Energy efficiency: boiling water using electric kettle, gas or microwave?

https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2452,00.html

by tosh • 3 years ago

2 3 3 years ago

celias• 3 years ago

Technology Connections has a youtube video titled "Why don't Americans use electric kettles?" in which he compares a few methods for bringing the same amount of water to a boil. The electric kettle was faster than a kettle on gas and electric stovetops.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yMMTVVJI4c

simonblack2• 3 years ago

Contrary to 'common knowledge' it seems that most US homes have the ability to use 220 volt outlets like the rest of the world does. What is surprising is why people in the US don't have special 220 volt outlets in areas like the kitchen.

220 volt electric kettles are four times faster than 110 volt kettles, ohm for ohm, which is why the US market for electric kettles is miniscule in comparison tho the rest of the world.

Even when allowing for differences in allowable current maximums most US kettles seem to be around 1500 W (so 15 amps input) while rest of world kettles run at 2400 W (or around 11 amps)

simonblack2• 3 years ago

This question reminds me of the cookbook recipe for Ox Tail Soup: 'First, slaughter your ox.'

All of the methods described in the question have the underlying assumptions: that all of those resources are available to you. In the case of electric kettle and microwave, we have to have electricity at a nearby outlet waving away the whole question of generation and reticulation of electricity, and the same assumption with respect to gas. In both cases, there is the huge cost of energy and infrastructure which has magically disappeared.

The question is essentially unanswerable because of all of the variables which are involved.

In terms purely of a kettle containing a defined amount of water and a magical source of energy directly to the kettle, the resistive electric kettle is most efficient in terms of converting energy to heat with only a little wasted to the surroundings.

Energy efficiency: boiling water using electric kettle, gas or microwave?

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