I checked again while I was at Wal-mart today and, yes, that is what I saw before. I know you aren't fond of Wally world (neither am I but where we are our choices are limited - at least our tax $$ stays in our county now) so, I just grabbed one and will mail it to you if you e-mail me your address. :o)

For the others that were interested, the kettle scale collector was located on the household gadget aisle by the scrub brushes. It kind of looks like a tiny scrubby or a Brillo pad with out the blue stuff on it. It cost a whopping $1.44! Here's the info from the back of the package:

Kettle scale is caused by the presence of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts in water. Place the Scale Collector in any type of kettle and scale will deposit itself on it as the water boils. Made from fine stainless steel wire, the Scale Collector is hygienic and provides a large surface area where the scale collects. This speeds up boiling time and reduces energy costs. If there is a heating element in the kettle, using the scale collector increases the life of the heating element because less scale is deposited on the element. To clean hold the scale collector under cold running water. Gently squeeze out the deposits. Imported by Fox Run Craftsmen, Ivyland, PA 18974 Made in Great Britain

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), June 06, 2002

Answers

Bren I sent you an e-mail! I knew I wasn't crazy it does exist. As I said in my e-mail you are brilliant, my hero.

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), June 06, 2002.

Thanks for the post. I was wondering what the thing was made of, now I can do some more searching about it and how it might work.

As to the claim that it speeds up the boiling time (or reduces the time it takes to reach a boiling temperature) anything that disrupts the surface area (decrease surface tension) on the boiling surface will create this. Such as the boiling stones (rocks) used in Chem 101 class to create a smoother boil (smaller bubbles) or putting salt in a pot of water to make it boil quicker.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), June 06, 2002.

Good work Bren, another mystery solved! This one had me stumped. Susan, glad to find out you're not delusional. It sounded so real.........LOL. Glad it had a happy ending, now I gotta find me one!

-- IveyNelson (iveynelson@aol.com), June 06, 2002.

Wonder if a stainless steel scrub pad would work?

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), June 06, 2002.

Jay I bet it would I was at Home Depot the other day and looked in plumbing for those lint traps that are a wire tube that is rolled. It didn't say what it was made of and I wouldn't want to put it in my tea kettle if I wasn't sure if it was stainless steal or not. If you have access to stainless wire/mesh try balling it up. When I get mine I will take a picture and post it, if I can figure out how to do that.

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), June 07, 2002.

I have a closed teakettle -- you can only fill it through the spout. Does make it interesting when you're trying to clean out the scale! Anyway, does this dohickey fit in through a spout, or would it only work on a kettle with a removable lid? Thanks!

-- Joy F (Southern Wisconsin) (CatFlunky@excite.com), June 13, 2002.

Joy, I would think it would fit through the spout. It was roughly the size of a quarter, wouldn't you say, Susan? Just looked at my teapot and it would definitely have fit through mine.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), June 13, 2002.

Yep I would say it is the size of about 8 quarters stacked together. About as high as it is round. It says there is an online Walmart where you can shop.

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), June 13, 2002.

I checked the on-line Wal-mart before I originally posted this and the site didn't carry it. If anyone else needs me to pick one up and mail it off to them, just let me know.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), June 13, 2002.