plug in kettle vs. stove top

**paul wheaton** · 12-27-2009, 12:17 AM

After waaaaaay too much math and discussion in another forum, the results are in. Using a plug in electric kettle is not only faster than a stove top kettle, but it uses a lot less power. So much, that it would save $14.52 per year.

**NikoSan999** · 12-27-2009, 01:04 AM

Yep, you need to talk to Grainlady...she has this stuff down to a science without the complications

**Mom2-3** · 12-27-2009, 02:06 AM

interesting! except that I don't have a plug in kettle, but I do have a stove-top kettle. So, I would have to buy another item. Also does it matter between gas and electric stove?

I would have never thought about figuring that out! Thanks for the info.

**paul wheaton** · 12-27-2009, 02:39 AM

The numbers crunched were using [ame="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BY4ZHO/rs12-20"]this electric kettle[/ame].

Although I suppose others would return similar results.

**paul wheaton** · 12-27-2009, 02:40 AM

The numbers crunched were using [ame="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BY4ZHO/rs12-20"]this electric kettle[/ame].

Although I suppose others would return similar results.

**sinopa27** · 12-27-2009, 02:41 AM

great! I have an electric kettle

**savvy_sniper** · 12-27-2009, 09:12 AM

I bought an inexpensive electric kettle on sale AND used a coupon; so I got a great price. It heats water MUCH faster than my electric cooktop. The cooktop is old; so I am pretty sure it isn't very energy efficient.

**shoiji** · 12-27-2009, 10:42 AM

I do not have an electric kettle. However, I do use my microwave to heat up water for tea or coffee.

**ladytoysdream** · 12-27-2009, 11:25 AM

So what was the yearly numbers total that you compared ?

I could use my corning ware coffee pot on our propane stove and probably come in cheaper yet. Currently I am using a Mr Coffee electric pot, that is on it's last legs. Not going to replace it if I can help it.

**Luckybustert** · 12-27-2009, 03:17 PM

I just like the portability of the electric kettle. I can take it to the office and use it for heating up water for tea and soups instead of going down to the cafeteria and being tempted to spend money.

**Grainlady** · 12-28-2009, 09:10 AM

The fastest, and most efficient way to heat water is an instant hot water dispenser, but most of us don't have the convenience or can afford the cost or space under our sinks for it.

The next fastest is an electric kettle, which is faster than a microwave. WHY? Because the water is in direct contact with the heating element for maximum heating capacity. The water is being heated, not the entire kettle.

Microwaves aren't efficient when you heat larger amounts. For instance, I heat 5-cups of water in an electric kettle to do dishes, instead of running hot tap water. We've timed the electric kettle, kettle on the stove, and the microwave. The kettle won - hands down. Water heated in a microwave is SUPER-heated and can be dangerous.

When you use a kettle on the stove, the kettle has to heat first --- then the water is heated from the hot kettle. A certain percentage of the heat from the burner is lost to the air, making it less efficient.

Also helpful when using an electric kettle....

1. Check the MINIMUM amount your kettle will heat (if you are purchasing one). Make sure it's an amount that will accommodate your needs.

The electric kettle I use for hot drinks has to be filled with a minimum of .5 L/Qt. This is enough water not only for one cup of tea, but an additional cup, so I put the heated water in a Thermos to use later. Heat once, use twice.... During the winter, or if there are more people in the house who are drinking hot drinks, I will heat a larger amount and fill a bigger Thermos to use from throughout the day.

2. With any type of kettle, fill it only with the amount you require. If you over-fill it and leave much of it in the kettle, you are just wasting energy.

**ladytoysdream** · 12-28-2009, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by Grainlady

We've timed the electric kettle, kettle on the stove, and the microwave.
________The kettle won - hands down. _________ Water heated in a microwave is SUPER-heated and can be dangerous.

Not real sure which one won here...but thinking you mean the electric kettle. Your kitchen stove is electric ?

Our kitchen stove is propane. Which is working out real good for us even now that we use a smaller tank for it. The 500 gallon propane tank is gone because we no longer use the propane furnace, just the outside wood furnace. My goal is to keep on using less electric and a electric stove would be very bad here if we lost our power.
With propane, I know I can cook with no problems.
My propane stove does have a glow bar in the oven which means during lost power, we would not be able to use the oven part.
We do however have a generator .

Not sure I would win in how fast one can heat water in normal everyday conditions....but during a power outage...I would have hot water in fast enough time to make me happy.

**Trishagirl** · 12-28-2009, 10:51 AM

I don't have an electric kettle I warm my water with my electric stove top each morning. I'll have to shop around for a more economical price on a kettle. I don't have a microwave any more since mine went out last year Now I have more counter space yeah! Thanks grainlady!

**redmaples** · 12-28-2009, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Grainlady

Heat once, use twice.... During the winter, or if there are more people in the house who are drinking hot drinks, I will heat a larger amount and fill a bigger Thermos to use from throughout the day.

This makes sense, we are heating our kettle over 5 tines a day when everyone is home & wanting tea.

I've bought all of ours at yard sales or salvation army...gave the extras to kids apartments & one to the psych dept at kids school.

**Grainlady** · 12-28-2009, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by ladytoysdream

Not real sure which one won here...but thinking you mean the electric kettle. Your kitchen stove is electric ?

Our kitchen stove is propane. Which is working out real good for us even now that we use a smaller tank for it. The 500 gallon propane tank is gone because we no longer use the propane furnace, just the outside wood furnace. My goal is to keep on using less electric and a electric stove would be very bad here if we lost our power.
With propane, I know I can cook with no problems.
My propane stove does have a glow bar in the oven which means during lost power, we would not be able to use the oven part.
We do however have a generator .

Not sure I would win in how fast one can heat water in normal everyday conditions....but during a power outage...I would have hot water in fast enough time to make me happy.

Thanks for catching my omission... The ELECTRIC kettle is the fastest in a test using it and a traditional kettle on the stove top and a microwave.

As calculated with a Watt-A-Meter - .10 kwh to heat 5 cups of water to a rolling boil in 4 minutes. That's not enough electricity to register 1-cent on the meter, so I know it's less than a cent, but not exactly how much it costs. A rolling boil isn't necessary to use for doing dishes, so about 3 to 3-1/2 minutes is more realistic.

An electric kettle also uses less energy for the task due to the heating element being in direct contact with the water, unlike an electric/gas/propane stove top and a traditional kettle. You lose a lot of your heating energy to the air around the traditional kettle - especially with an open flame of a gas/propane stove. The heating source must heat a kettle, which in turn has to heat the water (as I described in my earlier post). So the transference of heat isn't as direct as an electric kettle, where the water is heated directly by the heating element within the kettle. So those are facts to use for those who want to save energy and time.

This becomes even more important for me because I have almost completely eliminated running hot water from the hot water heater to the kitchen by using an electric kettle for heating water for doing dishes by hand and after meal clean-up. It's not just a matter of heating water for a cup of tea.

It takes over 1-gallon of water to get hot water to our kitchen, so there is enough hot water displaced with COLD water in the hot water tank to kick it on to heat the ENTIRE amount of water in the tank when we do dishes. Especially if one uses a normal amount of 5-7 gallons of water to do dishes. The energy it takes to heat our entire hot water tank for only a small amount of hot water costs FAR more than heating 5-cups of water in an electric kettle.

I also use "saved" water for doing dishes (water that runs cold while you are waiting for hot water for a shower). So that's yet one more way to save. We do hand-washing for dishes (3 X a day) using about 1-gallon of saved water - TOTAL. We run the dishwasher every 3-5 days (not for convenience, but in order to keep it working).

The least expensive way for me to heat water is FREE in my Solar Ovens, which I also often do. I heat the water and place it in thermal jugs to keep it hot.