Best kettle

sevenhills

Our exPM mentioned getting a more efficient kettle to save energy, I am guessing most people already have modern kettles as they don't last for decades and can be a fashion item.
But what is the most efficient kettle? I noticed earlier today, my oven was on and and for a few moments it was being powered by my solar panels. If I switch the kettle on, it exceeds the solar panel output.
Is there such a thing as a slow burn kettle for people with solar panels?

cymruchris

Get the old style whistling kettle and put it on your electric hob and let it heat it up slowly - if you want to stay within your constraints of using X watts at a time.... 

Exiled_Tyke

sevenhills said:

Our exPM mentioned getting a more efficient kettle to save energy, I am guessing most people already have modern kettles as they don't last for decades and can be a fashion item.
But what is the most efficient kettle? I noticed earlier today, my oven was on and and for a few moments it was being powered by my solar panels. If I switch the kettle on, it exceeds the solar panel output.
Is there such a thing as a slow burn kettle for people with solar panels?

A few people on these boards have been known to use a travel kettle.  They are usually around 1000w and so take three times as long to boil. They also tend to hold a maximum of about 1 litre.  I used to use one until I got a battery installed.  You can pick one up for about £10.  I would switch back to the more powerful kettle in winter when I was guaranteed to be importing every day.  On the whole there isn't much difference between efficiencies of kettles. It's simply an element heating water so there's not a lot to improve on.  So the exPM doesn't know what he's talking about - but that's not unusual for him.   

The alternative more expensive but much more convenient way is to get a device that heats and stores hot water.  There's been a lot of dicussion about those too on these boards in the past. 

QrizB

I'm currently using a travel kettle, as described above. Will be switching back before winter arrives.

Counter-intuitively, if all other things are equal a higher-power electric kettle is more efficient than a lower-power one. All the time the kettle is heating up it is losing energy to the room, so the faster it boils the less energy it loses and the more efficient it is.

Once it's cold enough to need the heating on, a stovetop kettle on a gas hob could be the best option; the thermal efficiency is poor but the energy is cheap and all the wasted heat still ends up in your home and so reduces the demand on the CH system.

NoobSolar

If you have solar, a 1kw -1.4 kw kettle is a good idea because it means you can self-consume more. Most kettles are about 3kw and a lot of domestic solar will only be generating this when there is a lot of sun. I use a 1.2kw kettle and it takes ages, but frankly I am so distractable and busy in the kitchen anyway that I find I rarely used to get to the kettle when it boils anyway.

I use also a 1.4 kw iron, which means I can happily iron and know that I am saving some, or most, of the electricity when I do it in the middle of the day.

Krakkkers

I know a way of saving that 1.4kw on ironing.

paul991

If  you are looking just to cut down on imported power try a  neostar water heater ,which  runs on 600 w with a stay  warm feature of 100 w ,

EcoScruples

Kampa kettles hold 1.7l and are 1kw. They're great for solar and they look like a normal kettle.

Spies

paul991 said:

If  you are looking just to cut down on imported power try a  neostar water heater ,which  runs on 600 w with a stay  warm feature of 100 w ,

You need to be drinking a lot of tea to justify one of those.

Is there no way to put a variable resister thing in circuit and dial it up or down depending on available power? 

QrizB

Spies said:

Is there no way to put a variable resister thing in circuit and dial it up or down depending on available power? 

One of these might work. The usual cautions re. cheap internet electrical goods apply (that plug isn't right, for a start).

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384975451531

Spies

QrizB said:

Spies said:

Is there no way to put a variable resister thing in circuit and dial it up or down depending on available power? 

One of these might work. The usual cautions re. cheap internet electrical goods apply (that plug isn't right, for a start).

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384975451531

I keep toying with the idea of getting a single plug in induction hob but unsure how useful it would be, especially with winter rapidly approaching.