Plastic water boiler

[Angrist]

Lately I've been noticing how my boiled water (for tea) smells of burnt plastic. I've been using the same plastic water boiler for the last 5 years.

Is this unhealthy? Do I need to replace the boiler?

[Typhoid]

Why not just get a metal kettle?

[Vampyr]

I've never even heard of a plastic water boiler.

[The Germanator]

I'd probably replace it. Even if it isn't dangerous, burnt plastic isn't very appetizing.

Those plastic boilers are a dime a dozen over there, I have fond memories of making tortellini with them in the hotels for dinner.

[Fox 6]

Get a metal one, avoid the whole issue.

[manasecret]

Or get a ceramic kettle. Metal taste in your water isn't much better than burnt plastic. :)

[KillerGremlin]

Plastic can't be good for you. I'd replace it. Why have you been using a plastic water boiler...for 5 years nonetheless. :ohreilly:

[Typhoid]

I have a plastic one, they're handy. You can just plug them into outlets and don't need the stove.

But then again I also have a ceramic and a metal one.

[Seth]

My family replaced our plastic boiler with a metal bottom+glass container by black&decker.

Raising liquids to a boiling temp in a plastic container isn't wise.

advice: Angrist, get a new one already!

Also, if you're into buying bottled water, it would definitely pay in the long run to invest 30 bucks on a glass container. 500ml water bottles are destructive anyway.

[Vampyr]

Buying bottled water just seems so silly to me. Get a filter to put on your faucet.

Bottled water is no healthier, fills up your trash faster meaning you make more trips to the dumpster, damages the environment, it's heavy as hell to carry from the store to your car then to your home, eats up fridge space, and is more expensive in the long run.

Just nothing good about it.

[Bond]

I've honestly never heard of a plastic water boiler before, but anything that combines boiling and plastic is a bad combination. I would buy a typical kettle that is placed on a stove top for boiling water for tea (this is what I use myself). You could also look at purchasing an electric kettle if you don't have a stove top.

[Typhoid]

You could also look at purchasing an electric kettle if you don't have a stove top.

I assumed he was talking about an electric one, because they're plastic. :ohreilly:

[Fox 6]

Yeah, it'd have to be electric. Think people, think.

[Angrist]

My family replaced our plastic boiler with a metal bottom+glass container by black&decker.

Raising liquids to a boiling temp in a plastic container isn't wise.

advice: Angrist, get a new one already!You win. :) I'll look for a metal/glass combination.
I don't have gas here, so only an electric 'stove.'

Everybody here in the Netherlands uses plastic boilers, I never knew they weren't that common in the USA.

And the Netherlands has great tap water, healthier than bottled water.
Thanks for the advice. :)

[gekko]

I believe the reason is it takes forever to heat water on 120V. We bought some of those things in Iraq and on 240V they were magical, but when we had to plug them into 120V, I could've boiled it faster with fire.

[Angrist]

Aah that makes sense... So if you use 120V, is it ok to put your fingers in the outlet? Because here you'll probably need to see a doctor or hospital after that.

[manasecret]

Aah that makes sense... So if you use 120V, is it ok to put your fingers in the outlet? Because here you'll probably need to see a doctor or hospital after that.

Haha nice.

I believe the reason is it takes forever to heat water on 120V. We bought some of those things in Iraq and on 240V they were magical, but when we had to plug them into 120V, I could've boiled it faster with fire.

That's just simple electric theory 101. These heating units are just simple resistors, much like a light bulb. If you plug in the same resistor heating element into 240 V and 120 V, you're going to get twice as much current with the 240 V. BUT, with twice as much current, the power generated in the same resistor element (i.e. the heat you get) quadruples.

This comes from V = IR, and P = IV = I^2 * R. The quadrupling comes from the P (power i.e. heat) = I^2 * R.

But, there's nothing from keeping you from choosing the right resistor element that would work just as fast on 120 V. Your particular boiler was most likely designed for 240 V, not 120 V.

[Angrist]

So why don't they exist (that much) in America?
Perhaps it's because your houses are bigger. Bigger kitchen, better water boilers. Here we need to have compact stuff. (That sounds like I live in a shed...)

[manasecret]

I bought a plastic water boiler for college. It was quite convenient when living in a dorm with no kitchen nearby, though I think it was probably against the dorm rules to have them because of old electrical wiring in the dorm. I usually used it to cook pasta, though.

I bought it from the local pharmacy store, and here, pharmacies like Walgreens and CVSes are practically on every corner, and they double as a buy a little bit of everything type store, though they're small, not huge like Walmart. Anyway, point being that they're quite easy to find, though I haven't looked for one since I bought that one some eight years ago. I think here most people have stoves with at least four burners, so there's little need for an extra appliance that only boils water to take up space.

[Angrist]

So I bought this one:

http://www.bestekeus.nl/shop/images/images.php/9076_Princess_Waterkoker_Classic_Waterkettle_Roma_1_7L_2147.jpg

1.7 L, all stainless steel except a small piece at the top. :)
The stupid thing is... at the moment, the water from this one tastes even worse. I guess I have to boil out the factory taste first.