A teapot is a uniquely designed pot expressly made for heating water. It incorporates four fundamental parts: a lid, a spout, a chamber, and a handle. Essentially, there are two significant types of tea kettles: an electric one and a stovetop one. Aside from heating water, a tea kettle has many other uses.
In this article, we will find out about the operation principle of tea kettles, how do tea kettles work, and also some useful and interesting hacks with tea kettles.
How do Tea Kettles Work?
Generally, a tea kettle absorbs heat from the heat source and boils the water inside. As mentioned above, tea kettles are divided into two different types: stovetop tea kettle and electric tea kettle.
Stovetop tea kettles are usually made from metal and have a flat bottom. Their handles are usually on top. To use a stovetop tea kettle, you have to put them on a stove, for example, a gas stove, infrared stove, or induction stove. The kettle will use heat from the stove and boil water.
On the other hand, electric tea kettles have a special design to transform electricity to heat to boil water. There is a metal coil inside the electric tea kettle. When you provide the kettle an electric current of about 220V, the metal coil will turn the electric current into heat and it will warm the water in the kettle until boiling.
The materials for making electric kettles are also more diverse than stovetop kettles. They vary from metal, ceramic to heat-resistant plastic.
Some modern electric kettles have a thermostat that automatically switches off the kettle when the water is boiled enough. With those intelligent inventions, you do not have to worry about forgetting to turn off your kettle.
Besides, some electric kettles use a more powerful heating coil so that they can boil water much faster than normal ones. People call them “instant” water boilers. Using an “instant” water boiler can help you to boil water 2-3 times, even 5 times faster. This is a piece of very useful equipment for busy people.
How to Use Tea Kettles in the Right Way?
Of course, the function of tea kettles is to boil water. This is a very simple thing to do. However, there are some important notices you should know when using tea kettles so that their lifespan can be longer and also protect yourself.
For stovetop tea kettles
- Do not overfill water in the kettle. Make sure that the water level is under the spout. If the kettle is overfilled, maybe water will overflow out of the kettle when boiling.
- Choose the right size burner for your stovetop tea kettle to avoid burning its exterior.
- Never leave a kettle unattended on the stove when boiling it because this is very dangerous. If you are often absent-minded, you can choose a whistling kettle. The whistle attached on top of the spout will make a loud sound when the water reaches boiling point. Therefore you will notice and timely turn off the stove.
- Some kettles do not have a stay-cool handle, so be careful when pouring boiled water. Using a potholder is the better choice to avoid injury.
For electric tea kettles
- In every electric tea kettle, there are marks of minimum and maximum water level you can fill in. So ensure that you do not pour too little or too much water into the kettle.
- If the water level is under the minimum line, the heating coil may be overheated and cause danger or damage to the kettle.
- On the contrary, filling too much water will cause overflowing when the water is boiled. This will make your kitchen messy and damage the kettle, or even your electricity system.
- Do not plug or turn on an electric tea kettle when it is empty, because the heating element can be damaged
- Choose electric tea kettles with a thermostat so that they can automatically turn off when the water reaches the right temperature.
For both stovetop tea kettle and electric tea kettle:
- Remember to clean and dry the new tea kettle before use it for the first time
- Do not store water in the tea kettle. You should pour all the water out of the kettle if you do not need to use it. This can prevent the kettle from rusting and lengthen its lifespan
- Just boil the amount of water you need to save energy, time and make the kettle more durable
Cleaning tea kettles
After each use, you should clean the kettle carefully. You can wash it with dish soap and let it dry naturally.
After a long time of use, there is usually a layer of sediment on the bottom of the kettle. Normally it is quite difficult to wash this stain, and there are some tips for this problem:
- Using vinegar: Acid in vinegar can help you to remove the stain quickly. All you need to do is to mix vinegar and water in the ratio of 1:1. Then pour this mixture into the kettle so that the liquid completely covers the stain and boil it. Scrub the stain with a brush after the kettle cool down
- Using lemon juice: Lemon juice also contains acid, so if you do not have vinegar, lemon is a good replacement. Follow the same steps as when you do with vinegar, replacing vinegar with lemon juice
- Using baking soda: with baking soda, there are 2 useful methods to clean the stain:
- Method 1: put a teaspoon of baking soda in 500ml of water and mix well. Boil this mixture in the kettle for 15 minutes. Let it sit for another 15 minutes, then empty the kettle and wash again with cold water
- Method 2: mix a tablespoon of baking soda with a little water until they form a paste. Use a brush to scrub the stain of the kettle with this paste until the stain is removed.
Some Hacks with the Tea Kettle
Using tea kettle to cook food
Maybe you do not know, but besides the main function of boiling water, a tea kettle can be used to cook some types of food.
- Boiling egg: put the egg in the tea kettle and fill with water until water covers the egg. Let the kettle boil in 10-12 minutes, and your breakfast is ready!
- Heating soup or milk: need hot soup or milk? Just pour them into the tea kettle and boil. Remember to wash the kettle carefully after use
- Cooking pasta: nothing is more simple than having pasta with a tea kettle. Put pasta and water into the kettle and cook until the pasta is soft. Take the pasta out, sprinkle sauce, stir well and enjoy!
Reusing old tea kettles as decorations for your house
You can reuse old tea kettles instead of throwing them away. An old or damaged tea kettle can transform into a pretty planter or a unique vase to decorate your home.
Final Words
Above is everything you should know about tea kettles. Perhaps you have found the satisfying answer for how tea kettles work, as well as know some tips in using tea kettle. We hope that that knowledge can be useful in your daily life.