Using an Electric Tea Kettle to Save Propane ?

[Dockhead]

By the way, if you use a lot of boiling water, this system would seem to make a lot of sense:

http://www.quooker.co.uk/fileupload/...figures_UK.pdf

and save a lot of galley space.

It only needs 1600 watts of power. It keeps 3 liters of boiling water ready at all times, and has a vacuum insulated tank so only needs 10 watts of power to maintain the temperature.

It uses less energy and less water than boiling up each cup of tea separately in a kettle.

The main energy consumption is concentrated during the initial heating of the water, but that is free if you time it for when you're motoring or hooked up to shore power.

This is very cool. I'll definitely install something like this on my next boat, I think.

[s/v Jedi]

When buying our motorhome, we decided to go all-electric, i.e. No propane at all. After much research, I found the best option to be a modern version of the old school option:

This is a 3kW Cooktek induction plate with a modern design, induction compatible kettle. It's crazy fast and very efficient.

[Ribbit]

Well I just bought a 2.2kw (230v) kettle to try (given the last one - 3kw - died and you can't get spare elements any more), and it is disappointingly slow to boil water even compared to the heavily enamelled kettle on the Propane stove top burner.

I don't think anyone has mentioned butane? If cruising in hot places, butane won't be an issue.

Now these butane stoves seem to get a lot of use on boats, and they might be handy if you have access to a supply of the cheap butane cartridges (not usually used for boating or camping, generally for building trades etc). The stoves are pretty stable too:

New Portable Single Burner Butane Gas Camping Stove w Hard Case Tabletop Stove | eBay

Same thing from Walmart - says it's a 10,000 btu burner

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stansport-...Stove/21684331

eta: actually, scrub round that recommendation, the price of the 8oz gas canisters in America is a staggering rip off - about 3 times the price of what they are over here in Rip Off Britain.

Other than that, they work well (a tin does a week of hot drinks with my Vango easy, and my kid Sis had one to go away to festivals and such, and got on well with it).

Most I pay for a tin is £1 (under $1.50) and I mostly use them with the weed killing burner.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

When buying our motorhome, we decided to go all-electric, i.e. No propane at all. After much research, I found the best option to be a modern version of the old school option:

This is a 3kW Cooktek induction plate with a modern design, induction compatible kettle. It's crazy fast and very efficient.

So what do you do on Jedi?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Strait Shooter

So what do you do on Jedi?

On Jedi I use the same kettle on a portable 1,800W induction plate. The big win with induction on a boat (over propane) is that there is much less waste heat so the boat stays cooler. I am planning to convert to all electric as well but it will be a big project that also changes the oven, fridge and freezer.

About speed: a 3kW electric kettle will be just a bit faster than a 3kW induction plate with good kettle. You can think of the electric kettle to be 100% efficient (waste heat used to heat the water) and the induction plate with kettle combination at 90% efficient. This assumes a quality induction plate, not the $30 units on eBay

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

On Jedi I use the same kettle on a portable 1,800W induction plate. The big win with induction on a boat (over propane) is that there is much less waste heat so the boat stays cooler. I am planning to convert to all electric as well but it will be a big project that also changes the oven, fridge and freezer.



About speed: a 3kW electric kettle will be just a bit faster than a 3kW induction plate with good kettle. You can think of the electric kettle to be 100% efficient (waste heat used to heat the water) and the induction plate with kettle combination at 90% efficient. This assumes a quality induction plate, not the $30 units on eBay

I suspected as much in regards to Jedi.
I'm going to do the same thing. I pulled all the propane from the boat, and have been trying to figure out the best way to make a cup of coffee.

Although if I had an extra couple of boat dollars laying around, I'd be tempted to try that quooker thing.

[BobH260]

We use propane, microwave, electric kettle and an induction cooktop depending on our situation. We have a 3.5 KW generator and if it has to be running will take advantage of the available power. Or in slip we will just cook with electric.

On the hook or mooring it's mostly propane stove or BBQ.

We have 325 W of solar and usually have surplus electric after lunch, the computers etc usually suck that up so have not tried it with our kettle.

There is an interesting post here about a thermal cooker, Thermal Cooker This would limit heat and humidity in the boat.

Bob

[ericoh88]

Originally Posted by Ribbit

Now these butane stoves seem to get a lot of use on boats, and they might be handy if you have access to a supply of the cheap butane cartridges (not usually used for boating or camping, generally for building trades etc). The stoves are pretty stable too:

New Portable Single Burner Butane Gas Camping Stove w Hard Case Tabletop Stove | eBay

Same thing from Walmart - says it's a 10,000 btu burner

Stansport Portable Butane Stove - Walmart.com

Errr, these single burner butane may be handy but they are known to explode - kaboom. Maybe a good quality ones won't.

I have ban these items from my previous life managing room rentals.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Ocean Roads

So I am a full time (dock side) live aboard, getting ready for full time cruising in 316 days.

Here is a thought I have, let me know if I am missing something:
I have around 600 amp hours of batteries, and a wind generator.
Also a propane stove/oven and carry a 10 lbs. tank.
Water needs to be boiled from time to time for soups, tea, coffee, etc.

As long as I have wind and/or the batteries are good, I will use a small electric tea kettle like I used in college to boil water.

The main reason is to save propane when I am in the islands and I am always looking for a way to save a buck.

Am I being too crazy?

I think you are being "too crazy".

Your batteries won't work the electric teakettle, you will have to install a pretty good sized inverter to get 120 volts AC to run the teakettle. That's going to be a few hundred dollars, more if you have to pay to have it installed.

Now if you want to install a microwave oven, the inverter idea will serve two purposes but in reality, you can forget the teakettle, the microwave will heat your water.

If you don't need or want the microwave, just heat your water with propane and be done with it.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I think you are being "too crazy".

Your batteries won't work the electric teakettle, you will have to install a pretty good sized inverter to get 120 volts AC to run the teakettle. That's going to be a few hundred dollars, more if you have to pay to have it installed.

Now if you want to install a microwave oven, the inverter idea will serve two purposes but in reality, you can forget the teakettle, the microwave will heat your water.

If you don't need or want the microwave, just heat your water with propane and be done with it.

You've repeated this a few times, but many cruisers are using electric kettles with inverters with very good results. Obviously it depends on the size of your battery bank and the size of your inverter, but the average cruising boat by now has enough battery capacity to do this just fine.

We use the kettle once an hour on passage (lots of tea drinkers on board usually), and don't even notice the effect on the batteries. That's because you only use it for a few minutes at a time -- it's not all that much power.

The numbers: 4 mugs of tea or large cups of coffee is about 1 liter of water.

700 watts will raise the temperature of one liter of water by 10C in one minute.

So it will take 9 minutes to boil it from 10C and will use only 105 watt/hours of power.

If the kettle is 1.4kW, then it will take 4.5 minutes, and will use the same amount of power, BUT -- be careful of Peukert, which will make you consume a disproportionate amount of energy if the rate of discharge is high in relationship to the capacity of the bank.

My battery bank is modest for this size boat -- 420 amp/hours at 24v, = 10kW/hours nominal and 5kW/hours realistic. 105 watt hours is 2% of the realistic bank capacity -- not noticeable. Even if the battery bank were half that size, and I guess few modern cruisers except on very small boats will have less, then that's only 4% of real bank capacity to boil a liter of water from 10C. If the tank water is warmer than that, it will take that much less energy to boil it; likewise if you are making only 2 cups instead of 4.


So it's entirely reasonable for the OP to try to make is coffee or tea with an electric kettle. You only need a 1000 watt inverter to use a kettle like mine, which is 1000 watts. My previous kettle was 2.3kW and obviously was faster, but I don't find that boiling up to 1 liter of water with 1000 watts is a problem.

A microwave is not really good for this because of heel, and boat motion, plus awkward to do more than one cup at a time. Plus it's much less efficient than an electric kettle which, as Jedi pointed out, is 100% efficient.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

...
We use the kettle once an hour on passage (lots of tea drinkers on board usually)
...
will use only 105 watt/hours of power.

...
My battery bank is modest for this size boat -- 420 amp/hours at 24v = 10kW/hours nominal and 5kW/hours realistic...

Taking you at your word ( ) of once an hour, that means you are using 105Wh x 24 = 2.5kWh per day (or about 200 Amp hrs). That's 50% of your stated realistic battery availability

I'm not saying it's not practical to use a kettle - just that you need to cut down on your tea drinking

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by StuM

Taking you at your word ( ) of once an hour, that means you are using 105Wh x 24 = 2.5kWh per day (or about 200 Amp hrs). That's 50% of your stated realistic battery availability

I'm not saying it's not practical to use a kettle - just that you need to cut down on your tea drinking

LOL, well probably not 24 times a day , and certainly not a liter at a time. People also sleep on passage

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I think you are being "too crazy".

Your batteries won't work the electric teakettle, you will have to install a pretty good sized inverter to get 120 volts AC to run the teakettle. That's going to be a few hundred dollars, more if you have to pay to have it installed.

Now if you want to install a microwave oven, the inverter idea will serve two purposes but in reality, you can forget the teakettle, the microwave will heat your water.

If you don't need or want the microwave, just heat your water with propane and be done with it.

+1

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[Viking Sailor]

See my post #15...

[OceansFive]

I'd respectfully suggest that the simplest ways to conserve propane when heating water is not to add complexity ( inverter and electric kettle) but to simplify:
1) measure out the water to be heated. A mug of coffee is one mug.
2) use a Simplex kettle - its design directs the flames to the bottom of the kettle and prevents heat escaping up the sides. Brochure claims 25% fuel saving. I've measured this and achieved a consistent 17% saving over using a normal kettle.
3) pour any excess hot water into a vacuum flask to use when only warm water is required.



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