For several years I have used a Cuisinart CPK-17(DL) to exclusively heat water for tea. It holds about 2 qts, allowing me to fill a Corningware 2.qt. tea pot to the desired height, transfer the water to the Cuisinart, heat it, and transfer the water back for steeping and holding. I don't use the Cuisinart for steeping.

I find this device ideal for my tea process, and at 1500W, it is only a bit slower than a small induction hob heating a pot of similar capacity.

The Cuisinart has a handle with buttons for different temperatures. When it reaches the set temperature, it stops heating, and makes a slight sound. If the water cools a bit, about 5 degrees F, I think, the pot will come back on and heat the water back up. This temperature retention activity lasts about an hour before shut down.

One important feature is that if the emptied pot is put back down on its base, it will try to heat its (empty) contents back up to the set temperature. If not turned off immediately at the handle, this will lead to the pot detecting overheating and generating a significantly louder alarm and shutting down. If the alarm is caused to sound, it can only be silenced by removing the pot from of its base. The pot then needs to cool for a while resting on something other than its base.

We also have the Cuisinart described above and love it. Ours is four years old and still going strong, even with being used several times a day.

I have such a kettle. It was made by Demeyere (10106 RESTO). It was affordable. It has no label, just an 18/10 stainless steel type designation on the bottom. To address your points in random order:

• An inexpensive induction cooktop is more expensive than a wireless kettle base.
• There is one thing that can go wrong, a kettle on induction power boost will boil over mere seconds after reaching a boil unless watched.
• For induction cooktops that I am familiar with, there is no way to shut off power at some actual temperature of the water without a thermometer and standing by the container. Induction cooktops with temperature control only control off of the kettle base temperature, not the water temperature, and this is affected by the Ceram and whether the container is sitting on pads.
• I would not put a tea heating device in the dishwasher, it will end up with rinse aid contamination. I suppose a few R.O. water heatings would effectively remove it.
• My Demeyere kettle is not particularly better looking than my Cuisinart kettle.
• One establishes a position for the electric kettle base (which has the cord) and moves only the kettle.

I have THIS Epica electric tea kettle. It is only a couple years old so too soon for longevity estimate. It wasn't very expensive. It has several temp cutoffs besides 212. I use the 200°F setting for coffee. The only annoyance is that one has to push one button several times to choose that 200 setting. I wonder if the button will wear out.

I think dcarch has a good point about the induction cook top approach because it would be useful at other times as well and not take up much more room anyway; but make sure the stainless pot is magnetic!

Thanks for so many responses. Sheila, your husband has me beat with three kettles in a month, though I fear burning the house down some day too. I'm such a space cadet. Reliable auto shut off is my primary concern. The alarm on the Cuisinart could be really useful too. Perhaps I will go with that. I think I will enjoy fall and winter so much more with lots of tea and no anxiety about burning down the house.

I bought cordless, too, for the exact reason that I'd put water on to boil, then get distracted waiting for it to heat and always worried about maybe leaving the house with it on the stove. I have a Breville and am pretty happy with it. It turns off pretty quickly after coming to a boil.

When I was doing research on what kind to buy, I found some stainless steel models that had plastic parts inside, so just be sure what you get is all stainless and that the glass models don't use plastic somewhere in the innards, too.

I had a Breville for a number of years and then it died. I was shopping in Costco and saw a kettle there that was cordless and auto shut off. It cost something like $29.95 and it's been great! Go figure...

For those who might not have heard of "cordless tea kettle", it is not a battery operated rechargeable device. It is just a non-electric tea kettle that comes with a detached corded electric stove that needs to be plugged in a regular outlet.

dcarch

Compumom - How long have you had the Costco kettle?

It's surprisingly hard to find a cordless electric kettle which is a full 2 qts. Most are 1.7 qts.

We opted for this one, which is aimed more for tea drinkers with 6 different temperature settings:

HadinEEon
Variable Temperature Electric Kettle: 1200W Electric Tea Kettle, 8
Big Cups 2.0L Glass Water Boiler with 12Hrs Keep Warm Function &
Boil-Dry Protection, Cordless Tea Kettle

https://www.amazon.com/HadinEEon-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Protection/dp/B07HT3FXCY/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=HadinEEon+Variable+Temperature+Electric+Kettle&qid=1571361069&sr=8-4

It's quick to heat up; I like that it's glass so easy to see the water level. The "Keep Warm" function button must be pressed if you want it activated; otherwise the water heats up, you hear the ring tone, and the heating element turns off completely. "Keep Warm" works for 12 hrs. max.

It has two small flaws:

1) The ring tone signaling the water is hot, is very soft. I have a modest sized kitchen at 14' square, and if I have the water running in the sink it's hard to hear the tone. If I have the exhaust fan over the stove on, the tone can't be heard so I have to remember to press the "Keep Warm" button, LOL.

2) The electric cord is very, very short. It's maybe 10" long, or maybe even less! Be sure you are comfortable with the placement of this on your countertop.

After living in England for a Spring, I bought an American Dualit that was like the English version that our house had. It's simple and well made. It seems, however, that it doesn't heat quite as fast as the English one but I think that may be because Europe is 220 while we are just 110. I highly recommend it. I've had mine for 9 years and it still works well.

kendrah: not compumom but I had this Hamilton Beach one from COSTCO. It lasted ~12 years.

It seems, however, that it doesn't heat quite as fast as the English one but I think that may be because Europe is 220 while we are just 110.

A good 220V water kettle goes up to about 2400W, whereas 120V kettles are usually limited to no more than 1600W. Best case, you could have a European kettle that is ~60% faster than an American kettle. Not much you can do unless you import a 220V kettle from amazon.de and somehow figure out a way to connect it to an American 240V outlet. They do make NEMA 6-15 to Schuko adapters, if you really want to go this route. But pricing is a little outrageous.

Yes Chas045 this is the very same one that I own too. It was only $15? All the better!

I ordered this one 9 years ago and have had no problems with it at all. It's simple but effective: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KDVTJI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use it most mornings to heat up water to warm my kids' thermoses.

I've used these kettles when I'm on vacation, but at home, I microwave water in my teapot to make tea. I only want to boil two cups of water at a time, and I set the microwave to three minutes, which will completely boil two cups (mugs) of water. I generally put the teabag in the teapot as well and remove it as soon as the boiling is done.

This thread is bringing up an interesting issue - the power and voltage between here and the UK. I just read a comment on a physic's blog about the difference between voltage here and in the UK and the commenter explained that electric kettles here will only boil at 1/4 the rate of ones in the UK. That is a whole different story.

In addition to not wanting to burn the house down, another reason why we wanted an electric kettle was to boil rapidly large amounts of water to then transfer to a pot for cooking pasta. When we made pasta in our cottage in Scotland it was so much faster because we heated the water in the kettle. We eat pasta at least 4 times a week and like the idea of saving time and energy by using an electric kettle. But, it seems like that wouldn't be the case here.

I hate micowaved water, and I have a powerful Blue Star range that sounds like it is going to heat as quickly as an electric kettle. I hate owning electronics - have yet to find a kettle not made in China - and I hate cluttering my limited counter space. It seems that a kettle is only going to keep me from burning down the house. But then again, maybe a good old fashioned stove top tea kettle with a *very loud* whistle - that I can hear from our third floor, would do the same? I hate having them too as they just sit around taking up space, but perhaps it is the way I will go.

I don't think the difference between US and European water kettles is 1:4. That would be comparing a low-end US kettle to a high-end European kettle. In practice when comparing like objects, the difference is more likely 2:3. In other words, the European kettle is about 50% faster. Or the US kettle is about 30% slower (same thing, just different reference). In practice, if you brought a European kettle to the US, you get a little bonus, because split-phase power in the US is 240V, whereas in Europe mains power is 220V or 230V (depending on country).

This is all great when heating water for beverages. And I really like having one on our countertop. It's pretty much the only small appliance that we have and use every day. Everything else is built-in appliances.

But your plan of using an electric kettle for heating pasta water doesn't really work that well. I have tried it. The water kettle might be able to bring water to boil a little faster than my Bluestar range (depends a lot on type of pot, though). But as soon as I pour it into my pot, it cools down again. And then I need to turn the Bluestar up to heat the pot and bring the water back to a boil. By the time everything is said and done, I have actually wasted time. And that's with me using a European water kettle on an American 240 outlet. In other words, it's about the absolute best-case scenario.

The fact of the matter is that it is hard to beat the 25kBTU or even just 22kBTU burners on a Bluestar for raw power output. You lose some power to the environment though. That's why a water kettle could be faster in some situations, if you only care about heating the water and not the pot. But if you really want to optimize for fastest boiling time for a pot of pasta, you'd have to get an induction hob. It uses the energy extremely efficiently and heats just the pot and the water.

Unfortunately, a mobile induction plate isn't going to address your issue. It runs into the same problem with limited power budget for US mains outlets. You'd need a hardwired induction range that uses 240V.

By definition, it does not matter what voltage, 120VAC or 240VAC, Water will boil the exact same time if the wattage is the same.

One watt will give you 3.412142 BTU of heat regardless of voltage.

dcarch

My understanding with that outlets in UK have capacity for higher wattage than ours in the US, thus ability to boil water faster in an electric kettle. I'm not much of a math or physics geek, I only know that when we cooked in the UK, we could boil a large amount of water very quickly in an electric kettle, transfer it to a pot, and bring it back up to boiling so much faster than we can boil on our BlueStar gas range. I wonder if something is off about my range, because I don't think it boils particularly fast.

Anyway, I have decided to instead try to find a great thermal carafe that will keep water hot for 12hours. Boil on the stove once at the beginning of the day and keep it in there. I had for a decade a thermal carafe that I bought at a garage sale for $1. It kept drinks hot for 12 - 24 hours. I finally stopped working. My mom bought me a replacement Sharper Image carafe that is crap. I'm heading to Etsy to see if I can buy a vintage one instead.

Typical 120 Vac outlets in the US are rated for 15A (1800W) or more rarely, 20A. Cooking appliances intended to be plugged in to them are typically limited to 1500W. This is the rating of my Cuisinart. In the UK, the mains voltage brought to the wall outlets is 230 Vac, so with the circuit limited to 13A the available power is 3000W. The coil resistance is set to draw the power desired within the circuit limitations, so US kettles and UK kettles will be electrically different. A UK kettle can probably be connected to a US 240 Vac socket, if one is available, but will require a change in plug configuration. My induction wok circuit has a parallel 240 Vac plug located in the kitchen wall. I don't at present have a need to use it, but users of some power tools such as floor refinishing machines would find it convenient.

I would be hesitant to connect any electrical resistance devices (electric heaters, light bulbs, etc.) to different rated voltages. Unlike electronic devices, some can actually operate properly regardless of voltage.

1. Based on calculation, ( I don't remember the exact formula) power draw is not proportional to voltage. For instance dropping the voltage in half, you will be reducing the power draw to 1/4.

2. life expectancy of resistance heating devices is not proportional to voltage. If you look up light bulb operating life, a small voltage rise can significantly shorten the life, and vise versa. That's why they use 130v rated light bulbs in public areas. They last much longer. The opposite is true. A small rise in voltage can significantly shorten life for resistance electrical devices .

dcarch

You are not wrong :-) The math is a little more involved. According to Ohm's law, the voltage is proportional to the resistance and to the current (U = R * I), and power is proportional to voltage and to current (P = I * U). So, for a fixed resistance, power is proportional to the square of voltage P = U^2/R.

But resistance depends on the temperature coefficient of the conductor. We don't know what that is, but we should assume that resistance increases with temperature. We also don't know what the temperature of the conductor is, as that depends on how quickly it can dissipate heat.

Suffice it to say that @dcarch7dcflash7 is correct in saying that power use is going to increase with voltage faster than a linear relationship. But we don't know just how much faster. Also, we don't know how any of that affects temperature, as that's another unknown relationship. Since we are talking about a relatively small ΔU, a linear relationship is an inaccurate but not entirely unreasonable first approximation.

But all of this is somewhat moot, as we know something about the real world, and that's the fact that these appliances are routinely sold in the Europe. And while they are technically rated for 230V, that's just a convenient political lie. The mains voltage on the British islands is and always has been 240V. Exactly the same as what you get in the US by current standards (although, before 1984, there would have been a lower voltage in the US).

Even in light of Brexit, no manufacturer would build their appliances so that they only work in part of the European union. Supply lines are just easier to manage if you have a single model that is designed for all of the real-life voltages, and then you maybe provide a different power cord when packaging your product, because different parts of the EU use different plugs.

So, you'll be really hard pressed these days to find any 2XX voltage equipment that won't work with 230V +10% - 6%.

E = I * R; P = E * I; P = E^2 / R; E = electromotive force (volts); I = current (amperes); R = resistance (ohms). Note tungsten increases resistance with temperature so strongly that a light bulb will be over 13 times more resistive at operating temperature than when cold.

Electric light bulbs and properly designed heating coils in a kettle base are not the same in terms of lifetime vs. voltage. Light bulbs run at nearly the evaporation point of tungsten. Tungsten halogen lights use iodine or other means to cause the tungsten vapor to be redeposited onto the filament. Small increases in voltage applied to a light bulb will significantly change the temperature of the filament and shorten the life.

In a kettle base, the coil (probably not tungsten, more likely a nickel chromium iron compound, is not operated at 2800K to 3300K like light bulbs. It will be closer to the temperature giving it a dull red glow, or even lower, particularly when in good thermal contact with the water being heated. It will be cooler than an electric coil cooktop element. I would be greatly surprised if a 230V UK kettle was much affected by a 240V US circuit. The increased power would only be 9%.

In cases where this matters, then an isolated 1:0.95 ratio or similar ratio auto transformer can be used.

Back to something with less tech talk.

I don't steep tea with boiling water. My preference is from 170F to 185F.

I use something to heat up water that I absolutely do not want anyone else to try to use, unless you have a fireproof home with a sprinkler system.

I use an immersion electric water heater. It's quick and 100% efficient. The only heater that is 100% efficient. Cheeeap and smallll! I can travel with it.

dcarch

I don't steep tea with boiling water. My preference is from 170F to 185F.

Better water kettles have built-in thermostats and can usually heat water to something like 70°C/160°F, 80°C/175°F, 90°C/195°F, or 100°F/212°F. They will also hold the water at this temperature, if that's what you ask for. Very convenient for various beverages that prefer a temperature below the boiling point of water.

Also, my third-grader recently had to do a homework assignment where he had to measure water temperatures after different amounts of time. I of course, knew that the temperature would drop. But I was surprised just how quickly it drops initially. If you pour your still-boiling water straight onto your tea leaves, they'll experience close to 210°F for a few seconds. But if pour the water into a tea pot and then add the tea leaves, they'll never get anywhere close to that temperature. The sheer size of the temperature difference was astounding.

Hooray for third grade science homework!

"--- Hooray for third grade science homework! ---"

OK, here is 3rd grade science for you: :-)

Why is watched water never boils?

Because to watch water, you have to keep the lid open, cause evaporative cooling, thus preventing boiling.

dcarch

I’ve had a Chefs Choice for almost 6 years. Glass and rolling boil shut off.

Don't assume that an unlidded pot will not boil water on an induction cooktop unless you have previously tested the same power setting on that same pot with the same fill level.

https://www.amazon.com/Secura-SWK-1201DRO-Stainless-Electric-Kettle/dp/B07HLLMHVD/ref=sr_1_41?crid=264MPBDCN7DNW&keywords=pink+kitchen+appliances&qid=1571459013&sprefix=Pink+kitch%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-41

Found this treasure. All stainless steel,lots of fancy features.....And it's PINK!!!! I mean,what's better than that?!?!?!

What about watched water through a glass lid? :-)

We have used a Panasonic one from Japan for over fifteen years. There are several temperature settings, the lid has a catch so it won't spill if tipped over, a sensor shuts it off if dry, a timer lets you put the water in before bedtime, and you have to press a release button before the pour button activates. There is a glass tube to see the water level.

" Olychick

What about watched water through a glass lid? :-) "

A very good question. Let me give you a little 3rd grade science history:

A scientist enjoyed watching water boiling in a glass tea kettle with a lid on. Soon, after finding out water boils too fast for him, he switched to watching a metal kettle with the lid off.

Better, still not good enough.

Then instead, now he discovered a much more entertaining amusement, he spends much of his time watching paint dry.

dcarch :-)

dcarch: You found a link one wouldn't believe existed, or that YouTube would provide server space for. For my part, the application process was too poorly executed to tolerate more than a couple of minutes.

As I understand it, watts are watts. US electricity is 120 volts and most circuits are 15 amps. Multiply one by the other and you get watts, maxed out at 1800 for the normal 15 amp 120v circuit. High usage items, like hair dryers, usually max out at 1500 watts to avoid tripping the circuit breaker.

Higher amperage circuits are often in the house as in a garage or workshop and appliances that need more (think electric ranges and cook-tops, ovens, electric dryers) get 220/240 (which is really two 120 lines together).

European electricity is 240 and higher amperage than here and so resistance heating devices can have a higher draw than 1500 watts. That's why electric kettles and toasters work faster there than here.

It does not matter what wattage, voltage, or what kind of tea kettle you use, there is no way you can get water hotter than 202F if you live in Denver. And if you live in La Rinconada ,water boils at 181F.

dcarch

More precisely, ... hotter than 202F if you live in Denver and the pot is open to the atmosphere. Pressure cookers will allow higher temperature boiling points.

Elmer: I think one reason for the observed typical 1500W limit is that one of the NFPA 70 rules is that circuits be sized for 125% of continuous operating loads (3 hours or more). The other would be to not cause annoying breaker drop outs where a circuit also has some lighting load. Modern wiring approaches are more tolerant than ones that may be present in a lot of still standing houses, but customer satisfaction needs to apply over the range of likely conditions.

"kaseki More precisely, ... hotter than 202F if you live in Denver and the pot is open to the atmosphere. Pressure cookers will allow higher temperature boiling points."

Even more precisely :-)

You don't want to make tea in a pressure cooker. Water inside a PC is 250F.

Yet, the moment you open the PC to get the water, it instantly and explosively drop right down to 202F.

I know, 202F is not bad, if you have to make tea or coffee while climbing Mount Everest. Up there water cannot be hotter than 161F.

dcarch

I understand the principle. 202F would be OK for me because I never steep any of the teas I use higher than 190F. I guess I'll forgo Everest unless I bring up a Hibiki-an gyokuro, for which 161F would be nearly ideal.

Most tea that I brew is 175F.

We had an induction tea kettle and liked it but when we were through with it we had to take the base off the countertop and move it out-of-the-way. We had it for about eight years and then I donated it.

To replace it we went the route suggested by dcarch way up thread.

1. I bought a simple 1.5 L stainless steel tea kettle like this one to use for pour over coffee brewing.

2. And then I bought a simple, on sale for $30 induction burner that I can use for other cooking or eighth or electricity goes off I can plug it into a small generator, and I can also use it outdoors or take it to a cottage or friend’s party.

I couldn’t beat the price so I bought a couple. It has a timer so I don’t have to babysit any pot or tea kettle, it’s very lightweight and it stays clean. I found a use it for a whole bunch of stuff because it’s really fun to use and very responsive. Below, not the brand I bought, but similar.

"I think one reason for the observed typical 1500W limit is that one of the NFPA 70 rules is that circuits be sized for 125% of continuous operating loads (3 hours or more)."

Fine. I think my point was, on a 240 watt European circuit, electrical resistance appliances can have higher wattage than here and so work faster. I've lived in Europe and the difference is quite noticeable.

I just took a look on the Amazon UK site. The first few tea kettles I found were 2200 watts and there were even several at 3000 watts. Watts are watts, no matter what the voltage (the amps are different only, for the same wattage, half the number of amps on 240 than on 120) and "watts" measures how much power is applied to the task. Compare that to a 1500 watt device on 120 and you understand why water boils faster and toasters work faster with a 240 volt appliance. As I said before, it's also why electric ranges and ovens in the US are wired for 240, the extra oomph is needed for higher wattage.

Altitude? Temperatures for brewing tea? Those are different topics - no matter what the desired temp is or altitude constraints, a 240v kettle will do the work faster. It's the same difference as having a stovetop burner on medium when trying to boil water instead of having it on high - more heat applied, the faster the task is done.

I believe I noted the difference in kettles before based on the circuit limitations of the US vs. UK outlets. So we are in agreement. You may save yourself a bit of typing in the future by not trying to explain to me rudimentary electricity. I am familiar with the topic.

I have a Breville cordless, auto shut off electric kettle that we really, really like. It heats water very quickly to boiling and has variable temperature/tea settings. We purchased the electric kettle, because someone on this site years ago did a cost comparison of the cost to use an electric kettle, a stainless steel kettle on an induction cooktop and an electric and a gas cooktop. Wish I could recall who it was. Regardless, the winner by a huge margin was the electric kettle. She gave a complete breakdown of the cost for each type kettle and cooking surface.

Now, all my grandchildren and children have purchased an electric kettle and are very glad that they did so.

Likely grainlady!

I was thinking grainlady, but just don't remember. It sounds like something she would do. Sure wish she would still participate in this forum.

I decided to forego the electric kettle now that I know it will not boil as fast here as in the UK. Instead, I bought off of Etsy a fantastic thermal carafe - same one I had in the 90s. I now boil a pot of water in the AM while I feed the dog and unload the dishwasher. I make an entire carafe of tea to and it stays steaming hot throughout the day. No burning down the house.

Among Scot and English tea drinkers a Bonavita is the only option unless price is really an issue. It is the most accurate with temp which makes a huge difference for tea and a big issue for coffee.

Our current one is 120v and works well. We've three 240v outlets in the beverage center in our new house for an espresso machine (Chris Coffee Casa Jr.), Bonavita and induction plate.