Yes, if I need only 1 cup of hot water, I use the microwave.
The electric kettle wants a minimum of 2 cups (1/2 liter), or else it makes funny noises.
this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2025
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Mine makes funny noises too, but since it has a marker for one cup, the noises obviously don't matter.
Was gonna say, for one cup it seems like a better use of resources (in terms of power), the only obvious downside is temperature control
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I used to microwave water for all sorts of things before getting an induction stovetop.
Seriously, it goes from tap water to boiling in 2 minutes. It's a game changer.
My electric kettle does about the same. Long enough to finish a piss before doing the water things.
Never mix up things there... 😇
Too late. Dumped my tea and drank my piss.
My kettle boils a mug's worth of water in less than a minute, and it takes me longer than that for even a brief toilet visit and washing of hands. I have learned not to switch the kettle on until I get back from the bathroom, otherwise I'll be boiling the water twice.
Important factors: 1) Britain has 230V mains power so electric kettles can boil water incredibly quickly, 2) The stereotype about Brits and tea is true in my case. I get through three to six mugs of the stuff per day. 3) Hot tea must be made with boiling water. Power isn't cheap and re-boiling the water adds up over time.
Mine takes longer, but I never brew a single mug. I brew a full pot and I only reason I limit myself to that is because of the size of my kettle.
Induction hobs I think are still less efficient than an electric kettle, right? Correct me if I'm wrong. (I have both but I don't have the know-how to measure the effect of either. Just what I've heard.)
It would be interesting to test. quick, someone poke Technology Connections.
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afaik electric kettles are the most efficient machines around. something like 95% efficiency
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If you have both, and a timer on your phone, should be easy enough to check. Put the same measured amount of water in both and see how long it takes to boil.
this only works if both have the same energy consumption.
this is probably not the case, so you also have to measure the energy consumption and then adapt the measured time accordingly.
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I did that in the past because we had no electric kettle at home. Today it's the over way round: I have a kettle but no microwave
We use a kettle or boil it in a pot. I would not even entertain the idea of microwaving the water.
Never. Because I don't drink tea.
However, the ones in my household who do use an electric kettle. I've never seen them use the microwave for tea.
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I absolutely don't heat water in the microwave! I have a kettle like any other good god-fearing man.
However as a person who recently got into tea I'd love to hear recommendations on tea. I recently got a box of Yorkshire gold that's been pretty good to me
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Never as I don't drink tea nor own a microwave.
We don't. Our simple kettle with its whistle is working great, despite its age. And its much nicer to look at than a microwave too ;)
I've always had a stove top kettle, there was no reason to boil water in the microwave for tea. Up until a few years ago, I did not have a microwave. I prefer the even temperature of water boiled in a kettle.
I used to at work. I would do a half filled mug, give it 2-3 minutes of heat so it didn't suddenly boil over, then drop in the tea bag and fill with regular water.
Takes longer and usually don't get it hot enough.
I've used an electric gooseneck kettle for about a decade, before that I used a stovetop kettle or, if so was really desperate, a saucepan.
Never tried it. Is it faster than an electric kettle?
In the US a microwave is faster. Your 220v heats things up faster than our 110v.
japanese have 100v and don't have this problem
Yes they do.
V is irrelevant. A determines how much actual power something gets.
Amperage determines how much current something gets.
Voltage times amperage determines the power something draws.
More current needs thicker wires, while higher voltage does not.
Find an electric kettle in the US that works as well as one in the UK? They don’t exist here.
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Microwave can take 2-3 minutes depending on how hot you like it and how shitty your microwave is. They also tend to not heat evenly.
A good kettle might also take about 3 mins, though some can take up to 5 or 6, but you're guaranteed properly heated water.
I don’t drink tea or coffee, but my mom microwaves her water for tea.
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At home, I always heat the water in a saucepan on my stove. I only use a microwave when I’m making tea at the university, where it’s the only way I can get hot water. These microwaves are always a bit dirty because most students don’t clean after themselves, and I can’t fully enjoy my tea because it feels tainted.
Always for coffee only sometimes for tea.
Just stick the mug on top of the stove on medium heat n it boils in like two minutes... Less than that is you use a saucepan...
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