OK, it’s question time. Tell me, do you use a coffee pot or a tea kettle more often? If you answered a tea kettle, is it one you heat on the stove or an electric one? I’m a coffee drinker through and through, so before moving to France, my answer to that question was 100% a coffee pot.
I’d brew up a fresh pot of coffee every morning and take my sweet, sweet time savoring every sip. Then I moved to France and was introduced to la bouilloire and oh, how I love it. Is the electric tea kettle the best kitchen invention ever? I’d argue oui. Let’s talk about them.
Let’s talk about electric tea kettles
Now for all of you non-Americans, you’re probably puzzled as to why I’d find an electric tea kettle interesting or even a subject of conversation. For many countries, they’re as commonplace in a kitchen as a microwave or wooden spoon, so I admit some of you reading might find this post odd.
But let me point out that these are NOT commonplace in American kitchens! Really! I didn’t have an electric kettle growing up, and even now thinking about it, I don’t know anyone know who does in the USA.
I think they’re becoming more popular these days in the USA and people are catching on to their practicality (especially tea drinkers), but coffee pots are still more popular in American homes, as well as old school teapots that heat on the stove.
Anyway, back in the US, if I wanted to make tea, I’d boil water on the stove in a stovetop kettle or in a regular pot with a handle for cooking when I had a tiny kitchen in NYC and no teapot of any kind (the horror I know. English folks are probably horrified reading this).
That’s not to say that Americans don’t drink tea. We do, but I’d say coffee is more popular overall and tea drinking isn’t as popular as it is in the UK. Growing up, I think I’d heat up my teapot once or twice a year whenever I wanted a soothing cup of tea because I was sick or needed to heat up water for hot chocolate. It was a regular one that you heat up on the stove and would whistle when the water was boiling.
But these days, I use my electric kettle… and it’s not because I’ve turned into a tea fanatic. But I have taken a liking to tea. I use my bouilloire daily because I’m the only morning coffee drinker in the house and I make it by the cup in my little Melitta coffee filter cone.
To get the water ready to pour over the coffee grinds, I first heat it up in, yup, you guessed it, my trusty electric kettle. I can have boiling water in less than a minute and voilà, my coffee about a minute later. Easy and convenient.
If you don’t know what an electric tea kettle is, it’s a handy kitchen appliance that boils water for you in a matter of minutes. It’s a plastic or stainless steel pitcher type of container that sits on a base, which gets plugged into the wall. Then all you have to do is fill it with water and press a button on the side of the kettle. A few moments later, you’ll have boiling water.
Some have special features like temperature buttons or an especially quiet electric kettle model. Some are fancy colors and look extra modern and sleek and some are more traditional in shape. The best electric tea kettle is the one that you’re going to actually use.
No matter where you live, I highly recommend using an electric tea kettle over a regular old teapot. These newfangled electric ones are absolutely awesome and only cost about 20 euros max. I say newfangled like it’s some major technological invention, but that’s how I felt when I arrived in France and started using one.
I think my mother-in-law thought I was nuts — non, c’est juste moi ! — and must have thought we were all neanderthals back in the US since for her, an electric kettle was completely normal. They are incredibly common in French kitchens and I was happy to discover all their uses.
Electric kettle uses
They’re not just for tea! Use them to heat up water for a variety of uses — drinks, soups, whatever. In my case, it’s what I use to boil water for my coffee, but they’re also great if you’re trying to boil water for pasta.
The electric tea kettle heats up water much more quickly than waiting for your water to boil on the stove. Just heat it up in the kettle first, and when boiling, pour the water into the pot. It’s ready to go in half the time. That’s probably the main advantage and one of my favorite electric kettle uses. They’re fast!
P.S. They work more quickly in Europe than they do in the U.S. due to the different voltage.
Electric kettles also seem safer. They turn off a few seconds after the water boils so there’s no risk of an exploding kettle like the stovetop ones. Or an annoying whistle if you’re stuck doing something elsewhere in the house for a while.
The handle doesn’t heat up like metal stovetop kettles sometimes do so you’re probably not going to burn yourself on an electric tea kettle. If you’re a little clumsy like me, this is all a win-win.
My favorite teas
Now let’st talk about tea for a minute. I am far from a tea expert, but the best way to learn about something is to try it. If you’re in need of some tea, head over to Adagio Teas for an excellent selection. They sent me some samples that I’m loving and I may just be a tea convert. Here are my favorites.
Matcha blueberry tea: This was my first time ever having matcha and I messed up my first bowl of it by putting too much matcha and not whisking it enough. Also, I had it on and empty stomach and I felt nauseous. When I prepared it correctly and added a little milk, it was delicious with my breakfast.
Honeybush pumpkin chai tea: My favorite flavor is pumpkin/cinnamon anything, so this tea is the automatic winner. It’s perfect for fall and decaf.
Chocolate chip tea: If you have a sweet tooth and don’t want the calories, sip a warm cup of this instead. The smell is to die for!
Finally, let’s talk about some dos and don’ts for your electric kettle:
Do remember to clean the inside of the kettle. It can get some sediment buildup around the heating mechanism that needs to be descaled regularly — especially if you have hard water. My pack of coffee filters comes with a good product for cleaning the kettle or just use regular water with white vinegar to do the trick.
Do pour carefully. I rarely fill the whole thing up but when I do, I make sure to take it easy and not spill water everywhere. Kids should not be using these things because it gets heavy.
Don’t leave the on button in the on position when it’s empty. Mine clicks off automatically but sometimes it stays on and you can burn out the mechanism inside if it’s on and there’s no water to heat up. Not speaking from experience or anything….
Do only use it to heat up water. You pour the water into your teacup and don’t put the tea into the kettle directly.
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Do you use an electric tea kettle in France and do you love it as much as I do?
PIN my electric tea kettles in France post:
I have to say, I was flabbergasted to find out electric kettles weren’t a thing in the US! I’ve always had one in Australia (we’re tea crazy here to in a nod to our colonial background I guess). When I lived in the UK I had a stove top kettle, but I don’t like them nearly as much. I agree – electric is safer and I like the fact they don’t whistle as well!
Hi there! My SIL works for a company that makes a bunch of kitchen appliances and she told me they are marketing electric kettles now to US customers, but back in the day when I was a kid, they weren’t popular at all. I didn’t even know what they were. Now, I think most people in the US would know what one was but do they have one? Probably not.
I’m a total convert! Have a wonderful weekend 😉
Haha yeah that was going back a few years now when my best friend first moved to the States – I remember him ringing me up specifically to tell me that no one he knew had electric kettles. I’m glad they’ve caught on! Hope you’re well, Diane.
Bonjour Diane,
I llive in the U.S. and I absolutely love my electric kettle. I first encountered them in Ireland and then Japan where they are in every hotel and B&B. Being more of a tea drinker it always irritates me that in the U.S. we have to use the hotel coffee maker to get hot water for tea and then the tea always tastes a bit like coffee. I finally bought one at home before they started becoming popular. Like you I use it whenever I need boiling water because it is so efficient. I i have an ordinary black one but have my eye on a rose gold model by Chantal!
~Amelia
Hi Amelia, yes I think a lot of folks in the US learn about electric kettles from visiting other countries. And you have me curious about the rose gold model. Looking it up now. It sounds pretty!!
Bon week-end !
Now this was interesting, didn’t know that electric kettles were not common place in the U S they are the norm here in Aus
I live in the states and became familiar with electric kettles many years ago, but I’m a tea drinker, so I think it’s something you see more of in tea stores. I finally bought one about 5 years ago to use in an office that only had a coffee pot, but brought it home when I left that job. I have to say I never use it. I love the look and feel of my stove top kettle, and the ritual.
I’ll admit that I saw my kettle in a movie and searched for it for 9 years before finally finding it, so maybe that’s my attachment…! But I also live in an apartment with a tiny kitchen and zero counter space, so the stove top kettle makes more sense because it just always sits on the burner.
It was a total surprise to me too that electric kettles aren’t common place in the US. I’m from England, so of course have always had one. They are super convenient and I can’t imagine life without one!!
Like others I was amazed to read electric kettles aren’t the norm in the USA I think I have used them for at least 40 years and as you say they are so safe and affordable.
Have to admit though I do keep an old stove top model in the cupboard just in case!
A second Amelia here in the US who loves her electric kettle! We purchased one after a trip to the UK. I drink French press coffee in the morning and my daughter and I prefer tea on the afternoon. Wouldn’t be without one now.
Just came across this blog for the first time, and I’m shocked! I’ve been using electric kettles in the Midwest since I was a freshman in college. They were considered essential since we couldn’t have hot plates. I brought mine to the South with me when I moved down here five years ago. It’s a totally normal thing down here. Great post!
I had a small electric kettle in college, but it didn’t turn off automatically. I first used a “modern” electric kettle in England at a B&B , and have been using one at home in the U.S. for many years. Having become impatient at waiting for stovetop kettles to boil, I’m tempted to buy an electric one to leave at my son’s house so I don’t have to wait so long for my cup of tea!
In Denmark electric kettles are common place – and I love mine. But – the new thing is getting boiling water/sparkling water/filtered water right out of your water tap! I don’t own a such modern water tap myself but they are a thing. A bit expensive though…
Hi Dianne, I’m from Australia where you’d struggle to find people without an electric kettle and Aussies drink tea and/or instant coffee or chocolate drinks like Milo (but that is an entirely different story), so kettles are ubiquitous. But you called your stovetop kettle a teapot and I had to put you right. The teapot is something else you put your teabags, or even better, tea leaves and then pour the water on top so that it may steep (brew). It’s best to be ceramic or something that will hold the warmth in the brewing tea. Tea leaves make the better tea in my opinion but the electric kettle makes it quicker. There is still charm in a whistling kettle on the cook top.