kettle Descaler Ball, Stainless Steel Wire Limescale Remover

Product Information

This hard-water kettle is far more than just a pretty face. It has a 3 kW element for brisk boil times even if you’re using it to its full 1.7 litre capacity. The lid is easily removable for filling and the water gauge is clear and straightforward to read while you’re actually filling the kettle. Some sources try to claim that drinking hard water causes health problems such as kidney stones, but this is untrue. In fact, the main minerals found in hard water (calcium and magnesium) are usually found in the bottled water sold at your local supermarket. If you’re looking for a sustainable method, then vinegar is the answer. First, unplug the kettle and wait until it is cool prior to descaling. It’s best to open a window as well if possible as this method can make your kitchen smell! Once time is up, empty the kettle and boil it with fresh water at least twice to remove any traces of vinegar and to deodorise it. The kettle has seven variable temperature settings, ideal if you're particular about your tea and coffee, and an anti-slip, swivel base, perfect for both left and right-handed users.

How long is a piece of string? Sorry, not very helpful, we know. It is however very difficult to put a life expectancy on anything these days, let alone a kettle. It all depends on various factors. Moderate hardness water: If you have moderate hardness water, it's a good idea to descale your electric kettle every 2-3 months. This should be sufficient to prevent a heavy buildup of mineral deposits.

You may also need to replace a limescale-caked kettle sooner than you intended. According to several sources, including kitchen appliance designer Kutchina, “the average lifespan of a good quality electric kettle is 4 years to 5 years maximum”. If you’re putting yours under strain by forcing it to work longer and harder, those figures might prove optimistic. How does limescale build up in a kettle? Fill the kettle with a solution made up of equal parts water and vinegar, and let it soak for an hour. Once that’s done, boil it, unplug the kettle, and leave it sitting there for around 20 minutes. Pour it all out, rinse the kettle thoroughly, and you should be good to go. According to the manufacturer, this has a “double-action filter”. We’ve absolutely no idea how this works in practice, but we can confirm that this anti-lime-scale kettle really does seem to do a great job of filtering the water. The water will start to fizz immediately and this is the start of the descaling process. After a few minutes, or when the fizzing stops, you can empty the kettle and re-fill it with clean water.

All Purpose Oust Descaleris one of the best-known branded options, and can be used for shower heads, steam irons, coffee makers, and kettles. When using it to clean a kettle, half-fill the jug with water and boil it. Once boiled, unplug it and place it in an empty sink – in case of spills – then slowly add the contents of a single sachet of Oust. Leave it for ten minutes to do its work. If there is still evidence of limescale in the kettle, switch it on to reheat until the solution starts to fizz, but don’t allow it to boil or you risk it overflowing the spout or lid. Empty the kettle and rinse it, boil a fresh kettle of water without any Oust, discard it, and repeat. For heavily scaled kettles, it may be necessary to use two sachets at once. The hard-water kettles on our list are all electric kettles and they are all “one-temperature kettles”. Sadly we were unable to find any induction kettles or variable-temperature kettles with filtration, but we’ll keep our eyes open and if we find any, we’ll update our list. Best Anti Lime Scale Kettle There might be some oil and other chemicals left over from the manufacturing process, so using the ball without washing it first might give your water that initial unpleasant taste or smell. Will It Leave Tiny Bits of Metal in the Water That You Could Swallow With Your Tea or Coffee? A kettle descaler ball won’t give your water, tea, or coffee a metallic taste. Just make sure to give the ball a good wash, then rinse it with hot water before using it for the first time.

The Best Kettle Descalers in the UK

By the end of the treatment your kettle should be free from limescale, running more efficiently, and have a longer lifespan. And if you’ve rinsed the kettle out properly, you won’t taste any descaler either! We’ll run through some of the best options for removing limescale from your kettle below. But first, we’ll explore what limescale is, where it comes from, and whether it’s a health risk. Even though this hard-water kettle only has a 2.2 Kw element, it’s a flat, stainless-steel one which helps it to work very efficiently and in all honesty think very few people are going to notice the difference in speed compared to the higher-powered kettles. The flat element does, however, make this hard-water kettle very easy to clean. Similarly, we think the 1.5-litre capacity will be fine for most households, on that note, even though the printing is in white; the water indicator is nicely legible against the glass body.

In addition to this, not cleaning a kettle effectively, or often enough, can also lead to limescale build-ups. You get eight seven-gram sachets in one tub, and although these sachets are some of the most expensive ones around, you don’t have to use them too often. For more kettle cleaning advice, see our tips on how to clean an electric kettle. What can I put in my kettle to prevent limescale?You might think that any rolled or balled-up metal mesh is a good-enough kettle descaler ball. This ball is one of the simplest products out there; it follows an uncomplicated design and a straightforward concept. I mean, how discerning do you have to be when looking for descaler balls? What Not To Buy

It may also not be a good idea to use metal scouring pads or scrubs as alternate kettle scale collectors. Kettle Descaler Balls Worth Trying One of the best ways to eradicate limescale is by dissolving it using a mild acid solution. Enter the humble bottle of white vinegar. They say that prevention is better than the cure, but it’s impossible to avoid limescale completely. However, there are ways that you can reduce this limescale build-up in your kettle.

How to Clean and Descale a Kettle

For a hassle-free and cheap way to descale a kettle, fill it with a mixture of half white vinegar and half water, and leave to soak overnight. (Make sure the kettle is unplugged and there's a note on it so nobody uses it accidentally!) In the morning, the limescale will come off easily. Rinse thoroughly to remove any lingering vinegary odours, and boil up fresh water after the treatment.