Who boils a pan of water?

Deedaa "I haven't used an electric kettle for nearly twenty years. I treated myself to an Alessi whistling bird kettle and I've used it on the gas ever since. I use pans of water for cooking all the time - pasta, rice, vegetables and potatoes. I do make an effort to only boil as much water as I need"

I use a kettle on the hob for tea and pans on the hob for pasta, rice, potatoes - I thought everyone did. Electricity is far more costly than gas, or so I believe.

mokryna I do not use my kitchen sink for 'washing hands'.
For me this boiling water tap is far, far safer to use than a kettle and far less hassle than the hot water counter-top machine I used to have.

I also blessed it recently when I had one of occasional problems with a blockage in my ostomy. Long experience has taught me to recognise early symptoms of this and the best way of treating it is with a very hot water bottle on stomach and sipping a mug of as hot water as I can. However, it makes me feel really ill and exhausted. Was so wonderful that both HWB and Mug were able to to be filled within a couple of minutes. Made me think that I should probably have asked for VAT reduction when I had this tap installed.

The convenience is brilliant, filling saucepans, etc. I am, however, very interested to know the cost of my usage of this.

After getting my smart meter I experimented by noting the charge for boiling water on my gas hob and the same amount in the electric kettle. The electric kettle was four times more expensive.
In the past I used to use the electric kettle for boiling water for potatoes, rice, pasta, soups etc. Nowadays I use the gas hob.
It’s just common sense.

Bea65

2hrs to run a dishwasher...thats mad...are you a big family or is it once a week?

No, the cycle times are 2 hr, 2.10 and 3.30 (economy wash) plus a gentle wash, rinse and short wash.

I haven't used an electric kettle for nearly twenty years. I treated myself to an Alessi whistling bird kettle and I've used it on the gas ever since. I use pans of water for cooking all the time - pasta, rice, vegetables and potatoes. I do make an effort to only boil as much water as I need.

I'm sure I've told this story before but when I worked in an office years ago the boss's secretary decided to try heating up some frankfurters for lunch in the office kettle. (it was before microwaves had become a thing) The boss was VERY unimpressed when she made him a cup of tea afterwards.

I've got a 'spare' kettle stashed away which goes on the hob in case of emergency so I suppose that acts very much like a saucepan, it just takes a little longer. Perhaps I should dust it off and start using it everyday? I can't do without my daily ration of tea. If it saves money it has to be worth it.

Franbern The problem is that there is very hot water left in the water spout after using the boiling tap and if someone goes to wash their hands after the hot water has been used … this will happen even though they haven’t turned on the hot tap.

Bea Often the eco washes on dishwashers are incredibly long, which is why I never use them. I long ago discovered it was quicker and simpler to use the quickwash.

I have copper saucepans with iron handles that rust, so do not put those in the dishwasher. Just fill them with hotwater and washing up liquid and leave them to soak overnight. Cast iron casseroles sometimes need a going rund with a scourer after going through a quick wash, but everything else comes out clean.

I have a boiling water tap. It is impossible to run this 'by accident', and small children would not be able to operate it at all. For me, much safer to use than a kettle, or even the counter top water heater I had previously. Just fill the mug in which I wish to have a drink, or the saucepan in which I will be cooking, pasta, etc.

Only had this three months, since had my new kitchen installed, but would really miss it now it. It is great. NO idea as to cost of running it though. Would be interested. As my gas and leccie meters are a long way apart I am unable to have a smart meter (just before anyone tells me to use that).

When I worked in a factory canteen, a woman I worked with said that the same pan should never be used for anything else if it had been used for boiling eggs, that it wasn`t healthy. Wonder what she`d say to boiling eggs in the kettle, lol?

annodomini

My DS2 and his partner have an instant boiling water tap in their kitchen. I have no idea how economical (or otherwise) this is, but you do get just the exact amount you need for a cup of tea. I have a very fast-boiling kettle and use just as much water as I'm going to need for my tea. I have safety concerns about boiling water taps as they could be very dangerous for small (unsupervised) children or slightly absent-minded grannies.

I used one at a friend’s and thought that is was dangerous for the person following, when they only wanted to wash their hands, the hot water is scolding. I ran the cold tap just in case, so as not be the cause of an accident.

Few people today have a kettle of the kind you put on a hob. We surely all use electric kettles.

I think it is still difficult to judge whether it costs more to boil the water for cooking in the kettle and pouring it into the saucepan, or boiling it in the saucepan with a lid on.

I have certainly never stopped potatoes into cold water in the pan and bringing it to the boil, or boiling water for pasta, rice, frozen vegetables or eggs in the pan.

Any of the above can be brought quickly to the boil on the stove and transfered into a modern version of the hay-box to save electricity.

2hrs to run a dishwasher...thats mad...are you a big family or is it once a week?

I have just run my dishwasher (I know how to have fun) but anyway, looking at what was in it, no really dirty stuff, cooking pots etc just lots of mugs and plates, so I decided to use the “quick wash” -35 minute-cycle instead of the usual 2 hour one. I have just checked and everything looks perfectly clean enough .
I’ll be doing that more often I think!

My DS2 and his partner have an instant boiling water tap in their kitchen. I have no idea how economical (or otherwise) this is, but you do get just the exact amount you need for a cup of tea. I have a very fast-boiling kettle and use just as much water as I'm going to need for my tea. I have safety concerns about boiling water taps as they could be very dangerous for small (unsupervised) children or slightly absent-minded grannies.

Boiling water on induction hob half the time of kettle.

I also use the kettle to boil water and transfer it to the pan if I'm cooking pasta (or do it in the pressure cooker). I have a fast-boil kettle, which does use more power than slower ones, so maybe I should re-think things like that. I don't think that microwaved water tastes the same, though (and I'm not sure that water boiled in a pan does either, but I can't swear to that as I've only done it in emergencies).

My daughter was saying that she has started using longer washing cycles as they use less power than the shorter 'fast-wash' ones. I hadn't thought of doing that, and think that probably most of us do things out of habit, rather than because they are the more sensible way to do them. I don't really think about fuel much beyond hanging out washing instead of the dryer if the weather's fine, and wearing jumpers before putting the heating on, but that is going to change for everyone soon.

There are probably things I could do to trim a bit here and there. Most of them cost money in the first place, though. Luckily I have an air fryer and a heated airer already, but they will be expenses for those who don't. I am looking at programmable radiator valves, and plan to change power banks to ones with switches, so that I can turn off the power to plugged-in chargers without disabling lamps etc.

I was brought up to turn lights off when leaving a room, and close doors behind me, so I don't think there's much I can do there. I don't want to give up hot baths though - specially in winter.

I kettle boil water , pour into pan, cover with lid to bring to the rolling boil necessary for cooking pasta shortly before needed.

aggie

MaizieD

M0nica

Perhaps they boil water in a saucepan because they do not know what else to do because they only ever heat ready meals in a microwave.

I boil water in a saucepan for pasta and anything else that needs to go into boiling water to cook. Why are people finding this odd?

Because I boil water in the kettle and pour it over the pasta , it takes forever to bring it to the boil on the hob ,from cold

Just because that's what you do doesn't make it odd if someone does it differently.

I expect you'll change your technique when it's costing you 3 or 4 times as much to boil an electric kettle as it does to heat a bit of water in a saucepan

MaizieD

^I never even think of the cost, just the speed!^

Do you not have an energy cost crisis in Australia, nanna8? It's horrific here in the UK.

Not to such an extent as in Europe - at least not so far. We are a long way from anywhere I suppose.

"What is the cheapest way to boil water for tea?"

"The energy experts at Uswitch.com have looked into this and have found that it's much cheaper to boil hot water for tea using a covered pan on a gas hob. They also found that using a microwave is cheaper than using a kettle as well."

Aug 13, 2022

My exH’s family don’t use kettles, a pan with a lid only. I think it might be a very English /American thing but I could be wrong.

MaizieD

M0nica

Perhaps they boil water in a saucepan because they do not know what else to do because they only ever heat ready meals in a microwave.

I boil water in a saucepan for pasta and anything else that needs to go into boiling water to cook. Why are people finding this odd?

Because I boil water in the kettle and pour it over the pasta , it takes forever to bring it to the boil on the hob ,from cold

Maggiemaybe, that's great!

M0nica

Perhaps they boil water in a saucepan because they do not know what else to do because they only ever heat ready meals in a microwave.

I boil water in a saucepan for pasta and anything else that needs to go into boiling water to cook. Why are people finding this odd?