(no subject)

[randomness]

What I am about to say may be heresy in some quarters, but after watching and using a water boiler at both my parents' and at our friends S and P's I have become convinced that I am more likely to buy a water boiler (https://www.zojirushi.com/app/category/water-boilers) than I am an electric kettle (http://www.housetohome.co.uk/product-idea/picture/10-of-the-best-electric-kettles).

I would likely turn off the annoyatron that plays the electronic tune telling you the water has reached set temperature, however.

Comments

[awfief.livejournal.com]

Because you can set the temperature - different teas brew better at different temps (green vs. black vs. oolong, etc). Because it can keep the water at that temperature - which, if you want hot tea all day, is something that even a standard kettle can't do.

[bryant]

My electric kettle allows you to choose a temperature, and it will sustain that temperature for a while, but it's not suitable for keeping tea water ready all day. I can see why a safe way to maintain temperature for a long period of time would be useful.

Personally I brew coffee using pourover methods, so the gooseneck is important to me and I think the kettle is superior to the boiler in my use cases, but I too am curious as to reasons since there may be things I don't know.

[awfief.livejournal.com]

Interesting. So in your mind, what's the difference between a water boiler and an electric kettle? I assumed it was the keep warm and temperature setting features, but the commercial market seems to distinguish by....shape?

[bryant]

I'd say a kettle is something you pick up and pour, generally removed from the heating element, and a water boiler is something with a tap. I could be wrong.

[awfief.livejournal.com]

*nod* It seems he line between "electric kettle" and "electric water boiler" is not exactly clear. I'd call that product a water boiler, not an electric kettle.

A standard kettle boils water. You put it on heat, and when enough steam goes through the hole, you get a sound telling you to take it off. I'd say an electric kettle is a kettle, but electric. Something where you can have different temps, and keep warm settings - these are not features of what *I* would call an electric kettle.

Although maybe we're playing with semantics here?

As for risk - They use water boilers in Japan all the time. The risk is very low. Then again, I also have no problem leaving my slow cooker running for 8h (and that's also a simple model, with just warm/low/hi/off settings).

And as someone who might want 4 cups of tea in 6 hours in an evening, 30 mins of keeping warm is a waste for me.