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Mrs Fiddlesticks



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 9:10 am    Post subject: kettles Reply with quote
    

I've always wanted a whistling kettle, you know like your granny had. Saw one the other day, and then thought...

well which is more efficient or uses less energy, my electric 3KW kettle or one to go on my average ( but about 10 years old) ceramic hob. I only fill it with what I need for the teapot or mug.

Unfortunately I'm going to guess the electric one, but the answer would be of interest.

twoscoops



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1924
Location: Warwickshire
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I always thought that with an electric one you were looking at 60p to boil it full. I had a whistling one (remember the towelling inferno story?) but you sometimes put the kettle on and get distracted so you come to make your tea ten minutes later, which you can’t do with a stove-top one. I’ve gone back to electric, which gets used maybe twice a week.

Nanny



Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i had a whislting cow kettle (no it didn't moo, mores the pity)

it takes longer to heat that up then an electric one.........i suppose if you have an aga and it stands on the back of it permanently warming, then that's different but if you have to light the gas and heat from cold then it must be less efficient as far as i can see.

Jb



Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 7761
Location: 91� N
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Twoscoops wrote:
I always thought that with an electric one you were looking at 60p to boil it full. ...


60p Are you sure? electrickery costs about 12p /KWh (ish), so at 3KW you would be able to run a kettle for about 1 1/2 hours (ish).

Mrs Fiddlesticks



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

hmm still no votes for a hob model then. 3kw to boil a mug ful say in what minute or two compared to same amount on hob which has a ring wattage unknown - well thats helpful isn't it?

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'm sure I read somewhere that you should use a hob kettle if you've got gas or solid fuel and an electric one if you've got an electric hob. But I may be making that up.

dougal



Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 1:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Agree with JB's maths. Around 1p to boil an electric kettle.

Previous related threads
https://forum.downsizer.net/about5628.html
https://forum.downsizer.net/about1948.html

What is it with Julie and kettles?

twoscoops



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1924
Location: Warwickshire
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Don’t shoot me! I only read it somewhere once.

Mrs Fiddlesticks



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dougal wrote:
Agree with JB's maths. Around 1p to boil an electric kettle.

Previous related threads
https://forum.downsizer.net/about5628.html
https://forum.downsizer.net/about1948.html

What is it with Julie and kettles?


I hadn't realised! I've got a ceramic hob, so I guess the difference is negible?

dougal



Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Fiddlesticks Julie wrote:
hmm still no votes for a hob model then. 3kw to boil a mug ful say in what minute or two compared to same amount on hob which has a ring wattage unknown - well thats helpful isn't it?


Its important to distinguish between kilowatts (kw, a thousand watts), which measure *rate* of energy usage/supply, and kilowatt hours (kwh or "units"), which measure the *quantity* of energy used.

Use electricity at a *rate* of 1 kw for an hour and the *quantity* of electricity used is 1 kwh.

Ignoring detail pedantries (like heat loss), if you boil a set quantity of water, that will always take the same *quantity* of electricity (for the same quantity of water and the same start temp) regardless of the wattage - but the time it takes will depend on the *rate* that that the kettle uses electricity (ie the rate it supplies heat).

OK, time for detail pedantries. For electricity, its just a question of where heat is wasted. And less is wasted from a plastic kettle with a submerged element than in heating the ceramic hob, and the metal kettle or pan (and heat losses therefrom) as well as the heat that goes around the side of the kettle. And with almost every electric kettle having an auto shut-off (which a hob hasn't) there's no wasted heat/electricity after its up to temperature.
So sadly an electric hob is *not* a good way to boil water.
EDIT: Though an electric *induction* hob will waste much less heat than any conventional electric hob...

Because gas is *much* cheaper than electricity, an inefficient gas hob will usually do the job more cheaply than an efficient electric kettle.
So Sean (probably) didn't make it up...

Last edited by dougal on Fri Oct 14, 05 10:58 pm; edited 1 time in total

Mrs Fiddlesticks



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

ah well, thanx Dougal, thats the sort of info I was after. So if my kettle blows up then I need to persuade himself to invest in a woodburning Aga! On cost grounds don't think I'll win that one!

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 05 8:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I want one to get the space on the worktop back that I lost fitting a bigger gas hob (typical!) and then maybe I can squeeze a food processor in! Also it can go on the woodburner when it happens to be alight (quite a lot in the winter)

Lozzie



Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

PostPosted: Sat Oct 15, 05 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The "Low Energy Cooking" area of George Marshall's website www.theyellowhouse.org.uk has some interetsing notes about the use of boiling water in the kitchen ... I have just spent about 10 mins looking for the bit on his website that explains why a hob kettle is better than an electric one but I have come up blank - sorry!

Mrs Fiddlesticks



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

PostPosted: Sat Oct 15, 05 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Lozzie wrote:
The "Low Energy Cooking" area of George Marshall's website www.theyellowhouse.org.uk has some interetsing notes about the use of boiling water in the kitchen ... I have just spent about 10 mins looking for the bit on his website that explains why a hob kettle is better than an electric one but I have come up blank - sorry!


wonderful site, thanks for that! But no I couldn't find about hob kettles either!

Lozzie



Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

PostPosted: Sun Oct 16, 05 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thinking about it, I am pretty sure it was part of the CD-Rom of his that I looked at recently. For some reason not on his website.l

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