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Tea-kettles, all you need to know
All about buying tea-kettles
The humble kettle has moved on since it inspired the steam engine, partially responsible for the American War of Independence (Boston Tea Party).
It still remains the mainstay for making both tea, instant coffee and cup of soups packs, noodles to name a few important reasons.
The most automated thing on the kettle was the whistle. The simple stove top kettle has evolved into some very fast and efficient electric versions.
Also there is a kettle style to suit every kitchen décor from retro to ultra modern
How big a kettle do you need?
The typical kettle capacity is around the 1.5 to 1.7litre range. A litre is equal to around four cups of water. Travel kettles are all made in the jug style and have water capacities of 0.7-1 litre and I had one in a small apartment and on my boat. Those with large families might choose a larger capacity kettle.
Do you need a corded or a cordless tea-kettle?
The traditional kettle has an integral electrical cord. The cordless tea-kettle sits on a socket power-base which makes life easy and allows greater flexibility, and is fast becoming standard.
How much power do you need?
The heating power of any kettle element is given in watts, or as in most fast kettles in kilowatts (kW). 2400 watts equals 2.4kW. The higher the power rating of a tea-kettle the faster it boils the water. Tea-kettles with power ratings of 3000 watts or more are classified as rapid boil kettles. These can boil 2 cups of water in under 60 seconds. The heating element is located at the base of the kettle, and are typically made from stainless steel. Some quality kettles have concealed elements that making cleaning and de-scaling easier to carry out.
What about water filters?
One of the problems in many areas of the world is scaling up of the kettle element. This is lime scale that bake son when heating the water, also you will se particles in the water. Some high end tea-kettles now have built in water filters that remove lime scale and other floating particles. Some filters have an indicator to show when filter replacement is required
What about tea-kettle safety features?
All electric tea-kettles incorporate safety features. These include what is called a boil dry safety cut-out that stops the kettle boiling dry and subsequently burning out. Also most designs have cool touch handles and lids so that you don’t get burnt, and some have locking lids. Other useful features include off and on indication lights, and boil ready indication. Some kettles also have an additional safety fuse that trips if the boil dry protection fails, and this will not reset and require factory service agent to repair.
How do you clean or descale the tea-kettle?
When you boil water this takes out some of the dissolved minerals within the water. Some of these minerals will float in the water however many stick to the inside of the kettle. The colour varies from red which is iron, to the typical white which is calcium. When the minerals deposit on the heating element they tend to insulate and this slows down heat transfer to the water, resulting in increased water boil times and wastes electricity. If it gets too bad the element will fail as it gets pitted and corrodes. You should never immerse the kettle or a cordless kettle base in water. New kettles should always be filled with fresh water and run through several cycles of fresh water before use. You can purchase descaling additive and follow the instructions to clean. Alternatively you can use a dilute solution of vinegar and water in the quantity of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water. Whether you use descaler or vinegar the solution should be allowed to stand in the kettle for up to five minutes, and agitated around kettle before discarding. You can boil the kettle during this process and after pouring out the solution rinse the kettle well.
All about tea
I must say I am a real tea lover, unlike many friends who prefer flavoured and other specialty herb teas I love sampling the various “black tea” varieties. Essentially all varieties of tea come from the Camellia Sinensis plant. It is the processing that makes the difference, and like wine the soil, and altitude all make a difference. All black teas are harvested, dried and fermented so as to give them the special and unique flavours. I used to be in the merchant marine in my younger days and we used to regularly transport tea from Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Tea has its origins in China, and dates back to something like 3000BC, before arriving in Japan around 800 AD, and finally cultivated in India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in the mid 19th century. The Dutch introduced tea to Europe in the 17th century, and America started importing in the 18th century, with such historical milestones as the Boston tea party occurring around the beverage. There are many tea varieties, and every tea drinker has a personal favourite. 1. Keemun The Keemun variety is considered by many to be one of the best Chinese black teas. It has both very smooth and very aromatic. 2. Darjeeling Aptly named after the Darjeeling province of India, this remains one of my favorite teas with a delicate and full bodied flavor. The Darjeeling region also has wonderful green and oolong teas. 3. Lapsang Souchong This is another personal favorite black tea from China. It does have a very strong and smoky flavour that is not to everyones palate 4. Assam Another tea from the northern Assam region of India, while being full-bodied the flavour is still strong and rich. 5. Yunnan This is another Chinese black tea that has a rich yet slightly pepper taste
About making tea
Proper tea making requires a tea pot a real leaf tea rather than the tea bag 1. Preheat the tea pot with hot tap or faucet water 2. Fill the electric tea-kettle with cold fresh water 3. Bring to the boil 4. Add in 1 teaspoon of tea leaves per cup to the pot plus one for the pot. You can put these into a tea caddy or strainer if you wish 5. Pour in the hot water to the pot 6. Let the tea brew or steep for 3 to 7 minutes depending on your taste 7. If you take milk then add milk to the cups first 8. Pour in the tea using a strainer to take out leaves
Mlesna Ceylon Black Tea
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Find out what you should know about tea. (e.g. The do's and don'ts of tea.)
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