The Vent and Rant Thread

[Deskisamess]

Teapot is a generic term I think. We always called stove top "kettles" teapots.

I never knew anyone who used an electric "kettle" until the last few years, other than seeing them on British tv shows. My mom still uses a stove top teapot.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Teapot is a generic term I think. We always called stove top "kettles" teapots.

I never knew anyone who used an electric "kettle" until the last few years, other than seeing them on British tv shows. My mom still uses a stove top teapot.

In the UK they are distinct items. And almost every UK household has at least one electric kettle. And at least one teapot.

Amazon UK lists over 600 electric kettles, and nearly 500 teapots....

I do remember electric kettles being almost impossible to come by in Colorado, about 20 years ago. Ditto tea pots.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

In the UK they are distinct items. And almost every UK household has at least one electric kettle. And at least one teapot.

Amazon UK lists over 600 electric kettles, and nearly 500 teapots....

I do remember electric kettles being almost impossible to come by in Colorado, about 20 years ago. Ditto tea pots.

When I was single and on my own I boiled my water in a generic stovetop pot and poured the boiling water into a mug with a teabag or small infuser. These days I have a stovetop kettle and a cast iron tea pot.

[ApK]

As a child, we called the thing that whistled when we boiled water on the stove a 'teapot.' The song "I'm a Little Teapot" evoked images of a whistling kettle.
I guess I get it: It's the pot in which you boil water for tea. Teapot.
I recall not knowing the word "kettle" until I was older, well in to late single digits of age I think.
But once I learned it, the distinction made so much sense then whenever I fell into the ingrained habit of calling a kettle a 'teapot" I felt a little dirty and had to correct myself.

Now I have a Breville automatic tea maker with one pot to boil water, brew and serve tea. The cognitive dissonance is brutal.

ApK

[Uncle Robin]

I was under the impression that the relative paucity/uncommonness of electric kettles in Nth America was related to the 110 volts making them less useful?

[llcj]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I was under the impression that the relative paucity/uncommonness of electric kettles in Nth America was related to the 110 volts making them less useful?

This is a USA thing as electric kettles have been common in Canada my entire life and I am 60 plus.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by llcj

This is a USA thing as electric kettles have been common in Canada my entire life and I am 60 plus.

Thanks for the clarification!

[CRussel]

Well, I bought my first electric kettle in the late '80s when I was still living in the U.S. Heck, Consumer Reports did a review of them, if I remember correctly. That kettle eventually died, and we bought a second, then I got serious and bought a Japanese hot water dispenser that lets me control the actual temperature and always has 4 litres of hot water available, instantly. Though these days, I kind of wish I had one of those Breville tea makers, I muddle along...

[Hitch]

I just want to say, gosh, thanks. Thanks a bl**dy lot, you group.

I've had the "I'm a Little Teapot" tune stuck in my damn head now since 5:00am. 4.5 hours.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

(And BTW, I thought it was a given--the kettle heats the water and the teapot steeps it, isn't that right? I could swear that's what my Late Great Grandmother used to do...I'm not really a bigtime tea drinker, other than the occasional cup of Earl Gray; we do "sun tea" out here, for iced tea. And I use hot water from whatever source for the occasional cuppa. I need another doodad or kitchen thing here like I need a hole in my head, so the teapot alone for steeping is sufficient unto the requirement.)

Hitch

[Tarana]

I'm switching from a cheap electric kettle (my brother's) to a Hot Shot. Water is ready in under 2 minutes for 1 cup of tea or cocoa. I almost never make a whole pot of tea and have a little 4 cup coffee dripmaker for coffee (it actually just fills my large coffee stein). I've become impatient waiting so long for hot water for a single cup of tea.

[ownedbycats]

https://httpstatuses.com/418

[cromag]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I just want to say, gosh, thanks. Thanks a bl**dy lot, you group.

I've had the "I'm a Little Teapot" tune stuck in my damn head now since 5:00am. 4.5 hours.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

...

In 1978 I was on a team that participated in the Delaware River Raft Race -- a 24 mile "race" on homemade rafts. Our raft consisted of ten 55 gallon drums in two rows with a welded steel rebar and angle iron superstructure. The race had few rules, but participants could be disqualified for intentionally ramming other rafts -- and, every year, some were. But the overall aim was to have fun -- for instance, we had cut a hatch into one of our drums and filled it with cans of beer.

No observers were permitted on the highway bridges over the river, but during the course of the race we passed under a pedestrian bridge that was lined with spectators. As planned, we shipped our oars, stood up, and performed ...

I'm a little teapot ...

The race was discontinued for many years, but I think there have been recent efforts to bring it back. There is at least one video of the race (not from 1978) on Youtube.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by Darqref

I know this is a first world problem, but it's annoying me.

One thing the last year of covid has accelerated is the trend of rolls of toilet paper getting larger. Used to be "double" rolls, now they're calling them "mega" rolls. I live in an older (1950s) house, and the main bath has a tp dispenser that is inset into the wall. The rolls don't go on without squishing them, and even then they're hard to pull off.

My mother, who's mostly blind and diabetic, is having trouble with this. For me, I'd just let the roll sit on the counter, but Mom doesn't see things and can easily knock it over.

And at times this year, that's all that has been available in the store.

I want my dimensional bubble that makes the room bigger on the inside than the out.....

Have the same problem in my bathroom. Got an order of these last year at my sister's insistence. Probably spent less money in the long run as they aren't all puffed up. I have an in-toilet bidet (Biobidet) which already reduces the need for TP but this at least fits in the inset. My 48 pack looks like it may last a full year.
https://us.whogivesacrap.org/product...er-jumbo-rolls

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by cromag

In 1978 I was on a team that participated in the Delaware River Raft Race -- a 24 mile "race" on homemade rafts. Our raft consisted of ten 55 gallon drums in two rows with a welded steel rebar and angle iron superstructure. The race had few rules, but participants could be disqualified for intentionally ramming other rafts -- and, every year, some were. But the overall aim was to have fun -- for instance, we had cut a hatch into one of our drums and filled it with cans of beer.

No observers were permitted on the highway bridges over the river, but during the course of the race we passed under a pedestrian bridge that was lined with spectators. As planned, we shipped our oars, stood up, and performed ...

I'm a little teapot ...

The race was discontinued for many years, but I think there have been recent efforts to bring it back. There is at least one video of the race (not from 1978) on Youtube.

I've been to that event!

I spent my teen years in Flemington, which is 15 minutes, +/-, from the Delaware, New Hope, etc. If memory serves, we went in the late 60's and a few times in the very early 70's. LOL.

Hitch

[timebug]

Two kettles here (in the UK) my main one which is electric,and a 'backup' one that sits atop the gas stove, in the event of an electrical blackout/outage!