Best kettle

Exiled_Tyke

QrizB said:

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.

A few years ago I did an experiment (I reported it on these boards) and calculated that my gas stove top kettle was only 10 per cent cheaper to run than the electric.  The wasted energy from a gas hob is huge. Last year I switched to an induction hob and I notice the lack of wasted heat from it. (I realised that I had come to depend on some heat from the gas hob).   I can't comment on the current price structure and of course it is likely that the cost of running a kettle is only a small proportion of the total energy bill but the answer to the kettle question isn't straight forward. 

thevilla

We use a 1kw travel kettle. In addition to being more likely to use self generated energy they also tend to be easier to fill with a cup or two of water. Many fashionable kettles have a wide base encouraging over-filling.

sevenhills

I just boiled my kettle, I assume it's 3 kw, my smart meter showed me using 2.6 kw, just most of the solar must be used by other things, radio etc

Grumpy_chap

sevenhills said:

Our exPM mentioned getting a more efficient kettle to save energy, 

Exiled_Tyke said:

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. 

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 ,

the solutions of devices to keep water warm do not achieve the brief of "more efficient kettle".
The most efficient kettle heats the smallest amount of water and keeps it warm for the shortest possible time.

mickyduck55

I have a standard looking electric kettle but it is 2 kWh rather than 3 kWh... I find using this rarely takes me over the capacity of my solar / batteries

QrizB

Exiled_Tyke said:

A few years ago I did an experiment (I reported it on these boards) and calculated that my gas stove top kettle was only 10 per cent cheaper to run than the electric.

The oldest relevant post of yours that search can find is this one, if that helps (it might not).

On the other hand TikTok man reckoned his stove-top kettle was half the price:

https://www.tiktok.com/@dinosaurdannyx/video/7135067096454548742

Perhaps he had a more efficient stove-top kettle than you did in your experiment? Or possibly his method is flawed in some way, but if it is the error isn't immediately apparent.

silverwhistle

Well, the way things are going for this winter I'm rather glad that I also have a Kelly Kettle.. My electric one though is a cheapy from Wilko rated 1.85-2.2kW so easily covered on many summer days by my 4kWp. I also have a stove top kettle that can go on top of my wood burner, and sometimes in the winter if I'm not in a hurry I shove it on there to bring the water temperature up before finishing it off in the electric kettle.

There's also a camping stove in the shed - so at least I've got tea and soup covered for this winter!

Exiled_Tyke

QrizB said:

Exiled_Tyke said:

A few years ago I did an experiment (I reported it on these boards) and calculated that my gas stove top kettle was only 10 per cent cheaper to run than the electric.

The oldest relevant post of yours that search can find is this one, if that helps (it might not).

On the other hand TikTok man reckoned his stove-top kettle was half the price:

https://www.tiktok.com/@dinosaurdannyx/video/7135067096454548742

Perhaps he had a more efficient stove-top kettle than you did in your experiment? Or possibly his method is flawed in some way, but if it is the error isn't immediately apparent.

Wow. I'm impressed by your research.  I can't actually work out what he did there.  My method was to compare meter readings for both methods. (having turned all the electrics off in the house except the necessaries and then accounting for the base load).  If I could repeat it now I would but obviously I can't.   Since getting rid of the gas hob I am more than ever aware of how much heat it put into the room whenever it was in use (compared to the induction which is barely nothing) so I do think the level of waste heat was pretty high. 

Martyn1981

thevilla said:

We use a 1kw travel kettle. In addition to being more likely to use self generated energy they also tend to be easier to fill with a cup or two of water. Many fashionable kettles have a wide base encouraging over-filling.

That's exactly what I've found. Our previous kettle, before it died, needed two cups to reach the minimum line, and our newer one (2.2kW) needs two cups before the water is visible in the clear 'water chute'. The 1kW travel kettle can do as little as 100ml, with a mug of tea/coffee being about 300ml. So boil time for one cuppa is roughly the same as the 2.2kW kettle, as there's half the water in it, plus of course less energy total.

I wasn't sure if the travel kettle would last long, but it's about 5yrs+ now.

mickyduck55

When I'm feeling particularly frugal I pour any heated left over water into a flask and put it back in the kettle when next needed