Why Americans don't have electric kettles

The age old question has finally been answered.
My kettle: geni.us/EvanKettle
Vlog channel / evanedinger
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If you're new to my channel and videos, hi! I'm Evan Edinger, and I make weekly "comedy" videos every Sunday evening. As an American living in London I love noticing the funny differences between the cultures and one of my most popular video series is my British VS American one. I'm also known for making terrible puns so sorry in advance. Hope to see you around, and I'll see you next Sunday! :)
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[@ONLYJOKING101]

Evan "Why don't my friends consider me British" also Evan "Whats the point in having a Kettle"

[@imanepink]

Right lol 😂

[@Justabitnosey]

We don't just use a kettle to make tea. I boil mine to cook veg or pasta because it's much quicker. I also use it to top up dishwater. Because the hot water out the tap cools down quickly. It's a health and safety thing because I have autistic kids.

[@pixiepetal-jennie2038]

I am English and don’t drink tea (or coffee) but wouldn’t dream of not having a kettle. Use it for so many things - instant gravy, pot noodles, ramen, mash, dissolving jelly cubes and more

[@alvinscott1331]

What is mash?

[@nikkiturner8431]

@@alvinscott1331 mashed potato

[@mrbr549]

jelly cubes?

[@lotuselise4432]

@@mrbr549 - If you are in the US it's the same as Jello.

[@jmurray1110]

It’s essentially a packet of ready made jelly/jello just add water

[@TheLonelyGod42]

I think my main reason for liking an electric kettle over any form of boiling on the stove, whether there's a whistle involved or not, is because it shuts off itself and I don't need to be physically nearby to turn off a burner. I realize that might not be as important to everyone. But it's a thing that provides a lot of ease for me in being able to just turn it on and walk away

[@MERCHIODOS]

Also the kettle doesn't over burn the water unlike a stove.

[@click_here_more_details.5]

☎️☎️✅.....

[@oneoflokis]

Exactly. I'm sure that a good sales company could convince the Americans to buy electric kettles.

[@aurora6920]

also isn't more difficult to pour boiling hot water in mugs from a saucepan? it's much easier to just use a kettle.

[@TheLonelyGod42]

@@aurora6920 yes, that too!

[@jennhall522]

Canadian here - most of us have tea kettles, and they're available in basically all home goods stores. I drink tea every day, and every person I know has a tea cupboard. That's so odd that Americans don't have that same habit. We're also on that 120v power system which means it takes a while to boil, but we just put up with it.

[@pjschmid2251]

The reason Americans don’t drink tea goes back to the revolution, British colonial rule, taxes and a general disdain for the British and anything associated with those times following that. Although our relationship Britain is now excellent the tradition of drinking coffee instead of tea never went away. Once a tradition is established it doesn’t change easily or without reason.

[@LunaEllis]

From what I remember, electric kettles boil water faster then microwaves or a hob, even on a 120v outlet

[@tracim3080]

I don’t find it takes long to boil at all. It’s like 90 seconds in every electronic kettle I’ve ever used. Also Canadian.

[@tracim3080]

@@pjschmid2251 does the USA not realize that tea isn’t a British thing? It was one of the biggest things that was traded out of Asia when the international trade agreements were first established. It’s an international things.

[@Emttu]

Came here to say the same - though I find if you get a strong kettle it will boil faster. I have a Swann (UK brand but with US plug) and it seems to take no time.

[@iNightra]

I feel like in the big kettle debate you/a lot of people miss out that kettles are useful for loads of things not just tea. Pot noodles, cup of soup, gravy ect I just can't imagine heating what 100ml of water on a stove (and I don't have an induction hob) when the kettle takes 1 min and u can boil as much or as little as you need and can then easily pour it into whatever I'm making

[@simonorourke4465]

Yeah if I'm cooking pasta or rice I always boil the water in the kettle first before putting it in on the hob, it just boils faster that way.

[@jwb52z9]

Americans, as far as I know, aren't big on "cup a soup". I don't know if "Pot Noodles' are sold in the US at all. As for gravy, as far as i know, at least in the American South, gravy is made from scratch on the stove, so we wouldn't use a kettle for that either. Maybe Yankees or people who can't cook would benefit, though.

[@mytube001]

@@jwb52z9 Surely you boil potatoes, rice and pasta before you eat them! The kettle is great for quickly boiling that water instead of using the hob. When the kettle is done, pour the hot water into the pot and boil away, saving time and energy.

[@RRW359]

You know what can also do all that? A Microwave.

[@itsbecca]

@@mytube001 it just seems silly to have a full other appliance to speed up the job that other appliances do just fine. You use the time the water is boiling to prepare other parts of your meal. If you already have the kettle bc you're a frequent tea drinker then sure, use it! But it's not a reason to buy one imo. (edit: He literally addressed the pasta thing in he video, you should've just watched -_-)

[@bonnieelaine8042]

this is actually exactly the content I want You guys actually have no idea how long I have spent being shook that people in the US don't have kettles. Now I know. Life Changing.

[@aliciamarie9704]

I didn’t have any type of kettle until I was an adult and thought they were handy. My mom and grandma always brewed huge pots of coffee that keep the coffee hot all day & they would sip on it all day. My grandma is in great health from having her coffee addiction her whole life, lol. She’s not the type to dump a bunch of sugar in though

[@aliciamarie9704]

Coffee obsession is even worse, WAY worse in the PNW where the weather is often dreary

[@jwb52z9]

There are Americans who have them. You should watch the Technology Connections KZbin channel video about it.

[@ladyofshalott]

It's still bizarre to me. I have a fancy electric gooseneck kettle with multiple settings on it (for various types of tea and one setting for coffee (pour over)). But then I was born and raised in Canada and am now in the US (as a dual citizen). Mum was born and raised in England and Dad had English born (and raised in my granddad's case) parents. So I appreciate kettles and tea and can be patient. XD

[@xzonia1]

American here. I don't drink tea or coffee. Whenever I want hot chocolate, I heat the water up in a microwave or in a pot on the stove. I've never owned a tea kettle in my life (51 currently) and I just see no reason to ever get one. It's cute how riled up people get over their caffeine products, though, and how to make them. :)

[@gomababe]

To add to the Hallow'een comments; Guising (pronounced guys-ing) has been a thing in Scotland for much longer than trick or treating has been in America. Guising is basically the same thing as trick or treating and, from what I can tell, was revived as a practice in the early 1800s (the practice predates this period, but I imagine the demonisation of Samhain/conversion to All Saint's Day had a lot to do with it not being practiced for so long). From the (very, very cursory) research I did into Trick or Treating, it's only been around in the mainstream from the 1930s.

[@neilmorrison7356]

Agree with the comments about Halloween being Scottish the Irish got in on the act think it was a Celtic festival in origin.

[@neonachas]

I was about to say this. It's actually from the guising tradition that the US version of Trick or Treat derived. They re-exported that tradition to England. 😂😂😂

[@robertgronewold3326]

Yeah, trick-or-treating dates back to a lot of practices that happened in Ireland and Scotland. Remember all the immigrants bringing their culture. Plus the ritual began centuries ago as people leaving offerings for dead family members returning on the night when the veil between worlds was thinnest.

[@letitiakearney2423]

The Irish brought the Halloween custom to America.

[@julieturner5037]

In the Isle of Man, we have always celebrated Halloween. My 95 year old dad remembers Halloween as a child. We would carve turnips or swedes into lanterns, and kids would go door to door singing "Hop-tu-naa" a traditional song, and ask for sweets or money for the song, dressed up in guises like ghosts etc.

[@niamhemily4842]

Fun fact: Halloween originated in the UK and Ireland as it stemmed from the Celtic festival of Samhain. It’s battled with religion in England for a long time which is why it’s more low-key than in America but I wouldn’t say the UK is following America in Halloween popularity, it’s been around here for a very long time :) People in the uk are also generally far less festive so decor is definitely not as popular here 😭

[@minarge]

I was gonna say the exact same thing! If being influenced by America is finding any excuse to have. a party and dress up (baby shower, gender reveal, divorce party) then yes it's American influenced

[@misseskimo1]

Came down here to say this!

[@TheNewGreenIsBlue]

I mean... gee... I wonder why the English church has a problem with what is basically associated with worship of evil spirits. It's pretty much the most Anti-Christian holiday out there... lol.

[@luelou8464]

My grandmother told me stories of going trick or treating in the 50s with brats from the local American military base, only to discover that no-one over here had a clue what they where on about.

[@thewitness8321]

I heard it originated in France, where they would wear masks to scare ghosta

[@RaefonB]

This is really interesting. Cheers for the insight, Evan! I'm British but a non-tea drinker, and yet I can't imagine life without a kettle haha.

[@RRW359]

Alex from Technology Connections did a video and a followup about kettles. The voltage doesn't make much of a difference (and we do have 240v power but it's complicated), and you can buy an electric kettle in most places, tea just isn't that popular and he actually pointed out that microwaves aren't actually that bad at boiling water in terms of both time and power efficiency.

[@Benmarkk2009]

I was gonna mention technology connections! Yeah we have 120v power but we have a potential of 240v. This is because we have a -120v to 120v and we use a neutral! The whole grid thing is a myth. We bring that power down to 120v except with large appliances.

[@lornova79]

I came to the comments section just to look for the Technology Connections references

[@martini380]

Many people forget that split-phase power is used in places like north america and australia while europe uses three-phase ac(230/400V). Still sucks that you can only get like 1.5-1.8kW from the american type A/B socket while a water heater takes like 2-3kW

[@RRW359]

@@martini380 I assume they don't work great but there are small water heaters that work off a normal American outlet.

[@thefoodiechannelcookingfro1822]

Microwave ovens can super heat the water in the cups and on putting stuff in to it, it's not unknown for it to go off like a volcano!

[@M.M.Y.B]

American here: I have three electric kettles that I used extensively in college for big tea parties. Unfortunately, you don't usually need that much boiling water, so it's understandable that most Americans don't have them. Also, I think it's interesting that you have a coffee kettle, whereas I use my fancy multi-temp electric kettle to make pour-overs (with difficulty). I think most people are either tea or coffee people and then buy appliances accordingly. I bet that most brits don't own drip coffee makers in their homes either, and could not produce a pour over mug and filter.

[@tinnagigja3723]

Dunno why, but "big tea party" sounds like slang for something illegal.

[@M.M.Y.B]

@@tinnagigja3723 well, any group of 20+ college kids hyped up on caffeine and sugar at midnight could be bad, but luckily it was tea instead of coffee. Hoewever, each kettle can only warm3-4 mugs at a time.

[@ruth649]

Most Brits don't own drip coffee machines, that's true. Most British people I know who drink real coffee at home (ie not instant) use some kind of manual appliance, I think most frequently a cafetiere/French press, but others will have a pour over mug of some kind, or an Aeropress or similar. They're not as ubiquitous as having tea making supplies (even people who don't drink tea will probably keep tea bags for guests), but they're not particularly uncommon.

[@xzonia1]

@@ruth649 I had to google what in the world a pour over mug is. Learn something new every day! Lol

[@M.M.Y.B]

@@chipsthedog1 ya but that still wouldn't justify buying a thing that only boils water if you could achieve it with a microwave.

[@myra0224]

Honestly, I can't think of a single person here in Belgium who doesn't have an electric kettle. It's just so much more convenient! But I understand why you wouldn't if you grew up without it (unless you also like the convenience of it of course) In Dutch it's also called a "waterkoker" so watercooker, maybe the German languages are just lazy with their words XD

[@Luubelaar]

It's not lazy, it's practical.

[@nobutheyonyou7990]

It’s vannkoker in Norwegian which also means water cooker

[@MultiTsai]

In Estonia I'd say 99% of people have them as well, I use it for not only tea (I do drink tea though), but also cooking. And we call it "veekeetja", so water boiler.

[@Snowshowslow]

Yes! Unless they have a Quooker or something.

[@myra0224]

@@Snowshowslow what's that?

[@Lee-ml9uw]

As an American, I just use my coffee maker for the hot water to pour into my cup. Depending on what tea I want to drink, I put the tea bags directly into my cup before the boiling hot water comes out or I take the tea leaves an put them into a tea infuser in similar fashion like the tea bags.

[@ShirinRose]

That's what I was forced to do the first time I stayed at a hotel in America and they didn't have a kettle in the room, which I was shocked to discover. They had a coffee machine, coffee pods and teabags, so I had to use the coffee machine to get hot water into my cup. I don't know if it was the coffee machine water, the plastic lined paper cup, or the American teabag (probably the combination of all three), but it did not taste good 😖

[@robertgronewold3326]

@@ShirinRose If it was a hotel, you more than likely had a very cheap brand of tea in the first place, so you were certainly not off to a good start. Though if the hotel has breakfast buffet, you can usually get better tea there than the cheap teabags in the room.

[@ShirinRose]

@@robertgronewold3326 Yeah, I ended up buying a small box of Twinings Earl Grey teabags from a nearby supermarket, to take with me to the conference I was attending, as well as to have in my hotel room

[@amorgan78]

@@ShirinRose they also don't clean those coffee makers very often so the water probably ended up with remnants of coffee from the last guest in it

[@dobetterwithchristian4472]

We do the same thing.

[@juliethomsen4121]

I don't really drink a lot of tea either. But I need my Wasserkocher for my Wärmflasche and for my Filterkaffee :)

[@YMandarin]

I stimme zu

[@rikulappi9664]

A Finn here. I use the electric kettle for noodles, coffee, (sometimes instant coffee), vegetables, instant soups etc. However, 1) There is no best way to heat water 2) Everybody should have freedom!

[@tamsel814]

I basicly use it for anything that requires hot water other then boiling pasta or vegetables.

[@laceym314]

Absolutely loved the outro song! As an American (ugh) I do have a kettle and my kid (12y) has been obsessed with tea for at least 3 years. They even have their own drawer in the kitchen for all of their teas and accessories. It is much faster than the stove (hob) but I have a decorative kettle as well. I guess we are strange Americans, and I am totally ok with that.

[@naelissimmer4152]

Bought my kettle six years ago in a Walmart in Texas. Yes, used mostly by this American for tea, but also for those instant type foods that households of two turn to a lot: noodles, mashed potatoes, etc. I grew up with the range top type kettle, that practically always had hot water in it - I remember my mother pouring some into our dish washing water because it was quicker and hotter than tap. Microwaved water doesn’t seem to retain the heat, as in it cools off faster. But it’s interesting to me that an electric kettle would be more practical in the rest of world due to the voltage.

[@rextitan]

Hello Evan. I am a 23 year old british man. When I was growing up there was a show called the singing kettle. Prominently featured in this production were the teapot style of kettle. Handle, spout, the whole shabang. I think that’s what you’d call a tea kettle. Considering this British production called it a kettle, I’d say you’re well in the clear with that one.

[@ethelmini]

Nope, kettles looked similar to teapots when they were heated on top of stoves.

[@garygcrook]

Singing Kettles were kettles designed to be used on stoves which had a device that fit over the spout which would whistle due to steam from boiling water. Such stove kettles were referred to as Tea Kettles as well.

[@rextitan]

@@ethelmini I'm not sure i understand what you're trying to say. Kettles look like teapots? What part of that disagrees with what i said?

[@bert1029]

Omg I went to see The Singing Kettle live. Legendary.

[@04fys513]

My small kitchen is full of appliances. Most were wedding or holiday gifts. The counters and the cupboards are overflowing. A kettle seems like a good idea, but there is nowhere to put it, and I have five other ways to boil water.

[@Thorsten_Wiegand]

German here: My Inducition plates have 3,2kw Max Power, my Kettle (Wasserkocher) only 2,4kw and the Microwave 0,8kw. So the fastest way to boil water is on the induction field. But because the Kettle automatically switches off when the water boils, I often use it for instant nudels or hot drinks, because I can fill in the water and go away. As for a Microwave, I usually use it to make hot chocolate or warming up meals.

[@sommanker]

Halloween has been a thing in the UK for decades Evan... not as big as in the US probably but kids trick or treating, dressing up, Halloween parties, etc has been a thing for quite a while

[@imsiimsi12341]

Evan you need to research why we have Fireworks Night You won't be pleased as it is to celebrate the extinction of the Gunpowder Plot all tied up with getting rid of parliament and in end King

[@eloquentlyemma]

In Scotland we’d always go ‘guising’ at Halloween. We’d dress up / disguise ourselves (hence the name) and go round the houses in a group -with the older kids looking after the younger ones. We’d sing songs, recite poems and tell jokes to earn our sweets/candy. In school, we’d have to learn Halloween poems so that everyone had something entertaining to do to earn sweets. It’s still a tradition in some places, but most of the kids do trick-or-treating these days.

[@rainstorm1809]

I got an electric kettle for college because we weren't allowed hot plates or anything without an automatic shutoff. I mostly use it to make tea but it's also good for hot cocoa (or any cheap instant meals like just add water mac and cheese or instant oatmeal or ramen... you know, the kinds of things broke college students eat)

[@thenamescarter8279]

For english students the kettle is a holy instrument used for everything. Ive used a kettle to fill my bath with hot water when my hot water stopped working, ive used it to heat up bent plastic from coathangers to random stuff so i could bend the plastic back into shape, used it for food and drink (obviously).

[@tinnie75]

@@thenamescarter8279 I've heard of people boiling sausages in an electric kettle. I could never but supposedly that's a thing students do as well.

[@RRW359]

Microwave?

[@thenamescarter8279]

@@RRW359 nah fam

[@RRW359]

@@thenamescarter8279 Why not? If you already have one why buy another device?

[@joeyunderwood]

we’ve always celebrated halloween in the uk. the main difference i remember is we focus more on dressing as something spooky, whereas america dress as anything from pop culture, but more recently the uk has been becoming more similar in that sense.

[@lindapollock2105]

I don't remember any Halloween celebrations in the UK when I was a child more than half a century ago - we were barely aware of it at all. The big thing back then was Bonfire night and in the weeks leading up to it, kids would be out on the streets asking for 'Penny for the guy'. My husband and I lived in the US for a while back in the 80s and the neighbours' kids came to our door saying 'Trick or treat'. My husband had no idea what they were talking about and sent them away. In the morning we found they'd smeared soap all over our car. I wanted to let down the tyres on their parents' car and tell them it was an old British custom but hubby didn't think it was a good idea. Probably just as well lol!

[@Nemo1Amanda]

Definitely always been a thing in scotland! My parents and grandparents dressed up and carved turnips

[@rainstorm1809]

I (an American) also want to say that electric kettles aren't actually that hard to find here. Walmart and Target both carry a variety, including the cheap plastic ones that just boil as well as the fancier temperature controlled ones.

[@user-tu6gu2pc8w]

Well, maybe celebrating Halloween wasn't a big thing in England but in Ireland it's a big holiday and it doesn't have to do anything with America.

[@grahamleiper1538]

Same in Scotland.

[@lynnejamieson2063]

Are you actually under the impression that Hallowe’en is a US creation? Even though it has existed in Scotland and Ireland for centuries? Guising (derived from disguising) where children dress up and go door to door carrying carved lanterns (though turnips not pumpkins were used)on Hallowe’en is a long standing tradition. Though instead of the demanding with menaces that is the cry of “Trick or Treat!” Scottish kids would have to “do a turn” so sing a song, tell a joke, do a dance, recite a poem etc etc in return for (when I was a kid in the 70’s and 80’s) a handful of monkey nuts, some fruit, some sweets and if you were lucky some money (back then normally about 10p). The fact that you are conflating what happens in the south east of England with the whole of the U.K. shows just how much of a Londoner you are. Hallowe’en is Celtic (hard c sound) not US American, the US just took it and turned it into a massive corporate money spinner instead of the centuries old custom that it was. Though your Londoner credentials do not let you off with the excuses in regards to the tea kettle debacle. All those excuses were fine and appropriate for those from the US that still live there, they don’t work when it comes to someone who has lived in the U.K. for as long as you have and doesn’t understand why some may not regard you as British whilst happily agreeing that you are a British citizen.

[@robertgronewold3326]

Don't discount the Irish and Scottish immigrants who brought Halloween traditions to America.

[@lynnejamieson2063]

@@robertgronewold3326 I’m not, that is essentially the point I was making. Hallowe’en wasn’t created there, it was taken there as part of the customs of the Scots and Irish migrants.

[@janebaker966]

From my own life observation which is subjective of course,in my part of England Halloween wasn't a thing,it maybe got a passing mention,there might be a Brownies party,maybe some adults had family parties but it was very low key. There were villages,like one in Somerset that had "Punkie Night" where the local children did a (adult watched) walk through the village with turnip lanterns and my late Mum remembered aged 5 (that would be 1929) tagging along with a group of older kids and they did this thing of ancient hallowed custom. All the kids knocked on the first door of a terrace of houses. The occupier opened the door,all the kids ran through and out the back and over the low wall in the backdoor of the next house and out the front door,in the front door of the next.....all up the row..no householder objected and no damage was done but it still sounds horrendous to me! When my Mum got home her Dad gave her a stiff telling off and she never did it again but seems in that Somerset place it was an age old custom of Punkie Night. The USA commercial,totally grim style we got now only started to slip in,in the 1990s and I don't think it's ever really caught on. And yes it probably was taken to America by Scots and Irish settlers.

[@robertgronewold3326]

@@janebaker966 Yes, it was the Irish and Scots who made Halloween big here in the USA. It got a huge reinvigoration, and now it's spreading to every corner of the world, so more spooky fun for everyone.

[@NunontheRun]

Canadian here - we call electric kettles, either "electric kettles", or just "kettles ". I've almost always had one - in Canada and since moving to the UK. I've always used it for pour-over coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cup a soup, instant ramen, hotter pasta water, and now.. aeropress. But Evan, you have an electric kettle - it's just a fancy coffee one :-) Technology Connections did a whole 1/2 hour episode where he discovered that, even in the USA, an electric kettle is the most efficient way to boil water 🙂 - on an aside - when I first moved to the UK, I saw my neighbours outside one morning with their kettle, pouring hot water over the windscreen of their car to get the ice off. : -o

[@click_here_more_details.5]

☎️☎️✍️👆...

[@LiqdPT]

4:30 Canadian/American here: while I agree with most of what you've said, you CAN buy an electric kettle at Target. They ARE available (not in wide variety), just not popular

[@robertgronewold3326]

Yeah, my Walmart has like one electric kettle next to all of the standard stovetop ones on the shelf.

[@Ellary_Rosewood]

I'm from the U.S. and have always used a kettle. Whenever I go to someone's house, I always ask where the kettle is. I get weird looks all the time. 😂 I also use kettles to use to heat up any water, including för my coffee, not just tea.

[@tbessie]

I'm American, though well-traveled and I lived in France for two years. I've never found microwaves that useful to me, so I have an electric kettle and a toaster oven. My girlfriend thinks it's ridiculous that I neither have nor want a microwave.

[@indigobunting5041]

Ditto with the electric kettle and toaster oven. Also minus the microwave. People think I'm weird not having a microwave.

[@MrStGeorgeIllawarra]

Dump her, lol.

[@shadebinder3599]

I have all three, microwaves are also useful. It's much faster at rewarming foods, and better taste wise for rewarming some specific foods, worse at others. Toaster ovens and microwaves aren't exclusive.

[@c.a.g.7707]

As an American who drinks tea, I would never ever throw tea leaves into the kettle. I don't have a tea pot, so since I only make tea for myself I have a tea strainer/infuser that I set in my mug.

[@NeverHopelessbyElizabeth]

American here with some British friends who told me...to my horror... that hot tea is NOT made in the microwave...silly me!! My hubby has since bought me an electric kettle (which is sold in "regular" stores, not just niche-y ones now) and I am happy to report that tea from a kettle is SO much better than tea from the microwave. Converted, and I love it!! Now, I am a southerner and when you, Evan, say, "tea" my brain immediately goes to sweet, ice, cold tea which is what we southerners prefer, however if I "fancy" a hot tea "of an evening" I'm gonna use my electric tea kettle 😉

[@victoriaposada6330]

Me: *a dumb American who microwaves the water for tea* “Oh am I the villain 😂😅”

[@duncancallum]

Be careful i microwaved the water here in Australia, then put tea bag in it caused a bit of an explosion once , there after back to Kettle for me .

[@eyeofthetiger6002]

Induction hob is definitely the way forward,even Michelin starred kitchens are using them now. That temperature controlled kettle is a new one for me!

[@pauls.arts.and.craft.]

The old draft excluder thing really applies to pre central heating, especially in older properties where the gap on the bottom of the door was sometimes an inch high!

[@jwb52z9]

Yeah, that's another one of those "you'll know better about it if you're older in the US" things.

[@AJ-uo5zl]

I lived in a student house with a gap under the back door like that. my British housemates told me about draft excluders but I just went to the hardware store and bought weather stripping that I installed myself. it's crazy to me what British people will put up with when it comes to housing.

[@c4milk]

I had to buy an electric kettle online because I'd never seen one in a store. I keep it at work so I can make tea there, but there's always free coffee if I want it. At home I just boil water on the stove if I want tea.

[@marydavis5234]

Walmart in the US have electric kettles, I use my one cup coffee maker to make green tea, so buying a electric kettle would be a waste of money for me.

[@jpaxonreyes]

I've never NOT seen electric kettles in any department store in the US.

[@Yates000014806]

Your takes on tea and coffee are completely different to mine 😂 plus I also have an induction job and it takes about 10 mins to boil cold water compared to about 1-2 mins in our kettle

[@sarahelmore83]

Curious. I’m in Arkansas and all of the local Walmarts (and to be sure, there are so so many of them 🤮) have at least 5 different electric kettle options on hand. So I do believe that accessibility isn’t necessarily as big of a deterrent to electric kettle using in the US right now.

[@-simplehebrew]

But why Americans still don't know anything about electric kettles if you can just buy them at your local stores?

[@wendysherbert3257]

American here..I use my Keurig for hot water for my tea. Just run water through it and place my lovely Twinings Black Tea Bag in my mug and let it steep a little bit. If I was to be more traditional English…I use my lovely Brown Betty for a pot. I boil the water in a kettle on the stove and once hot pour into the Brown Betty with the teas of my choosing. It is so relaxing!

[@alexreid1173]

This is very interesting as an American that grew up with an electric kettle. Though we called it a “water heater” so idk

[@judithhope8970]

I think you'll find Halloween was imported from Europe. You just made it great because you had pumpkins! Try carving a parsnip!

[@grahamleiper1538]

Neeps (swedes) here in Scotland, not parsnips. Nightmare to carve compared to pumpkins.

[@judithhope8970]

@@grahamleiper1538 Swedes are really hard! Parsnips do look suitably evil once carved as they are already wrinkly. I have trouble chopping a swede for cooking, they're so hard.

[@Kay-ly3hb]

Pouring water from a saucepan into a cup makes me cringe!! If I had to do that, I’d have burns way too often 😂

[@Luubelaar]

Some saucepans have a spout to make pouring easier.

[@dantegarza3138]

That's why we microwave water in a cup for 2 minutes

[@newvillagefilms]

Lol... I'm an American and I've been using electric kettle for many years (not for tea really). It's quite useful/convenient when you're making soup to speed up cooking. You pour pre-boiled water (from the electric kettle) to your pot of soup, let it continue to boil then simmer and done. It's also useful when you're blanching/steaming vegetables. I also use electric kettle for pour-over coffee.

[@alisterfolson]

Came for the tea info, stayed to the laughs! New sub. Very entertaining!

[@ravenstormchild6491]

As a Canadian, I can walk over to any hardware or housewares store and get a large selection of electric kettles. I have a lovely glass kettle made by Hamilton Beach. I want to get a gooseneck one for pourover as well, but I’m waiting to find just the right one. 😊🇨🇦

[@chrish6001]

Canadian here: We've always had an electric kettle. We were pretty happy when the automatic shut-off ones became available. A microwave requires so much babysitting that it's probably less time and risk to use our electric kettle. It doesn't take too long. It's much faster than using a stove top kettle without the worry of accidentally leaving the burner on, which I did at a relative's house once. I was used to the electric style. I completely ruined their kettle.

[@jonathandavies89]

Ok Evan really ‘GOATED’ out with that song at the end 😂

[@Vanda-il9ul]

Thanks for explaining. I like your videos like this.

[@Sophie_Cleverly]

I was really not expecting to hear myself get mentioned and it made me jump when I was doing my makeup 😂 On the kettle front, I have to say a kettle is really essential for me. I use it all the time and I don't even drink hot drinks! I have hypermobility in my hands and if I had to use a pan for like a pot noodle I would be pouring boiling water all over myself frequently 😅

[@julieb737]

Me too .

[@TazerXI]

As a brit, I just realised Americans using kettles would be like us having coffee machines. We don't drink as much coffee, or just don't care as much about good coffee to the point where my parents got used to instant when they were younger, and so instant is the type of coffee they like. In my mind, having a coffee machine is sort of seen as something really fancy.

[@davidroddini1512]

Exactly! As an American, about the only time that I drink tea (with lemon and honey) is when I am sick. If I need to boil water, I can just throw a pot on the stove or put some water in the coffee maker without the grounds basket in or even put it in the microwave in a pinch. So why need a kettle?

[@chrisischeese]

In Canada both an electric kettle and a coffee maker are a household staple. I never realized Brits don't typically have coffee makers, and only a few years ago found out that most Americans don't have kettles.

[@TazerXI]

@@chrisischeese I think coffee makers are becoming more common, but at least to me they always seemed kinda fancy

[@click_here_more_details.5]

☎️☎️✍️👆...

[@Pinkbluebiro]

I lived in the Florida for a few years and must say I prefer a good instant coffee to the machine ones. I drink mine black with no sugar so only taste the coffee.

[@katbryce]

As a Scottish person who now lives in England, the idea that Hallowe'en is a new thing came as a complete surprise to me. Hallowe'en is a traditional Scottish and Irish pagan festival, which is still very much a thing that we do. It went to America along with the colonialists. They swapped out turnips for pumpkins when making their lanterns, probably because that's what was available over there, and more recently, the American variant of it seems to have come to England. The check pattern on police cars and police uniforms apparently made its way from Scotland to England via Australia.

[@TristanBailey]

Now we need a shorts channel or a playlist of the music you have started at the ends. 🎉

[@erinmariecece]

When I was moving to college for the first time (in the US), it was pretty common to have an electric kettle for the dorm rooms. Even though the RAs would confiscate them because “they included a hot plate”, I just hid mine in my laundry basket. I made tea and hot chocolate for the whole floor.

[@r0manovic]

Crazy since they don't actually include a hotplate as such

[@pipercharms7374]

I mean I don’t think the majority of us have that type of stove 😅 so it usually takes a while for it to boil. Out of the reasons I think the electrical one is the best. I feel like we mainly use kettles because they are way quicker than the stove.

[@Ilogunde]

I honestly couldn't live without my Wasserkocher. I'm a tea addict. I remember very vividly the horror of the one year where my kettle died at a day before Christmas. Everything was to be closed for the next three days (a weekend was also involved)! But, there was a Christmas miracle. I was visiting my parents the next day and as I was complaining to them, it turned out, my mum had an extra one. Christmas was safed! Good tea is not just tea. There are so many differences: which type of tea do you drink (white, black, green, herbal, rooibos, infusions)? Which flavor do you prefer? Which brand do you use? A generic supermarket brand of an Earl Grey is definitely worst than a Twinnings Earl Grey...

[@berradengrymme2789]

I just want to say, I just LOVE!! the singing end.

[@pjschmid2251]

Sorry Evan isn’t the power supply that keeps Americans from adopting the electric kettle. I would argue that it’s partially the fact that we’re not a big tea drinking nation but it’s also just a matter of traditions and the habits that they form. The kitchen counter has a limited amount of space and the space devoted to a morning hot beverage has been given over to the drip coffee maker. Only some Americans are willing to give over additional counterspace to another appliance to heat water. The general consensus for most Americans that I have spoken to is "I don’t need that I don’t want that cluttering my counter why would I buy that". And yes I have tried. I have been converted to electric kettles for years and I love mine. when I try to convince someone ,say my sister, how wonderful they are; no dice. I eventually just gave her my old stove top kettle since hers had broken and considered it a win-win since at least it cleared some cabinet space for me. Oh and by the way even on 120 V system it is more than just marginally faster; it is significantly faster and more energy efficient. Technology Connections recently did an in-depth video on the topic if you’re interested. Love the song.

[@jwb52z9]

I suggested that video as well.

[@am53n8]

Electric kettles go in the same category as rice cookers for me: convenience and safety. Just turn it on and forget about it, and less risk of burning myself or the cat it they get any crazy ideas. Also saves a spot on the stove if you're cooking something elaborate, or are at bad at doing the dishes

[@Abyssinian121]

I have had at least three basic electric tea kettles, and love them for both making tea, for adding boiling water as a cooking ingredient without turning on another burner, and for making pour-over coffee (especially after I had three drip coffeemakers from three different manufacturers fail or die on me within a year, due to shoddy electronics). However, the biggest reason for using one is safety - I like using all kinds of mugs, but not every mug is manufactured to be microwave safe. In the past, say, reheating soup to have while ill, the microwave heated up the handles, or the outer ceramic of the mugs so much that it was a burn hazard to bare hands. There is also the danger of accidentally super-heating the liquid the cup or mug contains, and the potential for sparks if the design or rim of a mug or cup has ANY sort of metal or foil on it. None of this is a problem with a kettle. I can't say that I would actually MAKE or brew tea IN one... seems to be a couple of steps over a glaring red line of sorts.

[@hsimpson6581]

Loved the ending !! You did that a lot when you first started vlogging.

[@mrwilliamhope]

Having lived in North America(Canada) Kettles(electric) still are not the big thing they are in the UK and Ireland. Even here in the Uk induction stovetop is the fastest way to boil water really. In France it is rare to find a kettle and most frequently boil water in a saucepan. Great video!

[@jwb52z9]

I usually tell people that it's more that we don't drink a lot of hot drinks in general because a great deal of the US is almost never cold enough to bother most of the year. Tea, at least in the South, is not generally drank hot due to the temperatures. We, Southerners, got our love of tea from the English, but the original plantation owners realized it was too hot to drink hot tea, so they started putting ice in it. Over time, specific varieties of tea were developed for specifically making iced tea. Evan is a Yankee, so he isn't probably familiar with 'sweet tea' as we have in the American South. Everyone really interested in this should watch the Technology Connections KZbin channel for a video about this. Also, I still say part of the problem is Evan's age. Older Americans, late 30s and up, should usually know the difference between a tea kettle and a tea pot. BTW, Lipton IS good for iced tea, if you like iced tea and didn't grow up in the American South and you can find an American Southerner who knows how to make it strong and puts enough sugar in it.

[@Colyde25]

Funny you say this cause I’m from New England we drink cold drinks year round even when it’s -3 out nothing beats Dunkin’ iced coffee.

[@davidbutler7602]

I just wanted to mention halloween may not have been celebrated much in England in the past, but trust me, it has been a thing in Scotland for years, as a brat living in a RAF camp in the 70’s halloween was serious stuff! Local legends celebrated rolling eggs to remember rolling witches in spiked barrels down a hill!! All good family stuff!!! And of course trick or treating…

[@davidbutler7602]

Actually the egg rolling might have been Easter 🤔

[@duncancallum]

@@davidbutler7602 For sure David egg rolling took place on Easter Sunday in Scotland it still happens today .

[@saradavis6505]

As a British TV lover I started noticing every English, Welsh, & Irish home had a kettle. As a bona fide, tea drinker & cook that boils water often I decided to try one and I’ve never looked back. Sent my tea drinking sister one (not to be confused with tea-totaling sister) she loved it! ☕️

[@KindaAustralian]

OMG I remember that tea store in the Cherry Hill Mall! It looked so bougee (before bougee was a term people used all the time) 😆

[@aylamanning6491]

Edit: I'm an American. I do live in the south though. I'm sorry but I have en electric kettle and it is so much faster then boiling water on my stove and I use it all the time. Since I have an air fryer and an electric kettle I find I have almost no use for my microwave. Also you can find electric kettle at Walmart or Target. They are very easy to find. I honestly don't know what your talking about

[@jwb52z9]

There was a time when electric kettles weren't really a thing available directly in the US and Evan has been in the UK for quite a number of years now.

[@aylamanning6491]

@@jwb52z9 I've seen them pretty prevalently for the past 10 years or so, but I do know he's been in England for longer than that. But my aunt got hers from "Bed, Bath & Beyond" like 20 years ago. I honestly think its just because hot tea wasn't really popular in the US. I have seen a rise in hot tea drinkers in about the past 10 years. I'd like to think it because of the popularity of "Downton Abbey" lol but I could be wrong 😊😊

[@MrMikeV]

I'm from the United States, but I drink tea, Yorkshire to be specific. Coffee never tasted good, but espresso is great. I'd drink that more often, but cardiologist didn't like what it did to my blood pressure. I don't use a kettle, convenience is the hot water setting on my wife's Keurig. Yeah, that is my first sin, but then I steep it too long. Damnation probably awaits.

[@catiapereira1511]

Not me watching this video with the sports direct mug right beside me 😂😂😂😂😂

[@tayswiftfan14]

I’m an American and I have an electric kettle. I didn’t know they existed until college, when my Azerbaijani-American roommate had one. I love my electric kettle and it’s faster than boiling water on the stovetop. (Which is the way my dad prefers to boil water.)

[@1000xZero]

I use one daily and they are better. I’ve converted my Friends too. But I’m an outlier. It’s safer for children. Bought mine at Target

[@stephenlee5929]

An Outlier, is that near New York?

[@tillie_brn]

I feel the complete opposite to the "good tea is tea, good coffee is *good* coffee". The thing is, I've found that England just doesn't have actually *good* tea (which is strange for a nation that prides itself on loving tea). Have some Palais des Thés or Damann tea and I assure you you'll change your mind. As for coffee, well, I drink it purely to wake up in the morning and I'm not a fan of the taste of even "great" coffee (which I have supposedly had before, my dad being a coffee nerd), so I won't be the judge of that.

[@really-quite-exhausted]

The little song at the end omg

[@r4nd0mguy99]

I have a Wasserkocher, but I barely use it, at least for actually heating up water. I mostly use it as an in-between-container when I need to put a bit more water into the frying pan. Another possibility is food that's already prepared and just needs to be filled up with hot water. We call this a "Fünfminutenterrine" (five minutes terrine). Honestly, the Wasserkocher is only a left-over from my mother, who actually drank tea. My brother still uses it sometimes, but I think that there are so few kinds of tea that actually taste good that I can't even remember the ones that I like.

[@conormurphy4328]

I think you’ll find all Cwaffee tastes like dirt

[@RyanCoomer]

at a buffet, i personally sneak corndogs into the buffet so others can enjoy them. I hide 6 corndogs in my jacket pockets. it then, is a joy for me to see other patrons of the establishment eat my corndogs thinking they were part of the buffe

[@greencircles2464]

I'm in the US and have an electric kettle, I love it! I used to use a stove-top kettle but the electric one is definitely a bit faster. Also, I love having precise temperature settings for different kinds of tea.

[@Abhi-wl5yt]

The ending is golden!

[@sydney5463]

omg thank you people who grow up with kettles are so weird about the idea of just ... using a stove or microwave that's already in the kitchen. like i don't care about the exact temperature of my tea as long as the water is hot i'm good to go no new equipment necessary

[@M.M.Y.B]

Brewing tea is like baking a cake. You want to do it at the right temperature and length for that tea. You can still use a microwave to achieve lower temperature hot water for tea brewing tho.

[@kylaluv8453]

@@M.M.Y.B I let the sun brew mine. Ice cold sun tea is the best!

[@M.M.Y.B]

@@kylaluv8453 I love sun tea! What leaf are you using? And how long do you leave it out to brew?

[@kylaluv8453]

@@M.M.Y.B I use what ever tea I have in the house, thar includes herbal teas. Drop a couple mint tea bags in with the black tea...refreshing. I live in AZ, during the summer here it doesn't rake long, like maybe 40 minutes. Back in MI it would take 2 hours or more. But I don't like my tea too dark, so trial and error mistly.

[@ruth649]

The thing is that kettles are so common here that a kitchen without a kettle would feel incomplete, just as much as a kitchen without a hob or a fridge. Like my grandparents never owned microwaves, but they definitely had electric kettles. There's also the joke/fact that when you move houses in the UK, the kettle is the last item to be packed and first one to be unpacked because it's just viewed as essential.

[@finghinmcloughlin1215]

5:44 lovely Irish accent the true slang coming out 😂☘️

[@SomethingSomethingComplete]

Calling your electric kettle a "coffee kettle" is like me calling my dishwasher a sous vide because I like to cook my chicken in there.

[@MamaVee50]

We old folks always used a tea kettle to boil water before we got our microwave. Going back to one. Once I dump the Keurig 😞I’ll be rediscovering pour-over coffee. Love tea as well, iced in summer, hot in winter. Hi from SoCal. 🌺

[@andrewlonghofer]

What a great Technology Connections video

[@monogurui6533]

Halloween in its traditional sense is from Ireland/Scotland and England probably had their version as well. We Americans stole it and turned it into a hallmark holiday. Marmite is mainly Australian last I checked, so there's that. As for tea, yea, most of America forgets tea even exists, or they drink lipton... just like folders/Starbucks/MacDonalds are the main staples of coffee drinkers. It took me many many years to learn to appreciate good coffee/tea as well. As far as power grids, I had no idea we were behind in that regard, so thank you for that tidbit.

[@lynette.]

We used to celebrate Halloween by apple bobbing or trying to eat apples strung up on a line and telling spooky stories. No pumpkins or superhero costumes. Spells and midnight things was the thing before the American influences.

[@gizmomypet4359]

We are gonna need the full song from the end!😊😊

[@Andrew8468]

Canadian here. My late father always drank instant coffee made using a stove top kettle. After he had a stroke, he would put the kettle on and nod off. After he boiled the kettle dry we disposed of it and bought an electric kettle with an automatic shutoff from Walmart

[@Phalaenopsisify]

Swede here! We call it a vattenkokare, a water boiler. I cannot imagine life without one as we like both coffee and tea, I mostly use a French press for coffee. But you use a kettle for so much, boiling potatoes, pasta etc. And it's not marginally faster than the stove, it's a lot faster. And above else, with rising energy costs it's way more energy efficient ⚡

[@whatdoyousuppose]

I’m an American with an electric kettle and many non-electric kettles! Then again my family is Turkish so that probably explains our tea habits 😂

[@blueboyblue]

First, you do not want to boil water for TEA. Various Teas require a different temperature to optimize the brewing. All of which, including Black Tea, are less that 100°C. And my Microwave can do that. 2:30 = 180°F/82.3°C 2:40 = 190°F/87°C 2:50 = 200°F/93.3°C 3:00 = 210°F/98.9°C Plus, I never make a Pot of Tea or Coffee, I'm a one cup guy. So, the microwave works fine even if only brewing one cup of ground coffee. Though I confess that I use instant coffee most of the time - _Vina Cafe (3in1)_ - works great for me.

[@koyaaanisquatsi]

omg your video quality is fire! it feels like a thousand frames per sec lol

[@evan]

Thanks it’s just 50 haha

[@randomgirl2173]

Not me sitting here thinking he's going to bring up Quooker taps, and then getting an ad for them (:

[@marna_li]

I use my kettle mostly to boil water for instant noodles, soups. Rarely instant coffee - I have real filter coffee machine. I have an induction top but it is slow. So sometimes I pour the boiled water in to speed it up when cooking pasta or rice.

[@tadiwam6011]

My family is from Zimbabwe and my mum likes to make tea on the stove in an enamel kettle. This allows her to get hot milk in her tea without having to get a pot out or microwave it.

[@catfromearth6049]

This is so fascinating to me, considering I grew up in California but my dad grew up in the UK. Every morning my dad boils water in our electric kettle to make coffee in a french press. Now that I’ve moved to england, I was surprised that my flat didn’t come with a coffee maker so of course I went straight to ikea to get a cheap french press to sit next to the kettle in the kitchen lol. I think my family has created our own weird norms :)

[@clabood]

Australian here. We call it a kettle or jug but a pot were you brew the tea leaves/bag is a tea pot. We also have a Billy Kettle which makes Billy Tea. It is used when camping and heated over an camp fire. Also it just takes around 2 mintues to boil water not really that long.

[@Luubelaar]

Aussie here. My family is from Scotland and England. We drink tea all the damn time. I couldn't exist without my kettle.

[@skykitchen867]

Growing up, we didn't have coffeepots in the house. Mother always made pour over coffee using a gooseneck kettle to pour the hot water with. Never drank tea. Fast forward to now, I still do pourover using a gooseneck and don't have a electric coffeepot.

[@BendyLemmy]

Haha funny one. I have a nice ceramic burr grinder for my coffee, but mostly I drink tea - and I ended up preferring the yellow Lipton international blend - drop a teabag into an Ikea 400ml flask, add 2tsp sugar and hot water (no milk - that's not very British). When my brother visited from Texas he really liked it and bought his own Ikea flask so he could have drinks on the go whilst staying in Thailand.

[@nineteenthly]

I never drink tea but I use a kettle all the time to heat water for my cafetiere. It's more efficient than using a saucepan on a hob because the heating element is in contact with the water.

[@NinaBee21]

I’m an American and I grew up with a stove top kettle but I don’t recall it being used much. In the South we do boil our sweet tea on the stove in a pot and yes we use Lipton‘s tea lol. When I got older and got into hot tea I purchased an electric kettle from Target. I went with electric because it’s a lot faster than my electric stove. Also, the electric kettle has different temperatures for different teas. I also use it for hot chocolate, oatmeal, and Roman noodles.

[@montyollie]

Canadian here, somewhere in the middle of all this mess. I grew up in a Slovak household (all four grandparents were immigrants from Slovakia) in Canada, and they'd adopted ALL the british ways of drinking tea for breakfast. There was ALWAYS a kettle on the stove and you always either decanted that into a teapot with bags in it or into your mug with a bag in it. Looseleaf was years away or only at Chinese restaurants. But yeah, now I own an electric kettle, of course I do, and was weirded out when I found out Americans did not. Bizarro!

[@Justabitnosey]

We use kettles for more than making tea and coffee. It's a lot quicker to boil water in electric kettles.😂😂😂I go on holiday to mainland Europe and we are provided with a kettle in our room, apartment or lodge as well as tea and coffee just like UK. When we went to Florida there was non. As we were in a hotel we had no hob to boil a pan on.