How common are electric kettles where you are?

[BitterLemon]

Interesting, since it's pretty much the other way around. I can't remember anyone not having an electric kettle, but I've never seen someone cooking with gas, until I started working in professional kitchens. Led to a few close self-immolations on the hob before I got the hang of it, but I do think I prefer them now.

Electric ovens are kinda of a luxury item here. You can buy a cheap gas stove for less than U$200 and there's gas company trucks that pass on the street once a week selling gas cylinders. They cost about U$25 and they last for 3-4 months. Electric ovens, on the other hand, costs U$800. It's a no-go for most people... but it's certainly more dangerous. I've meet a girl who got pretty severe burns on her arm and face when a gas stove made a gigantic flame when it lit up (she held the gas valve open for too much time before hitting the electric spark button)

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I can't say I've ever seen one in the real world. Then again, I'm Southern. We're pretty prolific tea drinkers, too, but the tea only stays hot long enough for the half pound of sugar to dissolve, and is put on ice immediately afterward. Around here it's kind of weird to be into hot tea. Then again it's 87 degrees outside (and 84 inside due to a busted AC unit), and it's early march. That's 30.5 and 28.9 C, respectively.

One other thing -- we actually do have 240 volt outlets here in the US. It's just that they're reserved for big appliances like hot water heaters, clothes driers, and stoves. Everything else runs on 120 volts, 60 htz, but we have extra oomph available for the stuff that needs it. Just typically not more than two or three outlets in any given house wired that way. Not enough for a 240 volt tea kettle, unless you /really/ like tea, I guess.

Edit: Early April, rather. It was pretty danged hot in March, too, though. We haven't had a real winter even by Florida standards in three or four years now.