Which would be more costly on an energy bill?

[Brackis]

If you had to guess, would it be more costly in power and cost to boil 3 cups of water in a teapot of water (lets say 8 minutes of gas power on the stove), or running a medium home sized microwave for 2 minutes to heat up a burrito @ 1.15 KW ?

Just an arguement my roomates and I had when bickering over our energy bill.
They are all like "Brad you use the microwave like everyday, no wonder our electricity bill is so high". Meanwhile they boil water on the stove at least twice a day while also using an incredibly huge toaster/convection oven which takes forever to toast a piece of bread.

 

[wedi42]

microwave would be cheaper

 

[myusername]

teapot water tastes better than microwaved water!@

 

[everman]

How many BTUs to heat your cup of water, and how many watts of energy for the microwave? should be easy enough to figure out but I'm tired and lazy right now.

 

[Brackis]

1.15 kwatt microwave, no clue how to find the BTU info.

 

[mugs]

Microwave, because my stove is gas 😛

Sorry, don't know the answer to your question. 🙂

Edit: I think it said electric bill before...

 

[everman]

I'd probably have to say gas. The microwave is probably too inefficient.

by that I mean gas is cheaper

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: myusername
teapot water tastes better than microwaved water!@

Placebo effect FTW

 

[Umberger]

with the stove, you're releasing a LOT of energy to the surroundings in the form of heat. it is my hypothesis that less energy is wasted by using a microwave because you're not releasing lots of wasted energy ot the surroundings.

EDIT: for clarity.

 

[Brackis]

Originally posted by: Umberger
with the stove, you're releasing a LOT of energy to the surroundings. it is my hypothesis that less energy is wasted by using a microwave.

I agree!

 

[Umberger]

Originally posted by: Brackis

Originally posted by: Umberger
with the stove, you're releasing a LOT of energy to the surroundings. it is my hypothesis that less energy is wasted by using a microwave.

I agree!

great minds think alike.

 

[SparkyJJO]

microwave uses less

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: Umberger
with the stove, you're releasing a LOT of energy to the surroundings in the form of heat. it is my hypothesis that less energy is wasted by using a microwave because you're not releasing lots of wasted energy ot the surroundings.

EDIT: for clarity.

Unless it is the winter and a cold climate, in which case it is slightly offset by reducing the heating costs.

 

[silverpig]

Water almost perfectly absorbs microwaves (that's actually how they're designed). Your losses are almost purely electrical -> microwave.

With the stove you have losses to the surroundings.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Boiling water with a microwave is so much faster than using the stove.

 

[jlee]

Your stove takes eight minutes to boil three cups of water?

I'm thinking your stove sucks..but to be honest, I've never timed how long it takes to boil. 😛

 

[Rock Hydra]

Originally posted by: Umberger
with the stove, you're releasing a LOT of energy to the surroundings in the form of heat. it is my hypothesis that less energy is wasted by using a microwave because you're not releasing lots of wasted energy ot the surroundings.

EDIT: for clarity.

I was going to post prettymuch the same thing.