legg  wrote:   
   > For 'efficiency' in this case, the dominating factor is   
   > heat lost from the object, not rates or patterns of input.   
   >   
   > Layers of insulation, lowering the external skin temperature   
   > will produce the best efficiency, regardless of the   
   > temperature within the container.   
   >   
   > RL   
   >   
      
   We need hot water within seconds. We need it at boiling point for tea and   
   also sanitation. The latter more for old mental habit than real threat I   
   think. So a kettle with instant heating capability won’t do. We need a   
   reservoir of water at almost boiling point readily available.   
      
   Kettle has insulation already. Possibly because of the 6 hrs delay option.   
   I won’t add more insulation to it.   
      
   If mass and insulation aren’t further optimizable what is left is   
   temperature. We don’t use hot water form the kettle all the time. Hours   
   pass by without any use.   
      
   98° is the operating temperature. I can temporarily lower it to 90°, 80° or   
   60° for the lengthy periods we don’t expect the need for water at 98°. Or   
   let it fall for six hours straight. Is it worth it? Will try estimate using   
   the producer’s data I discovered yesterday. Fallback options are measuring   
   heat loss over time with a meat thermometer. Or directly measuring energy   
   required at the plug.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)