Kettles on induction stoves are supposed to be at least 5% more efficient than electric kettles. I was wondering if there is any particular brands or types of stove top kettle that are better than others?
I cannot imagine why. Do you have a reference for this idea?
I found this https://iupilon.com/induction-kettle-vs-electric-which-is-more-energy-efficient/ which may be biased but then there appears to be some difference between electric kettles too.
Thanks for that. Sadly the article just uses figures without attribution. It also goes into induction water kettles which are another thing compared to immersed element kettles and other vessels on an induction stove.
There are quite a few references on the web that say kettle 80% and induction stove 85% but I haven’t found out where any of them come from. The Choice review of kettles rates the top performing kettles around 85% from actually testing.
From a theoretical point of view I am leaning towards the kettle. The energy transfer from the immersed element would be extremely efficient, approaching 100%, the main loss would be through the kettle to the room and some steam escaping.
The induction stove with a pot on it (with a lid of course) also would lose heat to the room and any escaping steam but also has to take into account the loss of energy powering the induction coils and then between the coils and the pot. The circuitry underneath does produce some heat which does not get into the pot.
The way to know would be to run the same test Choice does on kettles on pots on the induction stove.
If in fact the difference is about 5% this does not seem worth bothering about to me. Choice tells us:
Most electric kettles are not expensive to run. Boiling a full kettle a couple of times a day over the course of a year would only set you back about $20 or less.
So you are looking at a dollar or so a year. I would think convenience, price, reliability and other concerns would swallow that easily.
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Good point. The savings (if any) would only be reasonable if replacing a broken kettle.
I have a Le Creuset Traditional 2.1 litre kettle I use on the induction stove . Boils very fast . Downside the price $240 . Well worth it though . There are other cheaper cast iron kettles out there . Check if Victoria makes one . They are a reputable brand at a good price .
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I use an Essteele Stainless Steel Kettle 1.9L - usually can find on sale somewhere around $120. I love mine and it is super fast to boil on my induction stove top. There is an older model Essteele kettle with a black handle that may be found much cheaper - but I do not recommend that model - the whistling bit fell apart on mine and could not be repaired. Essteele replaced my old kettle with the new model. Essteele has a Lifetime Warranty. I have not used an electric kettle in years - for me kettle on the induction cooktop is more convenient. Cannot comment on whether it is more energy efficient.
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