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this post was submitted on 17 Apr 2026
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Asklemmy
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This is quite a strange comment to see as there isn't a single house in the UK that doesn't have an electric kettle in it.
Over here, you'll find a pot of water on the stove more common. Our regular outlets are 120v, but our stoves are typically 240v. A water kettle here would be about half as fast as our stoves (generally speaking). Over there, yeah, with 240 being the standard, a kettle makes a lot of sense.
At least here in Finland a decent amout of stoves are 400v. Still, even at 120 a kettle is faster than an electroc stove. An induction stove is a different story
400 is crazy for residential service! That actually sounds awesome.
Even with 120v the kettle is still faster. Pot on the stove has a wild amount of waste heat. Perhaps excepting an induction stovetop.
Are we both thinking the same kind of kettle or is it British/American English different? What I'm talking about is a pitcher with an electric heating unit in the bottom?
Yeah that’s the one. Literally every household.
I think they would be more popular in the US if they worked as quickly here. I have one, but it takes about 4 minutes to heat 2 cups to boiling. It's still worth it to me, but it's not much faster than the stovetop for us. There's something about the electric service in the UK that allows electric kettles to heat much faster there.
240V vs 120V. For an equivalent amount of current, 240V supplies twice the amount of power to the heating element.
Is no one going to post the Technology Connections video???
Okay, then
https://youtu.be/_yMMTVVJI4c
Also https://youtu.be/RpoXFk-ixZc
And maybe channeling electro boom: https://youtu.be/INZybkX8tLI
I can confirm, pretty much every UK household has one of those, they're just one of those things you have in the kitchen.
Not a fan of microplastics or extra unnecessary gadgetry..
Seems like silly waste to be the next lemming without any substantial difference to the age old system of boiling water, same with rice cookers.
Unless I don’t hav a stovetop they’re basically not needed, a waste of money and another point of plastic contamination.
They come in glass or metal aswell, rice cookers always have an aluminium basket, the lid might be plastic and rubber but those parts are usually not mechanically strained. The microplastic argument seems weird here
I don’t see how that it’s weird but to each their own. Every plastic and/or polymer based product sheds/leeches microplastics, especially heated or constant usage.
Aluminum is hardly better and health wise causes other harms and contaminants in the body.
Glass, stainless, cast iron is gtg..plastic and aluminum not so much.
Not arguing, but I don't think I've ever even seen a plastic one. Mine has a plastic lid, but the inside is still sheet metal. I can't even imagine one with plastic parts that aren't just cosmetic. Plus they've got to adhere to some kind of safety regulations lest they be penalized by some federal agency. 🤔
Most (though not all) in the UK since at least the 90s are plastic except for the heating element and electronics, microplastic concerns aside they're considered more efficient since it's a better insulator. Regardless of material every home has one I can tell you that.
Whats wrong with aluminium, like 80 of the earth's surface is basically some aluminium oxid
Iirc there was something about aluminium in deodorant sprays a while ago that turned out to be not that bad, but what's wrong with solid sheets of the stuff?
They heat efficiently rather than transfer through the stove and the pot, etc. And so fast.
i was always totally with you on the rice cooker, then i got a tiny one from aldi for my partner who doesnt cook much. now i use it all the time. haha
Australia also. It's like owning knives and forks. It's a basic necessity