Which is cheaper: heating a mug of water in a microwave or with a gas stove?
826186
It would depend on the number of mugs you want to heat.  If you just want to heat one mug of water, then I would go with the system that has the lowest capital cost (a small gas stove I presume).  If you have to heat many mugs of water and energy costs become the primary issue then I would go with the most efficient heater.  For that, I would choose the microwave.  To heat water on a gas stove, you have to heat a pan and usually some additional water as well.  A lot of the heat in a gas stove is lost to the room as well.
287659
It would depend on what the pan is made from.  In all likelihood, the stove coil will not generate sufficient heat energy to melt the pan.  Remember that the coil is usually made out of metal alloys as well and would be subject to melting down as well if allowed to get too hot.
445578
coffee maker...in the a.m. i crawl out of my bedroom (think 'grudge, the stair sequence'!) and i drag myself to the coffee pot, i woof some just to get my eyes open, then i make a pot and sit like a statue until i get a few sips down, then i'm like a human again...\naddictions are terrible!\nbut yes, i would be makin a campfire outside the house if i did not have my coffee maker! i like this ? I can't stop typing..
864101
what you do is you get 3 chunks of that foam stuff used for packing (not the peanuts the little bricks)\nmake sure they are about an inch thick.... alternatively you can use chunks of wood NO METALLIC OBJECTS!!!!!!!\n\nthen get your hands on a small clear vase or you can also use a big drinking GLASS\n\nset the blocks in your microwave, in a pattern that will let you set the glass upside down on the platter but you can still get your finger into the glass from the bottom.....\n\nlight a match and stick it directly under the glass...\n\n(the blocks help the match get air)\n\nset the microwave to high for 20 seconds.... you will see an awesome light show inside the glass, the glass will NOT be hot and will NOT explode, as well as your microwave will NOT be harmed\n BUT\n\nthere is a gas formed by this method of plasma creation...\nto us its poisonous, im not sure what it is exactly but dont breath it, it will not stay on items or taint items but if you BREATH it you can get sick.\n\nyou can choose to clean the glass and use it again and again and not have any problems as there was no residue to clean to begin with... or\nyou can just chuck it.\n\nalternatively you can just run over to spencer's gifts and pick up a plasma globe
1008875
It would depend upon the power of the microwave and the shape of the container the water is in.
412365
Thats simple! Boil some water
177657
yes and no. It depends which studies you are looking at.\nThere are studies that show no difference in the food cooked traditionally vs. in the microwave.\nBut there are as well studies that implicate the food cooked in the microwave may no be as healthy as when cooked traditionally.\n\nIf you have other possibilities to cook, best mix your cooking techniques. If you have only a microwave don't drive yourself crazy. It is always better and less expensive to eat balanced home cooked meals than to eat out all the time.
330815
"Each hob contains one or more coils made of ferromagnetic material. When an alternating current is passed through these coils, a magnetic field of the same frequency is produced. If a magnetic-based pan is placed on the hob, the magnetic field induces a current in the pan. The internal resistance of the pan causes heat to be dissipated, following the Joule effect. Thus it is the pan itself, and not the cooktop, that heats up and cooks the food. Once the pan is removed from the cooktop, the energy transfer stops. The result is a flame-less method of cooking in which it is nearly impossible to start a fire by forgetting to turn off the stove. Parents won't have to worry about their child touching a hot burner because the cooktop surface remains cool. Changing cooking temperatures is achieved quickly because there is no wait for the hob to heat up, only the pan. Since there is no transfer of heat energy between the hob and the pan, less heat is lost into the air, resulting in a more efficient means of cooking, not to mention a more agreeable cooking environment."\n\n\nhope that help?  we just renovated our kitchen and have installed a Miele induction cooktop and it works wonderfully.  It provides much greater control over temperature...and I am still shocked at how quickly water comes to a boil.  Who knew a stove would be so exciting? haha.
635448
For Fastest Speed, Hot water\nFor safer method, cold water
431610
putting you hand in boiling water
877766
The microwaves hae a frequency which is very close to the distance between the Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms in the water molecule. Because of this fact it causes that bond to vibrate and thereby adding energy or heat. This is why water is required for a microwave.
145994
The metal spoon is a good conductor of heat. It also has a handle that protrudes out, with a fair amount of surface area to radiate heat out, and the spoon will also cool by convection. This definitely will cool the coffee down faster.
1079905
Microwaves cause the water molecules in the food to vibrate rapidly making heat from the friction.  No harm if you don't tamper with the oven's seals etc.
86835
Yeah, when got my first apartment and there were no microwaves back then, I would just heat whatever I was going to eat right there in the can.  Ya gotta make sure you take off the paper wrapper or the whole thing could go up in flames.  I'd heat up Spaghetti-os, any type of canned veggies, or the best thing was to heat up canned chili and pour it over tortilla chips and add grated cheese (nachos).  When I was REAL lazy, I'd just eat tuna outta the can with mayo on crackers. YUM!
151070
Accidentally putting foil and metal in the microwave can cause a fire.
699859
It will boil faster in the larger pot IF\n1) the larger pot has a larger base\n2) the same amount of water is in both the smaller and larger pot.\n\nThe water will boil faster because more water is in contact with the base of the pot, which has more contact with the heating element.
1168302
Price is a local issue depending on your utility companies. However, in tems of efficiency it's got to be electric as all of the heat in the element is converted to heat in the water and less is then lost to the surroundings through the wall of the kettle than getting a flame to externally heat the kettle. The combined cycle of the gas-electricity cycle means it would still probably be more efficient to convert the gas to electricity in an efficient electricity company generator station and then to use the resultant electricity in a home.\n\nThis can be shown quite easily- put your hand over an electric kettle and feel the excess heat being given off. Now try to do that over a gas kettle!