Does a left on kettle still burn power and if so how much?

[welsh dragon]

If a kettle boils in the forest, and no one is there to hear it click, has it boiled?

Ooh. Thats a new one.

 

[John the Monkey]

Sorry to disagree, but I don't think a picture would give us sufficient intelligence in order to accurately assess the situation, a picture would not enable us to hear the click.
If Accy could set up a couple of video cameras (with audio) giving a split screen display showing the kettle and his electric meter I reckon we could resolve this once and for all.

Let's just head to Accy's for a brew. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[Cubist]

Nothing to add to the thread other than the fact a great uncle of mine used to work at Bulpitts/Swan/Goblin in the Black Country back in the 20s and 30s. The company (which became Swan) made the first ever electric kettle with an immersible heating element. My great uncle invented the safety kick out switch which physically ejected the power plug if the kettle boiled dry.

Carry on.

 

[mjr]

If you lift the kettle off the base before the kettle has boiled, the switch springs into the 'off' position, so that if you replace the kettle on the base, it is off.

Not all of them do. OTOH mine has farking huge blue(on-at-wall-but-not-boiling)/orange(keep-warm)/red(on) lights to stop me doing the sort of silly thing mentioned in the OP. It goes purple if the thermal cutout activates, so everyone can moan at you until someone remembers how to reset it.

So go buy a new bling kettle and waste energy on manufacturing and transport instead of heating

 

[classic33]

When this thread gets to page 10, buy a new kettle. Then leave everyone to argue about the problems of kettles.

Suppose it "goes" before then, does he wait?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I don't understand what Accy means here. My kettle has a sprung switch that you depress to start boiling the water. If you lift the kettle off the base before the kettle has boiled, the switch springs into the 'off' position, so that if you replace the kettle on the base, it is off. Until you press the switch down, and switch it on again.

The switch on my kettle stays in the 'on' position even when lifted from the base in that scenario. It's a bad design because if you've emptied the kettle, putting it back on the base continues to heat the element until the thermostat kicks in to turn it off. It's maybe 10 years old and I'd hope modern kettles didn't have that failing.

 

[classic33]

Nothing to add to the thread other than the fact a great uncle of mine used to work at Bulpitts/Swan/Goblin in the Black Country back in the 20s and 30s. The company (which became Swan) made the first ever electric kettle with an immersible heating element. My great uncle invented the safety kick out switch which physically ejected the power plug if the kettle boiled dry.

Carry on.

Now all that's needed is a name, so I can blame him whilst resetting it.

 

[lazybloke]

• high pressure today, so boiling point might actually be at 100 celcius. Apparently it's usually 99.6

What was the problem again?

 

[marinyork]

• high pressure today, so boiling point might actually be at 100 celcius. Apparently it's usually 99.6

What was the problem again?

To find out the reynolds number o and strouhal number of accy's kettle.

 

[raleighnut]

• high pressure today, so boiling point might actually be at 100 celcius. Apparently it's usually 99.6

What was the problem again?

Water boils at a lower temperature at altitude too so if you take the kettle upstairs it'll boil faster.

 

[User33236]

I would "like" this, but I can't see any mention in the OP that the coffee is instant. Cafetiere and Aeropress coffee both require heating water in a kettle.

As it's accy the assumption it's instant more than likely correct

 

[classic33]

The switch on my kettle stays in the 'on' position even when lifted from the base in that scenario. It's a bad design because if you've emptied the kettle, putting it back on the base continues to heat the element until the thermostat kicks in to turn it off. It's maybe 10 years old and I'd hope modern kettles didn't have that failing.

Still there, should you require a replacement.

 

[Cubist]

Now all that's needed is a name, so I can blame him whilst resetting it.

I can't remember, but his name was probably Large. Google doesn't help as the patent was owned by Swan. Those were the days when intellectual property belonged to the employer, not the individual.

 

[Accy cyclist]

The kettle is off the stand. It's definitely NOT on.It hasn't been on for 2 hours,yet it's making noises!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Cooling down and contracting.

After 2 hours?
Something weird with that kettle.