http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-girl-waxes-tea-kettle-electric.html
Green Girl Waxes the Tea Kettle Electric
By Lily Berthold-Bond
As previously stated, I am a fan of tea. A huge fan. Not necessarily a tea connoisseur, but certainly a seasoned tea drinker. So dining hall tea simply does not cut it. I like chai, green tea, raspberry tea, perfectly pear white tea, lemon ginger tea and the list goes on.
Point being, I do not like bad black tea. Good black tea, sure. But in college, how are you supposed to get such a thing?
Well, the answer is easier than you might think. Get an electric kettle! Now, you might say “But we’re not allowed to have electrical heating appliances in our dorm rooms.” Well, there is a way around this rule! At Tufts, at least, we are allowed to have electrical heating appliances that turn off automatically. And what luck! Such a thing exists: electric kettles that turn off when the water has boiled. Wonderful, right?
Right. Well, let me just say that my tea kettle is absolutely and one hundred percent the best purchase that my mother and I made on our college shop. The benefits? First off, I do not have to go to the dining hall for my caffeine fix. Instead of getting up early, I can stay in my room and make tea there. Second, I am a singer. Tea is good for singers. Third, who doesn’t love tea when they’re sick? There’s no better cure for a sore throat. Fourth, what else are you supposed to do if you want tea after the dining hall has closed? Fifth, this tea kettle is very energy efficient, it turns off as soon as it is done. And sixth (yes, I swear this is the last one), it is a great way to build community.
Community, you ask? Yes, community. My room has become somewhat well known for its ability to make tea, and many of the people in my hall take advantage of that. Come into my room on any given day and you will see about 10 people throughout the day coming, talking and relaxing with tea in hand. It’s easy to make, it’s good, it’s healthy, and it gives people a reason to hang out. Who wouldn’t want it?
I suggest getting an automatic electric kettle. Just please don’t get a plastic one. Heating water in a plastic kettle is just asking for the chemicals in the polycarbonate to seep into your tea, which is not very healthy. So unless you want a possible added risk of breast and prostate cancer, obesity, brain damage, infertility and diabetes, I would suggest going for stainless steel.
I have a stainless steel kettle and it is ideal in both its utility and its green-ness, very insular and very energy efficient. If you’re worried about cost, the cost difference between plastic and stainless steel is minimal. Plus, the extra $10 to $20 is worth it if you care at all about your health.
Note to self: Electrical stainless steel tea kettle is a beyond worthwhile purchase.
Lily Berthold-Bond grew up in a chemical-free zone and has struggled her whole life to understand and accept this non-commercial lifestyle. Now a freshman at Tufts University, she has embraced her green life and hopes to share its possibilities with the rest of her generation.
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10 comments
add your comment »I studied in Australia where it seemed every household was required to have an electric kettle and a hot sandwich maker. I got hooked and now have one of my own. I bought the Hamilton Beach 8 Cup Cordless Kettle on sale at Target for $30 about a year ago. They don't list it on their website, but they do have other stainless-steel ones. Here's the link to Hamilton Beach:
http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/kitchen-appliances-kettles.html
The water boils in about a minute. Amazing!
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also, if you can find a coffee maker that shuts off after its done it works as well, even if you are using loose tea or flowered tea (very classy stuff) because you just need to put it into the filter! Works when you dont have a lot of space and your boyfriend drinks coffee...
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I found my stainless electric kettle at Super Target. It was $40 and we've had it over a year of mega-daily use and it's still in great shape. Occasionally boil with white vinegar and water to remove deposits and voila, brand new kettle!
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YOU ARE SUCH A DELIGHT TO READ..,.
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My mom turned me on to an electric tea pot and it's the best. I got a glass one from Capresso. You can see how much water is in the pot plus it's easy to clean. Gotta go - it's tea time!
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My mom turned me on to an electric tea pot and it's the best. I got a glass one from Capresso. You can see how much water is in the pot plus it's easy to clean. Gotta go - it's tea time!
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I bought a gorgeous stainless steel kettle this week, from Sears. The company is Chef's Choice International (in Pennsylvania.) The model is "Deluxe Cordless Electric Tea Kettle, No. 685". Both the aforementioned company and Sears charge $69.95 minus tax. The kettle balances and pours perfectly and is a work of art! Do check it out!
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Where did you find a stainless steel electric kettle? I looked & looked for one & could only find plastic.
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I, too, have been converted to the electric tea kettle. After having forgotten a heating regular kettle on the stove while answering an "important call", I returned to the acrid and probably lung harmful melting pot on the electric burner. While in London I stayed in a furnished apartment that included a Cuisinart electric kettle that automatically shut off as soon as it reached a full boil. I found I could put on the kettle, take a quick shower, and return to the kitchen just about the time the kettle clicked off by itself. While the tea steeped, I toasted my muffin. Easy Peasy. I bought my own Cuisinart when I returned stateside. This was in 2001 and I use it two or three times a day, every day. The best little appliance I've ever had the pleasure of using. I don't do coffee or tea with caffeine--so this is my best kitchen friend. I don't care for KRUPS because of their history of producing war materials for Germany in WWII.
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Thanks, GreenGirl! We also drink a lot of hot liquids in my house, and I found that heating up my electric Krups is ever so much more efficient than heating water in a tea kettle on my electric stove. Cheers, and thanks for writing about it!
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