Bitzi

Please help!
No-one here in California has ever heard of a kettle!
I'm gagging to make my own cup of tea!
They think I mean some sort of cooking pot!
The nearest I have found is one of those whistling pots you put on the stove. I want one to plug into the mains.
I've tried Costco, Target, Walgreens, Best Buy etc and everyone looked at me like I just landed from the moon! (actually they do that anyway, no matter what I'm asking for!)
Any ideas? Someone said I need to ask for "an automatic hot water dispensing pot". WTF!!!!
Thanks!

dbj1000

There's this AMAZING thing call "The InterWeb", so I hear.

On it, there's "virtu-cyber shoping-stores", they say, named after tribes of warrior women (Amazoon.com?) that sell all manner of treasures, apparently.

Electric Kettles included...

Personally, I wouldn't trust'em. I hear that for every penny you spend "online", a fairy dies and a member of your family is sold into white slavery.

HoosierDaddy

I suspect either :

- local Target didn't have one
- they're having you on
- you're having us on

Folinskyinla

Hi:

I have no idea what a "kettle" is in UK usage. However, as a native Californian, I have always understood it to generally mean the thing in which one boils water -- either a stove-top or an electric one. On the stove top, they are often with the whistle, but not always. The electric ones can be plugged into a wall outlet with a cord. My mother always had one going. [I remember in Israel that everyone had an electric kettle going all the time].

I've know of several people who pick up old electric coffee percolators which no one uses anymore at garage sales and then use them to heat water.

What is the UK kettle? Curious minds would like to know?

BTW, on kitchen ware, try the Department Stores like Macy's. They often have a better selection than places like Costco or Target. Costco is great, but they are hit or miss on availability.

sambapink

Try Macy's... I got mine from there.. I had exactly the same problem!! Where in cali are u?

Bitzi

Sambapink Thank You!
You obviously understand the trauma
BTW I'm in Santa Cruz - where are you? edit: just seen it! OC

I will try out Macy's for sure - never even occured to me to look there.

Seriously though not one person I asked even knew electric kettles even existed. The 2nd hand coffee perc idea is OK if you like your tea to taste like bad motel coffee. Yeah been there done that!

"What is a UK kettle?" Pretty much like you probably imagine. Pour the water in the top, shut lid, press the button, wait to boil (fantastic ones in the UK, boil in a couple of minutes!), and pour! Usually hold about 2L of water. Personally I'm now thinking I want one of those 3 or 5L ones which boil once and then stay hot all day - just press the button and out it comes.

fatbrit

It's the first thing you buy for the kitchen, and it's the first thing you put on when the door bell goes. Americans will never understand.

Bitzi

dbj1000
I just found out that web thing you were on about - amazing!
It's called a HOT WATER POT! yeeehaaa!

md95065

Be aware that, largely because of the fact that the US operates on 120 volts and has totally crappy standards for home wiring, all electric kettles that you can buy in the US are distinctly under powered by UK standards.

A typical US electric kettle will be 1.5 kW with some being as low as 1 kW.

A typical UK electric kettle is likely to be at least 2kW with some being as high as 3kW.

Be prepared to spend a long time waiting for your new electric kettle to boil

sambapink

yeah I had all that.. I went 5 days without a proper cuppa.. i thought i was going to lose all reasoning!!! - Also just as a tip... if your ever out and about and are gasping for a cuppa.. if you get starbucks 'awake' tea... it really isn't that bad...

(Also OH just reminded me that we have just replaced our kettle & got it from Target... it was the only one they had, and it was a bigger Target.. so some do them)

Ozzidoc

It's also called a "tea kettle"

surly

Just heat the water in the microwave oven.

Xebedee

Thats because a ringing doorbell in the US is the signal to slap in a clip, release the dogs and don a kevlar vest.

With a bit of luck it'll be a welfare recipient or some other waste of dna.

Pandajuice

I can only imagine how you feel Bitzi. We're not big tea drinkers in the US, so finding an electric kettle would be tough. Most people just boil a kettle (metal pot with a whistle on top) when they want a cup of tea and it takes ages. It's quickly becomming more popular though, especially in California so hopefully UK style kettles will start appearing soon.

When I first moved in with my wife here in the UK, I saw her electric kettle and had to inspect it and ask her all kinds of questions. I was like a caveman, I'd never seen anything like it before. "So you're telling me this contraption boils water in 2 minutes? Insane!"

Tracym

I got one at Sams, Keith never complains about how long it takes.

Of course, that's my Keith, whose standard line is "I never noticed..." - usually regarding some disaster crashing to the ground 2 feet behind him

Here's a selection - I have the Krups:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/styl...nt=0&ipp=1000&