Is An Urn Better Than A Kettle? [Efficiency Comparison]

Last Updated on October 25, 2022 by Claire

Is An Urn Better Than a Kettle?  Whether it’s coffee or tea, everyone wants it steaming hot. So depending on how many cups you down per day or the number of people involved in the equation, there is always the issue of efficiency to deal with. How can we provide enough hot water(or coffee or tea) so that it is both power-efficient and cost-effective? Do I go for an electric kettle or a hot water urn? 

For personal use, heavy coffee drinkers should get an urn, since it saves time and reduces the cost of boiling water. If you intend to serve a larger audience at once, then the kettle would be more efficient. 

The power consumed by your kettle depends on how many times you boil water for the beverage. Since you’re taking it from lukewarm(or cold) to boiling every time, you may want to know how it compares to a hot water urn. Keep reading to find out.

urn better than a kettle?

 

What Is a Hot Water Urn?

A hot water urn is an appliance that’s designed to heat water, keep it at boiling or near-boiling point, and then dispense it whenever needed. It is generally bigger than an electric kettle, and for good reason; to dispense hot water on demand- even for an army.

It is popular for use in workplaces, hospitality, and many other industries. To use, you only need to fill it with water or connect it to a water source, connect the urn to a power source and turn it on. 

Many of the latest designs come with automatic temperature adjustment mechanisms, so you only need to set the temperature to your desired one and leave it to do its job. 

When a hot beverage is needed, simply pressing the designated button releases the hot liquid. By releasing the button, you can stop the flow, and off you go with your steaming cup.

How Much Electricity Does A Water Urn Use(Compared To a Kettle)?

We will cut to the chase: the power consumption of an electric kettle is roughly the same as a hot water urn. Here’s why: If you decide to heat 20L of water to the boiling point, typically a hot water urn will serve that purpose excellently. However, if you boil 1L of water 20 times in a kettle, you would simply be using the same power as in the first scenario- only in installments.

But more important to our consideration is the mode of operation of the two pieces of equipment. If you heat cold water to the boiling point, a lot of electrical energy is used up in the process. It is, therefore, more efficient to heat a given quantity of water and keep it sizzling as long as you like. 

Unlike the hot water urn, you have to boil small quantities of cold water every time you use the kettle, costing you more in power consumption and expenditure. In this case, the hot water urn wins. 

Typically, a hot water urn uses about 1,200 watts of power for 90 minutes of operation. If you decide to keep it operating for longer, it translates to more power consumption in the long run. However, your electric kettle can easily give you sizzling hot beverages in a few minutes without wasting extra energy consumption.

Do Hot Water Urns Save Money?

Without further comparisons, yes, a hot water urn saves money. With an urn, you do not have to boil water repeatedly from cold temperatures. Simply pressing a button instantly delivers hot water, thereby lowering your electricity usage. It is ideal for offices with many staff. 

Again, the hot water urn is a solution to one problem: providing instant hot water to everyone in the room. So, it saves a lot of time to have ready-made hot water than having to do it from scratch. Time is money!

With better technology emerging every day, hot water urns have gotten even better in operation. In the latest versions, you can simply select the amount of water you need and only that amount gets boiled. So there is no need to boil all the fluid; this improves energy and cost savings.

Can An Inverter Power An Electric Kettle(or Hot Water Urn)?

Electric kettles or water urns, these appliances come in a plethora of power consumption rates. So depending on the size and type of your appliance, you would need to tailor your inverter size to your appliance’s consumption. 

The power consumption depends on the amount of water being boiled and the starting temperature. Most kettles require less than 1,000 watts per hour of usage. Bigger kettles and hot water urns typically require more power. 

To know if you can use your water heating appliance with your inverter:

  • Check and note down the power rating of both the kettle and inverter. 
  • Add 20% of the appliance’s power rating to itself i.e kettle’s power rating + 20% = new rating.
  • Compare the new rating to your inverter. If it is lesser than your inverter’s rating, you can safely use your water heating appliance with the inverter, if not, you can’t use it. 

You can use an 800 watts kettle, for example, on a 1,000 watts inverter.

Best Hot Water Urns for the money

Zojirushi America Corporation Hybrid Hot Water Urn

The Zojirushi America Hybrid hot water urn doubles as a warmer and a water boiler. This one takes efficiency to the peak by having an air-insulated interior to heat loss. Cooler still, you save more on electric bills because the urn doesn’t boil all the water, rather, it can bring it to the desired temperature on demand. You simply have to engage in the quick temperature selection mode. 

Features:

  • Computerized temperature control system.
  • Non-stick, easy-to-clean interior.
  • Signal beep for temperature awareness. 
  • CONTROLS: Micro computerized temperature control system
  • KEEP WARM SETTING: Four keep warm temperature settings (160-degree, 175-degree, 195-degree, 208-degree, and vacuum)
  • WARM WITHOUT BOIL: Optional Quick Temp Mode keeps water warm directly without reaching a boil
  • EASY CLEANING: The water boiler and warmer is easy to clean with the easy-to-clean nonstick interior
  • WATER LEVEL MARKINGS: Easy-to-read large wraparound Panorama Window water level gauge

Nesco CU-50 Professional Coffee Hot Water Urn

The Nesco CU-50 professional coffee hot water urn excels at brewing great coffee. It has double-walled stainless steel insulation to keep your coffee at your desired temperature over long periods. 

The Nesco CU-50 features a drip tray to capture any spills; clean less, and enjoy more coffee! 

Features:

  • Double-walled stainless steel insulated exterior
  • Brewing time per cup: 1 minute.
  • Drip tray for capturing spills.
  • Dishwasher-friendly basket.
  • Stainless steel housing with double-wall insulation
  • Makes 50 - 5.7 oz. cups
  • Brews about one cup per minute
  • Drip tray for less mess
  • Dishwasher safe basket
  • Note: Please refer the user manual below for trouble shooting

Verdict

There’s no direct advantage of the urn versus an electric kettle. It depends on the quantity of usage. Both the kettle and urn solve certain unique problems. If you have a group of friends coming over, take out your kettle and brew cups of steaming coffee. In a workplace, however, get it going with a hot water urn.