Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-28
The Tea Kettle,

For generations back the tea kettle Ia
been looked upon as the guardian s,,ri,
of the Kitchen range. No home coulf =.
complete without ii. a hoio OF romancs
seems 10 crown Ii with the steam /. ,ar
out. Charles Dickens has jrnrnorta p.ais
Il In the first chapter Of "The Crjc,es -. ~
me Hearth" and made its glory ,aa ~
bright than It's own shining po.ishsd
sides. According to the old story h ny.
tne tea Kettle that first suggested n ~ ~
boy Watt the hidden utility in ono az nv M
greatest OF natures forces In tyu,h
there is something most attractive 49,.
4 GENIAL old kettle polished fiIl II shs,ss
ike mirror and pouring forth clouds -
steam while Ii sings lively tune AZ an
accompaniment. BUg. In spite of tha -
iab.Ished place of honor among hauss-
hold utensils 1t has won by wears :,
faithful service. there Is little doubt thar
3 great deal Of harm is done and a gree
many hygienic principles violated by is
use. 80
In the morning the housewife fills ,hs
kettle with water. and as soon as The Az,
> lighted puts IL over the stove win !
glad sigh of relief because she WONT have
70 bother about heating water every anes
IN a while. There will be plenty II ina
kettle to last all day. She does not wash
out the kettle when she puts In the water
-'Decause there mas been nothing hut
&ater In it, and water is clean" How
litSy unfitered water really is onv
scientists know. Il is sufficient however.
10 say that water the purifier Of ali
things. is itself very dirty. and tina, a
tea kettle which holds water Throughout
the day should be washed out every
morning before fresh water is nut In III
II the water were boiled in saucepan
there would not be this collection. for tho
saucepan would be washed on, with the
other utensils of the kitchen Hours pass
and the kettie keeps on boiling and eyap-
Grating until the pure water has escaped
IN the steam and the impurities are de-
posted as a sediment in the bottom Then
the housewife prepares the dinner boil
ing the potatoes and other vegetables In
water obtained rom the inexhaustible
kettle She makes the tea from the same
supply: and stale boiled water We are
not even certain that the water is poured
out and fresh put in before the evening
meal is prepared.
Vegetables cannot De properly cooked
in stale boiled water impregnated with
the dress of iron. lime and other chemi-
Gals. Fortunately. there are some veg
etaDles that are put into cold water at
the beginning. Tea and coffee made from
stale water that has boiled for hours are
not fit to drink. \ critical taste detects
at once whether or not these beverages
have been made of freshly boiled water
or of water which mas stood in the kettle
for hours. Ii should be rule with all
good housekeepers TO use no water for
tea or coffee that has boiled longer than
ten minutes. Water that has been boiled
and cooled and boiled over again is 1T for
nothing but cleaning purposes.
The injury resulting from the use Of
stale boiling water can easily be SEEN
and ii may also be seen that the tea ket-
tie is for the most part to blame. TIE
difference between its use and abuse
should be clearly understood. or this old
time utensil should be relegated to the
shades.