Why don't Americans use electric kettles?

Some do, but because of the prevalence of automatic coffee machines and microwaves there isn't as much of a need outside specialty coffee drinkers.
The argument about speed and convenience doesn't work in the US because of the outlet voltage as well. The 110-120v outlets don't provide the same level of power to kettles so they can't heat up as quickly. If you have a microwave it's just as fast or faster.
- He addresses this some. 120v is still a lot faster than boiling water on the stove. Coffee makers are significant, but boiling water in a microwave is generally a bad idea, given the risk of superheating (not that people don't do it.)
  
  I have never once (unintentionally) superheated water in a microwave, and I've been using them since about 1980 (and God knows we were idiots with them back then).
  It just doesn't happen - there are too many imperfections in our containers, and too many minerals for it to happen much.
  I've experimented many times, and the reality is you have to work at superheating water in a microwave.
  For me, it's taken things like a brand new Pyrex measuring cup (glass), and filtered water. I can do it with other stuff, but I've had to boil/cool it multiple times, something that isn't really going to happen.
- I'm in US. It takes roughly 2.5 minutes to reach 200F (coffee), and roughly 3 minutes to reach 213F (tea) and I'm talking 1 liter of water.
  Also, good luck fitting 1 liter in most microwaves.
- Voltage isn't equal to the level of power though, a 110v can provide the same power as 240v. I think tea drinking just isn't as popular in the US.
  
  It’s not, but you need over twice the current to supply the same power, and since many safety measures and physical constraints limit the current, it effectively means the power limit is more strict.
  This is assuming the same cables and breakers etc being used for both voltage ratings. I know there are specific wiring and connection systems for high amperage stuff in 110v places (probably for some 240v places too, but I’m in a place with notoriously bad electrical everything, fuck if I know)

Uh we do.
- Yeah even with our slow, low wall-voltage, having a dedicated boiler is fucking nice. Takes up some counter space, but it's worth it.
  Cocoa, tea, coffee, whatever - it's nice. And the vibe is nice.
  
  I thought for a second that you said you boiled coca cola
  
  Cocoa? In a kettle?
  
  Agreed, works well for serving dried oatmeal to a table as well - the bottom doesn’t get quite as hot as a stove kettle or microwaved container.
  Most of my friends have electric kettles. I like a nice pot of tea or french press of coffee / yerba mate yet I still have an auto espresso machine.
- Yep. I've got 2. One in the house for hot chocolate, and one in my woodshop for um, woodshop things.
  
  I’m also a woodworker. What do you use a kettle for out there? Mixing your own shellac or wax or something?

We...do.

120v vs 220v
Also tea, as in tea time. Americans don't have this custom, so it's not a big driver.
- That’s a contributing factor on the comparative desirability of an electric kettle here vs there, but I think the more significant part boils down to familiarity and need. Most Americans just don’t drink tea/cocoa/instant-coffee regularly enough want a separate appliance for it. And if the boiling is for cooking, most folk would just boil the water in the pot they will be cooking in, and probably with the lid off because we are lazy like that; time and energy efficiency be damned.
  
  Yes the preference for coffee over tea is very strong and a lot of people do t drink either.
  Another factor is the coffee maker use. Personally I think they’re pointlessly limited machines and they get nasty quick. But people love them for some reason.
- I’d love it if someone would market a 240V kettle for the US. I’d install the 240 line for it. I mean I use the damn thing multiple times per day, more than my stove, and that has a 240 line.
  Still. I’m not convinced it would make a major difference. Like I said I have a 240V induction stove and I have experimented with how fast I can boil water on that thing in a suitable pot or kettle, versus the 120V electric kettle. It is not a big difference. We’re taking a few seconds.
  In the winter months when we’re drinking lots and lots of warm beverages we plug in the Zojirushi hot water carafe and have hot water all the time, instantly. It does consume some energy to keep it hot all the time, but it’s well insulated and we use a timer to turn it off at night and then on again in time for morning wake-up. Eliminates the wait entirely.
  
  You should look into getting a hot/cold water dispenser for your sink. Easy to DIY install.
  They consume ~40w per hour. Where I live it is 15 cents per kwh. That's .006 per hour, .15 per day, or 55 dollars per year.
  Instant hot/cold water whenever you want it is nice.
  Starting from room temperature water to near boiling takes a ton of energy. I don't know if keeping it hot for 8 hours takes more electricity than starting it back up in the morning.
  But you're probably paying half the $55 in electricity right now for the Zojirushi.
  Id pay $25 dollars a year to have instant hot and cold water (even filtered if you wanted) on tap 24/7. Especially if I were like you and used it multiple times a day.
  You only need a 120v outlet.

Does nobody just microwave water?
- I have a small cast iron kettle that I usually microwave.
  it makes spicy water.
  
  Jokes aside, you can microwave small smooth metal vessels. Like mixing bowls and such.
  Do so at your own risk, if it doesn't specify that it's microwave safe.
  But you can buy ones that specifically say they are microwave safe. It just means they're extra smooth, nowhere for charges to accumulate or concentrate. Might have something to do with it's size too, not being resonant at 2.4ghz, but don't quote me on that part.
  Useful if you don't want to take leftovers out of the plastic container first, and if you've had glass explode on you before.
- My wife does. I have a thing for using a kettle on the oven.
- I'd rather not because of the obvious dangers
  
  The conditions for that to happen are quite rare. Not worth worrying about.
- I would but I have a rather small one. I used to at my old house microwave the tea water.
- I have a nice electric kettle that I use for pour over coffee, but my morning tea, I just nuke a tea bag in water for a minute and a half, and move on with my morning.
  I’m great in the AM. I just want caffeine.
  
  You microwave the water with the tea bag already in it? At least drop the bag in after microwaving… The superheated instant boiling thing can be mitigated with basically anything in the water. Hell, my local water is hard enough to avoid it straight from the tap.

I'm American and I use one. It's great.
Got into French press coffee a few years ago and bought one.
- Same here. Got it for French press coffee for me and hot cocoa for the kids.
  Realistically I rarely use it and I really can’t claim it saves noticeable time but it’s so simple and and cheap an appliance that i consider it well worth it
- Same. I bought the kettle for tea but I’m not really big on tea. I’ve used it to make big batches for beer brewing, but not a lot for individual cups of tea. Now I have the French press and use it daily.

I use them all the time! Unfortunately though our power system uses 120v and not 240v so our kettles aren't as effective here. Still, MUCH more effective than boiling on the gas or electric stovetop/range.
Ironically it was after I spent time in Europe for work in the early 2000s that I picked up on this and bought one for my house. Now with my family of four, we use them regularly.
Edit - also Technology Connections (my favorite nerd out YouTube channel) did a video on this.
And I'm an absolute bonehead for missing that this is the same video as OP posted. Please forgive me for being excited as an American that uses kettles!
- Uhm your link points to the same video by Alec as the OPs link. Just saying :)
  
  Ha, I totally missed that, thanks. I just got excited about the subject and didn't watch the video.
- I'm curious since you guys still use 240V for washer, dryer, cooker, EV charger, etc. Could you legally install a 240V socket (with a different plug type) and use an appliance from a 240V country?
  I get it would probably be overkill for a kettle alone but I'm curious why it's only common for some things. Is it regulated, like do devices need a special approval to be allowed to run 240V in US?
  
  Nope, it generally is not a good idea to try that. It might possibly work, but European power typically runs at 50hz (50 cycles per second) and the US is designed at 60hz. This small difference can mean that a European device would operate more quickly than designed. This is especially an issue with devices that have internal timers or motors.
  Also, we have different plugs in the US for our 240v appliances, which would mean an interesting plug adapter situation.
  So it could possibly work, or it could break the thing, or start a fire. Generally not for the faint of heart and definitely should consult an electrician.
  
  It’s perfectly legal to install a 240v outlet. They’re most common for electric stoves and dryers, but you also see them for machine equipment in a garage or workshop, air conditioners, electric heaters. There’s no reason you couldn’t have one in a kitchen.
  Finding an appliance to use it might be different. Not only would an appliance for another place be designed for different electrical system (eg 50Hz instead of 60 Hz) but there would be none of the typical certifications and it would have a different plug. Technically there’s nothing stopping you, but you’re probably past the threshold of plausible deniability.
  That being said, it was tempting!
  
  the legality would depend on code and regardless of voltage we do have 60 htz not 50 htz. That would only matter if there was a clock in the device. You also need to make the wire in the wall can handle it. Fun fact a lot of cheap device with times use the electrical frequency to keep time. That could also lead to wearing down of some parts faster.

We do? I've had one for over a decade
- Use it all the time, but rarely for tea. Boiling a few eggs last night. Half the water in the electric kettle, half in the pot on high, join half way through to speed up the process. Making ramen, kettle. There is always some reason I find it useful.

The niche coffee scene in the US uses them, they are excellent for pour overs, French press, etc. But they are not widely popular since dedicated coffee machines are most commonly used.
- For anyone concerned about the quantity of plastics you consume, coffeemakers have a lot of plastic but kettles do not.
  
  My electric kettle has plastic parts. Also my pour over funnels are plastic. This is not a meaningful distinction between the two.

Three reasons I can think of.
Americans don't drink much tea. And soo...
Not many stores carry electric kettles.
Microwave tea.
- Uhhhhhh did you watch the video?
  He goes to great lengths to point out that it isn't an efficiency problem, and despite US residential standard outlets being 120VAC dedicated electric kettles are still the fastest way to boil water given other appliances (though induction cooktops are closing the gap).
  The biggest reason dedicated electric kettles are not popular in the US is because we're either boiling water for cooking some meal (pot is already on the stove so why bother with another appliance) or we're making coffee. And the vast majority of coffee makers over here have the exact same circuitry and heating elements as an electric kettle. It's just not standalone
- yeah most homes in the usa have a coffee maker, microwave but no need for a kettle

Why do people think we don’t use these? Almost everyone I know has one.
- No you don't, the justice department found no evidence of kettle use
  
  Case closed! Wrap it up everyone. Pay no attention to the single missing page in the Walmart catalogue submitted as evidence.
  
  I have a kettle sitting on my counter right now for use, along with my coffee maker and the MLK files.

I...what? I do, most of my friends do. They're amazing.
- 120V vs 240V.
  One has much more power available to achieve the same in a different time.
  For example: I can easily boil 0.5L to 100°C of water in about 2-3min.
  And the kettle is rated for 2kW.
  
  That's very true. With that said, I still find 110v kettles to be pretty fast for my needs. Especially if just making a single cup.
  
  Voltage is only half of the equation. It’s wattage that determines how fast a kettle can boil water, but the UK does generally have higher wattage kettles than the USA. Most are 1800 here in the us, while they can be up to 3000 in the UK.
  
  actually that the why they are slower. most plug in devices in the usa are limited to 1.5 Kw. weather you used a 120v or 240v current it would just change how many amps it draws

We do? I have one. Know lots of people that have them. They sell them at Walmart for like 20 bucks.
- I think certain regions of the US do have them and others do not at all.
  For example, where I am at, I have only met one other person in real life that has one. But I do hear about a lot of my friends on the east coast having them. Dunno.
  
  I’m east cost as well. So you might be on to something there.

I use an induction kettle on the induction stove top in Australia (240v).
- What does this mean? Are you talking about a Whistley kettle on a normal stove?
  
  Sort of, don't have the whistle part, so annoying.

Australian looking bewildered with their kettle and microwave I like making a cup of tea while I reheat my lunch.
- Do Americans have multiple microwaves?
  
  I'm an American, and yes, I have two.
  One of them is a cheap $30 one we bought when we moved in and needed to heat meals from frozen because we didn't have pots and pans yet, and it's now in its box in the storage closet as a backup in case our good microwave breaks, but I do have two

Too much clutter on my counters already. I can just leave the kettle on the oven.

I do, buy metal not plastic.

Now coffee drinkers than tea

I’ve used one for ages, it especially helps when boiling water on the stove. I heat it in the kettle first and then pour it in the stove pot. So much faster!
- But one more thing to own, store, manage, for a little convenience.
  I can boil 2 cups of water in the microwave in 5 minutes. Or 4. Takes about the same amount of time.
  
  Power usage might be different though.
  
  First of all there are real risks to boiling water in the microwave, but I get why most people ignore them. Second of all, not ALL of us have microwaves (I don’t), third of all, it’s not “one more thing” if it’s an appliance used every day for multiple reasons. You seem to have an odd hate towards kettles.
  
  Five fucking minutes OMFG. Just get a 240V outlet in the kitchen so you can plug in a proper kettle.

Because we have microwaves.

Mainly lack of marketing I think. When I went to England a few years ago they were everywhere. I bought one as soon as I got home. Fantastic invention!

I do. And my kettle boils water faster than the electric stove.
So when I boil larger quantities of water I prefer to boil ~2/3 in the kettle and 1/3 on the stove with a lid on for max speed; my time rarely feels more wasted than when I'm waiting for water to boil.
I also use the kettle for hot drinks, of course. I've kept one since I lived in the UK.

They are not universal but reasonably popular in Canada.

Cause I'm not cooking noodles backwards

The thing we use hot water for the most is coffee, which has its own device. For the few times we would need it for something else we either use the stove top kettle we inherited from grandma or the microwave.
Having said that, it's not like electric kettles don't exist here. They seem to be becoming more popular.

Because nobody fucking told us about them! I just got one last year and it's been amazing!
- Safer for kids as well. They don't stay on and apparently people say water without something breaking the surface tension can pop in the microwave when you go to pull it out (never had it happen to me, but I have only tried a handful of times in my life.. always had a teapot or electric kettle). ... Or a pot. I used to just throw the teabags in a pot and pour it into a pitcher / cup after

I have an induction Cook top just seems to be a waste.
- I switched to induction and could not be happier. Love that thing. So much power, instant temp control like gas, low fire risk. I recommend induction to everyone.

I have one in the basement for my hot drink station.

At one point many years ago, there was an fad for a “hot shot” small appliances. I guess it’s a similar functionality to a kettle but with more moving parts. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared though.
Holy crap, they still exist!
https://products.bestreviews.com/best-sunbeam-hot-shot-water-dispenser
- I have one too! It's super old but works amazingly for small things like individual cups of tea or hot chocolate for the kids. Got it as a white elephant gift that someone thought was a joke. I was super excited to get it. We have several kettles too.
  
  Wow, exactly as I remember it … from decades ago!
- My mom still uses hers. It’s great.
  
  So does my mom, but hers is really ancient.
  I used to like them but since I got the kettle, I prefer
  more convenience for multiple cups or for ramen, more flexibility
  no plastic to drink
  fewer moving parts
  easier to empty, dry, put away
  it looks cooler

I bought an electric kettle as soon as I left home. I had one in college. I never had a coffee maker though. I’m happy with instant coffee.

I think the better question is; why is there a weird stereotype in Europe that Americans don’t use these? We have one and just about everyone I know who regularly drinks tea does as well. It might not have been as prevalent a decade ago, but these are extremely common now.

I do. I have a nice temperature control pouring kettle. But I imagine that unless a person is into tea or a coffee enthusiast, most Americans are probably fine with a drip coffee machine and a microwave is fairly fast at boiling a mug too.

110v power takes forever. 240v in europe is much quicker.

I have one, but it only gets used a few of times a month. Usually by my wife when she just wants to make a small amount of coffee in the French press, or to boil water for instant foods. If you don't really drink tea, they aren't that useful for the amount of counter space they take up, and I can see why they aren't as common here as they are in the UK.

I have one, I make drip coffee. Used them on a trip to Australia and got one soon after.

I do. So convenient and low maintenance.

USAians drinking coke instead of tea. Makes sense. Guess making a good cuppa takes too long to fill the immediate need for another sugar dump 🤷‍♂