Today’s Handy Hint—SHOPPING

[Spiky Bugger]

The next time you decide that you can no longer resist that package of Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free English Muffins, make sure you have replaced the toaster you tossed in the trash a week or two ago.

You’re Welcome!

 

[southernlady]

That begs the question, what did you do?

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Toaster SHOULD BE delivered today. LOL

And, I was AMAZED at how expensive they have become! I had to dump my old one, but it made Egg McMuffins or just hard or soft cooked or poached eggs. Not made anymore. Someone had a USED one, +/- $79, plus $55 shipping. I got, or should get, a plain old 2-slice toaster.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Oh, wait! I’m such a tightwad, I ordered a plain, 2-slice toaster that came with an electric kettle, since my hero has decided he likes tea and runs the microwave forever. I figured this would be cheaper at $29.99 for the “set.”

 

[Spiky Bugger]

And then THIS arrived:

 

[JackieOnLine]

I hope you can make tea and toast soon! (or coffee and toast)

 

[southernlady]

I would get an electric kettle but my lack of electric plugs in our 1937 house is the deal breaker. I’ve tried tea kettles for the stove top but they all developed leaks. So I stick to a Pyrex (very old one) of water in the microwave.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I love my electric tea kettle! have you tried those? I only get cheap ones but they never leak.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I love my electric tea kettle! have you tried those? I only get cheap ones but they never leak.

Not for years. I hope he will use it instead of running an entire microwave to make a few ounces of hot water.

 

[Georgepds]

Not for years. I hope he will use it instead of running an entire microwave to make a few ounces of hot water.

Not clear to me that one uses more energy than the other, if that's the concern.

If it is, I use a gadget called kill-a-watt to measure energy consumption. You plug the kill-a-watt into the wall plug, and the gadget to be measured into the kill-a-watt. The kill-a-watt will read out energy consumption in kwh.

My guess... the difference between the two, for a cup of tea water, is too small to matter

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Not clear to me that one uses more energy than the other, if that's the concern.

If it is, I use a gadget called kill-a-watt to measure energy consumption. You plug the kill-a-watt into the wall plug, and the gadget to be measured into the kill-a-watt. The kill-a-watt will read out energy consumption in kwh.

My guess... the difference between the two, for a cup of tea water, is too small to matter

The microwave uses ALMOST twice as much power…1.5 kW vs 700-900 Watts.

But the major deal is “operator error.” MrSue sticks a measuring cup of water into the microwave for 4 minutes. If it starts boiling sooner, it just keeps on boiling. The “selling point” on the kettle is that it brings the water to a boil and then automatically shuts off. (Now I just have to convince him to heat only about a cup at a time.) (And, he is I the very early stages of dementia, so I may be repeating this lesson. LOL)

 

[southernlady]

But the major deal is “operator error.” MrSue sticks a measuring cup of water into the microwave for 4 minutes. If it starts boiling sooner, it just keeps on boiling.

See, that’s where I differ. I heat mine for about 1 1/2 mins. Seldom comes to a boil but it is hot. But then I have several other things going in the kitchen at the same time.

 

[Georgepds]

So let's do a little calculating

Electricity costs about 25 cents per kwh
A gadget requires about a minute (1/60 hr) to heat a cup of water
Each gadget draws abut 1 kw ( adjust as needed)
So the cost to heat is 25 x 1 /60 < 0.5 cents

At about a penny per tea cup... really who cares.

The comments about auto shutoff are important, but it's easy enough to set the microwave for 1 minute, most come with a 30 sec duration per button push

That said, I mostly use an electric tea kettle for the liter of tea I make once a day for just the reasons Spikey said..it does just enough but no more

OTOH, to reheat a cup of coffee, I use the microwave

If you do get the tea kettle going.. let the old guy fill it to the brim... at the very most you are out a nickel, and he's happy. If I could make my spouse happy for less than a nickel, I know I'm in

 

[southernlady]

But then in our case, we add the issue of lack of outlets in an old 1937 house. We also seriously lack counter space for another appliance.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

So let's do a little calculating

Electricity costs about 25 cents per kwh
A gadget requires about a minute (1/60 hr) to heat a cup of water
Each gadget draws abut 1 kw ( adjust as needed)
So the cost to heat is 25 x 1 /60 < 0.5 cents

At about a penny per tea cup... really who cares.

The comments about auto shutoff are important, but it's easy enough to set the microwave for 1 minute, most come with a 30 sec duration per button push

That said, I mostly use an electric tea kettle for the liter of tea I make once a day for just the reasons Spikey said..it does just enough but no more

OTOH, to reheat a cup of coffee, I use the microwave

If you do get the tea kettle going.. let the old guy fill it to the brim... at the very most you are out a nickel, and he's happy. If I could make my spouse happy for less than a nickel, I know I'm in

Our electricity costs more than twice that. So he’d cost me a dime. I may have to think about it!