Electric Kettles?

Morning Glory

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
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I think I'd be pretty safe in saying that pretty well 99% of UK homes use an electric kettle. Mine is on and off umpteen times a day. Its so much quicker than boiling water on a hob - I use it for boiling water before adding veg to a pan amongst other things as well as making hot drinks.

However @buckytom mentioned in another thread (see here) that many American homes don't have a kettle of boiling water to hand. Does this mean that Americans don't have electric kettles?

What type of kettle do you use, if any? What do you use it for? Mine is a simple cordless one and will boil a litre of water in 2 minutes.
 
No kettle here. Water gets boiled in a saucepan or pot. We cover them so they will boil faster, though with 1 of the induction burners, a 6 quart (24 cups) pot of water for pasta will boil in about 4 minutes. The 8 quart pot takes a few minutes longer.

You have to remember, we in the US don't drink hot tea for the most part and coffee is made in a coffeemaker of some kind by the vast majority of Americans. A few us of use French presses but definitely a minority by far.
 
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mainstays electric kettle_.jpg


Here's mine!! :wink:
 
Here is another theory: http://uk.businessinsider.com/why-americans-dont-use-electric-kettles-stove-top-2015-12

Most homes in the US operate on 100-127 volts, whereas the UK and many other countries use between 220 and 240 volts. The lower voltage in the US means that electric kettles would not heat water as quickly as they do in the UK. As a result, they haven't caught on in the US.

To raise the temperature of one litre of water from 15°C to boiling at 100°C requires a little bit over 355 kilojoules of energy. An “average” kettle in the UK runs at about 2800 W and in the US at about 1500 W; if we assume that both kettles are 100% efficient† than a UK kettle supplying 2800 joules per second will take 127 seconds to boil and a US kettle supplying 1500 J/s will take 237 seconds, more than a minute and a half longer.
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The voltage theory may be the real reason - in France (they drink very little tea) electric kettles are very popular:

Pop into any French kitchen and you’re sure to see an electric kettle. They’re called bouilloires in French, plug into the wall and boil water for you in about one minute. It’s not that these don’t exist in the USA. They’re just not super popular on that side of the Atlantic. I guess if Americans want to boil water, they put a pot on the stove or use a tea kettle on the stove for tea.
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https://www.ouiinfrance.com/things-you-find-in-kitchens-in-france/

Similarly in Germany - almost everyone has an electric kettle and they don't really drink tea either.
 
We have this one which is only used once or twice in a normal day; initially for my morning coffee.

tefal-plastic-kettle-justine-17l.jpg


Thais don't use kettles much as they prefer water heaters like this, for example.

6b8c6e3f766e85607f34975b60bac2c7--water-heaters-tigers.jpg
 
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morning glory said:
Isn't that just a kettle in a different shape?
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No. It's a continuous off/on water heater. I believe it only keeps the water hot and never appears to boil (unless you're quick). I've never had a hot cup of coffee out of one yet. The warm water is removed by pressing the pump on the top.
 
Yorky said:
No. It's a continuous off/on water heater. I believe it only keeps the water hot and never appears to boil (unless you're quick). I've never had a hot cup of coffee out of one yet. The warm water is removed by pressing the pump on the top.
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OK. What is it used for then?
 
My early mornings in Eritrea were improved considerably after I managed to acquire an electric kettle. Previously, I had to boil a kettle on a tiny stove. Given that I had to be up at five in the morning, I found this an irritating chore just to get my early cup of tea. Fortunately, I managed to acquire an electric kettle from a marine biologist who was returning to the UK. He charged me a tenner for it, which was a bit steep, but probably worth it in the long run.
 
Duck59 said:
Fortunately, I managed to acquire an electric kettle from a marine biologist who was returning to the UK. He charged me a tenner for it, which was a bit steep, but probably worth it in the long run.
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That deal sounds a little fishy...
 
Folk in the US not having a kettle? Maybe it's a geographic thing. My experience, on both east and west coasts of northern US, is that everyone (ok, 99% using OP's terminology) uses a kettle.
So, possibly in the north folk do, but not in the south?
I am happy to be corrected by those currently living there.
 
morning glory said:
OK. What is it used for then?
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AFAIK (I don't have one) it just sits there connected to the mains and keeps the water at a temperature of between warm and boiling, i.e. it will click in when the temperature reaches a certain level (90 degC?) and click out when it reaches 100 degC ad infinitum. It's used for warm coffee/chocolate/Owaltine, etc.
 
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