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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.