Re-boil the kettle - or use a flask?

Astria

To do it properly you need to start with exactly 1 cup of water in the kettle, boil it, make your brew, then put another cup of water in the kettle to soak up the remaining thermal energy in the kettle. Wait until it reaches optimal temperature and before it starts to cool, pour it out into a flask. Next time you want a brew empty the flask back into the kettle.

EssexHebridean

This is a method that works well for those on E7 electricity tariffs if they are up early enough to fill and boil the kettle when making the first brew of the day. What's needed for the tea/coffee goes into the mugs, the balance goes to the flask. MrEH then makes his second coffee using the water straight from the flask, I tip enough for my second tea back into the kettle and it comes back to a boil in seconds. Subsequent brews past that point are made using just enough water as required though once the day rate has kicked in. 

biscan25

For me the quality differential between tea made with water at 98 degrees and water from a flask at <90 degrees would be too stark to entertain the couple of pence difference in energy. Agree just boil the water you need each time, and preferably soften it first.

This inane conversation reminds me of when I calculated how much weight my colleague would theoretically lose if she turned her 10 black teas a day habit to 10 ice waters (just over two stone).

Effician

EssexHebridean said:

This is a method that works well for those on E7 electricity tariffs if they are up early enough to fill and boil the kettle when making the first brew of the day. What's needed for the tea/coffee goes into the mugs, the balance goes to the flask. MrEH then makes his second coffee using the water straight from the flask, I tip enough for my second tea back into the kettle and it comes back to a boil in seconds. Subsequent brews past that point are made using just enough water as required though once the day rate has kicked in. 

We're on E7 & boil 4l every morning during the warmer months, this is stored in 2 x 1.9l  Stanley flasks with the remainder going into an old no name flask. After boiling the 4l the kettle body is still hot so this gets topped up with another litre of tap water to absorb the remaining .heat, this then goes into the old flask as well.

This will more than do for hot drinks for the day plus pot washing  & some for cooking, we no longer use the immersion as the 4l of boiling water is enough for our needs.

The winter months are even cheaper as we boil water in a stove top kettle on the log burner.

pinkteapot

Using flask water - assuming it's a decent quality flask - is absolutely fine, and unless you're a hardcore tea fan you likely won't notice the drop in quality. We take a flask of hot water out walking in the hills and make a cup of tea (we take teabags and milk) up to 6 hours later and it's just fine. Don't ever be tempted to make your tea and keep that warm in a flask - that really does go grim. 

If she doesn't own a flask already though, it'll take a LONG time to recoup the cost of the flask. 

pinkteapot

wittynamegoeshere said:

That sounds utterly joyous (not).

Meanwhile, the rest of us blow several pence on having a decent fresh cuppa when we want it.

There are a lot of people out there seriously feeling the pinch, and it's going to get worse, and having to make these kind of choices. There's absolutely no need to be snarky towards them. 

artyboy

wittynamegoeshere said:

That sounds utterly joyous (not).

Meanwhile, the rest of us blow several pence on having a decent fresh cuppa when we want it.

Which, to put it into perspective, is about a hundredth of what Starbucks would charge you for it!

In all seriousness, this is going to be a miserable time and a cold winter for many. A good hot cup of tea is one little way that can help keep people's spirits up, so I would definitely agree that this is not the best place to be trying to generate a few pence more in savings...

MoneyGeoff

You can get vacuum kettles for this purpose: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vektra-VEK-1506-Insulated-Enviromentally-Stainless/dp/B01N01OX1P/

Obviously it's not worth buying a new kettle in order to save £1 per year. As others have said, just boiling what you need is the best approach. Fill a cup with water and pour that into the kettle.

Astria

pinkteapot said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

That sounds utterly joyous (not).

Meanwhile, the rest of us blow several pence on having a decent fresh cuppa when we want it.

There are a lot of people out there seriously feeling the pinch, and it's going to get worse, and having to make these kind of choices. There's absolutely no need to be snarky towards them. 

I was talking to someone at the weekend about the current cost of energy - they can't, apparently, afford to pay the last energy bill they've received (they get a bill every 6 months, pay on receipt of bill) and have had to reduce the amount of shopping that they buy because everything has gone up, but they can afford to drive into town and sit in Costa coffee every day for a cappuccino...

newlywed

The thing is… everyone has areas they view as non negotiable. So to reduce everything else a bit to feel in control and keep their non negotiable items for as long as possible can be mentally of benefit. 

I won’t compromise on my expensive tea but swapped from my £5 a pack of decaf filter coffee to aldis £1.39 a pack. My sister won’t compromise her coffee,