What home or office can survive without hot boiling water? You need it for drinking, preparing tea, coffee, instant noodles, and pasta, among other things.
And how do you get your water boiling in an office setting if not with an electric kettle or a water boiler?
Both appliances are highly convenient and will help you get hot water in minutes, if not instantly. So, how does an electric kettle compare to a water boiler?
In this post, we discuss electric kettle vs. water boiler in detail to help you get the right appliance for your home. Continue reading to learn more.
Electric Kettle vs Water Boiler: Key Points
| Feature | Electric Kettle | Water Boiler |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Fairly priced | Expensive |
| Installation | Requires zero installation | Complex installation |
| Maintenance | Easy to maintain | A little difficult to maintain |
| Ease of use | Relatively easy to use | Easy to use |
| Durability | Not durable | Durable |
| Capacity | Limited capacity | Larger capacity |
| Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
What is an Electric Kettle?
An electric kettle is a simple household appliances found in most homes. Should you lift the lid and peek inside, you’ll see a coil of thick metal (heating element) at the bottom of the container.
When you plug your kettle into an electrical outlet, electric current flows into the heating element. As a result, the heating element gets hot, and since it’s in direct contact with your cold water, it warms it up through conduction.
An electric kettle heats water fast since the heat generated by the heating element is directly transferred to your water. Additionally, an enclosed kettle stops heat from escaping and allows pressure to rise faster, making the water boil quickly.
How Does an Electric Kettle Work?
An electric kettle works on the principle that power running through a wire generates heat. The core component in the electric kettle is the heating element, designed to handle high currents.
When current passes through the heating element, it heats up. The kettle uses this heat to boil your water.
The kettle’s design puts the heating element in direct contact with your water. This maximizes the heat transfer between the element and your water.
Most electric kettles feature an automatic shutoff feature that turns the current off as your water boils. This saves energy and makes the appliance safe to use as well.
Read also: Hot Water Dispenser vs. Kettle
Advantages of an Electric Kettle
- Makes Water Safer to Drink
Boiling water kills all germs and pathogens in it at a temperature of 160 degrees F or above. The practice makes your water safer to drink.
In addition to eliminating hazardous pathogens like cryptosporidium and giardia, drinking boiled water provides additional health benefits.
Hot or warm water stimulates digestion, aids weight reduction, improves blood circulation, and speeds up your metabolism.
- Safe to Use
Using an electric kettle is safe thanks to the automatic power-off switch it comes with. The switch stops the boiling process automatically when the bubbles reach their peak.
This stops overboiling, spillage, and the risk of the hot water gushing out of your kettle through the lid.
Electric kettles also reduce the dangers associated with open fires. Most even come with cool touch technology to prevent burns that can be caused by inattentiveness.
- Saves Time
An electric kettle heats water fast, thanks to the heating element. In fact, an electric kettle can use 80% of the energy it consumes to boil your water.
This compares to 30.5% for an electric stovetop and 47% for microwaves. Actually, an electric kettle can boil 4 cups of water at twice the speed of a stovetop.
- Multipurpose
Although electric kettles are not designed the same way (different manufacturers create different kettles), most can heat any liquid.
Don’t be surprised to get a unit capable of heating water, milk, and soup, among other liquids.
- Easy to Use
The exterior of most electric kettles is made from an insulating material and thus easy to handle. You only need to plug the kettle into a power source to get your water boiling. And you can carry your wireless model with you when traveling.
Disadvantages of an Electric Kettle
- Can be Harmful to Your Health
Most electric kettles have plastic parts, which gives people enough reason to doubt their fire-proof nature.
The plastic may also melt and leach into your water, thus considered unhealthy. You should, therefore, always consider the material of manufacture before paying for the appliance.
- Not Durable
If your kettle undergoes heavy use, be ready to replace it after a while. The appliance will eventually stop working, and it’s costly to repair.
Additionally, the breakdown is sometimes not repairable.
- No Temperature Control
Water temperature control is important because if your water gets too hot, it can burn your tongue, lips, and throat. And if it’s too cool, you won’t enjoy all benefits.
Most electric kettles on the market don’t have temperature control features. So although you can adjust the stopping point for your boiling water, the water won’t stop boiling at that point every time.
What is a Water Boiler?
A water boiler provides hot water and heating for residential homes and commercial buildings. With a boiler, the hot water for your dishwasher, washing machine, shower, and more comes from the same source.
It boils water to use in your appliances and uses hot water to warm up your home during cold months.
How Does a Water Boiler Work?
A boiler can heat potable water. But when used as a heating system for your home, it relies on a thermostat to tell when to start heating the water in its system.
The water is heated indirectly by a combustion chamber. After it’s turned into steam, the boiler sends it throughout your home, heating the floors or walls of the house.
After cooling, the steam turns back to water and moves and later moves back to the boiler.
Advantages of a Water Boiler
- Large Capacity
A water boiler is capable of heating large quantities of water more efficiently. Depending on the size of the unit, it can fill more than 6 cups at a go.
- Easy to Use
A water boiler is one of the most straightforward appliances to use in any home. You just need to place a spoonful of coffee or tea bag in a cup and place it under the tap.
Next, depress the button or lever and fill the cup with hot water. And there you have it! A hot cup of coffee or tea.
More than 6 persons can prepare the same after you are done.
- Time-Friendly
With a hot water boiler, there’s no waiting or laying siege like you would do with a kettle. Instead, everyone will get their cup of hot water when they want it.
- Cost-Effective
With an electric kettle, you need to be prepared for breakdowns now and then. This is never the case with a boiler.
It will also cost you less to boil water in the appliance than to heat a full kettle several times a day.
- Space-Efficient
The modern-day water boiler is compact and benefits from smaller but more efficient components and elements. It takes less space than a row of boiling kettles.
Disadvantages of a Water Boiler
- Expensive
Water boilers are more expensive than kettles. They also cost more to install as many homes require fitting with proper piping systems.
Their replacement parts are also expensive.
- Leaks
Although not common, a water boiler presents the risk of water risks.
Conclusion
When choosing between an electric kettle and a water boiler, it’s a matter of personal preference.
You need to weigh the benefits and cons of each and go for the model that suits your home or office best. Weigh their upfront costs, ease of use and maintenance, and durability, among other important features.