Hard water, and a winter of flat cups

For most of October every coffee tasted muted, as though someone had turned the volume down on the acidity. I blamed three different bags in a row before I looked inside the kettle.

The scale had built up enough to flake off when I tilted it. After descaling, and switching to a jug filter for brewing water only, the brightness came back within a day.

I now descale every two weeks and keep a note of the date on the inside of a cupboard door, which is the only reminder I have found that I actually look at.