Why don't Americans use electric kettles?

It's not really a mystery.
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• The US electrical syst...
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[@TechnologyConnections]

Hey! I deleted a couple of things from this script which I shouldn't have. I've made a follow-up video on Connextras which includes them and more! Here's a link, but you can also expand this comment for a quick run-down. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKHSiXmhYs6rkMU *Coffee makers.* That's what we use. And since they'll make hot water, too (so long as you don't put coffee in them) many people will also use them for making other hot beverages. Some coffee makers are better than others for that, though. I would imagine that as soon as the percolator became popular, we got hooked on coffee and never went back. Also; Microwaves. That also works! It seems to offend the more British among you (and some other folks get freaked out by the slim possibility of superheated water) but if you want a single cup of tea, nuking a mug full of water for about two minutes will in fact bring it to a boil. Energy is energy, and water is water!

[@Stjaernljus]

While it works in a pinch using a microwave to boil water makes tea taste odd, thats why people get "offended" by the idea.

[@doublej42]

I do t get how this can be unless there is something in the water it’s just heated. That said coffee maker water tastes like coffee and is rarely above 80c. Okay for green in a pinch but I’m a tea snob.

[@lvrboi92]

So, I did some cursory googling (love verbifying nouns) and, take this with a grain of salt, as my source is a "Slate" article but: "The longer water boils, the more dissolved oxygen it loses-and tea experts say that dissolved oxygen is crucial for a bright and refreshing brew." As well as: "Microwaved water can also be taken to several degrees above boiling if heated for too long (which is impossible in a kettle, because the metallic surface prevents overheating). Such ultra-hot water destroys desired aromatic compounds and elicits an excess of astringent, bitter notes by overcooking the leaves" So...maybe microwaving water MAY have an effect on the taste of tea, but it looks more dependent on the temperature. Something to keep in mind, maybe 🤔

[@mikev7490]

The sass in this one was a delight. And my desire to rid myself of a gas burner has only gotten higher. Not the point of the video, I know, but I was already sold on kettles.

[@seligman99]

"slim possibility of superheated water" .. yep, might be a slim chance, but it's happened to me once, so I avoid the chance of a second water bomb now. It's not fun.

[@dirkmohrmann8960]

Kettles may theoretically be faster, but I usually just boil a large pot of water on the stove top,and then freeze it for later use.

[@itisdevonly]

This made me lol.

[@kajmace]

Perfect.

[@eukaryon]

That is sooo American!

[@saustin98]

Nice.

[@leme686]

Genious..

[@b4ttlemast0r]

For me as a German, those stove-top kettles look like an antique relic, something you might find at your grandma's house, while electric kettles are the modern equivalent.

[@masterofgames8261]

its also shocking to me that most american households only have 1500w per plug compared to 3500w for most of our german/european households

[@keithmyerscough697]

I'm actually beginning to view electric kettles as old-fashioned since I have a boiling water tap 😀 (a Quooker).

[@entropy1454]

​@@masterofgames8261Unfortunately that's the downside of running on 120V.

[@DominikTrzaskacz]

and the best is the sestence: "Induction stoves are the new hotness"

[@jimtaylor294]

As a Brit', Stovetop (or Hob) Kettles are a reassuring back up, for whenever the electric one isn't working. After all: you can boil a Hob Kettle on basically anything that's hot, yet if there's a power failure or the device is due for de-limescaling, the E-Kettle isn't much use. If anythings worth doing, it's worth having several ways of doing it 😉 .

[@ChubiPanda]

As a brit I can't fathom a house without an electric kettle. It's an incredibly common house warming gift.

[@Death-999]

The guy in this video acts like the only thing you can boil water for is tea, like coffee doesn't exist, or hot chocolate or jelly. I'm sure there are a LOT of things I've used my kettle for, just never thought about it and never assumed American's just wouldn't have them in their homes.

[@STRONGERTHANDEATH0.01]

I'd walk in an American home and shout where's the fricking kettle ? Then where do you keep your 37 cups ? No , that's not a lot 😀..

[@darrylreynolds5688]

You have to remember USA is mostly horrendously under developed

[@isaiahdean424]

do you guys have coffeemakers in your house though

[@dirozx]

​@@Death-999 coffee you have a coffee maker for and chocolate milk? Real chocolate milk is made with milk not water.

[@WanukeX]

12:29 - The Blue LEDs are very handy for my mostly deaf father whenever he’s making tea, couldn’t hear a whistle to save his life but he can see when the LEDs turn off.

[@SterlingGardens]

his complaint is with the blue part, not the light part (it's come up in previous videos). Blue light is harsh and especially annoying in the dark, which is why it's poorly suited for small screens/indicator lights that stay on overnight. In the kettle, it's (probably) purely an aesthetic annoyance

[@SgtIdontcare]

well, in EU, they sell pretty cheap electric kettles in Lidl with different colors for different temperatures too. 50°C is green 70°C blue 80°C purple 90°C lime 100°C red

[@felixmakesart]

“More power to them.” This is the kind of humour I come to this channel for.

[@metonymic896]

The absolute deadpan delivery almost convinced me it wasn't an intentional joke. And then he just let it steep for a good few seconds.

[@CloudStrife253]

I laughed so hard when that happened... Like... More than anyone should've.

[@felixmakesart]

@@metonymic896 LET IT STEEP I see you, that was good

[@evanplanas]

I literately let out an exasperated gasp out through my nose.

[@ni_tai]

I personally laughed so hard at the "One fun thing about this universe" part.

[@WizardAngst]

I haven't had tea in years, still use my electric kettle all the time for cup noodles and coffee and because i'm too lazy to wait for a saucepan to boil water for pasta so I put pre-boiled water.

[@1Thunderfire]

It's not lazy, it's sensible if it means you're using less energy overall.

[@natebell4764]

Pour over coffee, I needed a quicker way to do slow coffee.

[@CoBzu]

Exactly! I drink tea maybe once a month, yet use the kettle to preheat water for so many things in the kitchen! Making pour-over coffee, cooking pasta, steaming dumplings, heating up hot dogs (you can guess where I'm from). All of that uses hot water.

[@KulegaRycha]

I feel like everyone failed to realise how much cheaper 1kW of gas is (or rather was) than a 1kW of electrical energy... According to data i found online, in the city i live in, in January 2022 the cost of boiling water would be similar, even with that huge loss of energy when we boil water with gas. Years ago i thought about how when i was a kid we didn't use electric kettle because it was more expensive than boiling water with gas, my parents counted that. Which led me to point, what a failure, or just screwing people over with bills that is. burning gas in gas power plant is surely way efficient than burning it yourself, yet... here we are >.< i hope my comment makes sence, i can try to explain if someone didn't get it :v

[@ronnie3044]

@@KulegaRycha I’ve read that like 6 times and still have no idea what your trying to say lol.

[@alpienari]

As someone from a tea-drinking country I must say that the speed is a good benefit, but the main from switching from stovetop kettle. When each member your family drinks tea 4-6 times a day, one of your stove burners is almost always occupied by the kettle. So it's just more convinient to have all four burners at your service whenever you need, no matter when someone wants to have a cup of tea. Especialy during family gatherings - the stove is occupied with pans and pots.

[@flextefitness4954]

It takes me 4 minutes to boil a cup of water with my stove kettle. Also I use loose tea in a glass kettle that I have to steep. I ha e to use 1 tablespoon of loose leaf tea for one cup of water tablespoon of loose leaf tea for 8 oz of water. I still have not found to precisely, pour one cup from a kettle into my steeping kettle. But what I do is take one cup fill it up with my water. Pour that into my tea kettle on the stove and then when it boils pour that into my steeping kettle. I get the perfect amount each time. If you're doing tea bags then yes an electric kettle would work just fine.

[@alpienari]

@@flextefitness4954 I don't understand how you came to your last conclusion. People around the world drinks tea differently. My parents had a small tea shop in the 90s, so we tried a lot of different tea and loose tea is much better in general. So we used to make loose tea most of the time. In a teapot you will have a tea brewing, a small portion of which you add to the cup and then mix with hot water from the kettle. In this case there is no difference between stovetop kettle of an electric one. And if you use teabag it doesn't affect much, you just need less water, because you brew tea already in a cup (BTW, you can brew loose the directly in the cwp too, and brew teabags in a teapot - a lot of different options and it doesn't connected much with type of kettle. You just need a boiled water, no mater how you boil it)

[@flextefitness4954]

​@@alpienari Thanks for this response. It is very hard to explain what I'm saying just by typing it. The instructions on my tea say 8 oz of water to 1 tbsp of tea. So yes, if I wanted to eyeball everything that would work just fine. I'm trying to use the exact measurements so I know exactly how my tea is going to come out. I did find a tea kettle that's actually going to work for me. Most of the old tea kettles don't allow you to only boil one cup of water at a time because of the old coil method. Apparently one of the electric tea kettles I'm looking at allows you to add just one cup. I noticed you said use a little more water. Unfortunately, that doesn't work for me. I'm a very anal person and I like to take precise measurements of how much tea versus how much water I'm putting in. I also use a timer. I don't go by how the color of the tea looks. This way I know exactly how to make the tea that I want to my perfection. The last thing I wanted to add is that it takes my tea kettle on a gas stove, exactly 4 minutes to boil one cup of water. The electric head I'm looking at takes 50 seconds. 3 minutes is really not a lot of time. I don't like a lot of stuff on my countertop I live a very minimalistic life. I make tea three times a day at least so I can leave my kettle on the stove but electric one would have to be in the countertop which takes up space and would be an eyesore because at the moment I don't have much counter space. Once I move and I do have more counter space I will then look for a nice tea kettle to leave on my countertop.

[@tango2642]

Also, if I forgot about the water boiling, an electric kettle just turns off, and a stovetop kettle burns. I burned a lot of stovetop kettles when I was a kid. Electric is the way to go.

[@alpienari]

@@tango2642 yep, the same 😅 Mom bought a kettle after my brother burned our stovetop one twice in one week.

[@johnleake5657]

Something that makes it even faster is that we commonly just put a cup and a bit of water into the kettle to make a single cup rather than your soda stream bottle. That saves a lot of power and water. That's the reason more expensive (=modern) kettles have embedded elements, not immersive ones, so you can safely heat a single cup.

[@btaens]

For those wondering, being a European, owning a kettle, a sodastream, and an induction stove top, I thought I'd repeat the experiment with those. Here are the numbers for reaching boiling point for a sodastream worth of water: 240V kettle: 2:13 3 phase induction stove top at max setting: 2:38 So in fact, a 240-land kettle is still faster than an induction stove top. I suspect not all those 3 phases are pumped into the stovetops themselves, but are rather used for the stove part.

[@stephencoles5991]

Australian here also 240V, SMEG kettle rated 2000-2400W 905g water when filled just above the line of our sidastream bottle. Time to the start of a rolling boil 2:42 I'm going to try to remember to do this when the sun is up and my solar panels are producing as I'm convinced they pull up the voltage...

[@NicoBurns]

Did you put a lid on the pot you put on your induction stove?

[@dajw]

Our induction stove is 3200W per burner on a 32A 230v supply. It’s pretty quick. I’m going to measure it because it’s notably faster than our old kettle was!

[@paoloposo]

I can't speak for how the power distribution is in combined ovens and cooktops, but if they are connected separately, the oven will be single-phase while the cooktop is three-phase.

[@ciaran2679]

My induction cooker in boost mode beats a 240V SMEG kettle if none of the rest of the cooker is in use, but only by a few seconds. I expect a cheaper kettle that doesn't have variable temperature features might win.

[@robertives973]

This man literally watched water boil for us several times. He’s truly a man of the people

[@theairaccumulator7144]

He is a man of the people, truly a communist.

[@rasaecnai]

And we watched him to it for our entertainment!

[@robertcuminale1212]

I just let it boil away and just pour water in the pot to rehydrate it.

[@yw1971]

Next he'll watch paint dry

[@francoa.9646]

“They” 🤣 just kidding

[@NikNeil107]

Spouse bought one a few years ago. We use it everyday. It’s hard to believe we went without one for decades.

[@maxrbmc]

I love that you arrive at the answer to the title question quickly and don't make us wait until the end of the video. I was still enraptured by all the physics until the end!

[@thomasfleming8388]

I went to Europe about 8 years ago. All of the hotels had electric kettles with instant coffee and tea. When I came home to Montana, I went to Walmart and purchased an electric kettle. I was amazed at how fast they boil water compared to a stove-top kettle. I have one at work and one at home, excellent tool!

[@DrMarcArnoldBach]

Sure it is induction? I see no reason to push electronic energy in a magnetic field to induct a circular current in a fixed boiler setting I would guess it’s a resistor with a cover.

[@thomasfleming8388]

@@DrMarcArnoldBach You're probably correct. It likely has an element under the plate. *Edited my original comment. :)

[@EdwardFielding]

And they sell portable ones. Silicon tops that fold for traveling.

[@SteveBonario]

Same. One at home, one at work. So convenient and fast.

[@cemil2581]

Welcome to the future

[@LordHorst]

"We don't drink tea all that much" I nod in agreement, while sipping my coffee which I brewed in a french press, using an electric kettle to boil water.

[@chargehanger]

The right way to boil water is of course with a pulsejet kettle : kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5enfmx7l5ZpetE

[@DestinationsChronicles]

YES! We do too. Perfect for a french press or an Aero press!

[@lauraheikel5521]

Exactly! Pour over coffee, even with stove top espresso machines we're supposed to put hot water in the bottom to do it properly, and of course using the hot water to warm the cups and the teapots. I have a 30+ year old stove top, so I use it for pasta water & ramen as well.

[@sofiejensen3804]

One more here for French press... and considering we had a whole show about coffee it is strange our dear host didn't consider it...

[@AliceLoverdrive]

Now I'm wondering, how muricans make coffee if it doesn't involve boiling water in a kettle. Since I suspect they don't do it properly in a cezve, I'm drawing blanks.

[@LocalDiscordCatgirl]

“Its because we dont drink as much tea” Okay, do you drink instant coffee? Hot chocolate? Cook meals which call for boiling water (microwave meals)? My kettle (known here as a jug) is my most used appliance with second place being held by my air fryer.

[@lainlives]

Instant coffee? Most Americans would laugh at the concept.

[@krystofv6917]

THANK YOU. I know that Americans love their coffee machines, but over here in my corner of Europe, basically no one owns coffee machines and yet coffee is drunk by the hectoliters. Why have a dedicated machine to brew specifically coffee when you could have a kettle for all sorts of water boiling needs

[@lainlives]

@@krystofv6917 Because pour over coffee tastes different. Instant coffee is just gross. I like the slow drip fresh brew coffee it takes less than 1 cubic foot, or (well i was about to do a metric conversion but theres nothing close to the range of a foot so you end up with asinine decimal points or fractions but around less than 1/4 cubic meters or so) It is not much counter space for a thing I use every day. I don't even boil water every day. (My coffee machine heats water to specific temperatures and doesn't do the boily doo method) Maybe it ties into our friggen massive mcmansions. In short coffee machine small. Coffee not from the machine taste bad. Despite tons of kitchen gadgets and multiple 7-10cu-ft freezers, I still have more kitchen space and yet I envy my dad's kitchen as mine is small.

[@lainlives]

Also I do have a kettle. The coffee machine gets far more use mostly because again, It's the only reason I require hot water literally every day other than a shower. Especially if i need a single glass of hot or boiling water as it has a function for that. Normally I'm boiling a small amount (far less than a liter which the kettle still works but its nice to just fill the cup, dump it in the machine, put the cocoa in the cup, hit boil water and it fills the cup with boiling water and is normally well mixed by the time its full and I'm out of the bathroom a minute or two later.) Or a huge amount (multiple gallons/liters for cookery) But when the kettle fits the ticket I absolutely use it! They are getting more common here and my circle of friends mostly have one nowdays after they seen me make instant noodles or rice with it.

[@lainlives]

But one more reiteration. It was even brought up in the video. Instant coffee? What is wrong with your continent! (I joke, but seriously fresh brewed coffee really is next level in comparison)

[@zemlidrakona2915]

As an American living in Russia I basically had figured out most of the stuff in this video going in. Here it's called a chaynik which is a word a applied various tea making devices. Chay (pronounced more like ch-eye) means tea, and nik is tacked on to words meaning devices or people that do a job.

[@stevenjacobs2750]

As an american it is deeply satisfying to gift nice electric kettles to my friends and family and help them come into the modern era.

[@necroseus]

Mmmm, I love boiling water in a *plastic* vessel. Great gift!

[@stevenjacobs2750]

@@necroseus what a strange comment. You make an assumption based on no information and then choose to use your self-generated negative story to compel you to make a negative comment. I'm sorry you're having a hard time. But there is no need to rub it all over internet strangers. Good luck out there.

[@necroseus]

@@stevenjacobs2750 I did do that, yes. I suppose this comment was is pretty bad taste, sorry about that. I was trying to be funny while also commenting on my dislike of these types of kennels due to chemical leeching. Rereading it, I realize that this was pretty directly an insult to a nice gift you've given :I. Whoops Have a good day, I promise I'm not derranged xD

[@stevenjacobs2750]

@@necroseus fwiw I only gift *nice* electric kettles that are stainless steel ;)

[@necroseus]

@@stevenjacobs2750 Ayyyy

[@adamknight5089]

I just can't imagine living without an electric kettle, and still don't understand how people in US can even live without it. It's not just for tea, also coffee, hot chocolate, instant noodles, instant oats, home bubble tea, for cleaning dishes (or softening hardened food in pot/pan, softening old mugs), for cooking pasta (add boiling water to the pot is quicker than waiting for the stove), etc. I can boil a litre in 1 min 40 seconds. It's just incredibly useful and versatile. The thought that I'd have to wait around 6 minutes for a stove kettle that doesn't even turn auto off is mind numbingly ridiculous.

[@inkey2]

we have a smaller version in the USA we use quite a lot called a HOT SHOT. It quickly boils enough water for a large cup of coffee, instant soup tea, or instant oats, etc.

[@dewilew2137]

We have electric kettles. I have two, actually, plus a regular stovetop one (gooseneck for pourover coffee). I suppose most Americans don’t drink tea, but plenty of us do.

[@inkey2]

@@dewilew2137 I think more and more Americans are "slowly" switching to tea. Coffee is getting too rough for my stomach. I like Red Rose and Yorkshire

[@yukinoryu]

Imagine one day they discover Metric system… everything being N * 10 larger / smaller easy to use, calculate and name

[@medvjed_store]

:-D when i moved into flat (i'm living in now) i purchased nice red (:-D) stovetop kettle. Used it (may be) 3 times? :-D Just was not worth the waiting. I excused myself from my old electric kettle and plugged it back in ASAP. :-)

[@elainesandman9874]

I wish you'd been one of my teachers all along my educational journey!!!! What a pleasure to listen to your voice and your clarity in explanations. THANK YOU!!!

[@martinriley106]

In the U.K. we have 3kw kettles and they boil 1 litre of water in about 2.5 minutes. But then we do have 240v ac 50-60htz.

[@Alec72HD]

Clueless if it's 50 or 60 ???

[@thorstenjaspert9394]

In Europe AC current is specified with 50 Hz.

[@oneratdylan]

I'm Australian. Our main use of an electric kettle is not for making tea. It's just for boiling water. It can be used for everything. If you need to cook some pasta and are in a rush then just boil the water in the kettle before moving it to a pot on the stove, and so on. Also, love your videos :)

[@carsonwilliams]

I was thinking about that during this like hmm this damn doo hickey might make great pasta

[@Christoph1888]

​@@carsonwilliamsjust makes the heating the water much quicker. Doesn't cook pasta. Probably 3 to 4 times quicker to heat up water, most kettles can boil up to half a gallon. Cheap ones cost $10 Australian. So maybe $7 US.

[@dod-do-or-dont]

Doing the same :)

[@xploration1437]

What a waste of time.

[@AlexRyne]

We're, here in Russia, cook sausages in them, someone's even cooking an entire soup (mainly a students)

[@OhadLutzky]

In our old apartment we had replaced a standard electric cooktop with an induction one (here in Ireland it's not considered that new of a hotness), and it was *phenomenal*. Ridiculously fast and remarkably easier-to-clean than its visually-identical predecessor (presumably because it doesn't get as hot itself). We have since moved to a house with a gas cooktop (and no electric point suitable for an induction one... yet...) and we miss the induction one dearly. I also vote for content about induction cooktops ^_^

[@reaganharder1480]

I have an induction cooktop in my little apartment (not even a proper stove, just a single cooktop for one pot or pan) and it is almost frightening how quickly it heats a pot or pan.

[@MrMcbram]

Yess! In my student housing in the Netherlands i had to share my kitchen with 13 others. So naturally I opted for making a kitchen top in my room with the induction top from ikea! Honestly so much better than gas and less dangerous and easily cleaned!

[@Colonel_Overkill]

My fiancee was irish national and loved induction stoves. I personally prefer gas and we had many a heated discussion over who was wrong (she was). 😇

[@TheFekke100]

Please oh please. Induction cooktops are great

[@TheGrejp]

Induction (not regular resistive-heating glass ceramic first shown in the video, but the good second one!) is absolutely the way to go, it should be practically mandatory for everyone to get it - it's just so good. As a European as well, I've had induction cooktops for several years and I couldn't go back to anything else.

[@D.H.CE_FL]

I live in the US and I'm the only person I know who owns an electric kettle (or any kettle for that matter). I did just see one in a company's break room recently and was very surprised! We use it all the time for tea (yes, I'm one of the few American tea drinkers), coffee in a french press, and tons of other cooking tasks. Even when boiling water to cook, I will out half the water in rhe pot to start heating it and the pot, and then the other half the water in rhe kettle to pre-boil it before adding to the pot.

[@Shadowguy456234]

Interesting, but this seems so strange to me (also as an American) because my parents and many households where I'm from have them... that said I am from the SF Bay Area, which definitely qualifies as a bubble😄 And now I live in Switzerland and am amused by my induction stove boiling water even faster than my 240v kettle. True story!

[@nuynobi]

I will also split the water between a pot and kettle when I'm in a rush.

[@WordsInVain]

This guy is wholesome throughout. There are just too few people like this on the internet...

[@marctestarossa]

Here in Germany we have at least one electric kettle in every household. And not only that, we have them in every hotel room, office, break rooms at work, literally everywhere. And it is very common knowledge that these things not just bring water to a boil faster than anything you can put on a stove but that they save a lot of energy.

[@change_your_oil_regularly4287]

Pretty much the same here in Australia 🇦🇺

[@carsonwilliams]

As someone living in middle America I don't think I've ever seen a kettle electric or the metal one 😂now coffee/espresso makers Is a different story.

[@paddy1414]

As in the same in Ireland

[@Ultrapro011]

Same in Israel we have 2 (useful in the winter)

[@emadalvi3006]

We have a puck coffee machine that also acts a hot water dispenser. In my experience American offices have some form of electric hot water dispenser. It’s homes that are the problem in my experience. I use a kettle in my home.

[@johnathansaegal3156]

After watching this video, I went shopping for an electric kettle... the one I bought is far better than microwaving a cup, or five, to boil water. I eat instant noodles and many instant foods (I'm disabled and cannot stand in front of a stove). I bought a version slightly better than the cheapest one you showcased. On the trial run, I made a cup of tea. The cup of water boiled faster than I could prepare the "tea cozy". I was quite impressed. I use a 110v system in my home and use a 20-amp circuit. I calculated the amps of the kettle (11.6 amps). I share the outlet with my coffee maker. Since the kettle boils so fast, I simply unplug the coffee maker, boil the water, turn it off and then plug the coffee maker back into the outlet. I swear this video has saved me a lot of time - also considering the kitchen is pretty far from "my section" of the house. I don't have to share the stove or microwave with anyone. Therefore, I can have either coffee or tea at my leisure. Thank you for making the electric kettle known to me!

[@toryannasJMW]

That’s the same reasons I have one too. Disabled and eat more instant foods than I’d like. Also easier than navigating the stairs.

[@johnathansaegal3156]

@@toryannasJMW Stairs... ugh! I sold my original 2-story house after my injury. The stairs were so bad I had to have a caretaker come help me get down them, then back up to the bedroom. Having a 1-story home has made the world of difference in a good way... but getting 25 feet from my room to kitchen is still a tough chore on days where I'm paralyzed. I have a minifridge and shelving in my room with instant foods and packaged meals (think what you might put in kids' lunchboxes or something)... I don't eat like I should, and I think you totally know what I mean... but having the ability to boil water in my room or in the utility room next to my room is a Godsend! I'm literally more independent simple from an electric kettle!

[@toryannasJMW]

@@johnathansaegal3156 yes sir! I eat like a child some days when making real food is too much on my body. I try my best to take vitamins and protein shakes to make up for what I’m definitely missing. I converted a spare bedroom upstairs into a ‘kitchen’ with my kettle, toaster, and microwave even have a small freezer a family member gave me. It’s made a big difference in my quality of life and my ability to take care of myself.

[@Burger_pants]

@@johnathansaegal3156 you know they make portable range-tops right? I have one for emergencies. Nothing should be stopping you from eating better, you should try to cook more, instant foods will help cement your disabled ststus and put you in an early grave.

[@jondro6284]

Well, boiling water in microwave is a bad idea anyway. If you disturb it too much after the boiling, it can "explode"

[@teresse2742]

Interesting! I always wondered why as here it is common knowledge that they are more efficient for heating up water and commonly used in other ways (like you do with pasta). Also interesting to see that induction should be more efficient. We got induction a year ago and we never really changed the habit of preboiling water in the kettle lol.

[@ZesPak]

I don't think he mentioned induction being more efficient. It can be faster though, since they can pull a lot more power.

[@DJTx1300]

My induction plate even has an auto boil function that turns the ‘heat’ down as soon as it detects a boiling pot on top. It does require a minimum of 1 liter to work. But is used a lot here using an old fashioned kettle. It starts to whistle hard and than quiets down when it turns down.

[@THESP-rz3hg]

I remember in college somebody had a "tea wand"- which was basically just the heating element from an electric kettle on a wall plug. You just stuck it in a mug and plugged it in. The water was hot almost instantly. And yes- that means it was both a fire and an electrocution hazard at the same time. Great video as always.

[@mr.nerd3.142]

We use those in labs in college to heat up water.

[@jer-elmartinez229]

The great thing about something working super fast is you're not tempted to leave it unattended.

[@brentonsword6688]

I've seen these in 12v version with cigarette port on it. No overheat protection nor fuse! Lovely 👌

[@josephgaviota]

I remember ladies at work had those, back in the '70s. The company provided coffee, in big industrial coffee pots ... but some wanted something a little more, um, "refined" I guess.

[@moconnell663]

I used to have one of those! It was very convenient, and small enough to be portable, allowing me to have hot coffee or instant soup anywhere with an electrical outlet.

[@ElementalMaker]

After a couple weeks in the UK I immediately added one of these to my kitchen when I got home. I also gave up coffee which jacked up my stomach and am now a yorkshire gold fanboy. Couldn't imagine not having an electric Kettle handy now.

[@zierlyn]

Such a perfectly balanced comment.

[@Dong_Harvey]

@@zierlyn today we are going to exploit the boiling point of water!

[@himaro101]

My wife would be proud of you... She swears by Yorkshire Tea. I'm more a traitor to the UK as I drink coffee.

[@malcolmhaig3709]

Yorkshire Tea is very very good, did you ever try Rington's Tea from a little further north? It is my favourite, but I am biased as I come from there. :)

[@joshuarosen6242]

It was funny how he talked about cooking and cleaning with hot water. If you're English, there is only one use for a kettle and that's making a cup of tea. I make about ten cups a day and if it took 8 minutes rather than 2 to boil a kettle that would waste an hour a day.

[@AlexChernomaz]

so simple topic, but you made it great: nice tests, good explanations. I live in Europe and use induction cooking panels for many years. Atm when I have to cook smth on generic electric cooking panel : i feel like in the stone age as electric one takes ages comparing to 7+ KW induction ones. And you're right: while induction are more efficient in kitchen, quite often they have an additional boosting, which makes cooking/boiling much faster comparing to standard induction. Plus of course they do not warm up your room that much as electric ones (i even do not compare to gas version of cooking panels). Some manufacturers (like Bosh) claim about 50% faster timing on boost comparing to the standard mode (but of course less efficient) on induction panel, but i've never tried to compare and measure timings).

[@zhuguidai]

"That's it! That's the thing what get hot!" 😂

[@SlashZooka]

Dude from Germany here! Never thought of someone not having an electric kettle out there, boiling small portions of water using a stove is something you will usually never do here (needs more power and time). Boiling water with a kettle takes just up to an minute (230V mains voltage)

[@computerjantje]

yeah same here (netherlands). Never realized the usa does not have this in every home. Now I know and I know why :) Great video.

[@denmar355]

I don’t hardly ever need to boil water. I think the difference is that in the USA we don’t have a spot of hot tea as a daily normal thing. I drink iced tea which I make in a larger quantity at a time. Coffeemakers take care if the coffee brewing. Microwave can heat a cup of water very quickly as well. Just different social customs.

[@makoado6010]

in hungary everybody have kettle but nobody use it. and to make a cup of hot water we use microwave.

[@MAKgargos]

@@denmar355 It is not just tea. Even if you are just cooking things (noodles or potatoes), many people here start with this kettle, because it is almost instant hot. And a microwave is not as fast as this one. A microwave is good for a cup. If you do more, it's wasted energy and time.

[@erynn9968]

You also forgot that Americans cook less than in Europe - so neither they need tea nor boiling water for cooking XD

[@PersonManManManMan]

As a human person myself I found this video very useful, because I do boil water on regular basis from time to time! Thank you for your great video!

[@xCupressocyparis]

Name checks out 😂

[@brigidsingleton1596]

"on a regular basis" & "from time to time" seems to me to be opposite phrases . .. Perhaps pedantry us my downfall...or your phraseology us unbalanced. ?! 🤔

[@PersonManManManMan]

@brigidsingleton1596 That is intentional to add comedic effect. That being said irregular events could occur on regular time intervals. For example rain rains seemingly irregularly, but if you look at a bigger picture there is certain periods and conditions when it is likely to occur

[@banthedog4140]

Sounds like something a non human person would say I would know because I am real human person

[@brt5273]

I use one in Missouri and I LOVE IT!!! Gifted one to my mother and she loves it! Gifted one to my friend for her travel trailor and she loves it! They're great.

[@earthling1984]

Been using an electric kettle for over 10 years now (still same one I bought over a decade ago, still works like new). I make tea often, and also make all coffee in a French press. So, mine gets used probably 5 days a week at least. For sure way faster than a kettle on the stove.

[@Larry]

I have a kettle, but use it for stuff like coffee, pasta, ramen, hot dogs Etc. basically it gets to the boil far quicker than on a stove.

[@saen2755]

Yeah i wanna know how americans make coffiee since i use a kettle for it too

[@aminy23]

@@saen2755 Coffee machines. A Mr. Coffee style one is fairly traditional. Keurig style is the new way.

[@ianthomas1201]

aren't you a known racist Larry?

[@yeetdeets]

If I need a big pot of boiling water, I put 1/4 of the water in the pot on the electric stove - max heat. Then I boil the other 3/4 in the electric kettle.

[@stein_the_lynx3284]

excuse me. hot dogs? wouldn't that make the kettle taste odd from the hot dog water. even if you pour it out i would still think it would leave a lasting taste

[@recklessroges]

I remember the first time that I used an induction stove with "Boost" to boil water: it was so fast that I was literally scared. It felt like the bottom of the pan had opened up a portal directly to hell and was being heated by the joyous warmth of pure sin. ;-)

[@lustfulvengance]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ProctorsGamble]

Well. Maybe not joyous but more like heinous 😈

[@CSpottsGaming]

@@ProctorsGamble It can be both

[@PuddinJr1993]

Best comment

[@wendymuir7818]

If you're doing it right.

[@jonathanhibberd9983]

I got a cheap electric kettle at the grocery store like 5 years ago, and it's my most used appliance. I haven't tested it against a pot on the stove, but it's pretty fast. I use it for tea, coffee, cocoa.

[@LittleDancerByGrace]

Canadian here. My parents have used electric kettles for YEARS. In fact, their electric kettles see so much use (they and a lot of my siblings are heavy hot-drink drinkers) that they had to replace the thing at least every two years simply because it would wear out. I would say I rarely, if ever, see a traditional kettle whenever I go to peoples' houses... my parents were relatively late adopters of the electric kettle. And Canada has the same 120v electrical system as the US. They're also a great option for ramen, oatmeal, etc in dorm rooms. My parents sent me to college with one. I think I still have that kettle in our storage closet.

[@averagejoey2000]

heat pumps, rice cookers, toasters, kettles, reusable hand warmers this channel is really good at telling us how to heat things

[@YouKnowMeDuh]

I am very happy for that, because I get cold easily and need as much heat as I can get 😂

[@lddutra]

It's a hot topic!!!

[@redmatrix]

I don't think I like this theme; it makes my blood boil! j/k

[@QuiqueZapata]

And cool things too. We know all about the refrigeration cycle!

[@CarlLevitt]

I bought an embarrassingly cheap electric kettle almost 12 years ago. It has been the single best value of any appliance I have owned in my life.

[@rijden-nu]

I bought one 10 years ago for, I wanna say, like €19. It's been great. But last month it started leaking through the plastic screen on the side with the measures on it. So now I bought a new one. For €17. A Tomado TWK1701B. It says it will go to 2200 Watt, but I don't know. It boils a liter of water in 3:10, or 100 seconds, on my 230V connection. I will be back here reporting on it in 10 years.

[@Chlooy]

@@rijden-nu I'll be here waiting for that report

[@rijden-nu]

@@Chlooy Don't hold your breath. No really, don't.

[@malcolmhaig3709]

When you have an item you use that frequently for that amount of time, it's almost like losing a friend when it dies.

[@rijden-nu]

@@malcolmhaig3709 Well... A cheap friend, and an easily replaceable friend. But let's be honest - aren't most friends like that?

[@Sine-gl9ly]

UK here. I've had a portable induction hob (cost me less than £30) for a few years now, and it's measurably faster than my superduper electric kettle, which cost about the same price. My induction hob also switches off automatically on the 'boil water' setting. I still use the kettle, though - it's just _so_ convenient much of the time.

[@linhhoang3636]

A great and very thorough review❤

[@paulocanecarlthedamnjohnson]

I remember I moved in with a roommate and they had an electric kettle, couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of this wonderful thing that boils water in 2 minutes, then he moved 2 years later and I had to go back to stove boiling before I bought an electric kettle.

[@5Andysalive]

well such a major investement of at least 15$ demands a very careful thinking over.

[@dennismwangangi]

@@5Andysalive 🙃the 1st I ever bought cost less than 6$

[@dennismwangangi]

🤣🤣

[@jagadishgospat2548]

sounds like a romantic novel

[@redblade8160]

Carl... You probably never heard of "electric showers" either?

[@robinday8200]

English here... glad you mentioned using the kettle to fill a pot to then boil for pasta etc. Yes we do drink tea... but... we use the kettle just as much for getting water hot for cooking and then transferring to a pan.

[@dennisfraser6896]

You have already paid to heat Your water fill the kettle with Hot water from the tap boils In halve the time.

[@dugan6056]

@@dennisfraser6896 Remind me never to have a shower at your house.

[@honey23b2]

@@dennisfraser6896 I’m expat living in China…, ukk. Never. Not even back home in UK would 8 drink tap water without boiling. Sorry. I use a kettle every day for drinking and cooking. Fast and efficient.

[@lindaj5492]

@@dennisfraser6896 Only if you have a hot water tank.

[@williamdgh7942]

@@honey23b2 this! I live in Australia, yes the tap water is safe to drink here but how could you tolerate the taste? Cold boiled water just tastes much better.

[@jasonlara]

This was an oddly satisfying and very informative video. I really enjoyed it. I am going to start using my electric kettle more here in the US.

[@stevenwilson5556]

Brilliant video, a lot of good info well presented.

[@demagus]

"It's because we don't drink tea every day." Yup. The moment my wife became a daily tea drinker we got a pretty decent electric kettle with a timer, temp setting, the whole shebang. Didn't cost too much and made her morning tea much easier to make.

[@aquiamorgan2416]

Me an my partner both started drinking tea after I realized daily coffee was giving me health problems, and I love my kettle. It's not even fancy, just a boily-poury-thingy. I use it for tea and ramen and hot cocoa and my hot water bottle and sanitizing stuff. It's just a great appliance.

[@bansheedearg]

Get an under sink instant hot water dispenser. Tea in seconds instead of minutes.

[@bansheedearg]

@Samuel Blackwood Careful, sir. "Tea is a big NO for those who suffer from kidney stones. This is because tea has very high oxalate content and oxalic acid aid in the forming of kidney stones. So, does tea cause kidney stones? The answer is yes, drinking too much tea can lead to the formation of kidney stones." A coworker who drank tea a lot got them in his bladder. Unique pain from ultrasonic treatment, he said.

[@shanebumpurs]

@@bansheedearg This is good to know. Thanks for commenting.

[@vexis58]

@@bansheedearg I say "tea", but most of what I drink is fruit/herbal infusions in hot water, like apple cinnamon, peppermint, rose hips, or citrus peels. (And that same article you're quoting says that *green* tea doesn't have this effect, only black tea. Well, and "iced tea" by which I assume they mean iced black tea.) Black tea is part of my rotation, mostly in the mornings for the caffeine, but where nutrition is concerned it's usually unhealthy to consume a lot of any one thing regardless of what it is.

[@daggern15]

As someone raised on 240V kettles for making a brew, I was perfectly fine like that until I heard about the hot water dispensers mentioned at the end of the video. I bought one last Christmas and can say walking up to the machine, pushing a button then just holding whatever receptacle I need filling under the machine until it's full is an experience. A full cup of boiling hot water in less than 10 seconds is more joyous than it has any right to be.

[@hazy33]

Do you know how much energy that consumes in comparison to a kettle? I don't it's a genuine question.

[@daggern15]

@@hazy33 Can't say I've got proper figures mor time to figure it out right now but as said in the video, they're about 700W machines, take about 40 minutes to boil from cold and well insulated as far as I can tell because I only refill it once in the evening and I've never seen it reboil during the day.

[@MsJubjubbird]

would chew up your power though

[@daggern15]

@@MsJubjubbird Still better than a kettle if you have a family that has several cuppas a day. Like I said above, it's insulated enough that it only boils once

[@MsJubjubbird]

@@daggern15 they are good for workplaces, where people are constantly getting them. But for our family- and we love tea, it isn't worth it, especially as it needs more maintenance and they do actually boil several times in the day

[@Aterhallsam]

“Through the magic of buying two of them..” LOL

[@necrobabe6190]

I just bought one of these a few days ago to brew tea to help me get over my cold

[@RealismFTW]

I just did a test with my own electric kettle here in Sweden. It's a really cheap one and quite slow compared to others and it still brought one litre to a boil in 3 minutes.

[@KingNekro]

Here in USA I don't even have to wait 3 minutes to get hot water to make my tea. My 5 gallon jug water dispenser has a Hot water option so I always have near-boiling hot water on tap whenever I need it. And these kinds of hot/cold water dispensers are quite common in USA.

[@nautdead3197]

​@@KingNekro I had one in the house as a teen it was great. I miss it

[@iamanti8367]

​@@KingNekroeuropeans also have water dispensers, although nobody has near boiling water in them. it's usually around 60°C max. having that high temp available at all times seems wasteful.

[@KingNekro]

@@iamanti8367 Whatever the temperature is, it's plenty hot enough to make Tea/Ramen/etc

[@EmaAlvarado_iku]

Thank you! I'm a Water Boil any% speedrunner and I was really frustrated with the lack of routing comparisons. Implementing this in future runs!

[@sovietonion1662]

LOL checkedd your profile and you are an actual speed runner 😆

[@k03hl3r]

Wouldn’t it be the Boil% category of the game “water?” I’ve been running the Freeze% category for awhile now and implementing a BLJ from the sink to the freezer is my newest time save - set a PB with that trick!

[@mattp.158]

I'd suggest this method, and in a vacuum chamber. I haven't seen any RTA attempts, but good luck with runs!

[@IronChefBoyardee]

Underrated comment.

[@GeneralNickles]

I'd suggest a propane or oxy-aceteline torch in a "pot" made of tungsten. It's expensive as all get out, but that's the cost of holding a world record.

[@Mflower.567]

I live in the southern states, but I prefer gas stove and also stovetop kettle. We would get storms in the summer and the power would go out, but we could still use the stove because it's gas, which is helpful.

[@certaindeed]

Yup! I just started using one in 2020 during covid and it changed my life. I cant believe it.

[@Turnbull50]

Amazingly I spent 25 minutes watching a kettle boil and it kept me interested the whole time. Well done.

[@ncdave4life]

Alec is better at 1.75x speed.

[@nunpho]

I'm Scottish, don't drink tea or coffee and I still have a kettle 😆. They're just handy for hot water bottles, cuppa soups, pasta etc

[@MoniiChanTheUnicorn]

You sure you are Scottish if you don't drink tea!? 🤣🤣🤣 I'm Irish, dealing with the cold and wet means the kettle is constantly going for tea (drink about 3-4 cups a day + 1 or 2 coffees) and for filling the hot water bottle! Bliss!

[@oo0024]

They’re incredible for boiling eggs

[@georgedawson235]

I know you said etc but do pot noodles not get an honourable mention ?

[@EnderElohim]

@@MoniiChanTheUnicorn Isnt it interesting how when it come to tea everybody thinks about england while number one tea drinking country is Turkey and number two is Ireland. God bless my irish brothers and sisters we need to beat England much more XD They not eve close bruh yet again....

[@newhonk]

Do you Scottish people say hello or ‘ello

[@donutcrafter5973]

You know its a good technology connections video when alec answers the question with 4/5 of the video left

[@afinger]

Thx for the insights, I didn't know North American outlets are often limited to 1.5KW. Apart from kettles German households also usually have hair dryers, power drills, some kitchen machines or the plug-in induction stoves which all can take more than 2KW. And for convenience I'd usually shop for the stronger options. I've even build a 2000W inverter into my campervan to be able to use a strong hair dryer and have the option to use normal kitchen machines.

[@suzannadannaTARDIS]

I'm an avid tea drinker and I've been using electric kettles for 2 years. Absolute game changer. I started with a cheap aluminum version that only has an on switch with automatic shut off, but graduated to a 1.7 liter, variable temperature. If I'm traveling in North America, the cheap one goes with me - otherwise, it lives at my office. Several coworkers appreciate that we have the kettle, I hear it going all day long - and nearly everyone ended up buying their own electric kettle at home. My trip to the UK last year was amazing - kettles everywhere.

[@WraithOfMan]

Oh yes, if you went around to someone's house here and they told you that they didn't have a kettle you'd think they were very strange!

[@sammerry7706]

Im not sure if this is meant to be funny but it made me laugh anyway 😂

[@AquaFan1998]

@@WraithOfMan "we ask them politely yet firmly to leave"

[@handlesarefeckinstupid]

No kettle in a British house? This is how we spot spies. Dead giveaway.

[@iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii7738]

@@xXGeth270Xx I honestly think I’d end up ringing the police in fear of my life

[@leftaroundabout]

“Don't fill it to the rim” - yeah, that's a common problem-that-shouldn't-really-be-one. At our office's tea-kitchen we have a big kettle, and I often notice people doing this: *1.* empty any warm water that was in the kettle into the sink *2.* fill the kettle with, like, 2 litres of cold water *3.* use 200 ml of that for a cup of tea. We're approaching gas-stove levels of inefficiency there...

[@theastuteangler9642]

people dumb

[@pomaranczowaszarlotka5170]

Wtf are they emptying it?

[@blackleague212]

at one of my older jobs, we had this hot wand thing that looked like a metal stick, you sat it in the cup and it boiled your water. I liked that thing but it was old, I surely would not buy it with kids in the house... i dont even think they sell that anymore, but it was great cause no one wasted water.

[@patagualianmostly7437]

@@armamentarmedarm1699 Exactly..... It's just the element from the cheap kettle...on a power lead. OK...BUT! Don't walk away and forget it!!!!

[@patagualianmostly7437]

@@pomaranczowaszarlotka5170 Exactly. Just a complete waste of energy (and water). I see people doing it all the time. It makes my blood boil!

[@mikk01975]

We have 240 V system here and a kettle with stated power of 2000-2400 W. A Soda Steam bottle of 19 C water took 3 min 28 sec to boil. I don't drink tea either, but hot chocolate made with water and real cocoa powder (+sugar and milk).

[@bloqk16]

The induction heating hotplate is remarkable technology, as I have one identical to what was presented here. Using it for heating soup, it can warm up the soup stock to temperature levels to kill-off bacterias, then be adjusted to a low level for simmering, where added ingredients can be placed in the soup; and the timer can be set for automatic shutoff. The induction technology gives off little collateral heat, unlike natural gas, so it doesn't heat up the kitchen.

[@skykid]

These were introduced to me as a means of having hot cup noodles at night without waking anyone up by using the kitchen, and I can't imagine not having one.

[@igor_pavlovich]

Here in Germany we don't eat noodles, same for Italy where's my gf from

[@profezzordarke4362]

@@igor_pavlovich Nice subtle troll.

[@rijden-nu]

​@@igor_pavlovich Where in Germany don't we eat noodles? Because here in Germany we do most definitely eat noodles. Same for Italy, where I wish my gf was from.

[@zekiz774]

@@rijden-nu im pretty sure he's joking

[@rijden-nu]

@@zekiz774 I can't believe anyone would joke about noodles.

[@pancakes4391]

I'm a Canadian, and I always thought stove top kettles were old-timey. I had no idea electric ones were so rare just a few hours south.

[@valeriemcdonald440]

I think the electric ones are probably common in Canada. It's what I'm used to in any case.

[@rosiehawtrey]

Can't afford the kettles because of all the guns. Incidentally, bright pink magazine bolt action (possibly with a stripper clip capacity) in 30-06 are now available for the 7 year old girl in your life... And I am NOT kidding.. I loathe Inbredistan.

[@RobinXe]

...a few decades south 🙄

[@maxthrust976]

Also Canadian, literally everyone I know owns an electric kettle.

[@TjPhysicist]

yea i'm used to seeing electric ones. My issue with them is cleaning, especially where the water is a bit harder the heating element gets limescale buildups or whatever. Honestly i chose to get the stovetop one cuz it kinda reminded me of old-timey.

[@LefGermenlis]

wait what? I have had tea 3 times in the last 2 years and my coffee is from an espresso machine and still couldn't imagine leaving without a kettle. it's just so useful

[@lek1223]

A kettle is so versatile a kitchen gadget, i wish you had got cooperated with someone in europe to test the speed for a comparison, but yea, tea, coffee, warm chocolate, sink stoppage, dishwashing, not to a boil, but just to warm, for cleaning the house, warm footbath, cooking and so on

[@LucaDarioButzberger]

As an electrician, showcasing an induction stove is always amusing. You just installed a induction stove at a clients house and to test it, you are going to boil some water. Take a pan, put about a deci-liter of water into it and put it on the stove. It starts boiling almost instantly. The surprised faces of the clients is always funny.

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

Deci litre? You mean 100mls? who uses deci litres?

[@asystole_]

@@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi Deci- units are a lot less uncommon in mainland EU, from my experience. I've even heard people use decimetres in lieu of just saying 100mm.

[@MalawisLilleKanal]

@@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi People in the unfree Euroland.

[@gorak9000]

You actually use the unit "deciliter" - the SI standard is mL or L. I've never seen anyone use the "deci" unit for anything, other than to prove they know how to multiply and divide by 10. As an engineer, the only units we use are the power of 3 ones - mili, micro, nano, pico, and kilo mega giga, etc. The others are just plain stupid.

[@aronaskengren5608]

@Mister Dude wtf, i always use deciliter to measure things, we have dl cups for this very purpose! This is so wierd. Maybe DL is used more in the Nordics?

[@geoffreylydall1356]

I worked in an office where there was a “boiling water” dispenser that wasn’t actually hot enough for tea, so people would heat their water in the microwaves. It didn’t take very long for a superheated water explosion to happen. No one was hurt, but it was quite a shock to the person it happened to.

[@redve390]

I didn't know it's possible, if you don't want it. Prove me if i'm wrong, but to overheat water, you need a distilled water, which isn't as easy to get as tap water. Tap water has lots of minerals (often intentionally. Afaik Norway or Iceland used "soft" water [without minerals], and they started to suffer from heart diseases, so then they intentionally added calcium, and other minerals to the water) so regular tap water should boil without any problem, especially if you put a teabag inside before boiling

[@Will-be-free]

@@redve390 I guess that preheating the water removes dissolved gasses, removing nucleation points for the boiling to start. I have once made a water explosion in a slightly different way. By boiling water in a cup in the microwave; forgetting about it, so that half the water had boiled over; refilling the cup with half cold water; then boil it again in the microwave oven. I guess that the cold water cool down the walls of the cup, while the hot water was in the middle, allowing it to be super heated, without touching the nucleation points on the walls. I have never been able to recreate it, so it was a fluke accident.

[@iTheDevil]

@@redve390 some people have a thing for bottled water and some bottled water seems to be filtered too good. =) so I would expect the super heated water to happen to those. I once had water instantly boil after I put the teabag in (after microwaving it of course), I guess it was due to the water being too soft in that area. =)

[@joakimmelander]

You can microwave a cup with a spoon to prevent the sudden boiling. No joke, metal spoon in microwave is safe.

[@chargehanger]

The right way to boil water is of course with a pulsejet kettle : kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5enfmx7l5ZpetE

[@IndrasChildDeepAsleep]

I've always used an electric kettle. Well, then I guess I grew up half my life in several Central and South American countries, and always being on the move made this (and a good power adapter) a great option.

[@no.7893]

That last point on the 'hot water dispenser' is very true, the fastest way to get boiled water is to boil your kettle once and then fill up a thermos and get several cups out of it.

[@ScrapKing73]

I’m in Canada. Everyone I know with a kettle uses a dedicated electric kettle, despite us sharing the US’s 120v system. Mind you, everyone I know also has an electric stovetop too.

[@samgeorge4798]

I was wondering, I have always used them and I thought everyone else did too.

[@nawewan]

I live in Canada too and use the dedicated kettle. The sheer fact it can just set to a temp and hold for 30min is a bonus for my busy self/family. I have an induction range which can boil 250mL of water in like 30s on its boost mode.

[@aricberg]

I had some UK and Australian friends give me a hard time about the "archaic" way I boiled water in a pot if I wanted to make a cup of pour-over coffee or tea. After singing the praises of the simplicity of the electric kettle, I decided I'd get one for myself. My only issue is that I didn't make the decision to buy one sooner. It's SO easy and convenient! Boil the perfect amount of water for a hot beverage in about 2 minutes? Yes please! I got mine last fall and have used it almost every single day since. Plus it's great for certain foods that need boiling water. In less than 10 minutes, I can make a pot of couscous using the amount of water needed. If you're even remotely on the fence, let me be the voice that pushes you to get one. You won't regret it!

[@blackmancer]

as an aussie i couldn't imagine waiting 10mins to make instant coffee.

[@firstnamelastname2416]

@blackmancer - Invariably failed the comprehension test, have you?

[@blackmancer]

@@firstnamelastname2416 My small Breville kettle can boil a cup of water in less than a minute, INCOMPREHENSIBLE!!

[@sergeytn6487]

These days i have super powerful induction stove, but before when i had old cast iron stove top with 2400W burners, i used to boil water in kettle and make rice, pasta, couscous with it. it cuts 8-10mins off from preparing time. A lot compared to the fact that it takes 8-9 mins to make spaghetti when the water is boiling.

[@firstnamelastname2416]

@blackmancer - The plot yet thickens. '. . . certain foods that need boiling water. In less than 10 minutes, I can make a pot of couscous . . .' - meaning, with the water which has already been boiled; thus pouring the boiling water into the bowl with couscous: after which the couscous absorbs the water in the bowl, or is further cooked in the 'pot' which is being mentioned. Australia is not for the weak-minded, though: I have cousins living in Perth, Melbourne and the Outback, as well as quite a few immigrant acquaintances.

[@BigBoct]

I actually bought that very kettle from Walmart a few months ago, inspired largely by this video. It's great!

[@mmstrux]

I'm fascinated by the little TV in the background. 🙂 We had an orange one when I was a kid. I'm looking for a good, programmable smart kettle that has hot water waiting for me when I get up to make my French Press coffee.

[@Nsta1]

I was half expecting you to whip out some magic heat pump powered tea kettle, forcing you to explain the refrigeration cycle again

[@sledpungo]

I think kettles are probably the most universal kitchen appliance in the UK. I’ve moved into flats that didn’t have a microwave or a freezer, but every single one had a kettle

[@Qlicky]

I cant imagine a kitchen without a kettle. And I dont even drink tea.

[@jfinn3575]

Most hotel rooms in Ireland have a mini one too (maybe hidden in a cupboard)

[@KonglomeratYT]

@@Qlicky I've never walked into anyone's house and seen them have a kettle before. But I'm American. But every single one has a coffee maker.

[@J.D-g8.1]

When i destroyed my electric kettle i used my Moccamaster to heat water until i got a new one. It has the advantage of being even faster if you just want one cup of tea; just place the cup where the Moccamaster kettle normally goes and turn on. The disadvantages where that sometimes the cup runneth over. We use a gas stove at the hut in the mountains or in the sailboats tough. Well, more and more also use electrical in the mountains but it depends where your mountains are. In sailboats its nearly always gas if its not parafin.

[@saradavis6505]

Watching a lot of British TV and seeing kettles in every Irish, Wesh, English home. I am a tea drinker & decided to try one & never looked back. Sent one to my tea drinking sister too & she loves it. I got a second one for my bedroom night time herbal tea, it was $11 at Dollar Store.

[@seraphimvalkyrin4543]

As someone who had a newborn last year I can tell you that having a kettle that can boil and then maintain a constant temperature is hugely helpful. I don't have to wait minutes (which if very helpful when you baby is crying) for the water to heat up and plus I get the extra benefit of having the water "sterilized".

[@Krankie_V]

I bought an electric kettle a few years ago and rarely used it, but it really put in work after my son was born. Best way to heat water for formula!

[@Vinemaple]

I've been using electric kettles in breakrooms for years, seems every office I've worked in has had one, and a few private clients have had them, too. It's definitely something on my personal wish list, so I was surprised to hear it's not common in the US.

[@kaly3877]

what they’re like $20 make your wish come true today lol

[@redblade8160]

Vinemaple. Why don't you fix your broken rooms first before buying a kettle?

[@JacobAnawalt]

Many water coolers have a hot tap, and most break rooms have a coffee machine. The old glass pot has been replaced by the single-serve style which can just spit out hot water.

[@johnmaurer3097]

When we worked in physical offices in the US, I’d say just 1 out of 10 people drank tea. Most drank coffee, some drank soda, and the smallest number drank tea. The people who made tea at work was always zero. They bought it somewhere else and brought it in a to-go cup.

[@Vinemaple]

@@johnmaurer3097 They *bought* tea?

[@thefareplayer2254]

4:59 oh that was FANTASTIC

[@classicaloracle]

Apart from tea, in the UK we can also prepare boiling water for adding to vegetables to be cooked on the stove. With 240 volts this is far more rapid and efficient than heating it on the stove itself.

[@MrTomro]

Really cool to see the difference between us Europeans and Americans. i had no idea electric kettles are not very common in the US and also that they use 120V. Thanks for the info!

[@stephenlee5929]

I believe us Europeans also use 120 V its just we use 2 of them.

[@algotn]

​​​@@stephenlee5929no we use 240v, however if I remember correctly using two 120 phases to get 240 is sometimes done in 120v countries since that's what get supplied to the houses (two 120v phase). Here in Sweden we usually have three 230v phases + neutral I think If we used 120v it would be physically impossible to get three phase 380v power

[@8546Ken]

Europeans have one wire with 220V or 230V. It's in the U.S. where we have two wires at 120V. They add up to 240V. So you can touch either wire and earth and get just a 120V shock. The only way to get a 240V shock is to be dumb enough to touch two 120V wires at once.

[@Vic47]

As a computer and other tech enthusiast in Russia I've always noticed the switch for 120/230V on the back of the power units for desktop computers, which is always covered with a protective sticker that voids your warranty if you damage it. Although manuals say that you will void your warranty if you plug it into a non-grounded power socket, but we don't have them in our old houses (and I think even in those few newly built modern houses the "ground" contact is often not connected to anything inside the wall), so... yeah. But electric kettles is a must here. We drink tea all the time. Although our parents believe the plastic is toxic (and sometimes this can be true, because there are LOTS of cheap kettles - and other stuff - imported from China, which is made from cheap plastic that has awful and very strong "chemical" smell that never goes away, and were lots of cases when cheap plastic toys imported from China were found to be made of toxic materials) so older people still prefer stove-top metallic kettles.

[@greg1761]

@@8546Ken In Europe we have 3 wires weith 230V. Phase to phase would be 400V

[@NDHFilms]

Hi Technology Connections, I asked for an electric kettle for my birthday based on this video. The electric kettle boiled water for my coffee much faster than my gas stove. I plan to use the electric kettle for all my water-boiling needs, so thank you for bringing this appliance to my attention.

[@joeysabey6019]

Once you get used to things like bringing water to the boil for pasta and such, you'll wonder how on earth you managed before. =P

[@samakechijowo]

​@@mindofwaves4470no. Refer to the percolator video on this channel, or the coffee drip video.

[@Hnkka]

@@joeysabey6019 saves maybe 10 minutes daily if you think about that

[@crisdav7927]

always good to have both in case power goes out too

[@danielcalabrese5769]

Well over here in Australia I can say that myself and most people that I know drink coffee and we use instant coffee like nescafe blend 43 so I have always used an electric kettle, my wife got me a coffee machine which was cool and all but required way too much maintenance and time and considering I drink between 5-8 coffees a day an electric kettle is just so much more convenient.

[@cccpredarmy]

It's good that you mentioned that kettles can be used to boil water for cooking too. I noticed a lot of people oversee that completely and my parents, despite the fact that they used electric kettles their whole life, learned it from me lol. As for e.g. pasta I pour a glass of water into the pot and heat it up on the stove while filling up my kettle to max. The water starts to boil in both about the same time and it's enough water to boil 4+ portions of pasta in it.

[@leonsutliffe9572]

The thing that makes kettles so convenient for me is when boiling food, its so much faster to boil 2L in the kettle before putting it in the pan, and then use the hob to keep it at a simmer. As opposed to going from cold on the hob.(i dont have an induction hob) On a side note, british tanks have a specific water boiling device. Wheras american ones dont. Just an interesting fact that i learnt from a video

[@Nimmo1492]

British Army ration packs are in the form of boil in the bag meals, so they can be prepared and eaten within the tank, thanks to the BV (boiling vessel). It's not just about the tea (plus the tea within the ration packs is atrocious)

[@SeanBZA]

Well, the original Vickers machine guns were valued by the Tommies more for the ability to boil water for tea than for accuracy, especially over long ranges. That hot water was a luxury in the trenches, especially as you otherwise only had a very poor ration heater to use.

[@Underestimated37]

That Boiling vessel also came about because soldiers were literally getting out of the tanks to make a cuppa and were shot, so much safer to not leave the vehicle

[@vincentmuyo]

@@Nimmo1492 But the tea definitely plays a large part, doesn't it?

[@sillytorque]

wait until you get a (boiling) hot water tap in the kitchen - it is the most fantastic non essential thing in the kitchen!

[@Bunny-pr8gw]

"It's just that so few people know to want them" exactly this! I bought a pink one on Amazon a few years ago and immediately realized what I had been missing. I boil water in it for everything now, including coffee water, pasta water, etc, and it's so much faster than stovetop. In the case of pasta water, I boil it then pour it into a pot on the stovetop and it remains hot and boils again within seconds

[@RegsaGC]

If you wanna be really clutch, put half an inch of water into the pot and heat it at the same time. Saves you a whole minute or two, but you have to figure out the heat setting

[@julienpvn345]

@@RegsaGC exactly what I do every time I have to boil pasta, rice or eggs. Then you can use the gaz stove with a minimal setting only to maintain boiling (still trying to explain my wife that boiling water is boiling water and that nothing will cook faster with gaz at max setting).

[@markiobook8639]

the rare clever American. Almost as rare as the clever Brit.

[@UthacalthingTymbrimi]

I have a whole process when I'm making pasta, I turn on the hot water tap into the sink (to be used for washing the dishes after the meal), once it's running hot I fill the kettle and turn it on, then fire up the stovetop, and fill the pot once the kettle boils. I've never actually verified how much time this saves, but with the amount of pasta I like to eat it definitely adds up, especially since here in Oz we also have 240v.

[@tissuepaper9962]

@@UthacalthingTymbrimi generally you don't want to drink water from the hot tap, the inside of a water heater can get quite disgusting. Disregard if you have a tankless water heater.

[@anotheruser9845]

2 mins 15s in UK using 3Kw smart kettle. However if only heating one cup it is ready at same time as when you've finished putting the ingredients in the cup. Being micropocessor controlled it doesn't mind if you switch on with no water, just beeps to tell you, also has 3 modes 85/95/100C and digital readout so no waste.

[@FenixYuk]

I once used the water dispenser @22:23 but later gave it up, there was just so much residue after a while of use since we have hard water here and most household don't bother installing expensive filters

[@fabianfeilcke7220]

18:20 TC:"Induction stoves are the new hotness" Me, looking at my 18 year old induction stove : "Did I miss something?"

[@mikeimho]

Exactly what I thought! Maybe induction stoves haven't made across the pond until now.

[@andyjdhurley]

With you on that - we have had them for at least 15 years - so much faster at everything than gas (and gas is not even availble in most of the places I have lived)

[@lordsqueak]

I reacted more to what he said about it blasting infrared at the kettle... that's not how induction stoves work!

[@MrSam1er]

@@lordsqueak He was not talking about induction when saying that, re-watch it.

[@heretolevitateme]

The Pun?

[@aabsurdity8817]

There's a wonderful moment of dawning suspicion and realization when you work out that it's almost always best to boil your water in the kettle, then add it to the pot. You just get out the pot one day, take it to the sink and your eye falls on the device you own specifically to rapidly and efficiently boil water. You look at the kettle. You look at the pot. You think back to thousands of micro-days wasted on boiling water in one instead of the other. You put the empty pot onto the stove and boil up a kettle of water.

[@lekudos]

If everyone did this, the power stations would not cope with peak demand for electricity. Neither would your wallet since electricity is much more expensive than gas.

[@muaddib667]

@@lekudos time is more expensive than money.

[@aabsurdity8817]

@@lekudos The UK's national grid can cope with millions of households all putting the kettle on simultaneously at half time during major football matches, and then flushing the toilet. So I'm going to call bullshit on what you said.

[@bensismith]

@@lekudos in the UK there is (or was) a phenomenon called "TV pickup" where during breaks of popular TV shows, so many people would turn on the kettle that they have to add more power to the grid. So a system can cope, if it's designed to.

[@themikeroberts]

@@lekudos Is there enough people boiling water at the exact same time for that to matter? People using an electric stove rather than kettle would also use electricity, but just spread it over several more minutes.

[@tallyp.7643]

I used electric tea kettles at my last few jobs, which was nice when we had tea-drinking visitors at my overnight tourist job & for hot cocoa for the kids in tutoring around the holidays. I love my coffee, but it doesn't love me back, so once it hits noon, I turn tea drinker. My keeper electric tea kettle looks like that Chefman glass bowl one you had, but orange and def not metal. My original stovetop kettle didn't work with my glass-topped induction oven, and the one I got for that oven developed chipping around the lid area. I didn't like the idea of that stuff going into my drink, so I figured I'd do the electric kettle again. I love it because it's safer with an automatic shutoff and doesn't have that whistling noise that drives my dogs nuts. Even better, its easier to clean than kettles with narrow openings (and descaling with vinegar doesn't take long).

[@Banzybanz]

I recently started using one. Not for the tea, but it's the best way to get hot/boiling water immediately. And it's in the form of a handy jug that you can easily pour from. When cooking stews/gravies/rice sometimes we need to adjust the water by adding more hot water. The old method was to place a deep lid on your pot and place some water in that lid so it'd get hot while the stuff in the pot was cooking. That way you'd have a ready supply of hot water but it was not easy to handle. A kettle that can give you boiling water in seconds is so much superior. Also quickly boils water for instant noodles and the like.

[@bangkokfed]

Growing up in the USA we heated our house with wood burning stoves. One upstairs, one downstairs. Kettles were on both to add moisture to the air. As a bonus, there was always hot water for all needs. At least for 7 months a year.

[@rebeccajeane8287]

My family also did this. We lived in an old house with a large wood burning cast iron stove. The stock pot full of steaming water was essential during the winter time. I miss those days. It used to smell so good in the house. I love the smell of burning wood.

[@AVERYhornyMrDinosaur]

r u girl? marry me?@@rebeccajeane8287

[@MrStevo1080]

Why do you want to add moisture to your house?

[@AVERYhornyMrDinosaur]

so you can take fish outside the tank and teach them about religion.@@MrStevo1080

[@JEMUZU444]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@MrStevo1080 The air gets dry during the winter, especially in your home.

[@ronove]

I hadn't realized how much I'd missed "through the magic of buying two of them" until it reappeared, and it wasn't even that long of an absence.

[@npaisnel]

Just done an exact 1 litre of tap water in my standard UK kettle for my morning coffee. 1 minute 42 until auto shut off. Standard UK 3kW household kettle. Your talk also illustrates another difference in US/UK tastes. Virtually all UK homes will have instant coffee too. I have actually gone away from that, and now use an AeroPress for morning coffee, but still need the kettle. How else do Americans make a coffee if not with a kettle or some way to boil water ?