Electric Or Stove Top Kettle?

[ladybirder]

I had a Bosch electric kettle which went bang one day. So I now use a stove top whistling kettle on an electric hob.

Question is, am I wasting money? It takes longer to heat than an electric one but then I would be spending quite a bit of money on a new electric one. I always like the more expensive models;-)

[youngmafbog]

Fuel wise you will use far more on the hob.

In total I think it depends on your preferences. If you like really expensive ones then you probably will never get your brass back.

[davebro]

It probably costs a little more to boil (gas would be quicker/cheaper) but it will take a while to add up to the £50+ you might spend on a new kettle.

[goodgoalie]

I don't think there's any doubt you're using a lot more electricty by using a stove-top kettle.
I use an inexpensive electric one from Tesco, similar to this:
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/296822317

[carrot99]

I boil a kettle if I need a saucepan of water for cooking but for a single cup of coffee I have a Breville Hot Cup. The Breville comes in various sizes and prices. I have this one which was about £65 but they start at about £40 I think.

https://www.breville.co.uk/breakfast/hot-water-dispensers/breville-hotcup-with-variable-dispense/VKT111-01.html#start=6

[pat2604]

Over the years we have bought cheap and expensive electric kettles. We now buy cheap, but one with a good spout, a nice stable and wide electric stand and a comfortable handle. In terms of value for money, the cheap and expensive kettles have all worked as well as each other. Hubby always boils water up in kettle to transfer to saucepan and wonders why I don't do the same. It's a lot cheaper. I admit I'm a creature of habit and forget.

[-SharonA-]

Gas is more expensive to use.

[davebro]

//Gas is more expensive to use.//

S'not - per KwH gas is about 1/3 the cost of leccy.

[gingejbee]

Am I wasting money? You are if you buy expensive electric kettles! One of the Which? Best Buys is Asda's George Fast Boil at less than £20. If you're happy to spend a whole lot more, then you shouldn't be concerned about the cheapest way of heating the water!

[gingejbee]

...and to davebro @ 14.01...maybe, but an electric kettle is way more efficient.

[davebro]

yes (but that's not what Sharon said) - a gas hob is cheaper to use than an electric hob.

[youngmafbog]

It's not the KwH given out that is the problem. It's how much is lost in the process of converting that energy to the warming of the water.

Even on a hob gas can be extremely wasteful if you just stick it on full. An yes, I have a gas hob - love it.

[barry1010]

A saucepan of water boils faster on my induction hob than the same amount of water in my 3kw kettle. As I don't know the kW of my hob I don't know which is the cheapest method

[bookbinder]

You are wasting money by using a kettle on a hob, gas or electric. Most of the heat goes up and past the kettle. Not much of the heat is directed at the kettle. An electric kettle - a plug-in one - uses its heat efficiently because all the heat is contained within the kettle, and it does what it is designed to do; heats the water and not the air surrounding the kettle.

[davebro]

For best efficiency hobs need to be used with appropriately designed cookware. A gas hob will work best if the kettle has a "skirt" so heat is trapped underneath. Such would not work well an an electric hob which needs maximum contact between hub & kettle (& appropriate materials in the case of induction).

[ladybirder]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I started looking at new electric kettles and saw one I liked with a matching 2-slice toaster so guess what I've gone and done??? Yep, new electric kettle and toaster on their way. The toaster is replacing a 4-slice one so will take up less room which is good.