Electric kettle safety

[Coldicote]

Do you have an electric kettle with one of those metal gauze inserts near the spout? Perhaps you already know this, but I pass it on for what it's worth. I attended a talk by a member of the fire service who produced a plastic kettle which had been left to boil dry and had collapsed with the heat. The metal gauze had been removed. I and several others had not realised its purpose was not as a filter/strainer but to provide a baffle which built up pressure when water boiled to activate the automatic switch off. Keep safe.

[dance2trance]

Yes I do. Thanks for the warning I wondered why it was being sold dirt cheap! And it explains the vast amount of steam earlier as I just checked after reading your posting and the filter had come out. Ta.

[Old_Geezer]

Thanks for the information, I didn't know that. But there again I wouldn't consider modifying the kettle anyway. Seems a strange thing to do.