Here's a curious fact: when I worked in Eritrea, I was provided with a water filter. I never needed to use it because the water we received was of far better quality than any water I've known in the UK. Where I lived - on the Red Sea coast - you could always spot outsiders in restaurants because they were the ones drinking the bottled water. The rest of us were happy with tap water.
The best water I've ever had was when I was in a village in Greece in the 1960s. There was a very rudimentary and intermittent water supply, and the tap water was usually used for watering the vegetables etc in the garden. All other water came from a local mountain stream (above sheep-line) and was beautiful and cool. They had a cauldron out in the garden over a wood fire to provide hot water.
The water where I was in Germany needed to be boiled or, at least, drawn and left for about half an hour for the sediment to settle - a half pint glass of water usually had about an inch and a half of sediment in it. The pipes to the hot taps were so blocked that hot water came out as a trickle.
Where I live, there are no reservoirs, so the water comes from the local sewage works. It is so full of chemicals, it is disgusting. When they add the chemicals, it smells of bleach. The morning before they add the chemicals, it smells of sh*t. Water pressure used to leave a lot to be desired at times, although is better since they had to replace the water main after a load of new houses were built in the area. I filter and boil all water for making drinks and either boil or filter and boil water for cooking. I cannot drink tap water at all. The last time I had two sips of water at a SALT outpatients appointment, I ended up at the doctors and was put on antibiotics for a fortnight. My face, mouth and throat were so swollen up I could barely breath, let alone swallow anything - and that was bottled water! One of my meds used to state "take with tap water only"; the instructions have now been amended to state "take with water, but not mineral water or flavoured water",
To get back on topic, I have had my electric kettle for several years. It has only needed descaling once, and that was after someone else used it to make tea two three times and had filled it from the tap. I did have a stove-top kettle, but got rid of that after whistle failed to work (clogged with limescale) and I badly burnt my hand on the handle. Like
@morning glory I boil water for cooking too, as that is much quicker and cheaper than waiting for a pan of water to boil. I also have an electric coffee filter, which keeps coffee hot and drinkable for about 3/4 hour before switching itself off automatically. I use a Brita water filter, which is cleaned regularly, otherwise the top of it gets full of limescale and green junk from the tap water.
My daughter has three taps in her kitchen - cold, hot and boiling. Very good, until you forget which tap is which! Where she lives, the water is of far better quality than the water we have here, although I still don't drink the tap water.
