Derail any conversation by mentioning "microwaving your water" rule

This is how everyone does it right? Right?! The only people that I know who don't use an electric kettle are in their 80s. Or is this some cultural thing where people in the US/UK/whatever don't use electric kettles?

As a grown man in the US, I'm not sure that I've ever seen an electric kettle in real life (only on British TV).
- Idk anyone else who has one but im also in the US and have had an electric kettle for at least 10 years. Its pretty handy sometimes
- The US just keeps surprising me
US has 110 voltage that can't run a kettle for shit
- Even with underpowered 110v an electric kettle still boils water faster than a stovetop IME. Still only a few minutes difference but it's a difference.
  
  Technology Connections tested that
  
  Yeah I saw that comment elsewhere. I have to assume kettle/stove material/design/etc have some impact as well. Honestly, I trust TC so I'll defer to them, I need to watch the video.
  
  edit: yeah his testing is in-line with my experience, electric kettles are just faster.
  
  It's not even really about speed. My induction stovetop boils water much much faster than my kettle, but I use the kettle because it can be used unattended, go to a specific temperature, and hold a temperature.
  
  My cheapo countertop induction stove can be programed and has power/temp settings. I spent some time testing the temp feature and it was pretty accurate
  
  Nah, a high power gas stove beats it in the "heat a cup of water as fast as possible with no regard to energy usage" competition, and is many areas will still cheaper because electricity is so expensive.
  
  Gas Stoves are unhealthy and make you dumb
  
  I'll respect electric stoves when they support ceramic pans and get hot instantly
  
  I don't get the appeal of ceramic stove top pans but their are plenty of ceramic pans that support induction. Here is a random example
  
  that contains metal
  
  It's okay, the two red triangles next to your username indicate that there might be already some damage done
  
  don't see em, not real
  
  It's a feature of PieFed to warn about Trolls
  
  https://join.piefed.social/2024/06/22/piefed-features-for-growing-healthy-communities/
  
  cool, a feature to find friends and ignore the anti-trolls
- I really don't know where this myth comes from. Electric kettles run fine over here.
  
  Comparative for you maybe, but not for those of us who've seen them run on higher current
  
  They run fine, but basically the same as a microwave, British kettles are just magic
  
  Microwave is gonna be at least 25% slower.
  
  This is true, but for how often Americans boil water, it's just not worth having a dedicated device for most of them
- The crazy thing is we have 240V service to the home, but we only use it for large appliances that also use high current. My stove is induction and is one of the things plugs into 240V, and I bet it can boil a cup of water (though in a pot/pan) faster than most kettles.
  
  There are plenty of cases where having the higher voltage in our outlets would be nice. For me it’s probably corded power tools more than kettles. But the vast majority of devices are fine either way.
UK here. Everyone has an electric kettle, even those aged 80+. They're seen as a household essential.
- We have a whistle kettle. It's just as fast and prettier. Although definitely less efficient.
  
  If you use on an induction stove, it's probably more efficient
  
  I've only used one once and it was an old model, absolutely hated it. Although I've heard they're great now.
US still has residential power from the last century
- The power is not why Americans don't own electric kettles (well some do but most don't). It's still faster to boil water from an electric kettle than on the stove. Americans don't own electric kettles because they don't drink much tea.
  
  Or use a French press for coffee, apparently.
  
  I actually own a kettle because I use an aeropress for coffee but most Americans make coffee with a coffeemaker.
why are you expecting the UK to not use kettles?
- Yeah in hindsight that was foolish haha

They're fast and efficient, by putting the heating element right up against the water, and also safe thanks to shutting off automatically. Great shit!

Nope instant boiling water taps are the way or even a standalone hot water dispenser is better then a kettle. Also modern induction cooktops will cook water faster than a kettle, 10kW beats 3kW. Kettles are relics of the past.

I tried to get an electric kettle last year, but I guess they don't make the kind that keep the water hot all day anymore. So I had to get a whole hot water dispenser that keeps it hot for days now.

This is absolutely insane to me. Just boil enough for what you need. You don't need boiling water on demand.
- I don't need to drink tea at all. But if I have to sit and wait for water to boil, I just don't drink as much. Maybe it's my ADHD, but I'll just put it off and then suddenly it's the end of the day.
Everyone in the country I live in just uses a thermos lol
they don’t make the kind that keep the water hot all day anymore.

Zojirushi does.
- I got their hot water dispenser but didn't see any kettles except ones that timed out after like an hour.

We have one for every bedroom, for teamergencies

Yep , I never realized how fast they are. 2 cups boils in under 2 minutes.

Electric kettles are actually a scam. Look up any BIFL forum, they'll all say that stove top kettle is the way to go.

Nobody wants to use a stovetop kettle when they can just push a button and forget about it.

Also an electric kettle costs 10-20€ and lasts ~10 years, it's also much more energy efficient.

No need to "buy it for life"
Zojirushi. They last. Since it's BIFL, I don't see the extra cost as a big problem. That's what you deal with when you BIFL.