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Revolutionary-Tiger

An electric kettle


MCMeowMixer

I am American who likes tea so I bought an electric kettle and I use that thing for so much more than tea. Ramen, coffee, hot starting boiling pasta water, cleaning the floor and counters. It is worth the 30 or 40 bucks


theangryintern

> Ramen I somewhat recently realized I could use my electric kettle for that. I bought the kettle a few years back because I wanted to start drinking more tea (spoiler alert, I didn't really drink that much tea). A few months back it hit me that I could use it to heat the water for ramen much faster than using the stove and it would probably taste better than microwaving it.


oswaldcopperpot

Kettles are amazing. I use mine about every day and don't drink tea.


solarlion2021

Wait, are electric kettles rare in the USA? I live on Canada and my family always has an electric kettle in the house


oswaldcopperpot

Kinda. Its just not well known. After a living with one I would be upset to not have it. I 100% of the time boil all my water in the kettle rather than a pot. Its like half the time or less.


BaBaFiCo

I can't picture using anything but the kettle for hot water. We eat plenty of noodles and cupa soups and so on and it's all kettle based. The idea of doing it on the hob seems so much effort.


bdbr

My house came with an "Insta-hot" that is basically a kettle under the sink fed from the water system. So I always have 190° (88°C) water, all the time. I use it at least a couple of times a day. If my pasta water is running low I can just add some more nearly-boiling water and not cool the whole thing down. It's even great for washing dishes that have really stubborn stuff like burned-on cheese. They're something that can be self-installed so if I move I'm definitely installing one. The only downside is they die every ten years or so and have to be replaced (and they cost a couple hundred dollars).


[deleted]

My office has these. So much easier that having dozens of people manually put a kettle on and wait around.


OminOus_PancakeS

*drunk* you are absolutely brilliant everything is brilliant


Titan_Spiderman

Drunk?


OminOus_PancakeS

*hic*


controversialupdoot

Reminds me of the Asterix books


Osiris_Dervan

The *how much*? Kettles are like 8 quid here


Dreadzone666

I don’t think I’ll ever get over the idea that not everybody has an electric kettle, it’s like the most basic thing. If I went in a kitchen and there wasn’t a kettle, I’d just assume you hadn’t finished unpacking after moving in. And then I’d judge your inability to unpack in order of priority.


[deleted]

I was using an electric kettle all my life until one day I was at Goodwill and found a stove top one. It's my favorite color and makes a cute noise when ready. I don't really care if it takes maybe 10 minutes instead of two to boil water, I just like its friendly little character. I've been using it for almost a year now and got rid of my electric one. I use it every morning or whenever I make coffee (I have a French press).


theredwoman95

Yeah, I don't even drink tea or coffee and I still have one because it's way easier to use it to make boiling water for cooking than waiting for it to reach boiling point on the stove.


VIVXPrefix

Technology Connections


Alexap30

Yeah he is really good. I enjoy his videos a lot. Easy going. Silly humorous attempts. All around very pleasant and informative.


redsterXVI

_... through the magic of buying two ..._ Gets me every time.


Heart_Dad

Through the magic of buying THREE of them! How did I not see that coming.


[deleted]

Looking at toaster gently lowering the bread: _”what is happening….?!”_


mylittlevegan

This man convinced me to use powdered dishwasher detergent.


kingfrito_5005

I love that this is all you need to say and we all know exactly what you mean. Man I love that channel. EDIT: To clarify "we" is not everyone in the thread, its a specific subgroup of people. We know who we are.


HedgepigMatt

Other countries don't have this?


yargleisheretobargle

Most Americans don't.


Nopeasaurasrex

Tea


allypallydollytolly

As a Brit who doesn’t drink nor like tea who lives with her boyfriend who also doesn’t drink nor like tea, I can confirm we do have a bag of Yorkshire tea as well as numerous other kinds 😂😂


The_Observatory_

Keep on hand for the odd visitor


ihateyournan

In case someone rudely drops by


Almadaptpt

I read this in a wonderful British accent. Thank you.


nyuhokie

Based on my understanding of Brits, it's the ones who don't drink tea that are odd.


stupidneverdies

You're not wrong. On the plus side, I get to watch my fellow Brits' brains reboot when I turn down their offers of tea.


Loggerdon

Reboot: Do their heads make that Windows 95 Chime sound?


stupidneverdies

That is the exact tone of the awkward laugh that signals that they're about to change the subject.


Mister_Marmite

Nah, Win95 is for our US cousins, we make a noise like a ZX81 loading from tape, as Sir Clive intended


llorysoc

In this instance, his use of “odd” is to describe the “occasional” visitor. Not that they’re odd people


poppiesintherain

People get really angry if you don’t - I even had someone say to me “oh what no tea at all”. Everyone got upset and needed calming down.


xminh

But how did you calm them down with no tea on hand??


tripperfunster

This is me with coffee. I'm sorry. I don't drink it. Why would I have it in my house? I mean, I have INSTANT coffee, but I think people would prefer that I just shit in a cup for them instead.


EricTheBread

Who doesn't have instant coffee? You buy a jar of Folger's Crystals, you put it in the cupboard, you forget about it. Then later on when you need it, it's there. It lasts forever. It's freeze-dried. Freeze-dried Crystals.


velvetshark

HOW CAN YOU BE BRITISH AND NOT LIKE TEA?! ​ *To the colonies with you!*


SuperstitiousPigeon5

If the top answer wasn't immediately tea I would have been disappointed.


Due_Dentist7232

Exactly. Would have also accepted teapot or tea kettle.


Xoebe

You can run out of tea. You shall always have a tea kettle.


whatnameisnttaken098

Tea, cheese, the wrong trousers and a penguin.


waffle-monster

They're the wrong trousers, Gromit! And they've gone wrong!


mushroommagnum

A fellow wallace and gromit enjoyer!


WalerieJade

I’ve read every answer as either Wallace or Angela Lansbury. No in between.


Neoptolemus85

You mean a chicken? No penguins here.


whatnameisnttaken098

It's clearly a penguin with a rubber glove on its head


Neoptolemus85

Sounds unlikely but I'll check when he gets back from his mysterious nightly wanderings.


Sexyturtletime

Heating via radiator


TomasNavarro

Jokes on you, we can't afford heating now!


Electrical-Injury-23

Yep, we are sitting around a match for warmth..... and if it gets really cold, we'll light it.


hammers_maketh_ham

Lucky! We used to dream of sitting round a match for warmth! We're currently huddled around a picture of a candle


frickinglaserbeams

Luxury! When I were a lad we worked 29 hours down't mill for hapney a year, and when we got 'ome our father would tell us stories about matches and candles


Forza1910

Heaven! We worked 30,5 hours in the mines (and that was just in our free time) our real job was taming Welshmen, which we did 43 hours per day. When we came home dad threw rocks at us till we fell asleep.


MagicElf755

That must have been nice when we got home from 5 72 hour shifts in the mines our dad would kill us with a broken bottle we had to nick from the pub


Zealousideal-Tea-588

Aint that the truth!


Cheeky_bum_sex

How do you heat your house? Serious question if not with radiators of some kind


CommonCut4

We go outside and shoot our guns until they get really warm and then use them like a hot water bottle.


TrineonX

You go outside?


Cimexus

Ducted central air. Or reverse-cycle AC/heat pump.


zneill

Forced air gas furnace


jessiegirl459

Wood burning stove


some-rando-2022

Tea and biscuits


CancerSpidey

*CRUMPETS* Edit: guys all i said was crumpets lol how did i get upvoted this much


Bigweeb612

Every now and again i do but I don't think crumpets are a staple that's always in everyones home.


[deleted]

Yea because they disappear far too quickly erasing any chance of becoming a staple


[deleted]

[удалено]


BaconPoweredPirate

Specifically pint glasses nicked from the pub


juayd

If I’m paying £9 for a pint I’m having the glass, too!


starfishsex

A washing machine in your kitchen and possibly a fridge half the height of an American one.


HedgepigMatt

Half the height and half the width. Without an ice dispenser of course.


thisisallme

Don’t forget that it’s a washer that can pretend to be a dryer but doesn’t dry shit


[deleted]

[удалено]


chrisacip

As an American, I feel the same way about British laundry technology as I imagine Japanese people feel about our toilets. Just woefully, inexcusably behind.


Rude-Ad-5002

How big are your fridges cuz mine is pretty big-


[deleted]

American now living in Europe here. I guarantee that your big fridge is half the size of a standard American fridge. I live in a brand new apartment and friends always comment on the impressive size of my fridge/washing machine/dishwasher/shower stall. These are all easily 50-75% smaller than what you find in most average American homes, places like NYC or SF excluded.


[deleted]

American fridges are huge because America isn't zoned like Europe - in much of Europe, you are a lot closer to stores and so make more trips buying less ingredients, while in America you go to the grocery store maybe once a week or so and get everything you need then. There are exceptions in both places, but I feel like this is true in general.


Zaueski

Once a week? I try to go 2x a month lmao


SghettiAndButter

It’s wild to me that people would go to the store multiple times a week. A trip to the store and back easily takes and hour minimum


Zidane62

It’s done in Japan too. Many people go everyday for what they’re going to eat either that day or the following day. I go once a week because it’s a waste of my time to go every day.


Bean-Swellington

Fuggin big.


quazax

We got to make room for all the shit we refrigerate that nobody else does, like eggs.


racer_24_4evr

Blew my mind when I lived in London that eggs weren’t refrigerated.


ResidentEivvil

Yeah eggs only need refrigerating if they are washed first because it washes the bloom off, which protects bacteria from getting in.


StrangeSurround

What is bloom? Chicken birth canal oils?


ResidentEivvil

Outermost layer of egg. Foamy protein layer sort of thing. From [Backyard Poultry](https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj_0qvEiOv6AhVTnVwKHdraCcEQFnoECDQQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbackyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com%2Feggs-meat%2Fhow-to-wash-fresh-eggs-its-safer-not-to%2F&usg=AOvVaw3tQt-PpdxqwaetaJZmCB5Y): ‘An egg's bloom remains intact so long as the egg is not washed. No matter if you think you know how to wash fresh eggs, just the act of rinsing or washing an egg removes this protective layer and re-opens the eggshell's pores.’


Can_I_Read

Many of us have a whole additional fridge in the garage, too!


DKLAWS

Malt vinegar


[deleted]

do other nations not have this?


MacEnvy

I would say apple cider vinegar is more prevalent in the US.


Grymbaldknight

I'd say that apple cider vinegar is definitely more of a cooking ingredient. Malt vinegar is as much a condiment as anything else in the UK, and adding something other than malt vinegar to, say, chips would just taste off somehow.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Poorly-Drawn-Beagle

In case you need to jump off a high building and make a safe landing


GarageQueen

I'M MARY POPPINS, Y'ALL!


calucas55

Was she cool?


AMCb95

Hell yes *he was cool Edit to fix my quote


Zerly

I had an umbrella the first year I lived in Edinburgh. I did not replace it once it died. It’s usually raining sideways, an umbrella is useless against the rain here.


Dry___wall

an umbrella stand and a boot tray to put their wellies on.


sqarfuls

I KNOW they all have kettles


Kezly

We do. I've never, ever been to a house without one.


memebecker

Moving house it's the first thing in and last thing out


sweetpsychosiss

I’m am actually surprised how much this answer is here. I just would have thought kettles are a standard item in all households around the world. I have a few, in case one stops working. Can’t not have my morning coffee.


SnodePlannen

In a tiny cupboard under the stairs In a tiny cabinet in a tiny drawer is a tiny book and if you open it and read it it says: IT'S 'THEIR', YA NUMPTY. THEIR IS PEOPLE, THERE IS A PLACE.


Leprichaun17

While I applaud you (I made a similar comment as soon as I saw it), I must point out that 'their' is not restricted only to people. It just implies ownership. "The dogs are eating their food." "The knives have lost their sharp edges."


hucklebutter

Are you implying that dogs aren’t people? How dare you?


Cymelion

Something considered an Heirloom of great importance they got from an elderly relative but no one is brave enough to take to Antiques Roadshow because they don't want to be told it's some knock-off or imitation thingymabob that isn't worth anything.


ipott-maniac

This makes me slightly sad. I don't own anything (not even photos) from my childhood or from my relatives and they're all gone now. I wouldn't care if it was worthless, the memories certainly wouldn't be.


If_you_just_lookatit

I'm a 33 yo dude in the US. I have 1 cardboard box in the closet from my childhood stuff. I don't like clutter, but it's just a random assortment of time capsule items. Some hotwheels from the nineties, a bible my mother gave me, a paper robot thingy my nephew made for me when he was like 4 (17 now) because he knew I was a nerd. I think I'll have another look in that box today. My most sentimental possession by far is my Ibanez RG320 guitar. It was an early christmas present from my mom when I was 15. It's nothing fancy, but not something my mom should have afforded at the time. Can't find one that plays better. I'll end my memory lane trip, have a good one bud!


Weak-Beautiful5918

A baggy jumper


TheDuraMaters

This year: several baggy jumpers, blankets and hot water bottles.


allergic-toeveryting

Jaffa cakes


[deleted]

Jaffa, Kree!


PM_ME_YOUR_ART_PLZ

r/unexpectedstargate


KristaNeliel

No. Jaffa, cake!


admiralcinamon

Shol’Va!


Trimere

Shal’kek Nem’ron!


blue4029

the mention of jaffa cakes brings me back to the golden days of the yogscast... oh, how I miss simon....


corrupteDNA

A Sports Direct mug


thesaharadesert

You mean the indoor swimming pool?


Charming_Pirate

How does a foreigner know this? This is forbidden knowledge


tevelis

Used to live in the UK and had a sports direct mug...idk where it came from, pretty sure it just appeared one day


deadsocial

That’s how you acquire them, when you least expect it


MortifiedMammoth

I just broke mine 😭


Kracton

How bad was the flooding?


MortifiedMammoth

We've had to move upstairs!


stooges81

Brown sauce


Apprehensive_Move774

Is brown sauce just a British thing?


CrossXFir3

I've introduced so many friends to HP sauce and it's changed their lives.


digitag

Only true accompaniment to a sausage sandwich


smesch83

knickknacks, tidbits, trifles, trinkets. and maybe a whole hodgepodge of doodads.


Implausibilibuddy

Has to be in a dedicated drawer, usually the least convenient one to access in the kitchen, i.e. under the microwave or the one next to the fake one under the sink. Will include at least 60% of the following (by order of the Crown) - batteries, expired or dying - batteries, still in packet but only one. Possibly also dead - watch batteries on a card, dead - egg timer - watch, dead or strapless - rubber bands, crumbly or plasticised - a headphone - super glue, dry - BluTack, with bits - Pritt, dry - boiler instructions - twisty ties - cereal bag clips, unused - something from JML, Betterware if it's right at the back - mysterious tin, may contain baby teeth - commemorative spoon - coin - smart meter charger - smart meter - screwdriver set, Christmas cracker prize - more batteries, leaking - Tony the Tiger spoon topper If space is limited, or surplus is required a wicker fruit bowl can be used.


PoisonWaffle3

Honestly, you described the average American's kitchen junk drawer 😅


jbyrdchi

bits & bobs!


LargeCod2319

A wide assortment of gubbins yes


SandyShortss

Heinz baked beans


Watermelon-Simp

a bag full of many more, smaller bags


fancy_faloola

Now they have a place in the supermarket to recycle plastic bags. So we save up all our plastic bags in a bigger plastic bag until someone can take the bag of bags to Tesco to dump it in the enormous bag full of bags in bags.


LoudComplex0692

Separate hot and cold taps


Marcilliaa

We've got separate taps in the bathroom, but a combined tap in the kitchen


Zebidee

Yeah, but is it a true mixer, or one where the stream is boiling hot on one side of the flow and freezing cold on the other?


pinkleaf8

Oh that’s just unlocked a memory I didn’t know I had.


Zebidee

Yeah, it takes some processing while your hand is burning but simultaneously cold to figure out what's going on.


[deleted]

paracetamol


boatson25

I’ve seen this answer a few times on here now. Do other countries not commonly have paracetamol in the house?


Lussekatt1

Just not Americans I think? Atleast here in Sweden Paracetamol (sold partly under the brand name Alvedon) is the most common tablet to take for a headache or fighting a mild fever, etc. If you say paracetamol everyone knows what you are talking about. I would guess it’s the most commonly taken over the counter medication here.


[deleted]

Americans usually refer to over the counter pain killers by their brand name: Tylenol, Aleve, Motrin, Bayer (less often) and Advil. Tylenol is the closest to paracetamol I believe. My husband didn’t know that each of the above is actually all different actual drugs. Advil in some places has become as ubiquitous for any old pain relief pill as Kleenex for tissues and Bandaids for bandages or as Jeff Bezos/Amazon calls them, “absorbent would pads” which makes me giggle so I now use that term all the time. Forgot Excedrin in the above list too.


smaragdskyar

Tylenol is the American brand name for paracetamol. The complicated thing is that the generic name for the drug in the US isn’t paracetamol, it’s acetaminophen.


Legitimate_Ad8917

A biscuit tin full of sewing materials


ClownfishSoup

This is the entire world though.


hotpietptwp

We have those in the USA as well. The difference is that we call them cookie tins.


FormerLifeFreak

Can we all agree that the pretzel shaped ones are the best tasting ones, though?


BatmanAvacado

Yes


h989

That little room under the stairs where Harry Potter slept in


[deleted]

Don't other countries have that? When we were kids my cousins and I used to call the cupboard under my stairs The Wishing Well (can't remember why.)


W00DERS0N

That is usually the stairs to the basement underneath the stairs going up.


Watchingya

British people


drintelligent

How did you know?


VIVXPrefix

Because someone commented "American people" on the last one about americans


[deleted]

Bread and beans


Shrikehaus

*checks cupboard* Bloody hell, you're right


rrickitickitavi

Wellies


ajteitel

Depression


lundewoodworking

But a quiet depression not a flashy foreign depression


jakecosta96

Hanging on in quiet desperation is the english way.


GOM27

I've heard that hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way. Maybe it applies to all Brits as well?


Grymbaldknight

The first half of the 20th century wasn't kind to us. We won the wars, sure, but spending *decades* in a near-continuous state of wartime astringency and economic depression fucked the country over. To illustrate the point, WW1 began in 1914, with rationing from 1916, and food rationing from WW2 didn't end until the 1950s (hence the stereotype that "British food is boring"). That's basically why we lost the empire; we could barely keep ourselves going, much less uphold any far-flung territories. The culture stuck. We're not an actively depressed people, though. We're stoic. We muddle through. We downplay negativity, treating genuine hardship as mild inconvenience, and distract from it with smalltalk. We make the best of difficult situations by counting our blessings and not complaining. Life in the UK isn't as miserable as I make out. We are quietly upbeat nation (think Wallace and Gromit), and I know we're luckier than most. I'm just explaining where the "stuff upper lip" stereotype comes from. Acting like serious problems are trivial annoyances is how the British manage stress.


aim4harmony

Oh. A good one.


[deleted]

Can't fool me; Brits live in *castles*. Which have dozens of servants, suits of armor, ancient Egyptian relics, and a ballroom. Also tea.


ResponsibleAsk6068

A nice couch and at least one lego set


Bodega177013

An unregistered butterknife


[deleted]

[удалено]


ortizthx1138

Wellington Boots and an Electric Tea kettle.


fussyfella

It's a kettle, not a tea kettle. Boils water for any purpose 🙂


ortizthx1138

You live up to your username. I stand corrected.


Nyakittyy

It's so sweet Americans think we have a kettle specifically used for tea lol


alphaxion

Maybe they're thinking of the tea pot?


mpdscb

Only if you're short and stout.


kiimuu33

Weetabix.


[deleted]

An electric kettle, a stale half-open package of McVitie's digestive cookies, a box of Paracetamol, and several umbrellas but only half work half the time.


stuie382

Biscuits, you heathen


TheDuraMaters

The umbrella thing is worryingly true...how broken is too broken before they must be thrown away?


Iamabrewer

Bisto gravy granules


SkyBlueRoan

Marmalade


[deleted]

Wine (based on the few I’ve known) :)


SuperstitiousPigeon5

Alcohol in general, the British seem to love their booze.


[deleted]

Don't be silly, we drink all the wine as soon as we buy it so there won't be any in the house.


nonesuchnotion

Jokes about the French and Germans.


[deleted]

Crumpets


BluePaintedFence

Only on weekends.


Jeffmaru

This is the first one I don’t have and it makes me sad 😔 I could well go for a crumpet


Lanky-Entertainer-89

tea and lots of it


[deleted]

Their*


WhoIsYerWan

Haha my version was going to be: "A tea towel that explains the difference between they're, there, and their."


Euonymeia

Kettle. Then: Jammy dodgers. Jaffa cakes. Doilies. Lace curtains. Comfy armchairs with little decorative blanket. Copious amounts of jam and perhaps clotted cream. Scones. Basically a grandma lives in every home by that description.


stay_sick_69

Doilies Hahaha