FLASKS Will Save Us!

RealGem

I have a large flask that holds 1.8 litres of water. 

I measured how many mugs of water that is. It's six. 

And I only have six to eight coffees anyway (the first two, coffee and the rest Decaf). This means I will only have to boil the kettle once a day instead of six to eight times. 

Yes I know I have to fill the kettle, but this still saves more money for people who only boil one cup at a time, because even with the tall, water-saving kettles, the minimum amount of water required to cover the element is still more than two cups of water. 

So for every cup we currently make, we are using twice the electricity we need. 

With a flask there's no wastage. 

So everyone needs to buy flasks!


...Now where can I buy flasks wholesale?!! 

comeandgo

I find the problem with big flasks is if you are opening and taking water from them multiple times the water cools quickly and it gets too cold for a decent cup of anything.  I have a metal Tatonka flask and it does keep things hot but it’s a normal medium size, I would use two flasks.

Mstty

My kettle minimum fill is 250ml so no flask for me just boil and what we need when we need it👍

Zandoni

Never, the hot drinks will never be as good.

Section62

It might be better to have a much smaller flask - so boil the kettle's minimum of two cups/mugs and use one and flask-up the second.  Use the second from the flask.  Then repeat for the 3rd/4th and 5th/6th etc.

That would reduce the amount of time from boil to use, and therefore heat loss from the water, and allow the use of a smaller (cheaper?) flask. The downside would be the loss of energy involved in heating the body of the kettle up 3 or 4 times per day rather than just the once, but may be an acceptable loss if the one boil approach means the 6th, 7th or 8th cup/mug is otherwise too cold to be useful.

Astria

I only ever put one cup of water in my kettle, switch it off as it starts to boil (never wait for it to auto-switch off), empty the lot into a cup. No wastage, no flask required.

I do have a flask, but I only use it on day trips, etc.

Benny2020

I just wait for my solar panels to kick out more than 3kw and boil enough for a drink and a full flask.
Re-boiling 400ml or so from the flask for drinks later on uses 25 seconds and 20w needed.
Panels kicking out 3.54kw right now but the flask is full and so is the HW tank.
Exporting right now and i hate exporting.

EssexHebridean

On weekdays where either or both of us is at home we always make our first boil of the day a full kettle, with the excess water from our two drinks going into the flask. It then gets used straight from the flask for MrEH's second coffee, and reboiled at the amount required in the kettle for my tea which of course needs boiling water. This works for us because of that first boil happening while our night rate is still in effect - I suspect it would save little if we were on day-rate by then though. I wasn't aware that there were still many "visible element" kettles about - I think at least our last 3 have been flat-base. Our current one has little markers inside to show you the level for 1, 2 or 3 cups, and those are tea-cup size so you can definitely boil less than a single mug! 

pochase

Mstty said:

My kettle minimum fill is 250ml so no flask for me just boil and what we need when we need it👍

I am with @Mstty here. 

If your kettle cannot boil a single cup, buy a new kettle like this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Russell-Hobbs-23910-Adventure-Stainless/dp/B07F8HZVFS/ref=sr_1_9?crid=3MI43PU9M8V4A&keywords=kettle+energy+efficient+a++&qid=1652368141&sprefix=kettle+ener,aps,59&sr=8-9&th=1

It will boil one cup in 45 seconds, that means with one KWh you will be able to boil 26 cups, making it slightly over a penny for a cup.

You are going to spend money on buying a large flask, where already the 3rd or 4th cup will be only warm instead of hot, why not buy something that will save you money while you still have a good tasting drink?

Section62

EssexHebridean said:

I wasn't aware that there were still many "visible element" kettles about - I think at least our last 3 have been flat-base. Our current one has little markers inside to show you the level for 1, 2 or 3 cups, and those are tea-cup size so you can definitely boil less than a single mug! 

It isn't just about having an exposed element.  Some (most?) of the flat bottom/concealed element kettles have a minimum boil quantity.

Lots more discussion about it on the "kettle debate" thread.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6354340/the-kettle-debate#latest

The Russell Hobbs 23910 model linked to above has a concealed element, but still has a minimum boil quantity - albeit only 1 'cup' (235ml)

Astria

Section62 said:

EssexHebridean said:

I wasn't aware that there were still many "visible element" kettles about - I think at least our last 3 have been flat-base. Our current one has little markers inside to show you the level for 1, 2 or 3 cups, and those are tea-cup size so you can definitely boil less than a single mug! 

It isn't just about having an exposed element.  Some (most?) of the flat bottom/concealed element kettles have a minimum boil quantity.

Lots more discussion about it on the "kettle debate" thread.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6354340/the-kettle-debate#latest

The Russell Hobbs 23910 model linked to above has a concealed element, but still has a minimum boil quantity - albeit only 1 'cup' (235ml)

On some kettles, the time it takes them to "auto shut off" is dependent on the amount of water in the kettle. The less water there is can mean it takes longer to switch off. The solution to this is simple - turn it off as soon as it's hot enough. For coffee, this is typically before it starts to boil, where as for tea, it's typically just before it starts to boil. Residual heat in the element will continue to heat the water for a few seconds after you've turned it off. As soon as the water starts to boil you are wasting energy and water - which is just turning to steam. Most commercial kettles/urns only heat the water upto approx 92c.