For a country that’s so diverse, America has some obvious cultural staples, especially visible to those who don’t live in the U.S. Surprisingly—and thankfully—those staples don’t always conjure up a cringeworthy image of ignorance, bravado or unsavory politics.
Self-described “non-Americans” listed things that would be found in every American home, and a lot of the responses could remind Americans of what they might take for granted—whether it’s the ever-expanding variety of foodstuffs or appliances that make everyday life easier.
But perhaps more importantly, they could add a new level of appreciation (and perhaps a sigh of relief) given the amount of, let’s say, bad press the nation has been receiving as of late.
“This is the most wholesome I’ve felt about my country in a while,” noted one American after reading the thread.
The answers were also astonishingly accurate, as indicated by some of the comments.
“I haven’t seen a single one I don’t have tbh and I don’t know how to feel about it lol,” wrote one American.
The answers were prompted by Reddit user Ryrylx, who asked, “Non-Americans, what do you think every American person has in their house?” to the online forum.
Below are 12 answers—along with a few funny confirmations from Americans—for your viewing pleasure.
1.
“Bbq sauce” — ThrewawayXxxX
“I have at least 5 varieties of BBQ sauce in my fridge at them moment, including 2 that are homemade 😆” — @Ruckbeat🇺🇸
2.
“A switch that when you flick it it turns your sink into a blender.” — @Kingdom-Kome
To be clear, they’re talking about garbage disposals.
@ryder_patash added:
“I’m so astonished by it, like where the trash goes from there…I want to visit America just to experience that!” — @thatsabingou
3.
“Popcorn setting on their microwave!” — @someone_somewear
“Popcorn, pizza, and (oddly) potato.” — @ BracedRhombus 🇺🇸
via GIPHY
4.
“Apparently Americans are rather fond of Pickles and Peanut Butter. Is that a fair assumption to make?
Edit: I meant either or not both at the same time. ☠️” — tree_of_lies
“Yes. I have three kinds of peanut butter, and five kinds of pickles. I went and looked.” — judgymcjudgypants 🇺🇸
5.
“Oh oh, the washing machines where you put everything in the top! This fascinated me when we visited the states. They’re huge!” — Tired3250
“Washer Collector Here. Automatic washers became popular in the US during the early 1950’s, and you had your choice between front load & top load. Top loaders had larger capacity (important with the baby boom). Had higher spin speeds so drying time was faster (important when many didn’t yet own a dryer). Went out of balance less often (not trying to distribute a sloshing horizontal load). Had very fast cycle times (clothes washed in 20 minutes). And clothes/detergent could be added at any time after start of cycle. Plus you don’t have to stoop to get the clothes out.
In Europe, the constraints were different. Typically there was no dedicated laundry room or basement for the larger machine. Laundry tended to be done more frequently so capacity wasn’t as much of a concern. Water was/is more expensive so a longer cycle time was acceptable for less consumption. And machine size was dictated by countertop height, as many were installed in kitchens out of convenience (and plumbing).” — @eldofever🇺🇸
6.
“A sofa that faces a studio audience.” — @AlterEdward
“When you walk into your living room and you hear the applause, it really helps you get through your day.” — @donedmeat🇺🇸
via GIPHY
7.
“Drywall….lots of drywall.” — @JoeTisseo
“It’s a staple of home renovation shows in the US because it’s so easy. Just knock all the walls down and make it an open floor plan!” — @drinkallthecoffee
8.
“Large quantities of over-the-counter drugs in huge bottles.” — @Wombattalion
“Costco $3.99 for 500 Benadryl and $5.99 for 500 ibuprofen for the Win!!” — @Old_Perspective4835🇺🇸
9.
“Ranch dressing.” — @Killpop582014
“As an American I was expecting guns, but ranch dressing hurt for some reason.” — @tdogg1967🇺🇸
via GIPHY
10.
“A plastic bag filled with plastic bags.” — @Sexyhumblebee
“The Bag of Bags is a time honored tradition in many American homes.” — @Left_Debt_8770🇺🇸
11.
“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🇺🇸
12.
“Eggs in the fridge.” — @lordfaffing
“Like we have a choice.” — @ RobbinsBabbitt🇺🇸
(@RexChapman) 
