Europeans when they discover that no, most Americans really do not own a kettle rule.
Wait, do Americans not own kettles?
That’s like one of the first things I bought when I moved out.
their shitty electrical grid means kettles take like double the time to boil.
Pretty much every person I know in Canada has an electric kettle and every single office I’ve worked in has one, my kitchen has 15a outlets which is still 1800W. I have a simple gooseneck kettle that I usw mainly for coffee, it’s only 1kW and holds around 750ml, it’s not blisteringly fast but it’s boiled before I’ve ground my coffee.
The whole “120v is holding us back from having kettles” is way overblown (technology connections has a video on electric kettles).
my kitchen has 15a outlets which is still 1800W
1800W are not out of the ordinary for water cookers in Europe but that’s definitely on the weak side. 3000 to 3200 is usually the maximum, probably because pulling the full 3600W would drastically increase the chances of tripping a fuse. My food processor is 600W and I might want to make a coffee while kneading dough.
Have to drop the US number by 20% for continuous loads like a kettle would be.
That said, US homes built in the last 40 years or so tend to have a lot of separate circuits in the kitchen. My house has one for the fridge, one for the disposal, one for the dishwasher, one for the lights that’s shared with lights in adjacent areas, stove has its own 240V outlet, and then one for all the other plugs. If I ran the microwave and a kettle and a mixer all at once, I’d probably still trip it, but that’s a lot of multitasking going on.
If kettles were continuous loads we’d have to reduce from 16A to 10A (2200W) or 8A (1800W). Schuko are rated for as little as 1h of 16A but for a kettle that’s plenty, they’re done in a minute or two.
German stoves are connected to at least 2x10A, newer installations (as in since the 70s or such) all provide 3x16A. Not actually three-phase they’re still 220V appliances. Whether the outlets, light etc. are on different phases differs widely.
That’s not true and also it’s not the reason. We just don’t drink a lot of tea. There’s not a huge reason to own an electric kettle unless you’re drinking a lot of tea. It’s still much faster than a stovetop kettle.
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In my country (and most of northern Europe I presume), induction stoves are becoming very common. I tossed my electric kettle 7 years ago when I got induction.
It’s faster than a kettle in most of my pots.
Tea isn’t that popular here although I’d argue in recent years it has been gaining on what it once was. I think where other countries kettles are the norm, here “coffee makers” are the norm.
The majority of the more “popular” form of tea we’d have here is probably considered an abomination onto nuggin elsewhere: sweet tea. (Iced tea with about 628648lbs of sugar in it.)
I guess I’m surprised, I’m in Canada so expected we’d be very similar.
But you also have garbage disposals and I’ve never seen one here.
I own one because I’m a coffee snob and enjoy pourovers. Before I went down that whole road, no. And neither did anyone I knew well enough to dig through their kitchen
So, I’m Greek and I also have never used a kettle. In fact, you won’t find one in most households. But all of us have a briki. It’s like a mini pot!
We use it to boil water/make cofee/tea/boil 1-2 eggs etc
I don’t get it either, I’ve always made tea with a small pot. It is just something to heat up water. It has a lid. The only time I started seeing a lot of kettles around was when pour over / V60 / Chemex became fashionable and every place started selling gooseneck kettles.
An electric kettle is a counter appliance and therefore degeneracy. A stovetop kettle is functional decoration though.
a stovetop kettle is literally bigger takes up a hob takes more time to boil and costs more money
I don’t need the burner space most of the time, compared to the counter space. Plus, like I said, it looks better, so the aesthetics justify the cost. I agree the boil time is a problem, but it’s a small price to pay for clear counters. It’s starts with a kettle. Then you have a toaster, and an air fryer and a coffee grinder and a coffee machine and before you know it your house is 37% counter appliances by mass. The only option is to be an extremist.
Are we talking about electric kettles or kettles in general?
They’re getting more common. I personally used a stovetop kettle as recently as six years ago. But electric kettles are a world of difference.
Minor problem for me is currently living in a very old house that we don’t own and using a proper electric kettle will pop a breaker. I recently bought a travel kettle that uses like 1/5 the wattage instead
This one extended a little with a great literate addition 😂
wow, actual iambic pentameter, impressive.
the scenography is ass though.🤣🤣🤣 holy shit my sides
lol no shit many Americans don’t own a kettle, they apparently rank 36th in tea consumption per capita. Breaking news lads, they aren’t as enamored with it as the next higher usage countries.
List of countries by tea consumption per capita
The UK is 3rd, behind Ireland and Turkey. Get your shit together, UK.
I usually use my kettle to make coffee (handfiltered/pour-over).
electric kettles are the way and the light
This is how everyone does it right? Right?! The only people that I know who don’t use an electric kettle are in their 80s. Or is this some cultural thing where people in the US/UK/whatever don’t use electric kettles?
As a grown man in the US, I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen an electric kettle in real life (only on British TV).
The US just keeps surprising me
We also have machines in our kitchen sink drains to chop up food so it will go down it
That apparently fascinates the fuck out of Brits
Idk anyone else who has one but im also in the US and have had an electric kettle for at least 10 years. Its pretty handy sometimes
UK here. Everyone has an electric kettle, even those aged 80+. They’re seen as a household essential.
We have a whistle kettle. It’s just as fast and prettier. Although definitely less efficient.
If you use on an induction stove, it’s probably more efficient
I’ve only used one once and it was an old model, absolutely hated it. Although I’ve heard they’re great now.
US still has residential power from the last century
The power is not why Americans don’t own electric kettles (well some do but most don’t). It’s still faster to boil water from an electric kettle than on the stove. Americans don’t own electric kettles because they don’t drink much tea.
Or use a French press for coffee, apparently.
I actually own a kettle because I use an aeropress for coffee but most Americans make coffee with a coffeemaker.
why are you expecting the UK to not use kettles?
Yeah in hindsight that was foolish haha
By and large Americans hear “kettle” and think a metal can with a handle and a spout that you put on a stove (aka range aka cooker aka hob) which is used to heat the water inside. Often with a whistle over the spout so you can hear it boiling.
Electric kettles are not the norm although I will say they seem to be catching on a bit. I own a couple now and I’ve seen them at some small restaurants. But I would say in terms of heating water, in the US it goes, microwave, stove kettle, electric kettle, custom 190°F tap
They’re fast and efficient, by putting the heating element right up against the water, and also safe thanks to shutting off automatically. Great shit!
Electric kettles are actually a scam. Look up any BIFL forum, they’ll all say that stove top kettle is the way to go.
Nobody wants to use a stovetop kettle when they can just push a button and forget about it.
Also an electric kettle costs 10-20€ and lasts ~10 years, it’s also much more energy efficient.
No need to “buy it for life”
Zojirushi. They last. Since it’s BIFL, I don’t see the extra cost as a big problem. That’s what you deal with when you BIFL.
What is this lunacy… at least boil it in a pot 😭
Heating up a mug of water in the microwave is fine. I don’t get why people are so snobby about this. The water doesn’t care where the heat energy comes from.
It definitely tastes different - flatter somehow. I don’t know why, but it does.
Tea will taste different depending on what temperature water it’s brewed in, but I can’t think of any reason the water itself would be different.
e: The material of the vessel would matter. Perhaps you like the taste imbued by your kettle, which would be lacking if you heated the water directly in a mug.
Do you put a spoon in it though?
I just write “IRANIAN NUCLEAR SCIENTIST HERE” on the cup, publish the pictures and location everywhere, don’t move it for years, and then Israel will heat it up instantly for free.
Honestly if you want to boil water quickly just use a pan. Takes like 30 seconds.
That sentence you constructed. I have some opinions about it.
Takes 1 minute 30 seconds for my induction top to boil water
induction top
So enchanted. Got it.
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do british people not have arizona iced tea?
1 coffee mug/tea cup of water in the microwave for 1 minute is perfect for a single serving bag of tea. it doesn’t have to be boiling, just hot. 1 min is also not long enough to dangerously superheat water. hot is water is hot water, it doesn’t matter if you do it kettle or microwave.
edit: lol
microwaves water for tea
this is why america is fucked
No. Just no. You get shit cups of tea from coffee houses because the espresso machine doesn’t dispense boiling water. The water needs to be boiling for black tea.
Also how do you microwave water? It takes ages to get water to boil in there and can explode. Use a stove if you must, buy a kettle if you can.
Also if you put a cup, teabag, and milk in the microwave at the same time I will find you, and I won’t just force you to make a good cup of tea I will force you to make a perfect cup of tea that will ressurect the Queen of bloody England!
The culinary arts of my home country may be shit. But you fuckers make it worse by fucking up the most simple recipies!
doesn’t have to be boiling
Depends on the tea.
Black generally should. Green absolutely shouldn’t.
Something something typical US circuits can deliver less power than typical Euro circuits.
Not a lot less though.Turns out it depends, but the power rating in the EU is in theory usually about 2x that of US circuits, assuming similar current draws.I used to own a $15 plastic electric kettle, but it died after a year or two. When I went to target to get a new (hopefully better) one, I realized I could instead buy a plug-in induction plate on sale for $50, and a plain stainless steel kettle that somehow cost only $1.50 (less than the shitty bread that I was also buying? how?). The induction plate was honestly one of the best purchases I’ve made in a long time. Sure, I have to wear earplugs to tolerate the high-pitched scream that the frequency driver makes, but it boils water just as well as an electric kettle and is also soooo much nicer to cook on than the resistive curlicue burners that came with my apartment.
Technology Connections did a video on this rule.
regular US outlets are 120V. regular EU outlets are 240V. P=VI, so to produce the same amount of power as a 240V kettle, a 120V kettle needs to draw twice as much current.
the gauge of a wire determines how much current it can carry without setting insulation on fire. home outlets are typically wired for 15A, around the world. so in EU, 15A service can deliver twice as much power since that’s 15A of current at 240V = 3.6kW, while in the US at 120V = 1.8kW.
so EU kettles are twice as powerful, typically.
Hmm for some reason the numbers 1600 and 2000 W were rattling around my head for US and Europe respectively. I know most US appliances don’t like to pull the full 15 A because that’s when the breaker trips, but that would scale roughly the same for Europe so the power ratio should still be as you describe. I guess I either was misremembering or got the EU number from an abnormally low-current circuit.
I forgot TC did a video on this. I’ll have to watch when I have the time.
Something something typical US circuits can deliver less power than typical Euro circuits. Not a lot less though.
It’s a lot less. Half of what an European delivers. So your electric kettle takes twice the time
https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2025/02/americans-gas-kettles-europe-electric-kettles.html
Yes, looks like I was misremembering some numbers like I mentioned elsewhere.
A European 15 buck plastic kettle will likely also not pull more than 1500W. And probably only hold a litre. And still be overpriced.
Even a 10€ (sales tax already included)Kettle pulls 2200W and holds 1,7 Litres.
I love how confidently you say wrong stuff. It’s not like you could research this in one minute
https://www.mediamarkt.de/de/product/_ok-owk-103-b-wasserkocher-weiss-2885881.html
Not the ones I was thinking of. Great, you found a cheap kettle at mediamarkt, good for you. Here’s a 1500W one, also not the one I was thinking of. I was thinking of one I once had. The one that’s the reason why my current one is 3000W and wide enough to not risk tipping over.
People who buy consumer electronics at Amazon from made up Chinese throwaway brands are beyond rescue.
They don’t care if their products are unsafe because they will never face consequences.
You can’t even be sure if the material is food grade.
MediaMarkt does, because it’s their own brand and would damage their reputation and financial bottom lineNo argument from me there but when I bought that 1500W kettle Amazon was still a book shop. I’m not saying that 15 Euro were a good price but it’s what I think REWE (as in the supermarket, do they still use that brand for physical stores?) sold it to me for because I couldn’t be arsed to make a trek into the city to visit a proper appliance store.
Using cold water is the quickest, most energy-efficient and convenient way to make tea. Or coffee. Or hot chocolate.
microwaving water is plain wrong
I’m surprised superheated water injuries aren’t more common with all these people microwaving single cups at a time.
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