A water kettle. Doesn't have to be any fancy one, but it really fucking rocks for anything you might think of : want hot water for tea? No problem. Need hot water to steep something? No problem.
Most mid-range ones are insanely power efficient too, often being alot better than just boiling water on a stovetop, or using a microwave. And, depending on insulation, heat can be stored for over 6! hours.
A kettle is such a default kitchen item in the UK that I find it kinda crazy that it's not standard somewhere like the US, though I know I've seen the difference in base voltage being a factor before.
I went to visit a friend in the US (los angeles). She asked me what I want for breakfast and I said just some tea please and nothing else.
I saw her going from confusion to terror in 5 seconds.
And I was like whats wrong? Is everything ok?
Eventually she boiled water in a mug in the microwave, put in some pieces of apples and called it tea.
A few weeks later I went for work in the bay area. I just cannot start a day without tea. I saw the hotel I stayed in had a bit of difficulty in the tea department. Decided to buy my own kettle so I can have my tea in the room.
Naively went to an electric store to buy a kettle. There was none. I was like WTF. Went to target, there were none. Only stove ones. But my room didnt have a stove.
Then it hit me americans just dont boil water like the rest of the world.
I'm an Aussie living in the USA and I've got a $10 kettle from Walmart... somewhere. They do exist. I don't use it often any more because we have an espresso machine now, and it can produce instant hot water.
We stayed in a few different places across BC and Alberta. I can remember they all had drip coffee machines, but I can't actually remember if they were equipped with kettles, too! That being said, the addition of drip coffee makers could have been for American tourists (I did make good use of them though).
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
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.
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.
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.
In Australia, I only drink tea IF I’m feeling like it in winter which is it that often. Don’t drink coffee. And yet I’m still surprised it’s not something that’s in every house…
Our kettle died and I guess we didn't replace it quick enough for my mother in law, because she showed up with a new one a few days later. Only cost a couple of dollars, but it's been going strong for the last 6 years.
The lack of tea lovers in the US is definitely the issue. Most grocery stores have disgusting low quality tea so most Americans don't like tea. I've been sending family high quality tea for years now and they love it but can't find anything remotely close locally.
I order loose online, but I’ve also found some bags that are quite good. Thompson’s Irish Breakfast is a personal favorite. Oh and I timed my kettle today; 1.5L takes 6:15 to boil.
I’m going to guess you’re in the States? I’m from England and live in the Netherlands. I’ve never met anybody ever who didn’t own a kettle. Is it true that it’s really not that common in the States to own a kettle?
I would say 20 years ago almost no one had an electric kettle in the US. Now they are much more common, but still only in a minority of homes. Americans just don't drink nearly as much tea as the English. The UK consumes 1.94kg of tea per person annually. The US is 0.23kg. (per wikipedia). You will find a coffee maker in most homes and hotel rooms though.
We had a stove top kettle growing up but I never heard of an electric kettle until I was an adult. First time I saw one was a pretentious dude doing pour over coffee at work.
In Canada, but we're basically the same as the states. Of my extended family, which is 20+ people, I only know 2 who have kettles... So it's a luxury to most people who come to my house lol.