I have an electric kettle plugged in to a standard US 110 socket, and it boils a few cups of water very quickly - about 2 minutes from the tap to boiling. Plus

I have an electric kettle plugged in to a standard US 110 socket, and it boils a few cups of water very quickly - about 2 minutes from the tap to boiling. Plus, the kettle has an automatic shut-off and I can hold the handle with my bare hands after it's done. Way better than the microwave or a stove-top kettle. I think electric kettles are pretty common in the US among tea drinkers, but houses where everyone drinks coffee won't typically have one. Since most of the US prefers coffee, you don't get a lot of electric kettles.