The kettle is one of the hardest working appliances in our kitchen – we flick it on to make cups of tea and coffee multiple times a day, and use it fill saucepans for ingredients like pasta, noodles, beans and grains at mealtimes.

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With all this use, you'll notice over time that limescale (insoluble calcium carbonate) starts to build up inside it, and how hard the water is in your area will affect how quickly this happens. Leave the limescale untreated and you'll notice your tea and coffee doesn't taste as good as it should, and you'll be shortening the lifespan of your kettle long-term.

The good news is, treating it is very simple. So, in a bid to help people buy less and understand how to care for their kitchen appliances properly, we’ve put together this handy guide to help you descale your kettle. We tried out two methods: distilled white vinegar and water, and an eco-proprietary kettle descaler.

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What is limescale?

Limescale is the insoluble calcium and magnesium deposits that are left behind when hard water evaporates. Slightly off-white in colour, in a kettle it forms when water is heated or left standing. In short, in hard water areas, limescale is inevitable.

While there's no way to stop limescale build-up altogether, there are steps you can take to slow the formation down. Familiarise yourself with the water hardness level in your area – our handy guide maps water hardness across the UK.

Water Hardness Map 002

As well as cleaning your kettle regularly, we advise keeping it dry when not in use. You can do this by only boiling the amount of water you need, so no water is left standing in the kettle. If your kettle has a flip lid, leave this open after use to allow any lingering water to evaporate after the kettle has boiled.

Why should you descale your kettle?

While it's not harmful to ingest, limescale is unappealing. It can give your water a slightly metallic flavour and manifest itself as flakes in drinks – and nobody wants to be picking bits out of their tea or coffee.

It can also be harmful to your kettle long-term. Limescale build up can affect the efficiency of your kettle, meaning it takes longer to boil, which could affect its lifespan in turn.

Most kettles have a flat panel that covers the kettle’s heating element, but if your model doesn’t, limescale can cause it to become less efficient and even burn out.

We recommend descaling your kettle every few months, or more frequently if you're seeing significant build up that's affecting your kettle's performance. The methods below can be used for everything from maintenance to large, more thorough cleans.

How to descale a kettle

We tested two descaling methods on kettles that were in need of some TLC: distilled white vinegar and water, and an eco-proprietary kettle descaler.

For both methods, the following steps were followed before the descaling began.

  • Remove as much of the free-floating limescale as you can
  • Remove the filter in the spout, then fill the kettle around ¼ full with water and swirl
  • Pour the water out and repeat, removing as much of the solid limescale as possible
  • Rinse the filter under a running tap to remove any limescale on there, then fit it back into the kettle

Distilled white vinegar and water method

Method:

  • Fill your kettle half with distilled white vinegar and half with water
  • Boil the kettle
  • Pour all of the water out
  • Fill your kettle with water again and boil to remove any lingering vinegar. Repeat this step as necessary.
Distilled White Vinegar before and after

We'd recommend opening a window or putting on your extractor fan, as this method can produce a steamy, vinegary fog once the kettle has boiled. This is a cheap, if slightly pungent, method of quickly descaling your kettle. It proved very effective and doesn’t require much time investment and is free of harmful chemicals.

The kettle didn’t return to ‘like new’ in appearance, but all hard limescale was removed. We boiled a total of four times. One downside we found was that it’s a bit tricky to remove scale from the kettle spout. Neat vinegar can also be an irritant to sensitive skin, so it could also be worth wearing rubber gloves when trying to tackle this area.

Kettle descaler method: Ecozone Kettle & Iron Descaler

Available from Amazon (£3.99), Ocado (£4)

Ecozone Kettle and Iron Descaler

There are lots of kettle descalers on the market, but we chose this option from British brand Ecozone, for it’s eco credentials and its wealth of accreditations from Allergy UK, Cruelty Free International and the Vegan Society. It’s made from 100% citric acid, and we used one sachet in test.

Method:

  • Fill the kettle half way with water, then boil
  • Add one sachet of the descaler to the boiled water
  • Leave the descaler to work for 30 minutes
  • Rinse the kettle several times to remove the limescale flakes and residue
Proprietary cleaner before and after

The results pictured really speak for themselves, and we felt this method proved the most successful, leaving our previously neglected kettle looking almost brand new – check out that mirror shine on the base!

Available from:

Top-rated kettles

If you’ve tried all our descaling methods and your kettle really has given up the ghost, it’s time for a new one. We tested a range of models, from the traditional and budget-friendly, to high-tech multi-temperature ones. Here are three that made it into our best kettles guide.

Ninja Perfect Temperature kettle

Ninja Perfect Temperature Kettle Rapid Boil

Star rating: 5/5

This Ninja kettle comes with a choice of temperatures spanning 60-100C, making it ideal for those who like to brew specialty teas – plus you don't have to reach a full boil for every mug. There's also a 'rapid boil' mode for single cups in under 60 seconds, and an audible notification to tell you when the kettle has finished (anyone who already owns a Ninja appliance will identify the brand's signature chime). For the price, we think it offers excellent value.

Haden Highclere kettle

Haden Highclere kettle

Star rating: 5/5

Available in a choice of blue or cream, this 1.5-litre kettle is sturdy and stylish. We liked the ergonomic handle across the top, which aids with pouring and filling. The kettle also comes with boil-dry protection, which means the power will turn off itself off if switched on and no water is detected.

KitchenAid Artisan 1.5-litre variable temperature kettle

KitchenAid Artisan 1.5l variable temperature kettle

Star rating: 5/5

This eye-catching kettle allows you to choose the temperature you want between 50-100C. It’s comfortable to use and comes in a range of attractive colours. Read our full KitchenAid Artisan kettle review.

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This guide was last updated in January 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

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Comments, questions and tips (7)

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Boylinio6115010

BBC Good Food REALLY MUST REMOVE THIS TIP!!!!! I too looked it up and tried it without reading the comments. I trusted BBC Good Food!! I am mad! It was shocking that at the point of boiling, it was bubbling out of the kettle at such speed, over the worktops, down over my appliances, my wooden floor…

agchampion

I also followed this advice stupidly and yes my kettle spewed boiling water everywhere, I have contacted bbcgoodfood to request this advice I’d taken down and it is highly dangerous, do not do it

phxb5f48wr-RXAtcmO

tip

This article is badly researched nonsense. Limescale calcium carbonate as any schoolboy can tell you needs an acid to dissolve it. Sodium bicarb is an alkali so as noted won't work. It's also vastly dangerous as it will release a LOT of carbon dioxide during boiling with dangerous consequences.…

difox122909

!!! DO NOT TRY THE BICARB METHOD !!! If you put bicarbonate in a kettle and boil it, the pressure builds up and it boils over like a bubbling fountain. The water went everywhere and I scalded my hand trying to deal with a dangerous situation. Plus it fused my electrics due to base of kettle getting…

rebecca.law

I stupidly thought I could trust the BBC. When I read fill your kettle 3/4 with water, add a heaped tbsp of bicarb and boil, I thought that's going to overflow everywhere. No I thought, this is BBC advice. Guess what happened? Exactly, overflowed boiling water everywhere!! Its as if people just…

difox122909

Just happened to me. Wish I'd read the comments first.

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