electric kettle vs stove top

11 years later - how did the kettle hold up?  

r ranson wrote:11 years later - how did the kettle hold up?  

It lasted about a year before the cordless connector failed.  I bought two more and the same thing happened.   I then looked for similar kettles that are fully corded, but nothing in glass.  

I set aside the kettles with the idea that I would mend them, but ...  apparently they went to the dump ...  by my request!  Oops.  Later, we went looking for them to repair them, but they were gone.  I don't remember making that request, but I am owning that I made the request and don't remember.

Recently we got another and will explore this path again.  I have hopes that if the same problem arises that the "cordless connector" is an easy fix.   Here is the kettle we just started using:

https://amzn.to/3mPOEyk

Thanks for the update.
I was looking at that one.  It looks really nice.

My last kettle lasted almost 8 years.  But it was a plastic thing and free and the handle melted... so...

I want to get one that is less plastic and more durable.  I hate shopping.  

We use both electric and stove top. In summer the electric is quick and efficient and doesn't make the house hot. In winter the wood fired range is often on anyway, and extra energy just keeps the house warm. I like to leave the kettle ready on the lid of the hot side, which preheats it a bit so it boils quicker when we need tea.

Up to now, our electric kettle was the clear winner in both speed and energy efficiency. (Our electric cooktop is lousy for quick jobs.)

However, I recently scrounged a single burner induction hotplate. With the right heavy pot or kettle, I think it may beat our electric kettle for energy efficiency and be fast enough to be convenient. More experiments needed.

We don’t have an electric kettle anymore, though we did years ago and it was convenient and faster than our old electric stovetop or the microwave oven.
We have had for quite a while now, an electric hot water boiler/dispenser (4 liter, Zogirushi brand). It is an insulated unit that holds the water at a settable temperature, ready to dispense. It is very convenient to get a “cup” of hot water whenever you want, or even just a couple tablespoons if you want to dissolve something. The initial heating cycle of a 4L cold water fill is about 10-15 minutes? Less time for a partial fill, or adding water to top-up  the tank.

I think the main issue with efficiency for the water heating (for a cup of tea) is right-sizing the amount, and not heating any more water than is needed. The technique of using your teacup to measure the water to be boiled is a simple example. No extra water is heated, no extra time is taken waiting for unused water.

We recently replaced our old electric stovetop with a new induction stove. The speed is incredible! I believe it would win a race against an electric kettle. As a comparable example, when I prepare ramen noodles (16oz/0.5L water in a 1qt./1L saucepan) I start the water heating on highest setting, before getting the noodle packet from the pantry, and assembling the seasonings to add. By the time I open the packet, the water is at a boil!!