The differences between American and Australian kitchens 

Also why does the Australian kitchen in the cover photo look like a kitchen from the 1940's? That's a little insulting

You are doing good,kiddo. Keep the vlogs coming.As a New Australian myself ( many years ago), the Government will accept you formally eventually. Chin up and show your lovely smile.Your husband is a very lucky man.

I feel like you have been in a lot of old Australian homes. All the homes I have been have the very wide oven, walk in pantry, large central island bench etc

Yes , you have a typical Rental Property or First Homebuyers kitchen, Very small by today’s standards. Your kitchen used to be standard in most homes up to about 30 years ago. Now most new homes kitchens are bigger and have Built in Pantries and Overhead cupboards, and a Built in Microwave space in The Top cupboards or below bench top level.

About the size of ovens I was surprised, when I first went to the states to see the size of the kitchen ovens there. My host , an Australian , explained that they are that large because Americans regularly roast Turkeys for thanksgiving Hence the large ovens As you have noticed in Australia we don’t eat that much turkey

I don't think you've been to many Aussie homes. My oven is 90 cm wide. That is around 35 inches, and I have a huge walk-in pantry. Possibly, the place you're renting is older and unrenovated.

About the popularity of pies in Australia: this goes way back to the early days of European colonisation. In the 1860s, there was a Sydney entrepreneur called "The Flying Pieman" who sold hot pies to passengers boarding the ferry at Sydney, and then run to the next ferry stop at Parramatta to sell them another one when they disembarked. He would also dress up in colourful outfits and walk on stilts as part of his act.

I'm in my '70s - I've never seen a free standing pantry in Australia...not even in my grandparent's kitchen 😅

And the power outlets have a switch on them. I can remember my (US) wife and I traveled to Australia in 2009, staying with my parents. The first morning, she got up before me, and went to boil water (in the electric kettle) for our coffee. When I came into the kitchen, she said "I think I've broken the kettle". I switched on the power outlet switch... and she said "what did you do to fix it?"

Apparently ... American coffee is really bad ... Compared to Australia 😏

Never seen a freestanding pantry, even in a rental property. Most new houses, certainly in the last 30 years, have pantries as part of the kitchen cabinetry. Our ovens are based on European ovens such as Bosch or Miele which are 60 x 60 cms. And warming drawers, which my parents had with their oven, merely dry out the cooked food. Yuk! Drip coffee machines were popular in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s. Then cafes started to make reasonable cappuccinos and inexpensive home expresso machines became available from Australian and overseas manufacturers. Expresso coffee is far superior to the drip coffee. Much smoother.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Kaitlyn. Keep up the good work.

I think kitchen scales are more common here in Australia because recipes use metric measurements (e.g. 250g flour) rather than those silly cups.

Not always as you describe. I renovated my kitchen and laundry 30 years ago. I have ten power points in my kitchen and a further four in my adjoining laundry

I finally made home made pies after having a pie maker for 2 years...they were out of this world 😋

Hi, I’ve watched a few of your YT vids and have now subscribed. I was sad to see your visa experience with our lengthy and expensive/difficult/sometime idiosyncratic Government bureaucracy… I love your humour, your references to iconic movies like “The Castle”. I wish you well in your endeavour to legalise (what you already are imo) your Aussie status 💕👍🏽 keep going, don’t give up xx

I just can't believe that Americans don't have electric kettles.

Drip coffee makers were popular in the 1970's but when the coffee crazies brought in the home espresso in the late 80's to present day those drip machines were tossed out . I still have one and it sits alongside my Sunbeam CafeSeries . And yes The toastie is also known as a Jaffle Maker and it Was breville that introduced them

People like their tea and many years ago the tea drinkers out numbered those on coffee. Not so now, we love coffee and after hearing comments from Americans when they arrive here, they absolutely love our coffee too. They comment that it’s so much better than it is in the states. You also find genuine coffee machines in homes that are far superior to Nespresso machines.

I am in new zealand, so we are on a par with Aussie for kitchens and appliances, and out lets. I have a large kitchen with loadsmof counter top and built-in pantry, loads of cupboards... only appliance on my counter topmis electric jug, toadter and cake mixer... apart from that, i like my counters to be clear. Microwave is uo on wall. I also have 7 outlets around my kitchen..I have both a drip coffee machine and a pod machine and a plunger. I only take out of cupboard when using them

Lol. It’s quite ironic, and it seems to have gone completely over her head when she says there are fewer electrical outlets in “older” Australian homes. Well, there are two points here. 1. When the older homes were built they didn’t have juicers, blenders, bread makers, electric washing machines, dryers, 7.1 channel surround amplifiers, sound bars , digital set top boxes, Alexa and Google Home, Ring door bells, iPhones to charge bedside long with their Apple watch and ear pods, a TV and smart speaker in every room… the list is list endless. 2. We still “have” older homes in Australia because, unlike the US, we built our houses out of brick, not straw or wood (think the three little pigs) so our older homes are still standing and perfectly functional, add to that, once a house is built, the roof lasts hundreds of years, and for the most part doesn’t ever need replacing like they do in the US, every 10 years, for the life of the building. We build our houses to last generations, so yes, there are older ones around, whereas the US just knocks down and rebuilds once the timber fails.

You forgot to mention that in the USA it’s common to have the microwave oven built in to be positioned over the top of the stove. You’ll NEVER see that in Australia and I think for good reason, the reason being obvious.

We upgraded our kitchen quite a few years ago. The original kitchen was smallish, and some of the cupboards were unusable as they were right against the wall and wouldn't open. We had a wall knocked out and put in a new kitchen with a walk in pantry, wall oven etc. We had the electrician put in 5 power points. The kitchen is 5 x 2.4 metres in size. The old kitchen was half the size. We had a soda stream years ago. We have a jaffle maker with interchangeable heating plates so we can use it to make waffles or regular toasties.

I agree with the lack of power points (outlets) over here. I have a large kitchen with one outlet, and it drives me crazy! I had a smaller galley style kitchen in the States, and that had lots of counter space and outlets for a small kitchen. And I miss my big oven! As for American coffee, it smells amazing when you turn on Mr Coffee in the morning, but the taste is another thing all together! I could never get used to it, so had Aussie coffee sent to me. Do you miss the powdered creamer? The first thing that stood out to me about American homes was the amount of furniture and appliances. It seems that any nook and cranny needs to have something in it. Not messy at all, but just full. Plus the different decorations for the different occasions and seasons. I enjoyed that part a lot! What I learnt having lived in both countries is that Aussies spend a lot more time outdoors, and homes reflect that. Whereas the part of the US I lived in, you couldn't spend too much time outside(it rains nine months of the year in Oregon) and homes reflect that. What is interesting about your video is that I thought it was me that didn't like a lot of appliances on the counter, I didn't realise it was an Aussie thing. Go Aussies!!!

The US doesn't have jaffles? Poor sods, I need to send some to my friends over there.

What you call a toastie maker is actually called a jaffle maker. A toastie is a toasted sandwich, a jaffle is sealed and filled with melted cheese and other tasty stuff

sandwich toasters....... tinned spaghetti, yep the rubbish stuff, slap it in between 2 bits of bread and margarine the outside (my mum didn't like butter) and that sums up part of my childhood.

Most Australian families have a kettle, toaster, air fryer, sandwich press, sitting on the counter " kitchen bench " ... i have never seen a soda stream ... 🤔

Just a note: the word is spelt "Barbeque" or "Barbecue" - take your pick. However, Barbeque is most common to justify BBQ.

Your thumbnail shows a 1950s Australian Kitchen and a 1990s American Kitchen, WHY ??

Thank you for having a camera in the fridge you solved one of the most puzzling mysteries (does the fridge light go off when you close the door)

This video does seem like a Sydney rental point of view. My house and those of other people I know In Perth, Western Australia are quite different.

I'm surprised that fridges count as part of the house when you sell your house in the USA. In Australia, the house includes attachments but nothing else. I remember going to an auction and the auctioneer explained it in an interesting way. He said if you could pick up the house an tip it upside down, everything that stayed with the house would be considered part of the house (attachments) and everything that fell off would not be. So, light fittings, curtains, carpets would be sold with the house but furniture and white goods (including the fridge) would not.

Thanks for the fun video. I can see why you were confused about the different uses of barbecue and grill and that other one, very interesting.

To keep your dinner warm either you reheat in the microwave or just leave it in the oven

Have never seen a free standing pantry. I certainly have a drip filter coffee making. Also nespresso machines are popular.

I’m Australian. I’ve never seen one look like the one in the intro picture. Ever. They look the same as the USA obe.

The Breville sandwich maker got me through my student years. You could put almost anything in it. My favourites were a couple of spoons of pasta sauce and a cheese slice for a pizza-style sandwich, or leftover spaghetti bolognese, complete with the pasta! Also experimented with Nutella and various other sweet options. An essential thing to have around, in my opinion!

Thanks. We have a drawer under our oven and a built in pantry though our kitchen is about 30 yr old and is overdue for replacement! (I've had to put more power points in for the appliances we use.)

Do you drive here? If you do you should do a video on you're experiences/differences with driving

... Hi there Aussie ... looking good as usual and, as usual, another good presentation ... thanks ... we'll get those papers sorted out and make you a citizen of Oz for good ... keep smiling ...

the electrical outlet or as we call it here in Australia the power point that design has been around since 1970 introduced in Newly built homes

Your complexion looks lovely and your hair looks shiny and healthy 🙂 With the electric kettle or jug, it has many other uses aside from tea/coffee. We also use it for instant cup of soups or instant noodles where you just add boiling water. And for instant hot chocolate or gravy mix etc. And even just to speed up cooking time boil the jug fast and add to your cooking. The soda streams only made a big comeback in the last few years to be honest. Before that hardly anyone had them here. They were more common in the late 80s and 90s/early 2000s then disappeared. I don't have one. Yeah your oven is small! I've never had an oven that small. Guess I've been lucky. True re bench space, the only thing on my bench is the toaster, electric jug/kettle and air fryer! I love toastie makers(or jaffle maker as some also call it). The sealed edged is what elevates them over any regular sandwich press because the filling doesn't spill or fall out. And you can of course put more filling in. You can buy ones suited for US homes on Amazon. (As in the right plug).

Toastie maker is a sandwich maker. Other people in Australia call them toastie, but we don't. Then there is the sandwich press, which I have never used. My son has one.

Regarding Nespresso, I bought a bulk lot of pods from Podies/Podista in SA and got a free machine and separate milk frother included

The reason scales are used is because a recipe might ask for 120g of butter vs 8 tablespoons of butter (in the US)

I recently got rid of my stove top/oven combo. I have a microwave/ convection oven, an air fryer, a multi cooker, a couple of George Foremans, an induction plate and a large grill plate.

Could not live without my coffee machine... I have the Gaggia Accademia and it makes the best cappuccino's ever !! I have just replaced my previous version after it lasted 10 years and made something like 33,000 cups of coffee... Best money I have spent for a kitchen appliance.

I have an electric kettle, and I’ve had one for years in Massachusetts, USA

We're currently renovating our home. I'm true blue, dinky die, dyed in the wool Australian, while my wife is from Louisiana. We're compromising on our kitchen, she's getting her big oven (actually 2), and I'm designing everything else. She wanted a percolator, but I pointed out, she doesn’t drink coffee, and I do, and I detest percolated coffee. I once had Starbucks. Once. We agreed that coffee has to be Australian, because honestly, the only Americans who know anything about coffee, drink Australian coffee. Yes, I'm a coffee snob!! Prove me wrong!! What I haven't told her is I've redesigned our coffee area to have both the percolator AND the kettle. We're definitely blending styles, but overall, the fusion is working.

You make the nicest videos. I was supposed to be reading and only half listening... it didn't work, lol. You tell great stories and I think this is only the third video of yours that I've watched.

I think soda streams are more popular as healthy alternative to softdrink and alcohol... ie to make sparkling waters etc. In the 80's we used them as substitute softdrink - hardly anyone had them - for fun. My sister's husband uses theirs for sparkling waters as a substitute after quitting alcohol.

We don’t have huge ovens as we don’t cook massive turkeys. Cheap, basic stoves don’t have warming drawers, go up the range a bit and they are common.

Depending on who you ask, the toasties are also known as "Brevilles" or "jaffles", growing up in NSW, in the 80s, and even today, my family and I called them jaffles, and the machine a jaffle maker. They are a great light lunch or light dinner, my favourite was a tin of Tom Piper Braised Beef and Onions with Kraft singles.

Also use the grill to make an open grilled cheese on toast.

Is West Sydney actually a part of Australia? I have never seen a kitchen like that in 50 years 😢

Coffee pods actually give you an espresso. What you do with that espresso afterwards is up to you.

Soda Stream, I remember when they came out in the 70s, they became popular. We didn't have one, because we couldn't afford to have one. Then I never got one because I was not into making soda drinks for health reasons. This Aussie has never had one. Also what I found interesting, USA are going on about the Stuffler. Any wanting to have one, you buy from USA, but the electrics is questionable to us. So I saw a stuffler as an iron. I am trying to not go after cooking irons, because its too heavy for my wrists. So we go without.

Loved this video! Some great points. Especially about power points. As the decades have moved on, we have more and more plug in appliances and older kitchens do not have the capacity we now need. None of the rooms do, lol. I've moved back into my family home that I grew up in and each room has one power point. The kitchen was renovated in the late 70's so it does have an extra couple but still not enough. I've only ever lived in older homes so have never had these large sleek looking kitchens that are all the rage these days, lol. I am about to do a reno and my kitchen will be updated but I'm still going to stick to what I need and not what looks good etc. I'm not sure why a larger oven is necessary unless you are an actual baker. Frozen foods, pasta bakes, potato bakes, a roast chook, weet-bix slice and biscuits are what are most cooked in my oven and all my dishes and trays fit a normal sized oven - I just can't image what a wider one would be beneficial for. And heating up a larger space when it isn't needed is only going to contribute to the dreaded power bill, lol. I have however bought a small commercial fridge with glass sliding doors to replace my normal household fridge as that is what made sense for me. No more standing with the fridge door open and the sliding doors (that slope so that they close by themselves!) mean I can place my fridge anywhere without worrying about the space needed to open the door.

As an Aussie I tend to agree with pretty much everything you've said. Our kitchens follow European sizing for cabinets these days, mostly because the appliances we have ready access to tend to be from European manufacturers and we're a metric country. I love that you mentioned Soda Stream. Our family had been 'getting busy with the fizzy ' for about 40 years. For those that drink a lot of soda water or are happy to mix with a concentrated flavour, they are the ultimate in convenience, are inexpensive to use and highly environmentally friendly.

Nice job! Was surprised by the lack of toastie makers in the US. That's the one applioance I have always had.

I miss separate grills.

This dependends where you live.. sydney is not typical ..to the rest of Australia... i have a huge pantry.. my oven is big ..i have quite a lot of appliances out on the counter.. i also have an American style fridge... BELIEVE ME... SYDNEY IS NOT TYPICAL

The one difference I noted is that in America they tend to have their microwave built into the range hood, as opposed to separate bench units.

with induction cooktops we moved to a stovetop kettle, it is even more faster 🤗

Great to know about the kitchen comparisons. Could you talk about technology and methodology comparisons. That is what you have found in Australia, in offices, data collection, and processing against, your experience in America. I think sometimes because of different cultures people can often be at cross purposes.

This was a fun video, f'sure... 😀 I'll prefix this with the fact that I'm a 'senior person' 😁... Soda Streams: These are modern versions of the 'soda siphon'. I still have our 'ball-shaped' version... but the 'soda bombs' (metallic cylinders/bulbs containing CO2) are harder to get now. It was certainly a thing in the '50s... where, to have a 'proper' bar, you'd have to have a soda siphon for mixed drinks... and it was much more sophisticated to have the siphon than to be pouring the soda water from a bottle or can. They were derived form the really ancient Schweppes glass versions that you used to be able to buy. Toastie Makers: The diagonal versions are almost the only style you can get now... but I still have the 'rectangular & scalloped' version. Either way, they were derived from 'jaffle irons' (Go Oz innovation again!). While most will use them for toasted sandwiches, they were often filled simply with baked beans or similar... and you CAN also use the pasty sheets in them, so you don't really need a separate pie maker machine.

I think built-in pantries rather than stand-alones are pretty normal in Australia (I'm from Melbourne - I assume we're the same as Sydney). But yeah, definitely we don't expect a house that we're buying or renting to have a fridge - we always take our own. But dishwashers stay with the house - you don't take yours with you. Soda streams - never seen one. 😊 But definitely, lots of coffee machines, and often the milk froth-er comes with the coffee machine. And toasted sandwich makers are great - in our family we call it a Breville because that was probably the first brand that made them, back in the day. Love your videos Kaitlyn

About 25 years ago, my (late) wife and I bought a house built in the early 70s. The kitchen had a wall oven, a dishwasher (didn't work), a pantry too big for the room, and was generally in a dire state. Not long after moving in, we had it re-modelled and we made sure to put in four pairs of double electrical outlets. The dishwasher is long gone as is the wall oven. There's a lot more bench space and cupboards. The fridge occupies the space where the pantry was. In terms of appliances, we didn't use many. The electric frying pan is in a cupboard. There's a slow-cook crockpot and jaffle/sandwich maker but neither have been used in several years. I loathe drip coffee and don't have a coffee machine of any kind. No air-fryer, soda-stream (the drinks are crap), nor milk frother or a pie-maker (never seen those before). If I want to bake a pie then it'll be done from scratch, although it has been too many years since I made one. There's a toaster, the electric kettle, and the microwave and all three are used regularly. Maybe I'm a tad old-fashioned or just an outlier, but I simply don't need all so many gizmos.

I subbed. Well done!

10:08 that'd be a jaffle - sealed triangles. Distinct from a toasted sandwich which can have open sides (so that all your cheese can escape onto the plates, instead of reaching thermonuclear temperatures inside a jaffle)

I haven't used my top of the stove jaffle maker since I separated from my Australian partner, haha. That was a fun video, even though I'm on low power and don't use those appliances. I grind my coffee beans on the moment in a small grinder (39 seconds) and use a French press to make the coffee, just 4 minutes, while I have boiled the water on top of my gas stove (7 minutes).

Slow-cookers create great pie fillings.

An Aussie here. I’d say you’re talking about older homes that haven’t ever been renovated or else very cheaply built homes. I don’t think these are typical of Aussie kitchens . I’ve never been in a modern Aussie kitchen without a built in pantry. I have 4 double electrical outlets in the main part of the kitchen and in my walk-in pantry, I have 5 double outlets - so I’d say I have overkill happening there - but I do use them all. All my appliances are in the walk in pantry, out on the pantry bench ready to use and have their own power outlet. I have a 60cm wide double wall oven as well as 90cm wide under bench oven. I think it is unusual to have both ovens, but it’s handy at Christmas time and when I do big batch baking. Underneath my under bench oven, I have a drawer not a warming oven. My trays and cooling racks are kept there. But funnily enough, when I was kid, my mother’s oven had a warming drawer- so not sure why it went out of fashion. I’ve never missed it though, as if I want a warming oven I just sent one of my ovens to ”keep warm” setting. I do have a kettle, but I don’t use it for coffee. I have a barista style coffee machine with a built in bean grinder and milk frother. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Keep them coming. You’re so wonderful d Australia is lucky to have you.

I love the comparisons! When I first moved here I thought an Air Fryer and InstaPot would be straight away purchases. Nope! There is no counter space and only one outlet in my (shared) kitchen so turns out I can live without them...at least for now :) Still missing the Mr Coffee though, makes many more cups than the French press situation I have going on!

When you said the grill and showed the oven with the element up the top well it is not a grill it's an oven. You can use the top shelf to grill on under the element, but you also get a separate grill behind another flip down door above the oven where your controls are on that one in some free-standing combination stove / cooktops that you also use as a food warmer. Soda streams were very popular in Australia back in the 70's too then died off for a long time. Way cheaper than buying bottles of fizzy.

I have always had a built in pantry in every house over the last 45 years. Also so much cooking is done outside on the BBQ.

I would say that Australian & US kitchens are more similar than what you make out to be. We don't have washing machines and clothes dryers unlike British kitchens. Perhaps the differences are on the benchtop appliances. Australian homes are more like American homes than British homes generally speaking.

Drip filter coffee machines used to be very popular in Australia at one time. They were standard wedding presents back in the 1980's as I remember. But tastes change and expresso because more popular. I'm an older Australian. I've always preferred cup measurements for cooking - even before the metric was introduced. I think it's a matter of preference. Having spent time in the United States, I did notice ovens seemed to be a bit wider. Although ovens do come in three sizes Australia. I doubt latest trends in Aussie and US kitchens would be very different. Except US kitchens don't usually include an electric kettle - for practical reasons. Although I admit I did love seeing the attractive coloured kettles sitting on stovetops in the US.

Never knew there was such a thing as a pie-maker. I'm perfectly capable of baking a pie in a pie dish, tyvm, and I even have nice enamel ones that can go in the dishwasher. My US peeps have a drip coffee maker and it's actually fine, except that they often put some abomination in there like "choc-roasted coffee". So in case I accidentally drink that, I'm just happiest with a single-cup Bodum French press, on either side of the Pacific.

Why does the Australian kitchen pictured in the thumbnail look like it's from the 1920s?

Loved my soda stream love bubbly water, love meat pies too. Grew up having toasties for tea Sunday nights using left over roast

Just a point about Electric Outlets in the Kitchens. One of the very few differences with Australia regarding Electrical Regulations, is that NZ laws allow a standard electric freestanding oven to include 2 wall outlets. Even old electric ovens from over 60 years ago, almost always had one wall outlet in them . Obviously they run through the oven's "heavy duty" wiring connection.

I always look forward to my morning Nespresso too, Kaitlyn 🇦🇺

Not the Australia I know.

Electric kettles work well with 240V, not so much at 110V

Another common style of kitchen in Australian homes, especially ones built since the 1990s (though I've seen houses built as early as the 1970s with it), is the open plan kitchen. Basically the kitchen is in the corner of a larger living area, with a bench as a half-height partition. It's great if you like cooking and entertaining at the same time, but odours spread throughout the house, and they use more energy for heat and aircon. The big thing that weirds me out about American kitchens is the rangehood/microwave combo. It seems like such a compromise. Meanwhile in parts of Europe, you have to BYO cabinets and appliances. Technology Connections (from Chicago) had a video advocating for electric kettle use in the States. Another coffee maker that's somewhat common in Australia - particularly among the Italian community - is the Moka Pot. It looks like a stovetop percolator - but works in essentially the opposite way, and makes coffee that tastes similar to espresso. They're probably better than a cheap household espresso machine in most cases, and cost a fraction of the price.

I watch a lot of American house reno shows on 9Life. Most average older US houses have relatively small kitchens. I'm always surprised that a lot of the "white goods" stay with the house in the US when it gets sold.

Counters are called bench tops in Australia.

You obviously haven't been into many homes in Australia and seen pantries and ovens. Why would you keep items on the benchtops when you might use them once or twice a week?

Interesting. I've never been to Oz or USA but as expected, some aspects in Australia are the same as UK. I think in recent years there has been a trend toward minimalism so any appliances like mixers and juicers that are not used every day will be put away in cupboards. I've known a few people with sandwich toasters but the only waffle iron I ever saw was brought from USA. It was funny as it belonged to a builder who used his big industrial 110 volt transformer to power it!

I recall seeing lots of US TV shows where the homes didn't seem to have electric lights in the ceiling. The people always come into the room and turn on a table lamp instead. Is that still the case?

The number of power-points is limited due to the load on the power circuit. If you use too much power all at once, such as in the coldest part of winter, plus you’re cooking for a family dinner party, and running an iron and a hairdryer, you’re getting close to the maximum and as soon as you go over, the circuit breaker kicks in and your power turns off as a safety mechanism. Then you have to turn off as many appliances as possible, rug up and go outside and reset the circuit board. Most homes have two circuits carefully placed in the house to share the load. It depends on the size of the house and the number of persons living there.

It is interesting that scales are so common, because Australia is also very cup-measure inclined in cooking. The cups are metric-based, like a 1 Cup measure is 250mls, and everything else is fractions from there. On Soda Stream, I don't have one, but I have recently taken to buying the syrup, because there have been problems with the supermarket having lemon sodas available, with Coles' house-brand lemon soda vanishing, and even Solo supplies sometimes running out. I have been making it with store-brought soda water though.

Not all Australian homes I have 26 electric outlets in my kitchen four in each of my four electric cubicles one for kettle toasters electric can opener another for food processor kitchen aid coffee grinder and George Clooney machine. The other has microwave and electric knife sharpener,lastly rice cooker milkshake maker and food blender. In cupboards there is orange juicer hand held mixer and electric knife and food juicer.also power points behind fridge stove and at end of benches.i forgot the tasted sandwich /waffle maker

Jaffles have been around for years, you can get jaffle irons than you put in a fire or over a burner, visit a camping store. Electric jaffle makers came much later

I was also surprised about the size of Australian kitchens. They are huge compared to the USA. A lot of kitchens in houses were a sink, stove and a little side cupboard and that's it. No-where to prep, you had to use the kitchen table. Yes dining rooms are a thing in the USA so the kitchen table is the go to place for cooking. Now I'm talking about older houses in the USA, pre-1940's which are more common than new builds in Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland. Bit hard to compare periods as there seems to be so few houses in Australia built before 1960. My house was built in 1976 and has what a call a small kitchen. Can't even fit a 2 door fridge easy. I've 2 kitchen tables for extra bench space for the microwave, kettle, water bottle, air-fryer and it's about the same size as what you get in the USA.

Drip coffee to me is so 1970s. My dad used to have it and we thought it was very posh😅

I think the lack of power points also points to the difference in voltage as well. as the higher voltage means less current draw, so extension cords and adaptors, power boards etc, are considerably inherently safer. So the norm is not base your room layout on the points, but to run cords and extensions to whatever you need them. but yeah, its not uncommon to only have one point in each room, maybe 2 in the lounge or kitchen. A bit sad to hear toastie makers are not a thing in the US. such an excellent tool. about the only thing I buy sliced bread for is toasted sandwiches. alot of worksite crib rooms will have a kettle, microwave, and sandwich press. the trick with a pie maker is you dont 'make' the filling, you use it for leftovers. Pasta sauce, Pie. Curry, Pie. Stew, Pie. Sunday roast, dice it up, beat up an egg, Pie. they make a really convenient way to save your leftovers for lunches for school or work, without needing to hassle with tupperware and forks. Pretty much anything edible can be made into a pie if you think about it. Im not sure if this a thing in the US, but the seniors in some highschools have access to a common room with a kettle, a few microwaves, couches, maybe a pingpong table or card tables. usually locked, its a privilege not a right. but somewhere you can go during a free period or lunch, use the microwave or make a cup of tea, study or just hang out away from all the 'kids'. and kinda self policing, which obviously only works when your adult enough to be responsible. but a hot pie and cup o tea on a winters day is pretty decent. usually separated by either your house/faction or home room location, Ive seen both, so you know everyone who's allowed to use it, and teaches young adults how to share a space. you'll pretty quickly piss off your peers if you don't tidy up after yourself, just like in an office or worksite kitchen. probably not, as a 'cafeteria' is almost entirely unheard of.

Agree so much re electrical outlets - there are NEVER enough!