Although i like things that are simple and just work, dont fix it if it aint broken, and hate over-engineered technology... It still is funny to me that if we want to heat things up, we do it by running current through a piece of metal. Isnt there a more efficient way? I guess not or we would be using it.
Every other method is too unreliable. Sure, heating water by letting it sit in sunny weather is technically infinite efficiency, but the weather doesn't care about your tea.
I think more, though, is that people don't really know they exist. Maybe you see it on the shelf at a supermarket and don't notice it--it's not in the US psyche. If you start to think about it a bit, an electric kettle makes more sense, but we're not used to it.
If you start to think about it a bit, an electric kettle makes more sense
Not when everyone's got a microwave already, likely doesn't have the counter space for another gadget that they don't use very often.
If you regularly make 1-3 mugs worth of hot water a kettle makes sense. If you regularly boil larger amounts, or don't regularly boil water, the microwave you already own is only slightly slower, so why spend the money?
Teas are best at a specific temperature, depending on the type. Same with coffee brewing methods and different types of beans. Microwaves can't do that.
I don't know why you're being downvoted without anyone actually debunking what you've said, so I'll try. You're right about not having another appliance being convenient, but I doubt a microwave is just as effective. If you're just heating a cup of water, then yes. But boiling even a liter of water would take about 5 minutes in a microwave on the highest setting, which would take about 2 mins in a kettle. Not even taking into account that actually boiling water in a microwave is near impossible, because it would spill everywhere
Except the typical microwave is 1000 or maybe 1200 watts, while an electric kettle is usually 1500 watts, so even if all the energy the microwave used went into the water it's still up to 50% less than what a kettle will put into the water.
It’s true. I drink a lot of tea, and I’ve owned an electric kettle for the last 20 years. I like the ones that allow me to select the temperature depending on what I’m making.
They aren't ubiquitous here, but go into any Walmart or Target and you'll find them there.
The real reason they aren't ubiquitous in America is the majority of Americans aren't daily tea drinkers and most (notice pedants I said most and not all) American coffee drinker use drip coffee machines or Keurigs instead of a French press, so for most Americans there simply isn't a regularly enough need for hot water so as to justify an electric kettle.
Or boil a small pot? When I'm somewhere away from my electric kettle, I boil a pot instead of microwave. I'm sure I'm not alone. But yeah, either way the point remains that an electric kettle is only a convenience for people who are regularly using hot water far beyond the typical American's custom.
Yep, I'm a tea drinker and even take my kettle when I travel. But we also use it to boil water that will go on the stove because it gets it to boiling so much faster when making pasta or something. My son also drinks French press so it gets a lot of use
Technology Connections has a knack for making topics interesting. It's been a while since I watched this one, but I believe it breaks down the timing of kettles vs gas range vs electric resistance range vs electric induction. It also dispels a myth that it's because kettles on 120v plugs aren't good (they're slower than 240v, but still faster than stoves).
That's fine and good, and I might even watch the video based on your recommendation, but none of that refutes or deflates anything I've said thus far on the topic.
But I do appreciate the extra contextual information and recommendation, sincerely 👍
True. I'm American, but I lived a couple years in the UK and got into drinking (hot) tea while I lived there. I'd never seen an electric kettle before, but I'm back in the US now and you bet I have one!
What I've learnt from different youtube videos, seems like Americans are almost allergic to hot drinks (except hot chocolate). It's quite funny watching them approach very cautiously, almost like a cat sniffing liquid before they drink 🤣
Americans drink a ton of hot coffee, it's just typically drip.
Personally I can't stand coffee, but I'm a hot tea drinker. While I doubt we can stand up to the likes of places like the UK or China in terms of hot beverage consumption, I'd bet we're solidly middle-of-the-road globally on that metric.
That being said, what America does have is an uncommonly strong taste for cold drinks. Most Americans drink almost nothing at or around room temperature, so anything that isn't specifically a "hot drink" like tea or coffee is probably going to be served here very cold or on ice (excluding alcohol; most of us aren't drinking our Bordeaux with ice cubes, I promise). So yeah I guess our "average drink temp" is probably much lower due to that cold preference, if that's the kind of thing you think is worth measuring, but that cold preference doesn't mean hot drinks aren't still extremely common in America. They are.
Edit: I see somebody down voted you and wanted to state that it was not me. I don't think you said anything dismissive, or offensive, or off-topic, so I do not believe your comment deserves to be down voted. I know others don't care about this, but i do, so pardon this quick explainer
I drink tea a couple times a week. These are way way better than microwaving a cup of water and nearly as quick. The biggest thing for me is getting the water temp right where I want it for whatever I'm drinking. Also, they don't take up much space, and you can put them in a cabinet when you aren't using them.
We have one because of the tea drinkers in the house. But I use it a lot more than I would have imagined. Oatmeal, making stock from soup base, etc. I have an induction stove, but the kettle is easier to pour than a pot.
They're great for everything from tea to coffee, instant ramen, boiling water faster on the stove. Not having a kettle and having to boil/microwave water would be a pain imo.
It's also faster than boiling a pot of water on the stove so you can save time if you run it through the kettle and then poor it into a pot on the stove to boil whatever you were making.
Ironic considering I already knew you were talking about superheating, which requires an incredibly smooth container and multiple microwaving attempts to pull off
You can prevent such dangers by: not double-microwaving your water (even then it's a low chance), using a rougher cup, or sticking anything (like a spoon) in there while you heat it
But sure, keep acting like a rare occurrence under incredibly specific circumstances is something to be deathly afraid of. Whatever floats your boat. Just stop spreading it around.
Someone said something blatantly false on the Internet and tried to be smarmy back when they're wrong. Might I also add: nice projection.
If it makes you feel better to think I'm in some way insecure about a simple fact (that the video from OP goes over as well, btw) then I guess feel free but it only makes you look like a bigger idiot to me.
Hot water dispenser is very useful. I also use it to fill up the rice cooker, and it cuts the cooking time from from 30 to 20 minutes. And it's great for instant noodles.
I don't get it. I text my wife something like "Technology Connections just put up a one hour video about dishwashers" and it's the first thing on our watch list that night. Do other people not do this?
I had a kettle for over a decade before I moved to the UK and got a fancier one. It might be faster here, but I never timed it and it wasn't a big factor for me.
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