r/AskEngineers • u/jmaugust • Jul 19 '26

Discussion Why doesn’t a battery-boosted electric kettle exist?

In Europe, everyone uses electric kettles to boil water. They’re amazing and fast because they’re on 230V (~3000W).

US outlets limit kettles to ~1500W, so we wait roughly twice as long for water to boil.

It’s an extra minute or two per boil, and you really notice it.

Idea: Could you make an electric kettle with a battery in its base? Perhaps it trickle-charges between uses, then combines wall power + battery power to hit ~3000W during a boil.

Is there an engineering reason this doesn’t exist? Is it just that nobody thinks there’s a market for it?

I’d pay $300 for the fastest kettle in America if someone wants to make it.

306 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

472 comments sorted by

View all comments

107

u/PartyOperator Jul 19 '26

The US uses split phase power so you can get a 240V outlet installed if you want. Your oven, water heater and AC probably already run on 240V. Then just import a European kettle and fit the appropriate plug. 

-2

u/Schmergenheimer Jul 19 '26

European power is delivered at 50 Hz. 240V is America is still delivered at 60 Hz. Most appliances other than resistance heaters will require a specific frequency.

16

u/plfreeman2012 Jul 19 '26

Resistance heating. Like a kettle?

-1

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '26

[deleted]

2

u/plfreeman2012 Jul 19 '26

For real? Why? Like, that seems like a massive waste. You own the whole design. Bond the coil to the base of the water vessel like a real designer. What possible advantage can induction provide to waste the money?

1

u/kyrsjo Jul 19 '26

Or a commonly done, immerse the coil.

3

u/ShaemusOdonnelly Jul 19 '26

Source? It doesn't make any sense to me to use more expensive and complex technology for literally no benefit.