Boiling water takes forever, so you decide to speed things up by filling the pot with scalding hot tap water instead of cold. DON'T DO IT! Why? Well, because your hot water from the tap can contain contaminants.
When filling the kettle, open/remove the lid to fill- don't fill via the spout. Make sure the lid is fully closed before switching on and don't open or remove the lid while the kettle is boiling.
HYGIENE aside, there is a practical reason why filling kettles from the cold tap is better for the beverage it contains more oxygen than hot, so the tea will taste better.
You should use only a little more water than you need to fill your pot or cup. Be sure not to overfill the kettle, since hot water can spill from the kettle when it starts to boil.
Can I drink warm water directly from the hot tap? You should avoid using hot water for drinking or cooking because it often comes from a storage tank within the home and is not as fresh as water directly from the mains.
Flush your taps
Never drink from a hot water tap as water in hot water systems generally contains more dissolved minerals and metals due to the heating process. Water that has been standing in your home's plumbing for extended periods can dissolve metals such as copper and traces of lead from these pipes and taps.
Cold water boils faster than hot water. There is, however, a good reason to use cold water instead of hot for cooking: hot water will contain more dissolved minerals from your pipes, which can give your food an off-flavor, particularly if you reduce the water a lot.
It's more expensive to boil a full kettle than a half-full kettle, because you're using more energy to boil more water.
It is worth pointing out that hot water taps are more energy efficient and could ultimately work out cheaper, depending on how much you boil the kettle on an average day. If you only make the occasional cup of tea then it will be far cheaper to stick to your trusty kettle.
You should always fill up your kettle above the minimum level. It's to prevent any issue that can damage your kettle or hurt yourself. If there's not enough water to cover the entire plate or heating element at the bottom of the kettle, it can lead to overheating.
Cold water boils faster than hot water.
There is, however, a good reason to use cold water instead of hot for cooking: hot water will contain more dissolved minerals from your pipes, which can give your food an off-flavor, particularly if you reduce the water a lot.
In some cases, if your water is neutral tasting, you may not need to filter tap water before using it for tea. However, for best results, always filter your tap water (especially if it's hard water).
June's Top Tip is not to fill your kettle too full. Many people don't realise how much electricity kettles use and how much is wasted if you only want 2 cups of tea but you boil enough water for 4 or more!
"If you're looking for an energy saving, go for the electric kettle," he said. "If you're looking for a cost saving, go for the hob." The test revealed it cost around 1.99p to boil water using his hob, and 3.94p, almost twice as much, using an electric kettle. "The results of this actually surprised me," he said.
Do not use artificially softened water or water that has been boiled before. Leave the water to cool in the kettle for no more than 30 minutes. Then it will stay at a temperature of at least 70C. Water at this temperature will kill any harmful bacteria.
Never open the lid during the boiling cycle. Never fill above the MAX mark as hot water may be ejected. Never allow the kettle to boil dry. If the kettle does boil dry, allow it to cool, unplug it and refill it with cold water.
There's no need to turn off your boiling water tap at night, but it will help bring down your energy consumption. If you want to keep your energy usage and bill as low as possible, turn off your boiling water tap at night or while you are out at work, and turn it off when you go away on holiday too.
Although kettles use less energy overall, the differing prices of electricity and gas meant the hob worked out cheaper, the Mirror reported. The self-described academic said: "If you're looking for an energy saving, go for the electric kettle. If you're looking for a cost saving, go for the hob."
Usually natural gas is the cheapest way to heat water, followed by electricity, with propane being the most expensive.
Which is more energy efficient - boiling water using an electric kettle, a kettle on a gas hob or a microwave oven? IT TAKES the same amount of energy to heat one litre of water no matter which method of heating used. The only difference in the methods is the amount of time each takes.
The Kettle should ALWAYS be FULL WITH WATER. NEVER use the Pot Support over an empty Kettle nor allow your kettle to boil dry as it will overheat the inner chimney and may ruin your kettle.
Your kettle
Changing the way you boil water for cooking can help you save energy, time and money. Use the kettle to boil water for cooking, instead of heating a pan on the electric hob. Not only will this be more energywise it will generally take less time too. Only boil enough water in your kettle for your needs.
Boil. If you don't have safe bottled water, you should boil your water to make it safe to drink. Boiling is the surest method to kill disease-causing germs, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
Does boiling water remove contaminants such as chlorine and lead? Boiling water can only remove solids and bacteria, meaning it will not remove harmful substances such as chlorine and lead from tap water.
The answer given by most professionals is that the public tap water in Australia is “perfectly safe to drink”.