Do americans have kettles?

[Rhienfo]

I remember reading something about Americans not really having kettles ages ago, and that boil water thread just reminded me of that.

Do Americans have kettles? here in Australia they are a common household appliance but I guess not in America? I also remember hearing that they do have them as well which is why I'm not sure.

Apparently some Americans use the word kettle for something I would call a pot/teapot which is interesting. Just In case that's you I'm referring to these electric ones that look like the image below.

[ReverbSlush]

America is a big place. There are millions of kettle using people here.  That said, lets say we're taking a very high level overview of Americans "in general". 

I would *not* be surprised if I visited someone's house and they did not have a kettle. 

I would also *not* be surprised if I visited someone's house and they did have a kettle.  BUT I might be surprised if they chose to use it for boiling water to make something like mac'n'cheese.  When we boil water, it's mainly for cooking, and it's mainly on a stove in a deep pot.  Our "grab and go" foods don't often require boiling water, either.  Our hot drink of choice is coffee, made by a coffee maker.  If you count that as a kettle, then everyone has one.

Noodles, Rice, Tea... these kettle-friendly foods aren't as culturally significant in the US as they are in other countries.

I'm making huge generalizations here of course.

[fohat.digs]

Many people in the US might use the word "kettle" for a pan, especially a very large one, which would more properly be a "pot"

The primary use of mine is heating water for my pour-over coffee carafe.

[NumPadEnjoyer]

I personally do but it's not something you'll find in every American home

[Rhienfo]

Many people in the US might use the word "kettle" for a pan, especially a very large one, which would more properly be a "pot"

The primary use of mine is heating water for my pour-over coffee carafe.

That interesting, I don't think anyone here would call that a kettle. Yeah I would probably call that a teapot or something.

America is a big place. There are millions of kettle using people here.  That said, lets say we're taking a very high level overview of Americans "in general". 

I would *not* be surprised if I visited someone's house and they did not have a kettle. 

I would also *not* be surprised if I visited someone's house and they did have a kettle.  BUT I might be surprised if they chose to use it for boiling water to make something like mac'n'cheese.  When we boil water, it's mainly for cooking, and it's mainly on a stove in a deep pot.  Our "grab and go" foods don't often require boiling water, either.  Our hot drink of choice is coffee, made by a coffee maker.  If you count that as a kettle, then everyone has one.

Noodles, Rice, Tea... these kettle-friendly foods aren't as culturally significant in the US as they are in other countries.

I'm making huge generalizations here of course.

Oh yeah I am definitely generalizing here, and you're probably right there. This just popped up in my head and thought I should post it for some reason.

Do you use a kettle? (If you are American)

[ddot]

Canadian here, but we have an electric one and we refer to it as a "kettle".  Similar to the image below.  Electric with glass sides.  Boiling water is kind of fun to watch.  Highly recommended for the educational value.  Mostly gets used for hot drinks: tea, hot chocolate, instant coffee, etc.

[Rhienfo]

Canadian here, but we have an electric one and we refer to it as a "kettle".  Similar to the image below.  Electric with glass sides.  Boiling water is kind of fun to watch.  Highly recommended for the educational value.  Mostly gets used for hot drinks: tea, hot chocolate, instant coffee, etc.

Show Image

A clear one like that would be cool to have, I never knew I needed something like that until now.

[udller]

i clicked this thread to see if they have the chips, but this is not about the chips

[Rhienfo]

i clicked this thread to see if they have the chips, but this is not about the chips

oh kettle chips are so good. Stopped eating them because I would eat like a whole bag instead of just a portion. Same with shapes.

[ReverbSlush]

Do you use a kettle? (If you are American)

We had a kettle growing up.. it was a metal one that went on the stove and had a whistle when the water was boiling.  That said, we didn't use it much at all.  I have a nice Stagg EKG gooseneck kettle that I use for coffee (pourover) and puerh (gaiwan).  But we're here on a mechanical keyboard forum, so we're all probably fancy like that.

[Rhienfo]

We had a kettle growing up.. it was a metal one that went on the stove and had a whistle when the water was boiling.  That said, we didn't use it much at all.  I have a nice Stagg EKG gooseneck kettle that I use for coffee (pourover) and puerh (gaiwan).  But we're here on a mechanical keyboard forum, so we're all probably fancy like that.

Oh yeah, I don't drink coffee so I didn't know about these expensive kettles and such, but I guess it makes sense if your trying to make the best coffee.

I'm very weird that I'm very value/cheap oriented when it comes to most things except keyboards for some reason, it's like the only hobby I have unless you count buying criterion blu rays as a hobby (I used to be into retro gaming but stopped when it became too expensive/started to emulate more)

[Pretendo]

Am American. I have one of these:



Not that exact model, but that brand. It's basically a thermos / dispenser that keeps water hot all the time and available at the press of a button. It can hold water to different temperatures based on your needs (I keep it near boiling for coffee pour-overs and black tea.)

This seems like an overkill product, but the US's 120v power makes it much less quick to heat up water with a traditional kettle, so when I had a regular electric kettle I didn't drink much tea. This makes the process so much quicker, and is also useful for things like ramen, or anything else you just need a little bit of boiling water for.

These aren't common in the US, btw. Moreso in Japan. I just happened to have a Japanese coworker for a time and got introduced to them.  Then I wound up buying them for allot of family members as housewarming gifts, and it's always the same story of "I thought this was a weird gift at first, but now would never not want to have one of these around."

[kajahtaa]

Have

Two kettle

Both electric

However

In California

And

Immediate family

Mix of

5 nationality

[Darthbaggins]

We have an electric here at work, and at home I have just a classic stove-top kettle that we've used for 20+ years since we make our own pitchers of Sweet Tea (mildly sweet).

[chyros]

This seems like an overkill product, but the US's 120v power makes it much less quick to heat up water with a traditional kettle

I happened to learn this this morning as well, and also that it's still much faster than a stovetop kettle apparently.

240 V guys! It's worth it! ;p

[tp4tissue]

This seems like an overkill product, but the US's 120v power makes it much less quick to heat up water with a traditional kettle

I happened to learn this this morning as well, and also that it's still much faster than a stovetop kettle apparently.

240 V guys! It's worth it! ;p

Yea 240v is the way to go. Puny america 120v boils water super slow. We need overclocked kettles that draw near 20amp.

[Sintpinty]

I remember reading something about Americans not really having kettles ages ago, and that boil water thread just reminded me of that.

Do Americans have kettles? here in Australia they are a common household appliance but I guess not in America? I also remember hearing that they do have them as well which is why I'm not sure.

Apparently some Americans use the word kettle for something I would call a pot/teapot which is interesting. Just In case that's you I'm referring to these electric ones that look like the image below.

Show Image

I  use my kettle for ramen

[Timc]

Am American. I have one of these:

Show Image

Not that exact model, but that brand. It's basically a thermos / dispenser that keeps water hot all the time and available at the press of a button. It can hold water to different temperatures based on your needs (I keep it near boiling for coffee pour-overs and black tea.)

This seems like an overkill product, but the US's 120v power makes it much less quick to heat up water with a traditional kettle, so when I had a regular electric kettle I didn't drink much tea. This makes the process so much quicker, and is also useful for things like ramen, or anything else you just need a little bit of boiling water for.
That water boiler is such a smart solution and I completely get why your coworker introduced you to it. I live in the UK where 240v kettles are blazing fast so I never really thought about the struggle until I visited family in the States and watched water take forever on their stovetop. Having hot water always ready changes your whole routine, not just for tea but for those little moments like instant oatmeal or warming a baby bottle. It actually reminds me of how commercial coffee suppliers have to think about constant hot water availability too, and if you ever want to understand the broader picture of what goes into keeping drinks flowing reliably, have a look at the challenges the coffee industry is facing right now with supply chains and energy costs. Your housewarming gift idea is brilliant because people don't know they need it until they have it, and that's exactly the kind of practical gift that keeps giving every single day.
These aren't common in the US, btw. Moreso in Japan. I just happened to have a Japanese coworker for a time and got introduced to them.  Then I wound up buying them for allot of family members as housewarming gifts, and it's always the same story of "I thought this was a weird gift at first, but now would never not want to have one of these around."

same