Buying an electric kettle

I can only think it’s because in general American culture doesn’t drink hot tea all day long. I can’t remember the last time I had a cup of hot tea.

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Just a funny note to the “kettle” issue: https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/arts-and-culture/aussie-twitter-just-found-americans-dont-have-kett/4aa07b84-faed-4d2e-98fe-e5da1264eaad.htm

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I never had an electric kettle either until I visited Ireland a decade ago. Now I can’t live without one. I bought this one upon return and after frequent use, it’s still going strong 10 years later:

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The microwave :grimacing::grimacing::grimacing::grimacing::grimacing: no.

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Thank you for that, I laughed out loud! Aussie humour is harsh but SO hilarious.

I’ve just stumbled across this gem

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Hmm. What’s wrong with using a microwave to boil water? Yes, I’m willing to be educated.

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The kids in school do an experiment of watering plants with microwaved water. The ones that only get water that has been microwaved die. The action of the microwave changes the chemical make up of everything cooked in it.

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That interesting and surprising. Do you have more details?

thanks for the laugh Kirsty. That was funny!

Sigh. Not true.

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Here’s why you need a kettle for tea.

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It appears that many here don’t know that an electric kettle, a microwave and a saucepan aren’t the only choices. I boil water in a whistling kettle on the burner (hob to the Brits).

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They also put gravy on biscuits. Imagine — onion gravy on Hobnobs…

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The Hot Shot makes terrible, terrible tea, because the water doesn’t actually reach boiling point. Brits who travel in the US will always tell you how bad the tea is:

  • a tea bag in luke warm water
  • sad Lipton tea
  • cream / half-and-half or UHT milk in pots, not proper milk.
    I’m feeling all emotional now…
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Apologies in advance for renewing this hotly debated subject…but I need some advice on purchasing an electric kettle.

I have a good old fashioned stove-top kettle (I considered buying an electric kettle, but I’m pretty short on counter space, so went with stove-top instead) but after reading this - and other - threads have come to my senses and decided to join the 21st century.

I have some guests coming from England in June, so planned on buying one before then. But I now have guests coming from France in a few weeks. Question 1: Do folks from France prefer the electric to stove-top? I’ll buy sooner rather than later if so. Question 2: I have hard water in my flat, and wonder how hard the electric kettle would be to clean/scrub. Or do those with hard water use bottled/distilled water in their electric kettles?

And @jaquo, gravy on biscuits is delicious! Not sure about onion gravy - we use sausage gravy here. :wink:

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This is the one that I have for both my own personal use and for my guests up in their room:

And yes, if a French person makes tea, they will use a kettle, not the stove top. [Well, at least all my hundreds of cousins there.] Every apartment I have ever rented in France, about 30 altogether, had an electric tea kettle as well.

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Can you believe this topic has 4.2 million views? One of the most popular on this forum ever.

I had a guest from Manchester check in two nights ago and I always feel so boss when I show English guests I have an electric kettle. :laughing:

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Honestly the world is your oyster with the good ol’ electric kettle / jug

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We have an awesome glass one so you can watch the water boil. It even has little blue led lights around the base. We were so excited when we got it and all gathered round to watch :joy:

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