The Vent and Rant Thread

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Volts'll jolt ya, but amps will kill ya.

Hitch

Watts that?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by ekbell

Given that electric kettles were THE gift to give to university students in Ontario, Canada, a few decades ago, different electrical systems can't be the main determining factor.

(I've wondered how American students heated water for their cup-o-noodles or instant soups without a electric kettle)

It's certainly not a matter of electric kettles NOT being available or NOT working or NOT being useful here.

And there are certainly multiple factors for the comparative lack of popularity, the different popularity of tea being a big one, I still suspect, especially in CA vs. US.

But if an electric kettle in the UK can heat a cup or two of water in the veritable blink of an eye, and an electric kettle in the US takes as long or longer than a microwave, or a regular kettle on a stove/hot plate, then in the UK it's a no-brainer, while in the US there is simply not as much incentive to get yet another appliance if you already have those others, especially in a limited space, like a dorm room.

And by the way, the microwave oven is the most common answer to your student noodle question.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Watts that?

Ah, electricity puns. That you'd use such an old one is shocking. Don't you know any that are more current?

Tangentially reminds me of my favorite science joke:
Two atoms bump into each other on the sidewalk.
First one says "Oh I'm sorry! Are you OK?"
"No! You made me lose an electron!"
"Oh no! Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm positive."

ApK

[llcj]

Originally Posted by ApK

I
And there are certainly multiple factors for the comparative lack of popularity, the different popularity of tea being a big one, I still suspect, especially in CA vs. US.

.

I doubt that it's a tea thing. Tea was never popular where and when I grew up yet electric kettles were ubiquitous.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by llcj

I doubt that it's a tea thing. Tea was never popular where and when I grew up yet electric kettles were ubiquitous.

Assuming you're right, that might suggest it wasn't a tea thing where and when you grew up, but perhaps not in all of Canada, which does look to lean more than the US toward tea on the tea/coffee scale.

The 'multiple factors' I mention might also include how people prefer to make their coffee. Maybe people in places where they tend to like French presses and poor-over buy more kettles than those that skew toward automatic drip and percolators, which have been the dominant methods in most of the US. I have no idea how Canadians make their coffee.

By the way, what were the kettles mostly used for where and when you grew up?

[llcj]

Originally Posted by ApK

Assuming you're right, that might suggest it wasn't a tea thing where and when you grew up, but perhaps not in all of Canada, which does look to lean more than the US toward tea on the tea/coffee scale.

The 'multiple factors' I mention might also include how people prefer to make their coffee. Maybe people in places where they tend to like French presses and poor-over buy more kettles than those that skew toward automatic drip and percolators, which have been the dominant methods in most of the US. I have no idea how Canadians make their coffee.

By the way, what were the kettles mostly used for where and when you grew up?

Making coffee, instant coffee if worse came to worst, dissolving things like gelatin, making stock, anytime hot water was needed as it's faster than heating water on a stove top.

Googled tea consumption in Canada vs USA; it's 264 cups/person/year vs 216 cups/person/year.

I'm sure you are right regarding multiple factors. When and how electric kettles were introduced into the market probably also played a factor.

Back when electric kettles were an expensive appliance, they were always a popular wedding gift.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ApK

I have no idea how Canadians make their coffee

We prefer ordering at Tim Hortons.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by DNSB

We prefer ordering at Tim Hortons.

OK, and I completely admit I'm an immigrant, but seriously, I will NEVER understand our country's fascination with Tim Hortons coffee. Seriously, as someone who grew up on Zabar's and then Peets, I find Tim Hortons coffee underwhelming. (Their hot chocolate, however, is quite welcome on a cold day!)

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by ApK

So how long DOES it take those UK kettles to boil, say, 500ml of water?

I've just tested mine for you. It is rated 3kW. It took 500ml tap water (~ 10C) to roiling boil and turned itself off in just under 90 seconds.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by CRussel

OK, and I completely admit I'm an immigrant, but seriously, I will NEVER understand our country's fascination with Tim Hortons coffee. Seriously, as someone who grew up on Zabar's and then Peets, I find Tim Hortons coffee underwhelming. (Their hot chocolate, however, is quite welcome on a cold day!)

From what I understand, it used to be better. But then the company was bought by a big multinational and it went downhill.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I've just tested mine for you. It is rated 3kW. It took 500ml tap water (~ 10C) to roiling boil and turned itself off in just under 90 seconds.

Wow. My 1500W, 1.7 liter capacity kettle (which is a pretty typical one here) did 500ml in 2:32, and my tap water started warmer than yours (70f/21c).
I did it again with slightly colder water (63f/17c) and it took 2:40.

So even if our tea consumption was similar (which it is not) I can certainly see how we might figure the microwave or stove top is good enough.

We should start a business that imports UK kettles and installs 220v circuits in kitchens.

ApK

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

From what I understand, it used to be better. But then the company was bought by a big multinational and it went downhill.

I've heard theories that McDonald's coffee is the same blend that Timmies used to be.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[ApK]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I've heard theories that McDonald's coffee is the same blend that Timmies used to be.

I never had Tim Hortons, but I find McD's coffee to be consistently decent and occasionally very good.

It's one of my "safe" coffee places. Dunkin' Donuts used to be my favorite chain coffee, and it can still be good, but it's become highly variable, and sometimes disappointingly weak. I think it's related to the same forces that are removing "Donuts" from the name.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by ekbell

Given that electric kettles were THE gift to give to university students in Ontario, Canada, a few decades ago, different electrical systems can't be the main determining factor.

(I've wondered how American students heated water for their cup-o-noodles or instant soups without a electric kettle)

When I was in college every kid in the dorm had an immersion heater to heat an individual cup of waster. They were universally prohibited, but everyone had one.

[wildhoney66]

i wonder if that's still a thing? i've never been to college so i dunno myself.