this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Voltage isn't an issue iirc, just that it isn't in our "culture" to use kettles. Of my extended family (20+) there's only 2 who have kettles.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

voltage is a bit of a factor - electric kettles heat water more slowly (about half) in the US than in somewhere like the UK. There's a definete cultural aspect as well, but I think more people would hop on it if (as in the UK) having one meant basically instant access to boiling water

[–] DAVENP0RT 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The amount of time it takes for our US kettle to reach temperature is ridiculous. My wife and I have a kettle that I only really use when I make us a pot of tea. It takes about 5 minutes to bring a liter of water to a boil and it doesn't get much better with less water. If I'm just making one cup, I'm just gonna put it in the microwave.

I've seriously considered getting a 220V outlet installed just for a proper kettle. We like our hot beverages, so I kinda think it would be worth it.

[–] TheRealKuni 3 points 1 year ago

Might need to descale your kettle. Mine doesn’t take 5 minutes to heat a liter, and it’s on 120v.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Totally agree, I used to use an electric kettle for my coffee every morning and while waiting for it to boil, I could

  • hand grind my beans
  • empty the dishwasher
  • get the pour over setup
  • check my email

All before being ready to pour

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago

It's still the fastest way to heat water. It's just that people don't really care. It has nothing to do with the fucking voltage.

[–] Robertej92 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah sorry I meant to say I know I've seen it mentioned as a factor before, didn't know whether it's actually true or not. If that's not a factor, get on it Murica.

[–] cogman 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Voltage * Amps tells you how fast the water will boil. So lower voltage can be fixed with higher amps.

The UK runs at 230V and 13A, ~3kW max. The US is typically at 120V and 15A, 1.8kW max. Though 20A circuits exist, 2.4kW.

[–] lemmefixdat4u 4 points 1 year ago

But US kettles are 1800W or less. Doesn't matter what the circuit can support. Have a 240V plug wired from your oven or range circuit, then buy the UK version.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

In Canada, the building code requires 20A sockets in kitchens. Obviously this only impacts new construction.