One of the most convenient things about having an electric kettle in the household is having hot water in an instant. Electric kettles can heat and boil water in under 5 minutes – which is great for making a quick drink like coffee or hot tea.
Electric kettles, especially the most basic ones, are pretty simple. Just fill it up with water to your desired level and turn it on.
The electric kettle will turn off automatically once the water has heated to a boiling point.
Here’s Why Electrical Kettles Turn off Automatically:
All electric kettles have a heating element, and most have a thermostat. That thermostat checks the water temperature and triggers the off switch when ready. Once the water reaches boiling point, the thermostat can detect the temperature and prompts the kettle to turn off automatically.
Do All Electric Kettles Turn off Automatically?
When electric kettles first came out, the models manufactured back then could be dangerous. This is because it was so easy to turn them on, go on and do something else in the household, and then completely forget about them.
You could come back a few minutes later and find your kitchen filled with steam. There were incidents where earlier models would overheat and blow a fuse because they were forgotten. There was even a risk of these kettles burning out or catching fire.
With all the new models of electric kettles now, it is very unlikely for those things to happen.
All new electric kettles turn off automatically. They have a built-in thermostat detecting when the water has reached a boiling point which triggers the power so that the kettle shuts off.
This is a convenient feature, so you do not have to watch as your water boils, and you can go on and do other chores while the water is boiling. This is also a good safety feature, so you do not risk your electric kettle catching a fire.
What Determines How Long the Kettle Stays On?
All newer electric kettles stay on as long as the water has not yet reached boiling point. This feature is very useful if you want boiling water without watching it as it heats up.
The thermostat is the component of the electric kettle that determines how long it stays on. Thermostats are devices that respond to temperature changes in electric kettles.
Here are the benefits of the thermostat in electric kettles:
- The thermostat helps ensure the water reaches boiling point without the kettle overheating.
- The thermostat allows you to multitask since you do not have to watch over the water as it boils. You can go on and do other things around the house.
- The thermostat is a good safety feature, so you can prevent the electric kettle from blowing a fuse or catching fire.
Thermostats may be mechanical, electrical, or electronic, but they usually work the same way.
The simplest type of thermostat is the mechanical one, which is used in electric kettles. The mechanical thermostats are usually made up of two strips of metal bonded tightly together.
One of these metals is made to expand faster as the temperature rises.
The thermostat is usually curved in one direction. When the water reaches boiling point, the steam hits the thermostat and which causes it to flex in the opposite direction.
This action would trigger the power to switch off as the thermostat stops the flow of electric current, safely powering off the electric kettle.
Besides the thermostat, how long the electric kettle stays on is also highly affected by how much water is in the kettle. The more water is inside the kettle, the longer it will take to boil and the longer the electric kettle will stay turned on.
So if the electric kettle is filled up to the maximum level, it will take longer for the water to boil than if it contains only a cup.
Is There A Way to Override the Automatic Shut-Off?
The automatic shut-off feature of electric kettles is good, so you do not need to stay in the kitchen and watch over it as the water is heating up. It is also a good safety feature that prevents the electric kettle from blowing a fuse.
Technically, you can shut off the electric kettle before the water even reaches boiling point. So you can turn it off once the water is heated up to a certain point.
However, you cannot override the automatic shut-off feature without opening the electric kettle and altering the mechanism inside.
Some instructional videos can show you how to open the electric kettle so you can override the automatic shut-off feature, but manufacturers do not recommend this.
Opening the electric kettle and altering its mechanism would automatically void its warranty. It could also damage your kettle permanently.
When Does An Electric Kettle NOT Turn Off Automatically?
Whether you like it or not, most electric kettles have an automatic shut-off feature, which will turn off once the water has heated up to a boiling point. This is because of the thermostat.
An electric kettle would not turn off automatically when the thermostat is broken.
So if the water has reached boiling point and the electric kettle has not turned off, then the kettle might be broken. The best thing to do is to unplug it so you can prevent it from overheating and eventually catching fire.
You can take it to a service center to have it checked. The manufacturer may repair or replace it for free if it is really broken and still within the warranty period. Otherwise, it would be best for you to buy a new one.