My son boiled fish oil in my Breville electric kettle

[tingjunkie]

TJMV always has good meta-advice.

Thanks, but ultimately, it doesn't meta what I think.

[Hannah]

TJMV always has good meta-advice.

Thanks, but ultimately, it doesn't meta what I think.

[Hannah]

Any luck??

[Kaytea]

Nope. My kettle smelled of lemon AND fish oil for a while. Now it doesn't smell like lemon anymore...

I contacted Breville and the lady said to try with warm tap water and bicarbonated soda and that it fizz (do not boil water). I haven't tried that yet, but I'm thinking that water and bicarbonated soda isn't suppose to make much fizz. You need acid. So I'll try diluted warm vinegar with filtered water (we have hard water from the tap. Not going in my kettle!) and the soda.

[Kaytea]

I have tried the soda and it fizzed nicely and all without even adding vinegar. I did add vinegar afterwards just to make it fizz again. Then I let it steep all night in the kettle. The next morning, I had to scrub the inside because some of the baking soda remained in corners. The smell seemed gone but I gave it a few days. As per experience, it seemed like the smell was gone, but came back later on. It was no exception. The fish smell is still there albeit not as strong. Sigh...

At the grocery store, I looked for coffee machine cleaners. There was only one brand. I read the instructions which were complicated as I have no cleaning cycle nor a container of water that pours into another one (I know they have names, I just really don't know anything about coffee machines!). Also, it didn't say anything about removing the smell, which is my remaining issue. :S I'm out of options... I don't want to buy another one, they are kind of expensive (mine has different temperature options).

[Bef]

How about diluted bleach?

[tingjunkie]

Don't look at it as losing a tea kettle, look at it as gaining a brand new way to heat soups and steam shellfish. I think that's what the universe is telling you, just roll with it.

[Jaymo]

Don't look at it as losing a tea kettle, look at it as gaining a brand new way to heat soups and steam shellfish. I think that's what the universe is telling you, just roll with it.

That's perfect! It's like an Yixing for shellfish!

[Kaytea]

I'm not seeing this as losing a water kettle. I don't have the money to get a new good one like this and I can't use my old one since we have an induction stove and it's not made off a ferro-magnetic metal.

I tried another shop for coffee machine cleaners and found one for oil deposits. After a disastrous cleaning cycle where the stuff just decided to pressurize and spout out of my kettle like a reverse waterfall, it didn't do anything either for the smell. My water doesn't taste fishy, so I'll just leave it be and continue using (as I've been doing actually).

The oil is supposed to be gone by now, so I don't think there is anything else that can be done.

[the_economist]

Are there any plastic parts at all in the lid? I find that plastic traps smells much more easily than metal. In that case, the smell is just coming from the lid, not really from the body.

[jayinhk]

Just use it. Over time, and with boiling water, any fishy-smelling compounds that are left behind should dissipate, either via steam or into the water. No need for a new kettle.

I'd try using high proof ethanol/vodka. It won't harm you and should dissolve/emulsify anything left behind. DON'T BOIL IT or it will start burning! Just let it soak and dump it out. Alternatively you could wipe down all of the inside surfaces with it, and the spout, and that should do it.

[Kaytea]

Thanks, that's what I plan to do, wait and see.

The only plastic part is part of the filter which I don't need. Most of the filter is metal and didn't get in contact with the fish oil originally (until I boiled water and other things and poured them out). I'll remove it and see.