• Stovetop@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Honest truth is that people in the US don’t need to use kettles as much, so for a lot of households it’s just a question of why buy an extra appliance when the cheap $10 kettle from Target or a small saucepan will do for the few times a year a kettle becomes convenient.

    • mbirth@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      Also: Microwave. Apparently, lots of people heat their water in the microwave. (See pinned comment here.)

      • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        I will admit as a kid when I wanted tea I used to just fill a mug with water and stick it in the microwave for a minute.

    • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      You ever eat instant ramen? You enjoy boiling things? Do you drink tea multiple times a year?

      The kettle is worth it.

      • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        That’s the thing, the answer for a lot of people in the US is no.

        After coffee, the most common need for boiled water in US households is probably for pasta, and a kettle’s not really the tool for either of those.

        People that do eat a lot of instant ramen or drink a lot of tea in the US are more likely to have electric kettles (as some people I know do) but most don’t eat ramen often enough and tea just isn’t as big here.

      • ZephrC@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        Ramen is most commonly sold in sealed plastic bags in America. We just cook it in a pot like any other pasta. Lots of people I know don’t own any kind of kettle. If they need to boil water a pot or the microwave both work just fine.

        Personally, I like tea, but I also have an induction cooktop, so I just have a kettle for that. It’s great. All the advantages of an electric kettle without having to put an electrical appliance by my sink.

        • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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          3 months ago

          This is sort of the point - it’s such a pain compared to an electric kettle and I just don’t understand why Americans are so dedicated to avoiding such a useful appliance.

          • KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            3 months ago

            is it though?

            • kettle: fill it with water, turn it on, and wait
            • stove: fill a pot with water, put it on the stove and turn it on, wait
            • microwave: put a cup of water in the microwave and wait
            • coffeemaker: press the go button, it makes hot water

            it’s useful in the same way that a rotary hammer drill is useful for drilling through masonry, i’m going to assume you probably don’t drill through much masonry in your life, therefore you don’t need it.

            Americans aren’t stupid or daft, we just dont fucking need them. 95% of the time we need hot water, its for cooking, or coffee.

            If we had a kettle it would literally just be landfill.

            you’re effectively asking someone who doesn’t eat toast frequently why they don’t have a toaster, it’s a silly question.