The Great Hotel Tea Kettle Mystery: Why Americans Can't Boil Water Like the Rest of the World
Picture this: you’ve just checked into your hotel after a long day of travel. You’re dreaming of a hot cup of tea to soothe your jet-lagged soul. You open the minibar—snacks, check. Mini fridge—cold drinks, check. Coffee maker—of course. But where, oh where, is the humble electric kettle? For many travelers, especially those from tea-loving lands, the answer is: not in the USA, and certainly not in your average mid-service hotel. This cultural divide bubbled over in a recent viral Reddit thread, where one guest’s quest for a “boiling pot” at a Schmarriot unleashed a torrent of hot takes about why Americans just can’t seem to boil water like everyone else.
One Guest, One (Boiling) Pot, and a Whole Lot of Confusion
It all started when u/meegieweegie, a front desk worker at a mid-tier U.S. hotel, recounted a guest’s insistence on having a “boiling pot” delivered to her room—because, as she loudly declared, “MOST Schmariot hotels have” one. The staff, uncertain if she was requesting a cauldron or a tea kettle, tried to explain their options: hot water in the lobby, the in-room coffee maker (sans coffee pod), or even a trusty microwave. But before they could finish, the guest huffed, “Nevermind! I WILL BUY ONE!” and stormed off.
The front desk was left wondering: Is it really that odd to not have a tea kettle in every U.S. hotel room? Or are they missing out on a global hospitality staple?
Tea Kettles: Common Sense or Cultural Curiosity?
Reddit’s comment section quickly turned into a mini United Nations of beverage preparation. As u/geneaweaver7 observed, “Even without the pod, the one cup machines make disgustingly coffee flavored water. Not what any tea drinker wants to drink. I now travel with my own collapsible travel kettle.” Tea aficionados from around the world chimed in to back this up, with u/stitch22903 lamenting, “Those pods are awful for tea,” and u/crepuscula piling on, “And awful for coffee as well.”
A pattern soon emerged: outside the U.S., kettles are as ubiquitous as hotel bibles (which, as u/eightezzz noted, have all but disappeared from Australian hotels). From the UK to Australia to New Zealand, commenters insisted that every hotel room comes with a kettle and a tray of tea—and sometimes even “wee biscuits” (thanks, u/redpukee). As u/NomantheTomato quipped, “Every hotel I've been to or worked in has had a kettle in the room. But I live in the UK, so probably somewhat of an outlier.”
Meanwhile, American commenters admitted that tea drinkers are a minority tribe in the land of endless coffee pots and ice buckets. As u/lelandra put it, “Most hotels have a small Keurig type coffeemaker only. Tea drinkers are a tiny fraction of people and are not well accommodated anywhere.” The original poster, u/meegieweegie, wondered aloud, “Do MOST hotels have a tea kettle?” The consensus was clear: in the U.S., not really.
The Science (and Sacrilege) of Hotel Tea-Making
With no kettle in sight, can you really make decent tea using a coffee maker or the microwave? The tea purists say: absolutely not. “To make good tea, you need boiling water. Near boiling is not good enough. I don’t know why, it just is this way,” explained u/reb678, capturing the mystique of proper tea-making. Others warned that hotel coffee makers are vessels of contamination—u/Far_Damage_8984 described the horror of “hot water container [that] tasted like coffee” and u/Zonnebloempje confessed to boiling water in a cooking pan rather than risk the taint.
But Americans, ever resourceful, have found creative (if heretical) workarounds. “I use my microwave at home all the time to heat water for tea,” shrugged u/[deleted]. On the other hand, u/Present_Program6554 declared, “Tea cannot be made properly with microwaved water. That's a disgusting suggestion.” The debate rages hotter than a rolling boil.
Why Don’t Americans Have Kettles? A Cultural Steep
So why is the humble electric kettle so rare in U.S. hotels (and homes)? Redditors floated theories ranging from cultural history (“Tea was a symbolic remnant of our British colonial past that we literally fought a war to escape,” mused u/onion_flowers) to coffee domination and electrical standards. U/Fantastic_Inside4361 summed it up: “You guys boil water on a stove. The rest of the world just fills a kettle, plugs it in, and boils water. Present in every house, and in every hotel room, unless there is an autoboil unit.”
Some hotels catering to international guests have started keeping kettles on hand (as u/Legitimate_Shade shared about tour groups from Japan), but for most U.S. properties, the coffee maker reigns supreme. And for those who can’t live without a proper cuppa, the solution is simple: BYOK (Bring Your Own Kettle).
When in Rome (or Reno), Embrace the Differences
Despite the initial frustration, many commenters took the cultural difference in stride. U/eightezzz, an Australian traveler, philosophized: “The cultural differences should be embraced, right? That's why people travel after all, to experience the differences!” And, in a twist of fate, they even fell in love with an American tea brand (Bigelow’s Mint Medley), proving that sometimes, the best discoveries come from the unexpected.
So next time you’re checking into a U.S. hotel, don’t be surprised if your quest for a boiling pot ends with a microwave, a Keurig, or—if you’re lucky—a kindly front desk worker who will rinse out the hot water urn just for you. And if all else fails, there’s always Cherry Coke.
Are you a tea lover who’s navigated the wild world of American hotel appliances? Do you travel with your own kettle, or have you mastered the art of microwave tea? Share your stories, tips, and (gentle) rants in the comments below!
Original Reddit Post: Tea kettle at every Schmarriot!