But a little off topic, I was struck by this:
> With the powerful 1200 W heating element
A typical European kettle is at least 1800 W, comfortably less than the power deliverable from a 10 A, 230 V circuit. A typical UK kettle would be more like 3000 W, such as this one (it seems that all the kettles on that website are 3 kW):
Back when there were only three television channels, the National Grid planners used to pore over the Radio Times, looking for popular programmes like the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special (21 to 28 million viewers in 1977), so they could prepare for the demand surge of the entire nation putting the kettle on at the end of the programme.
Nominally, anyway. When the EU standardised mains voltages they mostly did so on paper by fudging the tolerances, UK's 240v +/- 3% became 230v -6/+10%. 28 years later and I still see the mains voltage in the 240-250v range more often than not.
European plug sockets are typically rated for 16A, secured with a matching breaker and allowing for about 3500W of power. Appliances that use the full 3500W are rare but they exist, so it is not like it is illegal. So why don't Europeans get the 3000W kettles too?
Maybe some people have 10A circuits, maybe this is a margin so that other appliances can be plugged in the same circuit, or maybe it is just more expensive.
I have noticed that most 3000W+ appliances I can buy in France are more "professional", like what you can find in commercial kitchens or in workshops, but again, it does not mean they are not sold to consumers.
The British plug (and ring wiring scheme) was designed for two 13A electric heaters on a single ring, so continuous load.
Meanwhile, German Schuko and the related French E plug are theoretically capable of 16A peak load, modern sockets are capable of 16A continuous load as well, but a lot of old installations and especially old sockets are rated for 10A only - so typical kettles are limited to 2200W/9.6A to leave a bit of headroom for older, more trigger-happy circuit breakers and other devices on the same circuit.
However, until relatively recently, the average residential circuit was 10A, though you could get 16A if you asked for it - typically for tumble driers, washing machines and the like - so the market for appliances requiring more than 10A was quite slim.
I am sure the appliance stores didn't want to have to explain to each and every customer that the beefy kettle they had just put on the counter might not work at their house - hence, 10A appliances for all.
(Incidentally, I have a 3kW kettle I bought in the UK and a couple of 16A outlets on my kitchen counter.)
But even more important is the insulation. It has been consistently improved since cloth wires.
The normal eueopean "Schuko" plug is rated for 16A short term and 10A long term. Long in that context means everything above 1 hour of continous load, which should cover typical applications of water cookers.
The wall sockets are typically the same, although 16A continous variants exist and old wall sockets with bad contacts can easily heat up enough that I would avoid ever going over 10A with them if it can be avoided.
I'm sure you're aware that US sockets are 110-120V. The power required by a European kettle would too often trip someone's circuit breaker in the US, especially if any other equipment were also plugged in (you usually want to stick to max 1500 W on a circuit).
Clearly the "powerful 1200 W" is in the context of equipment designed for American residential sockets -- the page is produced by an American company after all.
(Which is why Americans don't use electric kettles nearly as much as Brits/Europeans, of course.)
That’s too long to wait for a brew.
https://www.zojirushi.com/app/category/water-boilers-warmers
(To answer the question an inquisitive reader may ask: the keep-warm setting of the model I have uses about 25-60 watts average at room temp 73degF/23degC depending on volume and selected water temp) [1, pg5]
[1]: https://www.zojirushi.com/servicesupport/manuals/manual_pdf/...
When buying a kettle, the most important specs are the minimum fill and wattage (ideally 1500W in the US.)
It's probably a wide safety margin, you should be able to run an electric oven, a hob, and a kettle at the same time on a single fuse group nowadays. Or a kitchen should have separate groups.