25-03-2025
Non-Americans Are Sharing What They Think The "Average American Home" Is Actually Like, And Wow
The classic American home has a well-known aesthetic, for better or for worse. So much so that, on Reddit, non-Americans are sharing the household essentials they've been led to believe that nearly all Americans almost certainly have in their homes. The answers are specific and, yes, pretty darn true. Here are 17 that stood out:
1. "I'm so astonished by a switch that, when you flick it, turns your sink into a blender. Like, where does the trash go from there? I want to visit America just to experience that!"
— ryder_palash & Kingdom-Kome
"A trash smoothie."
— ClapBackBetty
"This is my favorite way to describe a disposal! Lol"
— quiet_repub
2. "A coffee machine with a large glass jug full of black coffee being kept warm. The UK mostly has electric kettles for making hot drinks individually."
— None
"Most of my family is like this. A large coffee maker that usually makes at least 8 cups in a thermally insulated carafe to stay warm for a long time. It's often run twice per day."
— bdfortin
3. "I would say BBQ sauce."
— ThrewawayXxxX
"I have at least five varieties of BBQ sauce in my fridge at the moment, including two that are homemade. 😆"
— Ruckbeat
"Is
You're dead on, but I never really thought about it."
— manaworkin
"I don't even like BBQ sauce, but I have it in my fridge and a back-up in the pantry because what if someone comes over and they like it???"
— Not_floridaman
"Hi, American here, and I'm here to say this is true."
— HHistory1
4. "Apparently, Americans are rather fond of pickles and peanut butter. Is that a fair assumption to make?"
— tree_of_lies
"Yes. I have three kinds of peanut butter and five kinds of pickles. I went and looked."
— judgymcjudgypants
"Guilty. I love making gherkins, and I always have a jar of PB in the pantry."
— kingofthecairn
"As an American, I would say this is one the most accurate comments here so far."
— ItsNadaTooma
5. "The popcorn setting on their microwave!"
EyeEm Mobile GmbH / Getty Images
— someone_somewear
"Settings: popcorn, pizza, and (oddly) potato."
— BracedRhombus
"I actually use the potato button."
— Limberpuppy
"And everyone knows to NEVER use the popcorn setting…"
— Mountain-Safety2099
"The popcorn companies usually tell you on their packaging not to use it."
— Inner_Character9081
"Not big on the popcorn button, but I love the sensor reheat 'leftovers' button."
— St4y_Puft
6. "Oh, the washing machines where you put everything in on the top! This fascinated me when we visited the States. They're huge!"
— Tired3520
"Yes, and a matching dryer. They make those as well."
— Cakey-Baby
7. "Individual cans or bottles of soft drinks."
— LL112
"I came here ready to roll my eyes at the expected responses. Instead, I am here to confirm your accusations."
— ButtDonaldsHappyMeal
"They taste way better from a can than a big plastic bottle. It's the second best way to drink Coke."
— PNutMB
8. "A plastic bag filled with plastic bags."
— bird-137
"Perfect for the bathroom garbage can."
— wifespissed
"The Bag of Bags is what makes a house a home."
— Accidental-Genius
"Yes, I just started a new one yesterday after recycling the other ones."
— yourshowermonster
9. "Every American household has a drawer full of random shit: died batteries, screws, shoelaces, etc."
— Firm_Ideal_5256
"Called a junk drawer :)"
— LilithAjit
"They all have that distinct junk drawer smell too, like old playing cards."
— LieutenantRiggs
"And everything you need is in that drawer, but it's all been compacted into an unsearchable mess."
— Anonymoosehead123
"Surely this one has to be universal, right? It can't be just us that has the junk drawer."
— HighOctane881
"Dane here. Definitely a thing here, too. We usually call it 'rodeskuffen': 'the messy drawer.'"
— Granitbandit
10. "Large quantities of over-the-counter drugs in huge bottles."
— Wombattalion
"…like Tylenol and ibuprofen? Yes, actually"
— None
"Plus, we all have our home ibuprofen and our work ibuprofen and our purse ibuprofen and our…am I missing any?"
— None
11. "Fridge with an ice dispenser built in."
— Fun_Accountant7632
"As an American living in Amsterdam, I miss my ice dispenser."
— kafkaesque_bugman
"At age 38, I finally bought my first place instead of renting, but what really made me feel like an adult was that I finally had a fridge with an ice dispenser. I have arrived."
— Strongdar
12. "Multiple different types of weird sauces."
— c_byum
"They take up 1/4 of my fridge. I didn't realize this is weird..."
— saintErnest
"So many sauces. An entire refrigerator door with sauces."
— Buster_Bluth__
"When your country's food is made up of parts of every other country's cuisine, remixed, and combined, you end up with all the sauces."
— RoboNinjaPirate
13. "I'm convinced almost every American has a mountain of pillows on their bed."
— NoImnotadumbass
"Not a mountain, but perhaps a small hill."
— Cakey-Baby
"...and our couches. I like to build a nest."
— feigndeaf
"But I need four pillows to sleep."
— Drak_is_Right
14. "Just a literal block of cheese, just chilling in the fridge. I'm certain Americans wake up randomly at 3 a.m. and go, 'OMG, cheese sounds good right now.'"
— AntarctMaid
"I didn't think I was going to be attacked on Reddit this early."
— Shwangdoodler
"So, I live in Wisconsin. My dad is actually a cheesemaker. I joke about the cheese fairy visiting me. Because whenever I get low on cheese, more just appears in my fridge. I love cheese, but my husband loves it more. He will actually just hack off a big two-inch thick hunk of cheese and eat it."
— duckieleo
"I love block cheese, lol. It's so much cheaper than buying sliced or shredded. You get so much more. Also, sitting down with a few cut-off cubes and crackers for a snack is comforting."
— Cosmic_miscreant
15. "Ranch dressing: I often feel like an outcast in American society because I don't like ranch dressing."
16. "One of those giant containers of orange ball food."
— acid-nz
"Honestly, I wish I had a container of cheese balls rn."
— __Axe__Man__
"Orange ball food? You mean Cheese Balls? lmao"
— ApplesBestSlave
"Haha. I don't have one. But my grandparents did when I was growing up, and we LOVED it."
— hepatica_radica
17. Finally, "A mounted bass that sings."
Anastasiia Babakova / Getty Images
— hldsnfrgr
"That's Mr. Big Mouth Billy Bass to you!"
— Beavur
"This one made me laugh."
— Grand_unLawfulness
