What is the neutral-colored sandy-like layer on the bottom of my Culinary Essentials stainless steel tea kettle?  I received the kettle used (in excellent condition) and was told this layer had something to do with heating the water, but I would like to know more. Thanks.

This problem is only partly connected with heating the water.   All water except distilled water contains minerals.   This can include lime, calcium, selenium, iron oxide (rust) and many other minerals, depending on the source of the water.  Some springs even have toxic natural minerals.  Remember the ubiquitous scene in old Westerns where someone, dying of thirst, drags himself to an oasis in the desert only to find it posted with a skull and crossbones?

Here in South Florida most wells have a lot of lime and rust.  In the Tampa, Florida area, there's loads of sulfur in the water, which tastes quite gross and smelled rotten, too!   When I was nine, we visited my grandmother in Gibsonton, near Tampa, (see Florida Cuisine) and everyone had wells, often natural artesian wells that didn't require pumping.  I absolutely couldn't believe that anyone could become accustomed to drinking that stuff.  Sulfur was mined a few miles away, and there was usually a two or three story high pile of the yellow stuff heaped up ready to ship.  The process polluted the area for miles around, killing most of the vegetation and doing God knows what to the residents' lungs, something that would never be allowed today.    Interestingly,  most of the dead pine trees in that wasteland held osprey's nests, and even an occasional eagle.  They felt quite safe there, and raised great broods, apparently unaffected by the fumes and smoke.

When a teakettle of water is heated, some of it evaporates and that concentrates the minerals.  If it's concentrated enough, some "falls out" and sticks to the bottom.  If one forgets the kettle is on and lets it evaporate completely, the minerals left in the bottom can be clearly seen.   In addition,  some minerals are attracted to metal and will bond with it easily.

The "harder" the water, the more minerals.   Water softeners counteract this, but the water is not necessarily good or healthy to drink then, although lovely to bathe, wash hair, clean and do laundry with, having a luxurious silky feel.

Lime and other mineral deposits can clog shower heads, aerators, sprinklers, fountains, dishwashers, washing machines, coffee percolators or any other appliance that uses water.  The worst of all is a steam iron, if you do not fill it with distilled water.  At some point, a bunch of crud will break loose and the item you are ironing (and usually planning to wear to some function for which you are almost late already) will get stained with a big blob of the nasty stuff. 

What you need to do is buy a descaler and use it according to directions.  Wash and rinse very well afterwards.  I use a descaler from time to time in my washer, dishwasher and shower head.  Fuller Brush has a great one (go to "online shopping" and put "descaler" in the search box), and there's some in supermarkets, too.   Some people swear by heating or soaking an item in vinegar, definitely a no-no for aluminum and I personally wouldn't do it to stainless steel either.

Note that if one has been making tea in a pot, rather than just heating the water, and a smooth brown layer has formed, that is tea, which is a potent dye.  Sometimes this can be removed with a scotch pad, soft scour, baking soda scrub or something similar.  But if it's combined with minerals, you may still need a descaler which will take off the tea along with the minerals.

Hope you got a good deal on the used teapot, and enjoy.  Have a cup for me!

Kate Akers.....Crusty Teapot Follow-up

Thanks, Bess.  Your answer doesn't address the question I have about my tea kettle.  The "stuff" at the bottom has a fine granular consistency and supposedly aids in heating the water.  I want to know what that "stuff" is but I cannot find the manufacturer on-line.  I would like to receive your free newsletter. 

I never heard of such a thing.  Is the "stuff" loose or hard?  In the inside or outside?

The "stuff" is on the inside-bottom of the kettle.  It is very fine, beige,  granular, clings to the bottom of the pot.  I really appreciate your interest in my question.  I live in North Idaho, far from a kitchenware  shop where I might get more information.  Maybe the person who gifted me the kettle was wrong about the efficaciousness of the "stuff"!

Kate,  I'm usually pretty good at finding things on the internet.  But I cannot find this manufacturer nor anyone who sells that brand.  I did find a number of entries in forums on other sites where people were looking for replacement parts and couldn't locate the maker.   I also found a stern warning from one writer whose mother had a traumatic experience with a Culinary Essentials product.  She was boiling potatoes in a large pot with a glass lid when the glass violently exploded.  If she had been in the kitchen, the writer states, she would surely have been injured.  Maybe that's why they went out of business!  Apparently they were made in Korea.   I didn't find a teapot mentioned at all.

As a solution to the "crusty teapot problem," several years ago, when my electric kettle was new, I purchased a "Teapot Descaler."  It is a little roll of stainless steel wire about the size of the business end of a corncob pipe.  It tumbles along the element as the water boils, and I've never had the slightest bit of scale.  I have seen them since on the long walls of kitchen whatnots in large kitchen outlets. I don't know that the little gadget would remove a build-up, but it does keep it from forming.

I'll tell you right now I've never heard of such a thing, not surprising since I make cups of tea one by one in my microwave.    It sounds like you have teapot experience and I'm certainly going to take your word for it.  I'm amazed!  Do you know--  is this just for electric teapots or for the kind you put on the stove also?

Thanks loads for your information, Mary Kay, and I'll be sure that Ms. Akers gets a copy.

An old restaurant trick for teapots/coffee pots, which are 'stained-crusty-etc.'.......

Fill pot with ice cubes (use small cubes or crack 'em), then toss in a couple TBSP of kosher salt (large grain salt, doesn't have to be religious...........)

Let stand about 30 seconds, and gently "swirl" the contents AROUND & AROUND, to break up deposits.   It works!    Then gently clean as you wish.

When cleaning teapots or cups and mugs I use a tablet that is used for cleaning dentures.  In England they are called Steradent tablets, but you probably have similar in USA .

Polident, maybe?  I have some Corning Ware cups stained from making tea in the microwave that NOTHING has cleaned.  They're so disgusting, I only use them in an emergency if everything else is dirty.   I think I get some denture cleaner and give that a try.  Thanks, Val.

I am hoping you know where I can find a new cord for my Mom's electric teapot.  The name on the teapot is Russell Hobbs, C330 series, 120V, PT361 358.  I hope you can help or direct me where I can find one.  Thanks. 

Most electric appliances use standard cords.  The first place to look is at hardware stores - the kind with everything like old five and dimes, not a lumber supply.   Take the old cord with you, or if you've thrown it out, take the teapot.

If you cannot find it there, look in your phone directory under "Small Appliance Repair".

Read the interesting history of the esteemed Russell Hobbs Company at Wikipedia.  You will note that it changed hands, subsequent owners went out of business, etc., but it appears it is now owned by Salton, Inc.  You may wish to contact them if a local search fails.

I am wondering if you can tell me where to order a replacement for a Russell Hobbs Teakettle? 

See the previous message for some info on Russell Hobbs.    Apparently there's a call for their products, because here's a source for the appliances and parts at their website; it even includes a toll-free phone number, 1-888-HOBBS-20

We have a Chantal teapot. Inside has rust spots (not sure what from, perhaps boiled water too far down?). Want to know best way of ridding the inside of rust. I saw some recommendation somewhere for a baking soda paste, but don't recall where. Any ideas? Thanks for the response in advance. 

I profess total ignorance on Chantal teapots, although not on rust stains.  So I did a little research and found tea experts Bob and Carol Sims; they sell tea, tea cozies, teapots, and what they don't know about tea probably isn't worth knowing.     

They tell me there are two kinds of Chantal teapots, stainless steel and ceramic, usually over a metal base.   You mentioned maybe boiling it down too far (like dry, maybe?) and Bob Sims says their plastic electric pots turn off when boiling to avoid that possibility.  

Now as to the rust.   If the pot is stainless, I cannot imagine.  Possibilities are rust stains from an older dishwasher rack that has bare metal points, settlement of rust in well water, contact with a caustic substance, leaving tea in it while you went on vacation, or maybe it's not rust but stain from tea leaves, and this brand has a coarse infuser, allowing tiny bits of tea leaves to fall out to the bottom (allowing one to read the tea leaves after draining the pot, if that's your thing).   Any of these should scour off with a rag and baking soda, or with a mesh scrubber such as Fuller's kitchen sponge, which is what I personally use to remove tea stains.  If this fails, try either a descaler or drop denture cleaning tablets into water in the pot and leave for three to five minutes.

If the pot is ceramic or enamel, you may be in trouble.  Hopefully it's a simple problem in which case any of the above may work if the rust is on the surface, although I wouldn't use descaler or denture tablets on it.  If these don't work, or if they do but the rust re-forms, you've cracked through to the metal alloy underneath.  This isn't a good thing.  First, tea is slightly acidic, and will leach metals, perhaps unhealthy ones, into your tea, and also this will affect the taste of the brew.  Save it as a decoration, planter or doorstop and buy a new teapot (Sims' suggest you look at their site, Tea Treasures, first).

Although most modern plastics are ruled safe when heated, I still have a personal prejudice and told Bob so.  He gave me a lecture that while plastic vs ceramic or stainless is a personal choice, I was probably endangering my health more by using tea bags, as the paper is bleached and contains chemicals which may be unhealthy and affect the taste of the tea.  This is something I intend to look into further when I have time.  His theory makes an important point.  Another is the quality of the tea - he says that some tea has more contamination with pesticides than others, and that especially the ones from India and Sri Lanka have lower pesticide levels; plus the very best is organic.  (I assume those are ones they sell on their site.)  Even if you aren't in the market for an online purchase, take a look at Tea Treasures to see some beautiful things.

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