What cheap tool/gadget do you use that greatly improves your daily life?
Just went down the aliexpress rabbit hole again. Theres really everythinf for some of really niche things that i wouldnt ever buy, but some things really do look appealing. I wonder what do you guys use daily thats worth lets say under $20
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Speaking as an American - an electric kettle. Just a thing that plugs into the wall and boils water.
I use it for tea, of course, but I also use it any time I need boiling water for something, because it's faster than a kettle sitting on the stove and it doesn't use gas.
As a Brit, it's always weird as fuck to see people in American movies boiling an old tin kettle on the stove like they're stuck in the 1950s.
Even if you're living in London's smallest flat, and all you've got is a microwave, a mini fridge, a bed and a cupboard with a toilet in it, you've still got an electric kettle.
It's mostly because people in the US don't drink much hot tea. Coffee is more popular here, and dedicated coffee makers are very common.
Also remember that American homes are quite literally wired different, and kettles aren't as
efficientfast as they are on the UK's electric grid. They're still far better than the stovetop, but the combined one-two punch of less need and stoves being "good enough" for most people most of the time just kills the idea in its tracks.I thought its the lower voltage you use in the US, so electric kettles take double or more the time to heat up the water than in europe
current draw would drive boil time, not the voltage
power determines the boil time. power is voltage times current. its usually said current kills and not voltage, which is what you're thinking. (which is not even entirely correct)
Overall power would determine boil time, but the issue is that at 120V you need twice the current of 240V to deliver the same power. The wiring in American homes isn't rated to handle the amount of current it would require to deliver the same amount of power as most 240V electric kettles.
There's a relation between voltage and current you don't quite understand. They both matter. If you're interested check out ElectroBoom, learnelectronics, and Great Scott on YouTube. Watch enough and you'll get it.
As far as I know, many Americans don't even own a stove top kettle. If they need to boil water, they do so in a saucepan.
As a Canadian I now have 2 Electric kettles. Replaced my traditional electric kettle with a Gooseneck kettle for my pour over coffee. Still works great for tea. Also have a stove top gooseneck kettle for the camper when camping.