TIL about the word "hob". Americans call it a "cooktop" or "stovetop" or "range"

Nitpick: a cooktop is just the burners, a range is an appliance with burners and an oven. It's relatively common on newer houses to separate them. E.g. I have a 36 inch induction cooktop and a completely separate double wall oven in another area of the kitchen.

AFAIK stovetop is also sometimes used when people mean cooktop, though in my area it's more often a casual reference to the burners of a range. I'm sure that convention varies wildly across the country.

I always just called it the stove.

I still find it very odd they call the central heating boiler/heat pump a "furnace".

A furnace is what you use to make clay set into a pot!

"Kiln"?

Not worth it. A temperature controllable kettle that shuts itself off and can keep water warm is both incredibly convenient and far more safe.

lots of new induction hobs have "boil detection" and auto shut off, fwiw

So I just need to upgrade my current induction stove to a newer model? That seems reasonable... ;)

I have a temperature controllable "kettle" (tank) under my sink connected to a tap and I get water at 195F. I agree on the convenience. They are pretty common.

But no whistle! Good point on safety though

How 1950s!

I'm not in my seventies but I do have fond memories of the kettle whistling as a kid.