Cheaper to boil water in the microwave or kettle?

Combat squirrel · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:25

As title, just suddenly thought of this, which uses less electric/gas?

Im going with microwave is more efficient because:

1) You only boil your own cup of water, not the little extra thats always left in the kettle

2) Takes longer to boil in kettle or on hob so more heat is lost during that time

3) Not sure on the energy conversions here, but I assume microwave is more efficient at inputting energy into the water?

What say you OCUK ?

Chris1712 · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:27

Oooh yeah superheated water oof!

leaskovski · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:28

I remember seeing something like that on watchdog years ago!

Kearney_1988 · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:29

Cavallino · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:29

So thats it. Once again youtube provides the answers and we can close the thread I guess.

DJMK4 · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:30

Are you not usually pumping 850 odd watts in a microwave?

Combat squirrel · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:30

Well yeah that happens,lol, but if your not a simple sort, question still applies (obviously heat it 20seconds at a time and keep stirring

)

Combat squirrel · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:31

DJMK4 said:
Are you not usually pumping 850 odd watts in a microwave?

Yeah for a couple of mins tops, a kettle is what 800-2000watts depending on model in use ?

paddy · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:31

If you time how long it takes to boil the water in the kettle/microwave then just multiply by the rated wattage you could find out.

I'd guess the microwave would be the most efficient, especially considering they work by resonating the water molecules themselves

Edit: as for that YouTube video, you'd need a perfectly clean, blemish free container for that to work. That's why they use boiling chips in labs

Deleted member 77746 · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:31

Does this help?

http://www.wikihow.com/Boil-Water-in-the-Microwave

Ricochet J · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:37

Combat squirrel · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:37

interesting, still curious on energy

whitecrook · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:41

kettles are the most efficient way generally.

Induction hobs are as efficient as kettles, just not as convenient.

Don't boil water in microwave, you also have to consider evaporation (wasted water and heat/energy)

Also, is this just one cup or many cups, how often etc? A water boiler is an efficient way to get one cup frequently.

Vonhelmet · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:45

Kearney_1988 said:
Only tends to happen like that if the water is distilled as it has no impurities

And yet my wife repeatedly does it heating milk for hot chocolate...

OP: Don't. Use the kettle.

arknor · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:49

why doesnt someone invent a microwave kettle...

you can get microwaves for what 20-30quid these days which is the price of a lot of kettles nayway why are we still using old school methods?

Vonhelmet · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:50

arknor said:
why doesnt someone invent a microwave kettle...

you can get microwaves for what 20-30quid these days which is the price of a lot of kettles nayway why are we still using old school methods?

One imagines there's no practical way of determining when the water is actually boiling.

Deleted member 77746 · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:51

Vonhelmet said:
And yet my wife repeatedly does it heating milk for hot chocolate...

OP: Don't. Use the kettle.

The only way to make hot chocolate or creamy coffee, yum.

arknor · 17 Aug 2011 at 22:54

Vonhelmet said:
One imagines there's no practical way of determining when the water is actually boiling.

or it could just switch off once the water has reached boiling point the same as a regular kettle...

it could have a nice thermometer on it though for the visible proof

and acording to that wikihow thingy up top a non metalic object helps the water bubble anyway ..

Vonhelmet · 18 Aug 2011 at 00:20

arknor said:
or it could just switch off once the water has reached boiling point the same as a regular kettle...

it could have a nice thermometer on it though for the visible proof and acording to that wikihow thingy up top a non metalic object helps the water bubble anyway ..

A kettle stops boiling because there is a bimetallic strip that is basically in the water. How are you going to integrate that into a microwave?

Energize · 18 Aug 2011 at 00:35

You could use an IR thermometer.

Combat squirrel said:
Yeah for a couple of mins tops, a kettle is what 800-2000watts depending on model in use ?

3000W for a good kettle.

Combat squirrel said:
As title, just suddenly thought of this, which uses less electric/gas?

Im going with microwave is more efficient because:

1) You only boil your own cup of water, not the little extra thats always left in the kettle

2) Takes longer to boil in kettle or on hob so more heat is lost during that time

3) Not sure on the energy conversions here, but I assume microwave is more efficient at inputting energy into the water?

What say you OCUK ?

If you just use the right amount of water point 1 is void. 2 is wrong because a kettle is much more powerful than a microwave. 3 is wrong, electrical to kinetic energy conversion followed by conduction is much more efficient than electrical to electromagnetic and then absorption to kinetic. So I would bet on the kettle costing less.