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Maybe the other 20% own non-electric kettles, like us, or have one-touch boiling water systems, like my parents. When our last electric kettle blew up 3-4 year
by petercooper 13y ago
Maybe the other 20% own non-electric kettles, like us, or have one-touch boiling water systems, like my parents.
When our last electric kettle blew up 3-4 years ago, we decided to go with a good, old fashioned metal kettle that we use on the hob. Works well, doesn't ever break, and even makes it a bit more of an 'event' to put the kettle on as you get all the boiling sounds, the whistle going off, etc.
My parents, on the other hand, have a thing that produces boiling water at the touch a button so they just use that to dump water into their mugs instead.
Either way, an electric kettle is far from the only solution .
- cowls 13y agoKettle on the hob sounds so much more fun then boiling water at the touch of a button. I feel like there needs to be some ceremony to the tea making, it cant just be pored from a tap there needs to be some kind of wait preceding it.
- monkeynotes 13y agoDrinking tea in the UK isn't about the fun of the kettle. It's a matter of necessity and the whole process is utilitarian. An efficient and predictable water boiler is what is needed, not a 'fun' tea making ceremony. The English largely drink the fannings of tea leaves (poorest quality) it's not about ceremony, fun, or quality, believe me.
- petercooper 13y agoWe only drink tea when people visit, so the kettle does play a role. Being gas, it takes longer to boil, giving a nice period of often tea-related small talk before it's shrieking for mercy. If one is in an office or one drinks tea because one's addicted to it then yes, the kettle would be more of an inconvenience, but not everyone lives such fast, non ceremonial lives.
- cowls 13y agoI feel you are not embracing the tea drinking enough. I am well aware what the English drink, being one of them and all!
- rmc 13y agoMaybe the other 20% own non-electric kettles You mean those old fashioned kettles that are little more than a pot that you put on the hob? Nope. No way do 20% of UK houses have that sort of old fashioned system. That's like claiming 20% of UK houses still have outhouses and don't have indoor toilets. It always amazes me how the ridiculuous old fashioned non-electric kettles are still popular in USA.
- petercooper 13y agoI did also mention boiling water systems like one touch "Quick Cup" type jugs or even boiling water taps as are popular in posher houses now. Nonetheless, I don't find it so farfetched. We are a wellish-to-do gadget heavy household and we're content with a gas kettle. Other people continue to drive manual transmission cars. Some people even use Internet Explorer! It's a funny old world.
- glomph 13y agoFunny you should mention transmission. Something like 80% of cars in the UK are manual transmission.
- seabee 13y agoDon't forget they have 110v but the same current limits on their plugs, so at best their kettles will use 1.5kW. The speed advantage isn't there. If you have a hot water-based appliance the coffee maker offers far greater convenience. Now you have even less reason for a kettle.
- laurencerowe 13y agoI've not found coffee makers terribly convenient for making tea.
- seabee 13y agoI know you are kidding but the pod/cup 'coffee' makers support tea too, now that is certainly convenient :)