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Get an Electric Kettle, Don't Overfill It

Lloyd Alter, Toronto

Lloyd Alter

By Lloyd Alter
Toronto, Canada | Sun Mar 23, 2008 01:21 PM ET

Drink Tea? Most Americans boil their water on the stove, while in Britain and Canada almost everyone uses an electric kettle. Electrics convert about 80 percent of the energy into heat that boils the water, whilst (that's English for while) a kettle on the stove is only about 40% efficient and a microwave about 55 percent.

Furthermore, if you only boil as much as you need it saves a lot of energy. The Energy Savings Trust in the United Kingdom estimates that "if we each boil the water we need to make a cup of tea instead of filling the kettle every time, we could save enough electricity in a year to run nearly half of all the street lighting in the country." Boiling a cup of water uses 0.03125kWh of electricity; multiply that by an entire country and it is a big number.

Electric kettles are faster, safer, and much more convenient. If you drink tea or use a French press for coffee, it is a must. Just be certain to buy a new one from a reputable manufacturer to ensure that there is no lead solder in it. ::Guardian

Difficulty Level: Easy

 
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