Sophie Monk has shared the “crazy” discovery she made about American homes while living there – but there’s a simple explanation.
It’s one of the most commonly used appliances in our kitchens.
But Sophie Monk has detailed the moment she left a string of American shop assistants confused when she asked for help locating a kettle.
The Australian TV star spent 10 years living in the US before returning home to Australia in 2015.
Recalling a hilarious moment in a store during her decade-long stint overseas, she described her shock at learning Americans boil their water on the stove.
“I was looking for a kettle, and they’re like (imitates a US accent), ‘Kettle?’” They don’t know what a kettle is!’ she told Yahoo Lifestyle Australia.
“They don’t use them. They must heat water up on their stove. Yeah, no one has a kettle, which is crazy.”
It’s a fact that regularly confuses people who live outside of the US – but there’s actually a very simple explanation for it.
Homes in the US only have a voltage of 100-127, while other countries including Australia have voltages of 220 to 240 volts.
The lower voltage in the US means that electric kettles would not heat water as quickly as they do in Australia and as a result, they haven’t caught on, with households choosing to boil on the stove or in the microwave instead.
It’s also been argued in a lengthy Reddit thread in the past that the culture for drinking tea doesn’t exist in the US, making the need for a kettle less important than ours.
Back in January, an Australian teen shared a TikTok video expressing her shock at the fact Americans don’t know what kettles are.
Kaila Smith, from Adelaide, South Australia – who has never been to the US – labelled it “confusing”.
Many agreed with the 19-year-old student, branding it “weird” and “strange”.
“Wait they don’t have a kettle in their house?” one person asked.
“The kettle one is always funny to me, I don’t think Australians will let that one go,” another said.
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