# Electric water kettles are surprisingly useful **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2013, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731 "2013-03-23T12:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/1 "2013-03-23T12:18:33Z")
My Keurig coffee maker stopped working recently (will not power on). This really sucks, since I’ve trained myself to expect that first cup of coffee as soon as I rolled out of bed. Likewise, the k-cups are really convenient for a cup of herbal tea at night before bed. So what to do… I bought an electric water kettle. I based that choice on my trips to Ireland, where every hotel/inn I’ve stayed at will have an electric kettle and a selection of tea bags and instant coffees. It is pretty nice to fill the kettle, flip the switch and have boiling water in under 5 minutes. Compare that to my stove top kettle that takes about 15 minutes, and I always seem to be in the middle of shaving when the whistle starts to go off (and that thing is loud!). So now I’m drinking instant coffee in the morning (yes it really isn’t that great, though it does pack caffeine and does bring back fond memories of travels). And I also have a ceramic pot that I place some tea bags and boiling water into at night. So that works. But wait, there’s more! I can instantly enjoy instant oatmeal with my instant coffee! I can quickly make soup without hearing the annoying beeps of my damn microwave! I can quickly get boiling water for unplugging my drain! Ok, who am I kidding? Instant coffee is bitter and awful. Brewing tea at night and having the pot become luke warm is so uncivilized. But electric water kettles are pretty damn convenient. ---
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/2 "2013-03-23T12:46:21Z")
The electric kettle has to be the single most used item in any Irish or British kitchen. Given how much tea we drink, it’s hardly surprising. You’d also be surprised how popular instant coffee is over here: it’s probably because every household has a kettle anyway, so a coffee-maker doesn’t have the same priority. Am I right in thinking that most instant coffee in the US is awful? I use Kenco, and it’s not unpleasantly bitter at all. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/3 "2013-03-23T12:50:50Z")
Go French Press for coffee. Almost as fast as instant, though more cleanup involved, but at least it produces a drinkable cup of coffee. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/4 "2013-03-23T12:51:19Z")
I pretty much live on hot tea, thus my electric kettle is my favorite piece of kitchen equipment. It boils quickly, and it shuts itself off if I’ve gotten distracted or changed my mind about that umpteenth cuppa. ---
**Author:** ![Charley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@Charley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charley)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/5 "2013-03-23T13:19:31Z")
Also pre-boiling water for:pasta, veggies, eggs, soup bases. Also for washing up when there’s no hot water. Also, no kettle would mean no _Pot Noodle_ and what, then, would be the pont of life? ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/6 "2013-03-23T13:19:41Z")
> [@brainstall](#): > > Go French Press for coffee. Almost as fast as instant, though more cleanup involved, but at least it produces a drinkable cup of coffee. And you can still use that electric kettle! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/7 "2013-03-23T13:44:10Z")
> [@Galwegian](#): > > The electric kettle has to be the single most used item in any Irish or British kitchen. Given how much tea we drink, it’s hardly surprising. > > You’d also be surprised how popular instant coffee is over here: it’s probably because every household has a kettle anyway, so a coffee-maker doesn’t have the same priority. > > Am I right in thinking that most instant coffee in the US is awful? I use Kenco, and it’s not unpleasantly bitter at all. Yeah the (American) missus bought one after visiting Ireland and everyone in her family found it really useful. I’m surprised someone has never successfully repackaged it for the North American market as an all purpose fast water heater. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/8 "2013-03-23T15:58:07Z")
OK, I just poured 8 oz. of cold water into my electric kettle, since I feel like having a cup of tea, and timed how long it took the water to boil. The result: 1 minute, 45 seconds. That’s plenty fast for me, but I’d bet it would be even a good bit faster in the UK, what with their 230 volt mains electricity. No wonder every kitchen has one, over there. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/9 "2013-03-23T16:42:29Z")
Is there some reason why you all aren’t just heating up a cup of water in the microwave? ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/10 "2013-03-23T17:07:17Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Is there some reason why you all aren’t just heating up a cup of water in the microwave? It’s just not the same at all. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/11 "2013-03-23T17:59:59Z")
Are there really that uncommon in the US? As long as I can remember, we’ve had electric kettles. Then again, I grew up in a Korean-American family so maybe that played a part. Come to think of it, I’ve never actually used, much less owned, a non-electric kettle. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/12 "2013-03-23T18:03:29Z")
I bought an electric kettle after experiencing my parents’. I think they got it after their 2-year stay in Scotland in the 90s. I use a pourover filter for coffee, and it comes out just fine. The washing up could not be easier, either. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/13 "2013-03-23T18:03:43Z")
They’re readily available in the US but not something you expect to find in any old kitchen you walk into. I’m on my third one. The first eventually got old and stopped working. The second one got PUT ON A HOT STOVE by an idiot I no longer know. ---
**Author:** ![Raskolnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@Raskolnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raskolnikov)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/14 "2013-03-23T18:08:18Z")
> [@Galwegian](#): > > The electric kettle has to be the single most used item in any Irish or British kitchen. Given how much tea we drink, it’s hardly surprising. > > You’d also be surprised how popular instant coffee is over here: it’s probably because every household has a kettle anyway, so a coffee-maker doesn’t have the same priority. > > Am I right in thinking that most instant coffee in the US is awful? I use Kenco, and it’s not unpleasantly bitter at all. I heard the ratio of instant to regular coffee in the UK was 90 : 10 in the US it’s the exact opposite 10% instant : 90 regular ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/15 "2013-03-23T18:16:32Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > Ok, who am I kidding? Instant coffee is bitter and awful. Brewing tea at night and having the pot become luke warm is so uncivilized. I still have a non-electric drip coffee maker I bought from Gemco. (Remember Gemco?) It’s a normal glass coffee urn, with a plastic filter holder on top. Put in the filter and coffee, and pour boiling water in. Haven’t used it in years, but it’s there in case the power goes out and my moka pots and French press and my Turkish coffee thing and my single-cup moka pot are all abducted by aliens. I use a stove-top kettle with the best whistle (dual-tone) I’ve ever heard. Got it at Ikea in the early-'90s. If the power goes out, I can still use it on a Svea stove or hook up the hot plate to the generator, or just set it on top of the wood stove. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/16 "2013-03-23T18:22:49Z")
> [@audiobottle](#): > > Are there really that uncommon in the US? As long as I can remember, we’ve had electric kettles. Then again, I grew up in a Korean-American family so maybe that played a part. Come to think of it, I’ve never actually used, much less owned, a non-electric kettle. I had never used one before vacationing in Ireland. They are quite nice and fast. I could go all Alton Brown and plug it into a timer in order to shave off that 2 minute heating in the morning. Nah. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/17 "2013-03-23T18:24:57Z")
Oh, and what’s with Keurig machines? I’ve known a few that have similarly stopped working. It seems the selection for k-cup machines from other makers is slim. I really don’t want to waste more money on a machine that will just stop working after a few years. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/18 "2013-03-23T18:48:03Z")
> [@Raskolnikov](#): > > I heard the ratio of instant to regular coffee in the UK was 90 : 10 > > in the US it’s the exact opposite 10% instant : 90 regular Maybe it’s because I’m used to it, but I’d prefer a cup of Taster’s Choice over 95% of that filter crap I was forced to drink in the U.S. I’m sure a properly-made cup of filter coffee is better than any instant; OTOH, finding a properly-made cup of filter coffee was nigh on impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/19 "2013-03-23T18:50:01Z")
> [@audiobottle](#): > > Are there really that uncommon in the US? As long as I can remember, we’ve had electric kettles. Then again, I grew up in a Korean-American family so maybe that played a part. Come to think of it, I’ve never actually used, much less owned, a non-electric kettle. Someone suggested, possibly in a previous thread, that they’re more popular in the UK because the 230V power standard means that the water heats quickly, while the 120V US standard is slower to heat. I think plumbed instant hot water dispensers are available, although they’re usually installed during a kitchen remodel. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731/20 "2013-03-23T18:52:10Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Is there some reason why you all aren’t just heating up a cup of water in the microwave? The damn beeping, apparently. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-water-kettles-are-surprisingly-useful/653731.md?page=2)