USA Cheap Electric Kettle that runs when plug receives power
August 22, 2023 10:52 AM Subscribe
Are you aware of an under-$50 kettle that definitely can be controlled by a smart plug?
Hi! We use an electric kettle twice every morning to make our instant coffee. We are located in the USA.
It's good, but what would be really nice is if we could use our smart plug to start a kettle making hot water. On USA power, kettles take like 6-8 minutes to boil water, so it would save us a little trip if we could have our existing smart plugs control it.
But, what I'm missing is a kettle that's cheap (under $50? It's just a burner after all) that can start heating when it receives power. Most kettles have a mechanical switch to turn on the power.
Thanks!
Hi! We use an electric kettle twice every morning to make our instant coffee. We are located in the USA.
It's good, but what would be really nice is if we could use our smart plug to start a kettle making hot water. On USA power, kettles take like 6-8 minutes to boil water, so it would save us a little trip if we could have our existing smart plugs control it.
But, what I'm missing is a kettle that's cheap (under $50? It's just a burner after all) that can start heating when it receives power. Most kettles have a mechanical switch to turn on the power.
Thanks!
I know it wasn't your question, but have you considered a boiler like these?
I have one and it's great.
posted by Dr. Twist at 11:36 AM on August 22, 2023
I have one and it's great.
posted by Dr. Twist at 11:36 AM on August 22, 2023
You should definitely check to see what kind of load your smart outlet can handle. Many are designed for lamps or small appliances. Most electric kettles draw in the neighborhood of 1000 watts or more, which may be greater than the outlet is rated for.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 11:37 AM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by RonButNotStupid at 11:37 AM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
You should definitely check to see what kind of load your smart outlet can handle.
So much this. The kettle I use draws 1500W (~12.5 amps). I don't know what kind of smart plugs you are using, but I've seen some really scary electronics online that have poor no over-current protection (fuse, resettable breaker, etc.) at all.
Please remember that the circuit breakers in your distribution panel are there to protect the wiring in your house, not your devices. If one was to connect a high-draw appliance (like a kettle or a heater) to a smart plug, and the draw of that appliance exceeded the smart plug's rating (my kettle above is 12.5 amps) but did not exceed the circuit breaker's rating (most breakers for outlets in the US are 15A), one could very well overload that smart plug or even start a fire, and the circuit breakers in your panel wouldn't do a thing.
posted by xedrik at 11:54 AM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
So much this. The kettle I use draws 1500W (~12.5 amps). I don't know what kind of smart plugs you are using, but I've seen some really scary electronics online that have poor no over-current protection (fuse, resettable breaker, etc.) at all.
Please remember that the circuit breakers in your distribution panel are there to protect the wiring in your house, not your devices. If one was to connect a high-draw appliance (like a kettle or a heater) to a smart plug, and the draw of that appliance exceeded the smart plug's rating (my kettle above is 12.5 amps) but did not exceed the circuit breaker's rating (most breakers for outlets in the US are 15A), one could very well overload that smart plug or even start a fire, and the circuit breakers in your panel wouldn't do a thing.
posted by xedrik at 11:54 AM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I used to use a melitta drip cone. Now I use a coffeemaker that heats water, drips it over coffee into an insulated pot, on a timer. Indistinguishable. And it’s easier to get out of bed knowing there’s fresh coffee.
Kettles are somewhat insulated, you could probably refill it and heat water after the 1st run, and it would take a minute or so to reheat for the 2nd coffee prep.
Or look for an industrial grade timer that will handle the load, the internet control is probably unnecessary, and devices running Wi-Fi are using a little power all the time.
posted by theora55 at 11:54 AM on August 22, 2023
Kettles are somewhat insulated, you could probably refill it and heat water after the 1st run, and it would take a minute or so to reheat for the 2nd coffee prep.
Or look for an industrial grade timer that will handle the load, the internet control is probably unnecessary, and devices running Wi-Fi are using a little power all the time.
posted by theora55 at 11:54 AM on August 22, 2023
Best answer: The other thing to keep in mind is you can just get a kettle that is smart home enabled and cut out the need for an outlet.
Like, take this from Govee. OK, it's $80, so a little over your price range, but you don't need to worry about the switch question - the kettle itself can work with your smart home infrastructure so you can control it directly.
I went down this road because my wife wanted a kettle she could program so that it would have boiling water when she went downstairs after she got up in the morning during the work week. We ended up going with a Fellow Stagg Pro. It's not a "smart" appliance in the conventional sense, but you can program it to turn on at a certain time - so she just set it to turn on the same time her alarm goes off in the morning. So, it doesn't do what you want and it's way outside your price range, but... it is really nice to look at.
posted by kbanas at 12:00 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Like, take this from Govee. OK, it's $80, so a little over your price range, but you don't need to worry about the switch question - the kettle itself can work with your smart home infrastructure so you can control it directly.
I went down this road because my wife wanted a kettle she could program so that it would have boiling water when she went downstairs after she got up in the morning during the work week. We ended up going with a Fellow Stagg Pro. It's not a "smart" appliance in the conventional sense, but you can program it to turn on at a certain time - so she just set it to turn on the same time her alarm goes off in the morning. So, it doesn't do what you want and it's way outside your price range, but... it is really nice to look at.
posted by kbanas at 12:00 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
How much water are you boiling? I have a super-basic kettle (Amazon Basics brand, I think) and regular old American electricity and boiling enough water for 2 10-12oz cups takes me about 2.5 minutes.
It will also go on if you flip the switch down then connect it to power, so I don't see why it wouldn't work if the outlet can handle it and you can remember to flip the switch before you go to bed.
OR you might be able to get a SwitchBot to flip the switch on your existing kettle.
posted by mskyle at 12:06 PM on August 22, 2023
It will also go on if you flip the switch down then connect it to power, so I don't see why it wouldn't work if the outlet can handle it and you can remember to flip the switch before you go to bed.
OR you might be able to get a SwitchBot to flip the switch on your existing kettle.
posted by mskyle at 12:06 PM on August 22, 2023
Best answer: My favorite toy! Collapsible dual-voltage travel kettle. Just make sure your smart plug turns OFF, this one has a keep-warm function as long as the switch is depressed.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 7:50 PM on August 22, 2023
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 7:50 PM on August 22, 2023
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I would recommend caution though. While I don't think this setup as described is inherently unsafe, it is very unsafe-adjacent.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 11:31 AM on August 22, 2023 [1 favorite]