Glass Kettle

[Wortgames]

Well, not THAT sort of kettle...

Popped in to K Mart today looking to pick up some measuring jugs (didn't have any) and a cheap electric kettle for the new brewery - just for making coffee, yeast starters, bit of sterilising etc.

Saw this: http://www.breville.com.au/products_detail.asp?prod=415

It's not cheap at $85 but I'm seriously tempted! The 'concealed' element (ie, flat stainless bottom) would make it easy to keep clean (although there is a join between stainless and glass obviously and where there's a join there's a nook) but I reckon you could boil just about anything in it. It even has a nice little gauze filter arrangement at the spout, so it would be an easy way to knock up and use hop teas or maybe even steep specialty grains for those among us partial to partials...

 

[brettprevans]

got to say im not a fan of glass and boiling water. those smaller glass tea/coffee pot break even though they are pyrex. if its just steeping it could be a go.

 

[peas_and_corn]

This reminds me of the time my sister tried to make hot chocolate in a kettle. It wasn't too successful.

 

[porky]

We had one of those.
Wife somehow pushed it off the counter. It shattered into a million tiny shards of glass.
We won't be getting another one. There are lots of kettles with flat bottoms about.

Cheers,
Bud

 

[T.D.]

:icon_offtopic: Does anybody know exactly how these conceiled elements work. I've always wondered - most elements I know of need to be submerged to stop them burning out. I noticed some urns have the conceiled elements now too. Quite a cool thing.

 

[komodo]

My understanding is that they use ceramic elements and conduction between a thermowell typse arrangement and the liquid?

I'm happy to stand corrected as I wondered this also and this was about the best I could think of as I couldnt really find any "answers" on the matter

 

[Adamt]

I'm pretty sure a "concealed" element isnt actually concealed, it's just a very flat element covering the base of the kettle.

 

[komodo]

makes sence - but how does it build the heat? surely there has to be some form of coil / form of resistance?

 

[T.D.]

So a bit like an electric stove hot plate?

 

[brettprevans]

the new induction models it would be like

 

[Adamt]

From a little googling, I think those "flat element coil" type kettles are older technology, the new ones are true concealed elements, so you're probably closer Komodo.

The flat ones were implemented to remove the minimum boil volume.

 

[jjeffrey]

I have one in the garage.

The whole "concealed element" debate is a moot point- IT BOILS WATER.

The reason mine is in the garage and not in the house is because the lid has an annoying habit of popping open at the slightest seismic activity (sorry darling, but you do have a heavy step). It will pop open before boil. As a result, the temp switch won't kick it and it just sits there boiling away.

The glass thing is very handy in the garage, but not for boiling bulk water (too small). It's good for boiling stuff (water included) where you can see what's happening. I predominately use it for softening hose ends.

jj.

 

[T.D.]

The whole "concealed element" debate is a moot point- IT BOILS WATER.

So will a wood fire. That wasn't the reason I asked. I am just interested in HOW it boils water relative to how a more traditional element does the job.

 

[absinthe]

they shouldnt break as they have no thermal shock.. i.e the water starts cold (close to the same temp as the glass) and then rises with the glass.. no themal stress



as for the element its most likely molded into a plate of copper at the bottom with insulation... i bet a normal kettle with an exposed element boils the water faster

 

[Thirsty Boy]

turn your electric frypan upside down -- you will see a concealed element right underneath it.

As someone said earlier - its essentially an electric stove element that is welded/soldered/joined in some esoteric way ... to the bottom of a heat conductive slab of metal.

nothing fancy or tricky -- just a bog standard element