The Truth About Electric.....

Yeah, go for a new one, and better one this time. We used T-fal electric tea kettle for years without a problem. It lasted at least 6-7 years but eventually developed a problem not switching on when it should. I looked into a replacement, and after long consideration, we decided to splurge on electric thermos pot from JAPAN. Zojirushi Electric Hybrid Water Boiler & Warmer | Williams Sonoma

It was almost ten times more expensive than a cheap electric kettle but was worth it. It boils a gallon of water, and keep it hot all day. Instant hot water any time of day. I just put a nighttime timer to conserve energy when not in need. I even checked use of electricity by plugging into Kill-a-watt meter and found it cost only pennies a day and actually saves electricity compared to boiling by an electric kettle and not using all the hot water. We usually go through 2 gallons of hot waters a day.

 

That's the brand of rice cooker I have. Does the boiler also play "twinkle little star" when you start it?

 

Zojirushi makes top notch gear. I wish waffles were popular in Japan so I could get a waffle iron from them.

 

No, the music alarm is Bach's Minuet in G major.

 

We've got a four-slice toaster that's been going over 30 years I'm sure. It has the "bread brain"...

Hands-down winner though: the potato peeler, has a stamp on the inside of the (all-metal) handle, says 1943, if i'm not mistaken.

 

I haven't had good luck with electric kettles. The first one lasted years, until some very tired and not-thinking-clearly house guests tried to heat it up on the stove. Oops. The second stopped working just after the warranty expired (I'm convinced things are engineered to do this), and the third one, the fanciest of all, died before the warranty ran out, but the store refused to honour it. (Apparently I had to mail it back to China in the original packaging.) Which was a shame, because I'd searched long and hard for something that would heat only to a certain temperature, and read in Celsius. So, I went back to the old battered stove-top camping kettle, which has never failed me.

Other than the poor reliability I've experienced, a couple of things bother me about electric kettles...they're usually plastic, which I don't quite trust not to contaminate the water. The other is that people seem to insist that an electric kettle remain at least partially full, which means boiling the same water over and over....ick. (Although, if you're looking to make holy water by boiling the hell out of it, I guess it's the right tool for the job.)

 

I want to avoid plastic, and there are plenty available that are, or lined with, stainless steel and glass. Even a few ceramic and porcelain.

 

The best waffle iron ever. Appliances do not have an easy life in our home, but this thing has been flawless for years now. I think I paid around $90 for it on Amazon, but can't find a link anymore. It makes absolutely perfect Belgian style waffles. Every time. And we make waffles a lot.

 

Perhaps the electric kettle can be fixed? Many times there is a temperature circuit breaker that goes bad on these kinds of appliances.

As for energy saving over stove top.... Let's see. Electric kettle had to be made, shipped to the store, bought, then it failed, thrown out, new one had to be made, shipped to the store, bought.... while the old stove top dude just keeps on working. I think energy saving is on low tech here, I am sorry.

 

Have the Zojirushi rice cooker, love it, just got the table top gas grill, it's not an 800 degree lava rock but you can't cook kimchi on a lava rock, err, the gril is great.
I want boiling hot water for my tea, presently I prefer the gas range.
Rule #1, pour boiling water over tea leaves.

 

For one cup: Microwave
Efficient and no new appliances since I can't imagine not having a microwave in addition to a teapot

Mike

 

I've got a cast iron skillet that was made "before 1922" according to some spotting guide online. I made a good korma in it just an hour ago.

I'm humbled! I don't think I can give up that much cabinet space to the waffle problem, but I'm impressed. Nice hardware!

 

Mine lives in the cupboard until it is needed. It's big, beautiful and powerful. Makes perfect waffles every time. Cooks two large waffles at a time. It's truly the very best waffle iron i have ever used.

 

That stove, and even the kettle, will need to be replaced one day.

Production and delivery is just part of a device's lifetime use of energy. Yes, this one died an early death, but new stoves can too. Then that will cost the energy of making a delivering a replacement, or the energy of a repair man coming out, possibly twice if it isn't a part on the truck, to fix it.

These kettles are popular in Europe and Japan because of the higher cost of electricity. When the heat goes directly into the water, and not into to the pot and surrounding air, then less is used. A lot less over the course of a typical unit's lifetime.

Same here for tea, but some people claim to cook pasta with them.

 

Opinions on Instant Pots? We got one as a gift. It's seen some use, I find it overkill for a lot of things.

Seems like a lot of times we've got something that's perfectly functional, then DW or one of kids decides new-and-improved is in order.