My Green Effort and huge save $ on electricity.

nozh2002

nozh2002

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Afeter trip to Japan 2005, I bring back few Higonokami knives, Yanagiba and some slipjoints, but also I learn to appretiate green tea - real Japanese green tea, not what is know under same name here.

It is thick, creamy, aromat... In order to make one myself (using Sencha and grin powder) I bought here special Japanese electro pot which brand I will not disclose - this is not spam commercial. This isolated water heater keep water under temperature required for green tea coocking. However in time I stop making it - too complicated and use it only to get hot water. Until it start leaking this winter.

Instead of buying new Japanese pot I decide to save few bucks and use old electric pot - just regular one, which does not keep water heated, but boil it really fast when needed. Same month I see huge increase in electric bill! Like $75 more! Next month - same. This is unusual jump even for winter time, especially if we have natural gas. I start looking for reason and one by one eliminates everything but this change in electric pot.

Third month I got same like 40% more electric bill, I run to buy that Japanese style electric pot - next month my bill come to normal!

Turns out that this fast boiling electric pot eats electricity in amount comparable to almost all other equipment - electric stove, washer, dryer, computers, TV, lights...

This was really striking experience to me! Japan suffer a lot from energy crisis of 70th and came up with amaizing energy saving technology. I think it is OK to bring this to everybody's attention - after all I save money for one good knife a month...

However I drink tea or coffee a lot...

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Yeah, those electric kettles can be quite a bother when it comes to heating water. Most people want their water very hot, very quick for whatever purpose. I used to use an old Zojirushi water heater that could set at different temperatures, depending on what I wanted to brew, and it worked very well, as it kept the water hot at all times. However, I decided that, since I've started to drink coffee, that it's pointless to have two things that heat water plugged in, and took out the Zojirushi.

So, the coffee maker stayed. I brew up a pot of coffee in the mornings, and if I just want some hot water, I'll use it to heat up a pot without using grounds, and measure the temperature with a thermometer if it requires a special temperature, which, for most teas, is a few degrees below boiling. The situation's worked well for the most part. The only downside, if you can call it that, is I drink a pot of coffee every morning now.
 
Is there any specific reason not to use a gas stove vs. an electric kettle of some type?
 
I believe the issue is more of a convenience thing. Also, some places, especially college apartments, lack stoves, and require either an electric kettle or hotplate of some sort. I choose to use a coffee maker simply because it's already used daily and doesn't require waiting for that whistle from a kettle. It's also much better than trying to heat a tea kettle on an electric stove, cause most apartments around here don't have gas stoves.

Ahh, to find an apartment complex that actually offers gas stoves...That would be nice...
 
Nice screen name. Won't somebody please think of the children?!? :D

I used to brew up a few pots of tea on a daily basis. That $75 increase seems like a combination of an energy-draining appliance, coupled with extensive use. Those electric kettles can be real energy drainers.
 
I was given one of these appliances last year, the only change to electrical devices in my house, and I noticed my electricity bill increase substantially and it was not until reading this thread that I now have a possible answer as to 'why?'

:thumbup:
 
I just checked old one - 1500W! Fifeteen regular 100W Light Bulbs!

No wonder it drains electricity like almost all other electical devices. And if you use it for every cup of tea or coffee over day and using for 5-10 minutes...

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Keep in mind that household electric service in Japan is 100V. In America, it's 115V. It's 15% higher here.

Most appliances purchased in Japan will work fine in America. BUT, heating appliances are the major exception. Unless they are specifically designed to work in America too, they will get 15% hotter than they are designed to which will contribute to early failure and could be dangerous.
 
Gollnick said:
Keep in mind that household electric service in Japan is 100V. In America, it's 115V. It's 15% higher here.

Most appliances purchased in Japan will work fine in America. BUT, heating appliances are the major exception. Unless they are specifically designed to work in America too, they will get 15% hotter than they are designed to which will contribute to early failure and could be dangerous.
Click to expand...

I bought both things here in US one in Japanese Grocery store another in Fry's Electronics... Second one made in Japan (first one was made in China and I think this is the reason it leaks finally in 3 years).

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Another way to save might be to make a pot of tea and keep the remainder warm in a thermos (I have a Nissan stainless, it works really well) instead of making tea one cup at a time.

It's also a labor saver, as dealing with loose leaf tea can be labor intensive. And teabags are generally kind of lousy.
 
GregY said:
Another way to save might be to make a pot of tea and keep the remainder warm in a thermos (I have a Nissan stainless, it works really well) instead of making tea one cup at a time.

It's also a labor saver, as dealing with loose leaf tea can be labor intensive. And teabags are generally kind of lousy.
Click to expand...

I think this Japanese pot is just combination of thermos and heater and this is why it does not use too much energy. It is closed hermetically as a thermos - I have to unlock it first before have water (push special button) and then it close itself automatically in a minute or so.

Regards, Vassili.
 
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