Electric Kettles in the U.S.

Typical AC outlet in the US has a 15 A or 20 A breaker on that branch. The nominal safety margin of drawing no more than 80% of a breaker with one load means a 12A or 16 A max for any single appliance. Boiling a smaller volume of water could be done in under 25 minutes. Just use a reasonable amount of power.

Correct. I have both 120V and 240V induction cooking devices. The 120V portable is rated at 1800W, so must use 15 Amps. All the 120V breakers in my house are 20 Amps. We do have to remember not to turn on the electric teakettle (Yes, we have one, 120V, and it certainly does not take 25 minutes to boil even a full cold pot), and the portable induction cooker at the same time, vbecause they are usually on the same breaker.

To say that it takes 25 minutes to boil water is meaningless, without specifying the volume of water and the initial temperature. We have a rather unique water supply, coming from the bottom of a mountain lake, through a 27" diameter line to the edge of our property, so our initial water temperature is colder than most.

There are several things we cook that only need something like 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of a pot, and that will be boiling within two minutes on our 240V induction cooktop, and around three minutes on the 120V induction portable.

We use the microwave, only takes a couple of minutes...or if you're making coffee, then a mr coffee takes only a few minutes....

Hobs are stove tops, and here in the US we have a lot of gas fueled type, but the electric burner types are 240v as are the ovens....and we have induction stove tops, which are usually 240v but also come in 120v....an Electric kettle is just a coffee maker with no coffee...In any case, this myth is busted...

https://www.consumerreports.org/coffee-makers/fast-coffee-makers/

..."In a drip system, the contact time should be approximately 5 minutes. If you are making your coffee using a French Press, the contact time should be 2-4 minutes. Espresso has an especially brief brew time — the coffee is in contact with the water for only 20-30 seconds."...

https://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/How-to-Brew-Coffee#:~:text=In%20a%20drip%20system%2C%20the,for%20only%2020%2D30%20seconds.

..."An electric stove top burner typically sits on top of the oven with 4 heating elements, normally two small and two large, and is used for heating or cooking food. The energy use of a stove top varies, smaller units will use 1000 watts while a larger heating element will go up to 3000 watts."...

http://energyusecalculator.com/electricity_stovetop.htm

You could certainly run a 240v outlet for the kitchen if you wanted to use a typical UK tea kettle...It would be an interesting race to boil between a 3000 watt stovetop burner and a microwave oven and a 3000 watt UK tea kettle, and an induction burner type........Who would win?...oh and gas....?

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/product-reviews/electricals/g26060049/best-kettles/

The typical American home has several 240v appliances, the stove and oven of course but also the A/C unit condenser and air handler, the water heater, electric dryer if you're not using gas...So typically 5 240v circuits....Some people add 240v circuits for the garage...

But coffee water is not boiling water. Tea should be brewed with boiled water hence the use of a kettle. The link shows one of several 120 VAC models designed to boil 1.7L of water. It doesn't state the nominal time to boil but that would also depend on the starting water temperature. I'd expect boiling water well within 25 minutes. The OP doesn't state the volume of water to boil, too.

..."Many high end coffee makers report their brewing process brings the water temperature up to 200 degrees (the ideal temp for brewing coffee) but even that is 12 degrees under that of boiling water."...

The heat release the bonds of some flavonoids... the higher the heat would release the more bitter flavonoids.

Indeed.. the coffee maker does not take 25 Minutes .. That would be cruel and unusual.

I purchased a gas stove after Maria. The first 50# gas tank lasted a year. Then I bought a stove top percolator.......next 50# tank lasted 3 mos. I now use a Mr Coffee, and the microwave to heat water for pasta, hard boiled eggs etc.

My Keurig only takes about 2 1/2 minutes from scratch. The next cup is faster.

The UK kettle at 3k watts is claimed to boil 250ml in 40 seconds....that's about 8.5 ounces, a typical coffee mug size...but we're talking about just boiling the water not the brew time, which is included in the coffee machine...

Brew time for tea is anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes....

A discussion on this topic....

https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/75664/why-use-a-kettle-to-heat-water

Give it time,... my wife bought an instant pot,... first to make rice,... now she make roasts, steaks seals it in a plastics bag and boils it, (I’ll put it on the grill for 2 minutes to char it) I don’t recall the procedures name,... it is French), she also make yogurt and plenty of other things.

she loves it so much she gave it to her sister and then bought a larger pot.

Well you got crock pots and pressure steamers, crock pots are slow cookers like electric roaster ovens Dutch ovens , the pressure steamers are best for rice and for veggies and cook fast, just a few minutes...then you got electric skillets, I use these for cooking a roast, about 3 or 4 hours...then you have pasta cookers Yogurt makers Then you have the George Foreman grill for burgers, can't beat it, and well the list never seems to stop...there is certainly a lot of overlap...add to that toaster oven, microwave, electric can opener, coffee maker and bean grinder, various electric mixers and vegetable choppers, deep fryer, like my fry daddy, (ps; I'd have a big one if I could fit it in someplace) and you have quite the juggling act with your counter space...

When I was in college, I had one of these things. I just had to be careful it was submerged when plugged in. It just took a minute or two to heat up a cup of water.

I had one of those too. The design raises a point that hasn't been made in this thread: An electric kettle is a faster and more efficient means to boil water than a stovetop kettle because the heating element is directly immersed in the water. The heating element of a stovetop kettle is external to both the kettle body and the water within.

I had one too, and in fact my wife used one on a trip some time last year.

"The heating element of a stovetop kettle is external to both the kettle body and the water within." This is true, except in the case of an induction cooktop, where the bottom of the kettle is the heating element,

An electric kettle on 120V could deliver 1200W at 10A which would be in the safety range of most GPOs.

Given that it takes about 1.67Wh to raise 1 litre of water by 1°C (at sea level), and assuming the water starts at 15°C, then to raise it to 100°C would take about 150Wh.

1200 watts will provide that amount of energy in approximately 7.5 minutes.

A standard cup is about 250ml, so you could raise the temperature of enough water for 4 cups by 85°C in less than 8 minutes on 120V @ 1200W

I have a 1250 watt microwave, it would take about half that time....

Must be a damned good microwave. Most are rated at roughly 50% efficiency as against an electric kettle at about 80%.

Also be aware that a microwave does not boil the water evenly, numerous experiments have shown that water at different levels in the container can be at very different temperatures.

Typically the water at the top boils long before the water lower down due to the microwaves being more effective on the surface of the liquid.

This is why microwaved liquids normally cool faster when heated in a microwave than those heated on a stove or in a kettle, add some sugar and stir and you are mixing the hot water with the lower level colder lot.

Well I always stop the microwave half through and stir it...I use it for making hot chocolate, taking cold chocolate milk from the refrigerator and heating it for 30 sec, then stirring and another 30 sec....then it's too hot to drink, it has to sit for a while...the same with oatmeal....I can take a frozen piece of pizza, give it 1 min, it's too hot to touch, pop it in the toaster oven for about 3 min to stiffen the crust, and it's good to go...about 15 sec for frozen dougnuts or pastries....frozen tv dinners or pot pies about 4 min, stopping at 3.5 min and stirring, adding butter, and cutting up the meat for the tv dinners...I guess everybody has their own way of doing things, depending on personal taste and appliances used...I like to use an infrared thermometer to make sure the temp is above 160° F...

Thanks everybody for the comments. The 25 minutes was just a repeat of something read in the press, clearly without specifying the volume of water etc it wasn't anything too specific.

I get the impression from the comments that electric kettles aren't common over there. Am I right thinking that where 120 and 240V are available, wall sockets (receptacles I believe you call them) are provided for each? (obviously different styles to avoid errors). If so there seems no reason not to use a 240V kettle. I wouldn't want to be without one, much more convenient than boiling a kettle on a gas ring.

Thanks again.

In the U.S. 240 VAC wall sockets are not readily available in a home or public space to connect random items into. They are common in homes for specific task loads like a dryer, oven, stove (hobs) or other fixed appliance. In industrial spaces many different voltages and current levels are available depending on the task. In some industrial spaces, instead of a split phase 240 VAC connection the voltage provided is two (of three) phase 208 VAC.

OK thanks

You could add one easily enough if you have 240v to your stovetop...

Yes there are plug profiles for voltage and amp load ...

Thanks, interesting

Of course those are NEMA (USA) configurations. There is no international standard. The CSA (Canadian Standards Association) receptacle configurations are quite different.

Greetings,

The big difference is not electricity but age. Most European building are old. (as in small) Do not have room for anything approaching an American kitchen. Plus, an American kitchen looks commercial to most Europeans. In Europe, how people use kitchens is different. Countertop cooking is the norm. The American standard oven/range are rare. often a clothes washer is where the oven would be in America.

There is also a cultural difference and an economic difference that both advise how cooking and the room its done in is equipped.

I have a Sunbeam Hot Shot that boils up one mug of water in less time than the microwave and then dispenses it back into the mug you used to fill it. Quick cup of tea or even a bowl of instant cereal or noodles.

It works great and sits next to the coffee maker. It's 1450W @ 120v. Perfect for a detached work space or a dorm too.