What is more sustainable? A kettle or a hot water tap (Quooker)?
A hot water tap (Quooker etc.) is often praised as super handy and efficient. But what about the sustainability of such taps compared to a kettle?
A Quooker is always on!
With a boiling water tap ('Quooker') you always have hot (boiling) water available. But it costs quite a bit of electricity to keep the water at the right temperature: 90 to 280 kWh per year. That is about 23 to 70 euros. (Note: calculated with an electricity price of 25 cents per kWh.) In most households, a boiling water tap is therefore not an economical choice. However, if you always boil more water with a kettle than you use, then a boiling water tap is actually more economical. However, do you usually make a whole pot of tea with your kettle, or do you always heat up exactly what you use? Then the boiling water tap costs more energy and the kettle is more sustainable.
Sustainable tips for your electric kettle.
However, not every kettle is equally durable. And the way you use it also determines its durability.
Some user tips:
- To start with, don't heat more water than you need. Boiling a whole pot full for 1 cup of coffee is of course a big waste of water and energy.
- Descale your kettle in time: a calcified heating element takes longer to heat the water.
- Choose a kettle with a heating element in the bottom. This causes less calcification than a spiral element that hangs in the water. A spiral element is also much more difficult to clean and descale.
- Choose a kettle with a high wattage. The higher the wattage, the faster your water boils. That saves you time, energy and money. Of course, you use more electricity with a higher wattage, but research has shown that you still use less energy if you cook with a high wattage.
- Pay attention to the materials used in your kettle:
- A steel kettle is more durable than a plastic one. In addition, a stainless steel casing is easier to clean when it is dirty. It therefore stays beautiful longer and lasts longer, which means the environmental 'footprint' is considerably lower.
Sustainability aspects of Le Lapin:
- Le Lapin kettle is with the 3000 Watt cooking element, which is integrated in the bottom of the kettle, very efficient in converting electrical energy into heat. This allows you to heat water quickly with minimal waste of energy.
- Le Lapin switches off automatically once the water reaches the desired temperature, helping to prevent excessive energy consumption.
- Le Lapin's reservoir is made entirely of high-quality stainless steel. The water therefore always remains 100% pure, without the risk of leakage of additives that are sometimes found in a plastic housing.
- The Le Lapin kettles are of high quality and generally have a long lifespan with regular maintenance. This means they do not need to be replaced often, which reduces the waste mountain. In addition, all materials can be recycled well if the product is eventually thrown away.
- The Le Lapin kettles have a real bamboo handle. In contrast to a plastic handle, a bamboo handle is much more sustainable. For example, bamboo has a growth cycle of just four to five years, which makes an annual harvest possible. This rapid growth and increasing use does not lead to deforestation. (Provided that bamboo plantations do not replace existing forests). In addition, bamboo filters a lot of CO2 from the air. For example, bamboo can absorb 200 tons of CO2 emissions per hectare per year, while trees 'only' remove 15 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
Although electric kettles can generally be considered more durable than hot water taps, when purchasing a kettle it is good to look at the manufacturing materials, the overall quality of the product and the wattage of the kettle.
In addition, it is essential to regularly descale and properly maintain the kettle to ensure optimum performance and extend its lifespan, reducing the need for replacement and putting less strain on the environment.
