As the most common kitchenware, having a kettle at home is already a given fact. While gas-operated kettles have been used through the years, the rise of electric-operated kitchenware or appliances has made the kitchen task faster and more efficient. Therefore, the best way to identify which type of kettle variant is the cheapest is to compute the actual price of the equipment itself and its annual operational cost.
With the increasing popularity of producing hot beverages like chocolate, tea, and brewed coffee—the need for the perfect kettle setup is a must-have for every home or office setting. The question revolts on a single question: what type of kettle should I use?
The answer? It depends! But in a general sense, you need to find the optimal kettle in terms of its cost, functionality, and other features that may or may not be present on other competing heaters. You also note that the operational costs depend on what part of the globe you lived in, wherein one power source is cheaper than the other—or even with the same price range.
Is It Cheaper to Boil a Kettle on Gas?
Electric kettle and stovetop kettle seemed to have more in common rather than their difference. The two also feature a thin spout that controls when the hot liquid is poured into various containers (cups, insulating vessels, etc.) Of course, both of these appliances are used to boil water at its optimal temperature.
Still, the two have their noticeable difference: the actual method of heating the water.
A stovetop kettle, for example, requires a heat source to boil its contents. In this case, it can be considered flexible kitchen equipment for you to have.
- Stovetop kettles can boil water beyond the melting point, which means you can prepare your water ahead of time inside an insulated vessel to prolong its temperature.
- This variant can also be carried to places without electricity, making it a dependable camping utensil.
- However, stovetop kettles have minimal flexibility compared to the electrical variant. There is also a risk of overboiling your water once left behind the pot, which can leave dried cookware.
Electric kettle can be either detachable or on a single base—but the two variants need electricity to function. This kitchen appliance certainly provides multiple uses for your kitchen, which is essential for coffee enthusiasts that are mostly hands-on in their kitchen.
- The primary leverage of an electric kettle is its built-in temperature control settings. This prevents your liquid from overboiling, which can also reduce the risk of lowering your liquid’s volume.
- Electric kettles also have a better energy efficiency than the gas stove variant. It can retain up to 90 percent of liquid, compared to the 50 percent water retention when using the stovetop kettle.
- The only downturn of this equipment is the small space that is hard to clean thoroughly. Also, since stovetop kettles don’t have any heating element, there is a reduced risk of producing limestones, which can harm one’s health.
Do Kettles Use a Lot of Electricity?
With every appliance’s concern, different models and brands of the electric kettle have various electric consumption. But on average, the electric kettle has a range between 2 to 3 kilowatts. This means that within an hour of usage, you will only consume 2 to 3 kilowatts. This means that if you are paying 1 USD per kilowatt, you will spend 2-3 USD after an hour’s worth of using a kettle.
With all the appliances combined, electric kettles only provide a reasonably minimal energy consumption. However, leaving any electrical devices plugged for a more extended period will allow consuming electricity still. This is because all appliances require a minimal amount of energy to retain on their standby setting or when they are ‘turned off’ but still plugged.
Know the efficiency of each electrical heater. It is measured by dividing the amount of energy delivered to the liquid by the amount of liquid drawn as an energy source. Using this formula, we can compute the overall energy efficiency between electric kettles and stovetop variants:
- A stovetop kettle creates an energy efficiency of not more than 70 percent, with slight variations depending on the type of heating pot or kettle you’re using.
- Electric kettles provide better energy efficiency by making an average of 80 percent efficiency. This is because electric kettles have better insulation compared to their stovetop counterpart.
To cut it short, electric kettles run a decent amount of electricity. More appliances operate on a more significant amount compared to this heater. For instance, a regular light bulb may require around 100 watts, which is 20 times smaller than the electric kettle. A flatscreen plasma TV, the later variety of it—can create a whooping 3.5 kilowatts after an hour’s worth of usage.
Which Is Cheaper to Run Electric or Gas Kettle?
As mentioned earlier, electric and gas kettles use different heating sources. This variation creates a contrasting difference in the overall operational cost. Indeed, gas kettles can be purchased less than half the price of a standard electric kettle. However, the computation of overall costing depends on the economic balance of each balance.
Given that both of the gas-powered and electric-powered shares the same balance, you can conclude the following:
- Heating your water with a gas kettle can be more efficient in fuel, but only in low gas settings. The lower distribution of heat will prolong the boiling process while wasting tons of energy.
- Gas kettle operated on the lowest setting can waste up to 50 percent of supplied energy. Higher gas settings will give you a more significant sum of 67 percent.
- Using an electric kettle is the fastest method of heating water, about twice as quick compared to a high-powered gas burner—which provides similar efficiency.
- Electric kettle’s temperature control settings also drastically reduce this variant’s overall operational cost since it reduces the chance of overboiling your liquid. This prevents the water from turning into vapor.
