Does your kettle make your blood boil?

I used to have this problem when I moved to an area with very hard water, Yvonne. Boiling hard water will either deposit calcium salts on the kettle or they will float to the top, particularly with a shiny new kettle. If you see the same scum when you boil water in a non-stick pan you can be sure that this is the reason.

Jesse -Swan -owned Tefal-owned by Groupe SEB of France held out against Chinese competition but caved in and opened factory in —China so your product if made in the last decade anyway is Chinese.

Starterman -I take it to mean the sealed element that cant be seen in modern kettles in the base that heats the water ? . And that you never once switched the kettle on with no water in it ? If so,on both counts then if you can find one try an OHMIC kettle (if you can find one ) around 100 % efficient -heats the water directly using the mains electric and doesnt cause chemical changes in the water therebye causing a bad taste when used for tea. It does depend on the chemical resistance of the water in different areas as to how fast it boils but it isnt much different to an ordinary one . Dont be taken in by different or unusual designs in normally base heated kettles we are talking here a completely different method of heating otherwise buy an expensive kettle with a resettable overheating element.

Starterman – Fromwhat you have stated in your comment I assumed you were referring to the small circular electrical contact point [connector] that makes the electrical connection when you stand the kettle on its base unit [which contains the power lead from the wall socket] . The base unit has an upstanding circular projection containing a socket at its core and this engages with a matching cavity underneath the kettle that contains a central contact pin and circumferential contact strips. I believe the design of this electrical contact is more or less universal although dimensions might differ and quality of manufacture might affect the integrity of the connector leading to premature failure. In the first place you should take the kettle back to the retailer for a remedy under the Sale of Goods Act [recently superseded by the Consumer Rights Act for more recent purchases]. There doesn’t seem to be any point in having a repair or replacement of the identical model if the underlying fault has not been rectified so you should demand an alternative remedy to that.

If what John is saying is the truth that its the small round base connector then he has a point as to the quality . I have a fast boil 3000W Breville ,been working for years ,had a look at the base connector all SS (stainless steel ) not chrome etc and the insulator made out of high quality electrical /water/heat resistant type of mixed poly. plastic.

I dismantled the connector in the base on which the kettle sits to clean and adjust the contacts on a Kenwood kettle after it stopped heating. That was a couple of years ago and it still works perfectly. Only try this if you know something about electrical work though. After only two years I suspect you have a rubbish quality kettle and think your decision to replace it with a different make is correct.

Nigel if you want to narrow it down try filling the kettle with ionised water ,this water is good for your health ,better than acidic/alkaline /distilled water .

Duncan – I presume you are referring to deionised water, which is commonly sold for use with steam irons, car batteries, etc. This is not food-grade and I would not drink it.

No wavechange I was referring to water ionisation , as most kettles come from China I wanted to see what type of water was being used in China . I did find many warnings about drinking Chinese tap water and China itself exports tons of ionisers . On checking up on ionised water on a health website ,it said it was better for your health as it helped dry skin/ allergies and helped vitamins digest more easily in the body . I will get the website and post it ,if I can find it again. —Found a whole host of health websites recommending this. == Alkaline ionised water – water ionizer takes tap water ,filters it and then uses electrolysis to slit it into water containing mostly alkaline minerals the 2 types of water come out in separate pipes . the processed alkaline water helps disosing of acidic waste products . It is rich in calcium-magnesium- sodium- potassium -iron–zinc-nickel and magnesium . The ionizer removes most (but not all ) acid forming minerals from alkaline water (prevalent in England ) NOT Scotland where the water is mainly acidic ,the water molecules are more easily absorbed by your body , it goes on — . What I was saying was the poster try this type of water in their kettle to see if it made a difference to the taste.

I’m fairly sure it’s based on pseudoscience, a bit like perpetual motion machines. 🙁

All I am saying is –try it I am not saying a miracle will, happen and all the posters tea will taste good . I dont have one or I would try it ,nor do I have that type of bottled water anywhere near I could buy. As far as experimentation is concerned how about JLB inventor of the TV first pictures transmitted and over the airwaves ,if you knock him back remember the “fuddy duddies ” in the 40,s who ridiculed him for 1000 line TV -BBC executives- COLOR TV before the Americans who pinched the patent of electronic transmission of it including stereo TV . All those young people think innovation started last year, people like JLB was HELD BACK by backward thinkers and so he died —poor and early in life -read his true history, not the snipers at him .

As a Scot, I have been fascinated by the achievements of John Logie Baird, and I know what you are talking about. James Watt – another Scottish inventor reputed to be inspired by a boiling kettle – could easily have been sidetracked if his kettle water had developed a strange taste instead of going on to improve the design of steam engines. 🙂

As regards the invention of TV, in the UK it was really Alan Blumlein, not John Logie Baird that invented the first really successful fully electronic TV systems.

Blumlein was also have responsible for a lot of pioneering developments in stereo – or binaural as he called it.

Hence, as ever, I wonder if DL has got any (or all) of his facts right…

Dear Which ,as aspersions have been cast on the veracity of my posts by another poster I hope you wil give me leeway to defend myself as I have been given on other websites in the interests of truth and even handedness . Blumlein -inventor of the TV , well this will be groundbreaking news to Americans/ Russians and of course many UK electronic engineers . I realise why Blumlein is being mentioned as he is a “cause celebrity ” with our media in relation to his personal life but that doesnt mean history can be “re-invented ” . Long before he was “in the limelight ” I read his full story in Wireless World a mag I got for decades and of which I have bound year volumes from 1915 (then ) 1930-1948 given to me by a RAF radar engineer before he died of cancer and of which I used in later editions to get hi-fi power amp info on the many top end circuits appearing there that I built including communication radios . The FIRST PRACTICAL demonstration of a WORKING TV in the WORLD was given by its inventor -JOHN LOGIE BAIRD -NOT -Blumlein -He -in 1927-sent the FIRST long -distance television pictures via a telephone line between Glasgow and London .He formed the Baird Television Development Company LTD in 1928 -and using short -wave radio transmissions he achieved the FIRST Transatlantic TELEVISION transmissions between London and New York and the FIRST TV transmissions to a ship in mid-Atlantic –NOTE !!!== He demonstrated colour television and was GIVEN a PATENT for it in th USA . Baird made the FIRST outside broadcast –the FIRST sight and sound broadcast AND devised the FIRST television station . Not enough -okay – he devised a type of infra -red viewer called the “noctovision ” AND designed an EARLY fbre optic system , not forgetting his 1000 line COLOUR TV and STEREO TV . There is more ,so its NOT me who should gets his facts straight . I can only come to the conclusion of his being “put down ” in the electronic world because he was Scottish. But facts are facts if ANYBODY doubts me because I dont go into detail about anything then I will HAPPILY put them straight as to the FACTS. Sorry about this but I wont accept being doubted .

I see it fine to disagree but when it comes to insinuating that someone knows nothing or contributes endless nonsense its getting a little out of hand

Duncan has his field and has helped with advice on many things
It’s up to the reader to make their mind up.

Not so many days ago I got it in the ear and was pretty hurt

I dont think we need this
Yes me might give off about machines and companies even politics but personal comments are ott such as
“Hence, as ever, I wonder if DL has got any (or all) of his facts right…”

The “hence,as ever” is strongly suggesting DL is more often wrong than right
“any (or all)” continues on the same theme

Wave said Baird fascinated him and if one were to ask the man in the street who invented TV 9 out of 10 would say baird but there was another man finished the job
All wave and DL wee doing were having a debate………….about kettles and ionisers whatever they are

We all cannot be both labour and conservative and there will always be differences of opinion however we will not be moved by poor attitudes or those who complain about grammar or lack of knowledge

Thanks Dee—Appreciated .

Yes – I realise that there is not a disk whizzing around in my TV, so it must be electronic.

Meanwhile, it would be interesting to find out what percentage of kettles are affected by the smell/taste problem. And if someone has an affected kettle, do other people detect the same smell/taste? If some people manage to invent TV and stereo, surely a bit of joint effort might get to the bottom of the dodgy kettle problem.

It would be easy for Which? Connect to conduct a survey of members. I wonder if it will result in a Kettle Cheats campaign?

That’s one possibility and another is for Which? to contact some subscribers or users of Which? Convo with problem kettles with a view to getting them sent in for testing.

This seems like a fault in your particular example. In hindsight it should have been returned. Look at Which? reviews but they don’t mention bad tasting water. I’d therefore avoid plastic kettles. We’ve had a Kenwood SJM270 stainless steel kettle for many years that has given good service, but don’t suppose you can get it now.

Sounds to me Eliza that the chrome plating is not up to much and when this comes off it taints the water and colours it, any insulation leak from the seal holding the element would show up in water reaching the base and electrical insulation is mostly underneath the element section not directly inside the water container section.

I cannot offer any suggestions but all the silicone grease I have seen has been colourless.

I will keep checking into the cause of this -Sticky Yellow Lurgy Eliza as its “interesting” thanks for replying.

Eliza, if you have the manufacturers contact details you could ask them, and send a picture of the residue. alternatively, ask AMDEA. (manufacturers’ trade body).