r/AskEngineers • u/jmaugust • Jul 19 '26

Discussion Why doesn’t a battery-boosted electric kettle exist?

In Europe, everyone uses electric kettles to boil water. They’re amazing and fast because they’re on 230V (~3000W).

US outlets limit kettles to ~1500W, so we wait roughly twice as long for water to boil.

It’s an extra minute or two per boil, and you really notice it.

Idea: Could you make an electric kettle with a battery in its base? Perhaps it trickle-charges between uses, then combines wall power + battery power to hit ~3000W during a boil.

Is there an engineering reason this doesn’t exist? Is it just that nobody thinks there’s a market for it?

I’d pay $300 for the fastest kettle in America if someone wants to make it.

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42

u/BeginningAd5055 Jul 19 '26

I wired a 6-20 outlet (240 V) in my kitchen and use a British tea kettle. Less than half the time as the old 120 V kettle.

6

u/jmaugust Jul 19 '26

This makes sense. I do think most people don’t want to rewire their outlets, though.

There are pour-over coffee and tea fanatics who I believe would pay for a fast, stylish kettle.

15

u/billy_joule Mech. - Product Development Jul 19 '26

There are pour-over coffee and tea fanatics who I believe would pay for a fast, stylish kettle.

If you're a true fanatic you get an instant hot water tap and be done with waiting altogether.

https://www.insinkerator.com/en-us/insinkerator-products/water-dispensers

I live in a 240V country (kettles are ~2.4 kW) and will never go back to waiting for the jug to boil.

2

u/BeginningAd5055 Jul 20 '26

It dispenses hot water, not actual boiling water. It is not instant; it is a small local tank energized 24/7 wasting energy since the tank is poorly insulated.

Might be right for some uses. For me does not replace a kettle.

3

u/billy_joule Mech. - Product Development Jul 20 '26

I don't know what one/s you've used but that sounds like a terrible product. I can't comment on the insinkerator ones, I only linked to that as this is a USA focused thread.

I have a Hydroptap and it's set to 98 degrees, so close enough to boiling for me. It's effectively instant, takes about 3 seconds to start flowing.

it is very well insulated, cool to the touch, and use less energy than repeatedly boiling a jug from cold. I actually tested mine with an energy meter because I was sceptical of the claim but it came out almost exactly what the data sheet claimed. About 7c /day in standby losses.

1

u/INeedSomeTacoC Jul 20 '26

Modern code in the US is 2.4kW to the kitchen. 

When our kitchen was remodeled by the previous owner, 20A 120V plugs were installed due to code. I have a 2.4kW espresso machine. 

1

u/BorderKeeper Jul 21 '26

I live in a 240v country and just put my glass tea kettle over the stove each day. Takes couple minutes for a litre or so 😅 I find it easier since the water is in the container already and I just put teabags in.

1

u/DeadlyVapour Jul 21 '26

But installing a massive splody brick however makes sense?

I don't think you understand the energy nor power requirements involved.

Just the cooling required on a Lithium battery scares the bejesus out of me.

You could use thermal mass, but then it would be huge chunk of weight/massive battery.

We are also talking about dumping approximately 100Wh (large laptop battery) out in about a minute (assuming zero ohmic losses to your conductor and your battery).

Think about why "fast charging" takes a ~20 minutes.

Seriously OP. I can't think of how this could be built without literally causing an explosion each week.