How to clean the Kelly Kettle

[Tinca Tinca]

No need to do this...Normally goes only water inside,not the tea leafs...

[Stathamender]

Hmm, I assume we're talking about the water tank here, most domestic descalers I've used (living in a hard water area means that happens fairly often) on things such as kettles, coffee makers and steam irons rely on a fairly weak solution of citric acid. This substance is also used extensively in industry for descaling metal boilers and evaporators. It's also fairly extensively used in water softeners and cleaning agents for dishwashers and washing machines. I suppose a lot may depend on what metal your tank is made of (stainless steel would be safe as it's inoxidisable, copper is another matter) and also what the seal is. But my initial thoughts would be there's no danger from normal recommended use. YMMV.

[Stathamender]

So I looked into this a bit further and this is what I found: the Kelly Kettle generally has a stainless steel base and an aluminium body. The body is almost certainly an alloy rather than pure aluminium. There is actually a readily available article http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 6/abstract on this very subject. Abstract below:

This paper gives the results of a comprehensive series of tests on the corrosion of four different grades of aluminium and two aluminium alloys by a dilute acid and an acid-salt solution at different temperatures under static and agitated conditions. The work was undertaken to provide information of practical value on some of the main factors influencing the service-life of aluminium plant and equipment used in contact with acid food products.

The results show that aluminium (purity range 99.25–99.993%), Al-Mn (1.17% Mn) and Al-Mg-Mn (1.78% Mg, 0.45% Mn) alloys resist a dilute solution of citric acid at room temperature whether agitated or not. The rate of corrosion was approximately doubled per 10° C. rise in temperature; the life of equipment would be very short at boiling temperature. In the presence of salt, the corrosion rates of the two alloys and of all the grades of aluminium tested, with the possible exception of the purest grades, would be too high to permit their use even at room temperatures, unless oxygen was excluded. In general, the corrosion was greater the lower the grade of aluminium and, under all but one of the conditions tested, the two alloys corroded most.

My takeaway from this is that its OK to use standard descalers on your Kelly but only at room temp. Do not heat. And rinse out very thoroughly after doing this before using again to boil anything.

[Paul D]

I honestly wouldn't to be honest, not worth the risk.
Never heard of Kellys being of mixed metal either. Pure aluminium is far to soft to spin(the process ghillie use to produce their kettles) I used to use it to produce collapsible inserts for f1 steering columns and it was horrible stuff too machine.

[Stathamender]

The top row of this http://www.kellykettle.com/kelly-kettles.html implies Inox base and aluminium body while the bottom row seem to be all Inox. Certainly safe to use citric acid in the latter.

[Santiago]

Instead of cleaning or not, there's another alternative. One can buy small cylinders of stainless steel wire mesh designed to furr up inside kettles inplace of the actual kettle. Then to unfurr one simply takes out said wire cylinder and descales that using vinegar. Once descaled one just pops it back into the kettle. And they actually do work to some degree. But as to whether they actually would fit inside a Kelly kettle I have no idea.

[Paul D]

Its not the metal, its the sealant at the seam that can be attacked, just had a good look at mine and yes there is a little deposit, but nothing to worry about.
The advert you show says that the fire base is now offered in stainless steel along with models built entirely of steel, I thought you meant they were making the actual kettle in ally and steel!
Still wouldn't bother trying to de-scale one though

[Tinca Tinca]

O.K.I understood,too that they make the kettle of steel and ally...The firebase is not available
in all sizes...For my basecamp only the ally one,sadly..

[Shaun Harrison]

O.K.I understood,too that they make the kettle of steel and ally...The firebase is not available
in all sizes...For my basecamp only the ally one,sadly..

The Scout and Base Camp are the same size base I believe. The stainless ones are available.

http://www.kellykettle.com/spare-parts/ ... ettle.html

[Tinca Tinca]

....Thanks Shaun...Availability:Out of stock...like I said.