Walkhighlands

This kind of thing:



Do they really help or are they just a bit of a gimmick?

Theoretically, scientifically, yes they do.

Whether the effect is actually measurable is debatable. When I bought my campervan I had the opportunity to try a few different kettles on the gas burner and because I'm a nerd I timed how long it took to boil a litre of water. I don't have the actual figures to hand but I remember that the finned kettle was faster, but the non-finned kettle was prettier and fitted in the cupboard better, and the difference in boiling speed was not significant enough to override those other two concerns

So yes they make a difference. But IMO let your wallet or rucksack size decide if it's worth it

They do help with making the whole process more efficient, saving (a little bit of) time and fuel.
They are affected by conditions though, so if it's freezing cold and windy, it'll still take longer than on a nice still day.

Whether or not you'll care about a few seconds of boil time when you're having a brew is another question.

If you're carrying them a long way, weight is a much bigger concern than boil speed in my opinion. That said, all of my favourite stoves and pans have fin type heat exchangers.

I'm just not convinced: as a heat exchanger the fins would make a lot more sense on the inside but obviously that would make them impossible to keep clean.

Is it a case of boiling water in 5 minutes instead of 8, or more of a vague it-feels-like-its-faster type difference?

I feel an totally unnecessary ebay purchase coming on...

Michael Thomson wrote:That said, all of my favourite stoves and pans have fin type heat exchangers.

Ah, that will be because, quite often the pans with the heat exchanger fins, are also the ones with a nice non stick teflon coating, so easier to keep clean when you are washing your dishes in cold water, using a clod of heather as a scourer