Explore the quirks and curiosities of American households with these 18 bizarre things that surprises the rest of the world on Reddit. From weird appliances and unconventional food combinations to unique customs and home decor choices, this collection sheds light on some of the cultural differences that make American homes stand out. Whether you’re from the United States or a curious observer from afar, these insights provide a glimpse into the fascinating diversity of American households and their everyday eccentricities.
Food Waste Disposal
“A switch that when you flick it it turns your sink into a blender”
“I’m so astonished by it, like where the trash goes from there…I want to visit America just to experience that!”
BBQ Sauce
“Bbq sauce”
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“I have at least 5 varieties of BBQ sauce in my fridge at them moment, including 2 that are homemade.”
“Lol I also have 5 different bottles in the fridge. And 6 jars of salsa. Family members all like different kinds/levels of spice.”
Coffee Machine with Large Glass Jug
“A coffee machine with large glass jug full of black coffee being kept warm. The UK mostly has electric kettles for making hot drinks individually.”
“That’s because tea is your preferred hot beverage, not coffee. In the US, I’d wager coffee outsells tea by 10:1. Likely more like 50:1. In a large grocery store, it isn’t uncommon for there to be an entire aisle of just coffee. Tea gets like one shelf. Maybe two at a large grocery store.”
Microwave with All Kinds of Pre-settings
“Popcorn setting on their microwave!”
“Popcorn, pizza, and (oddly) potato.”
Pickles and Peanut Butter
“Apparently americans are rather fond of Pickles and Peanut Butter. Is that a fair assumption to make?”
“Well, not combined. But yes.
Edit Ok, I now know that a lot of us like peanut butter pickle sandwiches. I stand corrected. :)”
Cereal
“Cereal”
“I buy Reeces Pieces cereal for dessert instead of ice cream. Some American cereals are ridiculous. Edit: Most”
“I love my special K strawberry cereal, I will continuously have boxes of it till the day I die.”
Top Loading Washing Machines
“Oh oh, the washing machines where you put everything in the top! This fascinated me when we visited the states. They’re huge!”
“Actually top loaders aren’t universal. We also have giant side by side front loaders. 5-6cuft, washer and gas dryer.”
“Top loaders used to be low end, front loaders were higher end. Lately top loaders are the trendy design.”
Over-the-counter Drugs in Huge Bottles.
“Large quantities of over-the-counter drugs in huge bottles.”
“…like Tylenol and ibuprofen? Yes, actually”
“I keep my antidepressants out on the table for my maid to see that I’m still miserable”
Fridge with Ice Dispenser Built-in
“Fridge with Ice Dispenser Built-in”
“As an American living in Amsterdam, i miss my ice dispenser”
“Dude I miss ice anywhere in Europe”
Multiple Different Types of Weird Sauces
“Multiple different types of weird sauces”
“They take up ¼ of my fridge, I didn’t realize this is weird…”
Jeans
“I wear blue jeans 365 days a year.”
“As a mystified American I have the same question. Do other people in other countries not wear jeans??”
Air Conditioning
“I think this is where the size of the US comes in. Some areas would seem uninhabitable without air conditioning and/or heat. But some places you wouldn’t really need one or the other.”
“Yea, in New Mexico most of our population growth didn’t happen until after AC became a thing. Scorching summers and freezing winters.”
Mountain of Pillows on the Bed
“I’m convinced almost every American has a mountain of pillows on their bed”
“Not a mountain but perhaps a small hill.”
“…and our couches. I like to build a nest.”
Individual Cans or Bottles of Soft Drinks
“Individual cans or bottles of soft drinks.”
“You drink your soft drinks out of a keg or something?”
“I buy 1,5-2 liter plastic bottles, it’s a lot cheaper (in Sweden/Europe at least). Buying individual cans/bottles for every “serving” seems like such a waste.”
A Gallon of Milk in the Refrigerator
“A gallon of milk in the refrigerator”
“Multiplied by the number of teenage boys in the house.”
“My son recently moved out for college and for the first time in 18 years, I actually had to pour out spoiled milk. It’s still weird for me to reach for a quart not a gallon.”
A Garage Fridge
“A garage fridge. Filled with beer and frozen boxes of crap from Costco.”
“Yeah I have a giant 7’x3’ basement fridge, full of beer and stuff from Costco. Guilty as charged.”
“Jokes on you, I only have a freezer in my garage.”
Wrapped Stuffs
“Something that is individually wrapped that doesn’t need to be individually wrapped”
“Yes, individual bananas or oranges wrapped in plastic on a styrofoam board is the ultimate example of this”
Eggs in the Fridge
“Eggs in the fridge”
“Like we have a choice. “
“US and another handful of countries require this by health code and I don’t really remember why.”
Comments were originally published on Reddit.
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