Living in a hard water area I found that I was descaling my kettle every couple of weeks and the citric acid cleaner had rotted the plastic around the top which was seeping into the water.
This kettle does take a little longer to fill and only holds enough water for 4 cups but it boils quickly and without excessive noise. Obviously the cartridge filters are an added expense but the water is purer and the kettle should last a long time. From my perspective this was a very good buy!