A woman staying in an Airbnb was in for a surprise when she realised the kettle she heated on the stove was actually an electric kettle.
In May, actress Bailey McCall shared on TikTok that she was staying in the rental when she decided to make a french press coffee. When she put the electric kettle on the stovetop, she accidentally melted the entire plastic off of the bottom of the kettle.
"So I’m currently staying in an Airbnb and the other day I went to make a French press and when I put the kettle on the stove, I quickly realised that oops, it was an electric kettle,” she said in the video. As she held up the stainless steel electric kettle, the bottom was melted with bits of plastic remaining under the stovetop burner.
“Thankfully, I caught it just in time and naturally it sent me into a spiral, questioning everything about my life,” she said in the TikTok as she threw the kettle in the trash.
The New York City-based actress captioned her TikTok: “Honestly unsure how I’ve lived to age 30 at this point”.
The video received more than two million views from many confused TikTokers. Some people questioned how she didn’t realise the kettle was electric if it was sitting on a boiling stand, while others assumed that most Americans are used to stovetop kettles.
“Americans still be living in the Stone Age when it comes to tea,” commented one TikTok user.
“American moment,” said someone else.
“It has a base with a plug…” noted one person.
In the United States, most Americans use a stovetop kettle for boiling water because of a smaller voltage supply than other homes throughout Europe. Most outlets in the US operate on 100-127 volts, whereas homes in the UK and many other countries use a voltage supply between 220 and 240 volts. Due to the lower voltage, stovetop kettles heat up faster than electric kettles.
“The fact that most of America still doesn’t have electric kettles is insane to me,” one person said. “It’s so much quicker and safer.”
“This just infuriates me,” said another TikToker.
A third user wrote: “If I was the host, I’d retire after this one.”
Luckily, McCall did inform her viewers in a follow-up video that she quickly replaced the Haden electric kettle, although it cost her $95 (£77).
“Now I know most of you have never made a careless mistake in your life, but you’ll be surprised to know I’m not just a trash human who likes to ruin things,” she said.
The Independent has contacted Bailey McCall for comment.
