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Electric Kettles - cost effective alternatives

Darmok said:
Hi Folks, I see no users of instant hot water dispensers here, I have been doing a little research and look what Amazon sent to my inbox this morning...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=hot+water+dispenser&i=warehouse-deals&crid=T8HVPF1S3JZQ&sprefix=Hot+Water...,warehouse-deals,64&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_12

Opinions and advice welcomed, please.
Click to expand...


We bought this one a couple of years back:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078L3WJWM/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

Does what it says on the tin ... find it generally faster than a kettle and the water plenty hot for tea/coffee making.
Also more convenient - stick your cup/jug/cafetiere on the little shelf - dial the quantity - press the button - job done!

Use filtered water though - previous (smaller) one got gunked up with scale pdq....
 
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miktec said:
We bought this one a couple of year back:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078L3WJWM/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

Does what it says on the tin...

Use filtered water though - previous (smaller) one got gunked up with scale pdq....
Click to expand...

Thanks Mik for your IP,

I read that many had a foul taste added to the water before a faffy preparation treatment, so I have some reserves.

I do like the look of the more exotic offerings, hot and cooled water on tap, bit bulky looking though.

Glad your happy with your gadget. :)
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Darmok said:
I read that many had a foul taste added to the water before a faffy preparation treatment, so I have some reserves.
Click to expand...

We've had two - neither have added any noticeable taste to the water at all.
The advantage over kettles is that the water is dispensed 'on demand' so only boils what you need. The rest stays in the reservoir.

Problem we had with kettles was overfilling - and then having to 'reboil' what was left.
This tended to over-emphasise any chemical content in the water (chlorine being the main culprit) and ruining an otherwise nice cup of cha ;)
 
Water takes the same amount of energy to heat, no matter what. But gas is much much cheaper per kWH than Electric. So, in theory, a kettle on your gas stove should be less expensive to run. But no-one buys such things these days, electric kettles are quicker.
 
JensenHealey said:
Water takes the same amount of energy to heat, no matter what. But gas is much much cheaper per kWH than Electric. So, in theory, a kettle on your gas stove should be less expensive to run. But no-one buys such things these days, electric kettles are quicker.
Click to expand...
The thing about a kettle on a gas hob, though, is that some of the heat from the hob goes to heat the room not the kettle and contents, so you use more actual energy than a kettle which, by and large, heats little beyond itself and contents.
 
Sue Pertwee-Tyr said:
The thing about a kettle on a gas hob, though, is that some of the heat from the hob goes to heat the room not the kettle and contents, so you use more actual energy than a kettle which, by and large, heats little beyond itself and contents.
Click to expand...

Other advantage of an electric kettle is that you always have a top notch kettle lead handy to plug in that super amp you just bought ;)
 
miktec said:
Use filtered water though - previous (smaller) one got gunked up with scale pdq..
Click to expand...

You cannot filter scale (calcium salts in the majority of cases), out of water. It requires ion exchange aka a water softener.
It is pretty much universally recommended that people do not use softened water for drinking or cooking due to the potentially high levels of sodium that you would consume by doing so.
 
Vinny said:
You cannot filter scale (calcium salts in the majority of cases), out of water. It requires ion exchange aka a water softener.
It is pretty much universally recommended that people do not use softened water for drinking or cooking due to the potentially high levels of sodium that you would consume by doing so.
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Best take it up with Brita, Mr Vinny:

https://www.brita.co.uk/faq/filters-cartridges

"Water hardness falls into two categories: permanent hardness and temporary hardness. Permanent hardness does not influence water’s taste or how household appliances work. Temporary hardness affects the taste of food and beverages prepared with hot water. Further, it causes limescale deposits in home appliances that heat water, such as kettles, steam irons, coffee makers and washers.

By reducing water’s temporary hardness, BRITA water filter cartridges reduce taste and aroma impairing substances and limescale build-up. The result is great tasting water for hot drinks and dishes prepared with water, and less lime scale build-up in home appliances."

Personally, I judge it solely on results.
Our hot water machine has had considerably less limescale build-up since we use filtered water (but mainly it reduces the chlorine taste - which we like ;) )

YMMV
 
Brita did not effectively filter all the scale for us. Eventually we ruined several kettles, and a coffee machine. It did slow down the impact of scale though.

Our reverse osmosis machine leaves our coffee machine clean as a whistle - two years and counting.
 
miktec said:
Best take it up with Brita, Mr Vinny:

https://www.brita.co.uk/faq/filters-cartridges

"Water hardness falls into two categories: permanent hardness and temporary hardness. Permanent hardness does not influence water’s taste or how household appliances work. Temporary hardness affects the taste of food and beverages prepared with hot water. Further, it causes limescale deposits in home appliances that heat water, such as kettles, steam irons, coffee makers and washers.

By reducing water’s temporary hardness, BRITA water filter cartridges reduce taste and aroma impairing substances and limescale build-up. The result is great tasting water for hot drinks and dishes prepared with water, and less lime scale build-up in home appliances."

Personally, I judge it solely on results.
Our hot water machine has had considerably less limescale build-up since we use filtered water (but mainly it reduces the chlorine taste - which we like ;) )

YMMV
Click to expand...
The Brita filter has an ion exchange resin bead element. Does it filter out hardness? No. Does the filter assembly remove hardness? Yes.
 
miktec said:
We've had two - neither have added any noticeable taste to the water at all.
The advantage over kettles is that the water is dispensed 'on demand' so only boils what you need. The rest stays in the reservoir.

Problem we had with kettles was overfilling - and then having to 'reboil' what was left.
This tended to over-emphasise any chemical content in the water (chlorine being the main culprit) and ruining an otherwise nice cup of cha ;)
Click to expand...
It won't be chlorine remaining in boiled water. Boiling removes dissolved gases, or which chlorine is one. It's possible, if there is contamination with organic material, that you are picking up chlorine compounds, but this is unlikely in clean, potable water.
 
stevec67 said:
It won't be chlorine remaining in boiled water. Boiling removes dissolved gases, or which chlorine is one. It's possible, if there is contamination with organic material, that you are picking up chlorine compounds, but this is unlikely in clean, potable water.
Click to expand...

Steve - I know your credentials and don't doubt them in the slightest.

However - if it smells like chlorine and tastes like chlorine ... whatever it actually is, I'm glad when it's gone from our tap water :)
 
Darmok said:
Hi Folks, I see no users of instant hot water dispensers here, I have been doing a little research and look what Amazon sent to my inbox this morning...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=hot+water+dispenser&i=warehouse-deals&crid=T8HVPF1S3JZQ&sprefix=Hot+Water...,warehouse-deals,64&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_12

Opinions and advice welcomed, please.
Click to expand...

Economics discussed earlier in-thread:

https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/thr...t-effective-alternatives.266359/#post-4647096

..likely needs re-working against the prospective 60-65p/KwH about to land in the UK...
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
There are several non running hi spec hot water dispensers on that infamous auction site going for a song compared to their new asking prices.

If I were younger, I would grab one and have a go at resurrecting one on a thread here on pfm...

I am a retired electro techy now loosing my nimble dexterity fyi. :mad:

I wish a younger member would have a go just for a bit of fun eh!

Then again, spare parts may be difficult to obtain atm.
 
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