From my experience one of the biggest reasons why people don't have an electric kettle is because they often don't think they have a use for them. Tons of people in the US would really only use it for making coffee, of which drip coffee makers were incredibly popular for a long time. So needing fast hot water is somewhat rare, and usually when its needed in regards to cooking you can just measure your water in a measuring cup and microwave it for a couple of minutes which is just about as fast.
The people I know who actually use electric kettles in the US are:
* Those who brew a lot of tea (far less common in US than globally)
* Those who often do alternative coffee brewing methods (pour over, french press, aeropress, etc)
* Those who make a lot of ramen or other instant noodles and have limited kitchen spaces (college students)
We also just bought a couple of hot water bottles...
My kettle is 1500 watts and I just timed it. Heating a bit over 1L (~36 oz) of water from 68°F (20°C) to 200°F (93°C) took 4:20.
It's one of those things where the first time you use it, you can't imagine ever not having one, assuming you have cause to heat water on a regular basis.
Still don't own a toaster though. A toaster oven does fine with toast and can be used for a lot more besides.
Don't own a rice maker either. That's been an ongoing negotiation with my wife for 25 years now. :-)
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter...
Technology Connections video on old-style rice cookers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSTNhvDGbYI
We have that exact same kettle, its wonderful.
EDIT: Might also help you tip the balance of the negotiations in your favor ;)
On the other hand, I have a finite amount of kitchen space. So a multi-use device was better than a single-use device.
On a different note: my parents went back to cooking rice on the stovetop for a few months after their electric rice cooker broke. They thought they will just save the money and go back to cooking the way they used to when they were kids. They liked the nostalgia --- but they also like having an extra 30 mins everyday. Stirring the pot over the stovetop and watching the water boil away was not how they wanted to spend their time.
I don't understand. When I cook rice on the stove, I leave it alone. Heat until it simmers (takes only a moment, I start with 190F water), put the lid on and turn the heat down to minimum, set timer for 20-30 minutes and walk away.
We even have a rice cooker, too, but it stays in the pantry because it's less convenient to take it down and set it up than just doing a pot on the stove.
But I got one over the holidays anyway[1] because I wanted something for incubating yogurt that could do more than just be an incubator. I've now made yogurt in it maybe eight times and it's come out perfectly every time. I had lots of failures in the past trying other ways of making yogurt. The steady incubation temperature really seems to make a big difference.
I've also used it for a handful of meals, lots of oatmeal, and it's excellent for hard-boiled eggs that are easy to peel.
But I haven't used it for rice yet. My wife just insists on making it on the stove and the reviews I read indicated the Instant Pot isn't particularly great at making rice.
[1] I got the Pro 10-in-1 6 Qt when Amazon had it on sale for $80. I bribed my wife with a Lodge 6 qt dutch oven. It was a fair trade. :-)
The instant pot is superior -- but it is also very very different. It has a long warm up period, but then it cooks things incredibly quickly. Then, you have a long cool down, depressurization period ("natural release"). In the meantime, you have no visibility on how "done" is the food.
The basic disadvantages are as follows: 1) if you're an intuitive cook, you are screwed. There are no windows. You can't see how the food is doing. There is a long depressurization period. You can't take it out. You have to follow a recipe with instant pots. Everything becomes like baking.
2) if you're a recipe based cook, you are screwed. You basically have to throw out all of your existing recipes. It cooks faster for long recipes, but slower for short recipes. The chamber is also entirely enclosed and nothing boils away. None of them works unless you re-adjust the water levels and cooking time.
3) pressurized cookware has a really bad reputation of explosions. You can also very easily burn yourself either on the exposed metal parts or get impatient and accidentally steam yourself. The steam from the instant pot seems a lot hotter than regular steam.
@js2, try it for rice. Just watch a youtube video on it first because the process is very strange if you're used to cooking rice on the stovetop. The ratio of rice:water has to be very precise. You also have to follow the timer clock for the depressurization part.
I re-learned how to make rice just for the instant pot. I read the supplied instructions and then I watch a youtube video. I actually messed it up the first time. I still occasionally use too much water whenever I get careless.
But, I love mine. The rice do come out good. But obviously, it won't be like the way it comes out from a pot. It doesn't burn or form a crust.
The IP has its uses, and for those things, it's a great tool.
Oh, it's also really great for making flan.
There's a gazillion recipes for it online, so I haven't worried too much about that.
Like many modern kitchens, I have 20A outlets. Current code says that you either have to have 20A circuits in the kitchen or split 15A circuits. What the electrician chooses to install depends on whether 14/3 or 12/2 wire is cheaper that day.
One of my pet peeves is that I can't buy a 20A 1900W kettle. There has to be enough market demand for one? Put a big picture of a NEMA 5-20 outlet on the front so that fewer people get confused.
You probably would if you were used to UK kettles...
Electric Kettles are (or were) ubiquitous when I grew up in Canada and the US. They take a little longer to heat up, but you’re talking 3-4 min instead of 1-2.
My friend got me a gift of a hot water dispenser like they use in Asia and I’ve never looked back. On demand hot water? Even waiting a min for a kettle to warm seems like a burden. They use very little electricity since they are well insulated.
Me, I use the high output burner on the gas range and a traditional kettle.
Note that other European and Asian kitchen gadgets have had no trouble making inroads in the United States. While some people obviously do have electric kettles here, they're far, far from being the ubiquitous thing they are in British kitchens.
Note: If you are wanting to do this yourself, if you get one with any electronics in it (even an led power light), you should modify the capacitive dropper power supply for the electronics to operate on 60hz. For a well designed circuit, forgetting to do so means a resistor/zenier will be running hotter, for a very cheap circuit it can let magic smoke out.
Visiting my family, however, I now have to flick the switch on twice - autopilot usually means the water has cooled below the supposed optimal infusion temperature by the time I return to the kitchen.