I have one question: If Germans want / need tap water they draw it from the sink in the kitchen - just like you do for cooking, making tea or coffee and so on. So why do you use "going to the bathroom" as your default choice for getting tap water and never even think of drawing it in your kitchen?
Because I was talking about public access to water while they are outside the home. I was talking about public drinking fountains in the US and the counter argument to drinking fountains are where the most accessible water is found in Germany, restrooms.
@@PassportTwo Oh, you meant getting some water when you are outside. Well, Germans usually prepare for that by having drinking bottles in their luggage - just in case they get thirsty. As you know Germans mostly prefer sparkling water so that also makes most of them take bottled water with them if they go outside for longer anyway. Furthermore you can buy 1.5 litres of their own brand bottled water in any supermarket or discounter for about 0.25 Euro (and 0.25 Euro for bottle deposit - which you get back from turning in the empty bottle in any other supermarket or discounter later). Also due to its smaller size compared to USA as well as the different principles in the layouts of settlements in Germany everything is relatively close - which means those supermarkets and discounters are often in a short walking distance. So there is no such large demand for drinking fountains in Germany unlike in USA where everything is far apart and more often than not hard to reach on foot.
@@PassportTwo looks like someone tries to scam your followers by using your name and picture see various answers for free merch in the comment section of this video
Americans: drinking carbonated water is weird. Also Americans: drinking liters and liters of carbonated water with an extreme amount of sugar and some artificial flavourings.
European restaurants make their major income on the drinks and not on the food. In return you can hang out there as long as you want, given you order new drinks. And not given our bill before you are done with your meal. Like in the US. Free drinks would break that system.
Yes, but it is there decision to do so. And if i am not thirsty I won't get a drink and just eat something. Or drink my own tap water after it outside. I mean paying for a small still water 3 € is still rediculous.
As a Dutchy I personally think carbonated water as a real German thing. Your skin cracking has more to do with the soap you use then with the temperature of the water. I have problems with the soap they use at my office (cracking skin guaranteed). At home I have been experimenting a lot to find soap types that don't cause that issue.
yes, it actually comes, as many wird cultural thigns in germany, from the 19th century, and the asociation of Mienral water with health and as a luxury item. this is to this day present in german tax law, as mineral water, sprakling or not, is taxed in the higehr VAT bracket.
Even the term "Soda" is known in Germany only for Sodawater. Nobody associates the term with anything else. (unless today, and you speak engl. etc). It's the same as the term Lemonade (Limonade) is not associated with lemons at all. It's a term by itself. Sprite is Zitronenlimonde, french: limonade au citron, english: Lemonade from Lemons. So Sodastream does not advertise to make lemonade.
Because that's what soda actually is. Or what it was, when it was originally created. Back then: soda = soda water. Soda is just the term for carbonating your water. It has no connection to put any kind of flavor / syrup in it. Then the softdrink industry was born. People started to add syrup to it and this way added flavor to their soda water. Normal carbonated water was rather unpopular in the US and lazy Americans shortened the name of this drink back to just "soda". It is actually incorrect to call a carbonated softdrink just "soda", technically speaking.
@@dnocturn84 Right, so language developed in different directions. In Germany the term is rather not used at all any more - it will just be understood. Water industry advertise it as "mineral water", due to the little ingredients of sodium (which is called natrium in German), magnesium and others. They pronounced the health benefits.
@@holger_p In Austria there is still the difference between Mineralwasser and Sodawasser at groceries and at restaurants. The latter being cheaper. Even at Hofer(Aldi) you get both. I use Sodawasser mainly together with fruit juice for the carbonization, so I'm not interested in a special "Mineralwasser".
@@holger_p Mineral water in Germany is always (by law) directly bottled from a natural spring with all naturally occurring minerals. Only processing allowed is the removal of iron and the addition or removal of carbon dioxide. Natural soda water is an alkaline (=containing sodium bicarbonate aka. soda) mineral water which often has carbon dioxide in solution from the spring. If the water is made commercially in a bottling plant then it is classed as "Tafelwasser" (table water). Always bone-in!
Growing up in Germany I had several friends who claimed that water that was not carbonated (tap or still bottled) made them gag and was simply undrinkable. I've lived abroad for over 20 years now and can't fathom the idea that something as basic to humanity as drinking water could be made so complicated... BUT I have to say, as a German living in the US, asking for water in a restaurant always needs to include the word's "no ice" for me. I realized quickly that even saying "light ice" ended up getting me about 4x more ice in my glass than I'd like! Can't take the German out of me after all I guess...😄
If you go to a natural spring with mineral water that is available in many places around europe, there is several places where the water is "Naturally carbonated" straight out of the mountain spring. This is many times considered to be the best tasting mineral water. Possibly that is the reason why sparkling water today is considered to be "The best"!
Soda technically just refers to the carbonation. Soda water (or just soda) used to be a thing before someone put syrups into it. By now it largely has been supplanted by mineral water in parlance.
Exactly. The misunderstanding (or surprise) that a Sodastream does not produce "soda" as understood by Americans is that soda in the rest of the world does not have added sugar, flavours, colours etc. (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodawasser). I wonder if Whisky Soda is called like that in the US at all?
Warm water is expensive. Building heaters into building or warm water lines is even more expensive. Especially in Buildings where warm water isn't needed (e.g. sheds, public toilets, graveyards, parks) you will not find warm water installed just to wash your hands.
German here. I prefer cold water to wash my hands - costs less and feels refreshing. Only when I am really dirty or really cold do I use warm water. I also use cold water for brushing my teeth. But I guarantee you there are many many germans who use warm water for both. With drinking water I much much prefer still water right from the tap. No ice, no carbon. Don’t like the bubbles and really don’t like the somewhat stale taste of the carbonic acid. And only (naturally boneless😜) tofu wings for me.
just as you said: german restaurants are not required to give out free tap water. i have been working at a hotel in the restaurant before and my boss even went as far as to ask for an official writing from her lawer explaining why she does not have to give out free water which we were sopoused to give out to guests if they wont exept the fact that they have to pay for tap water too. the reason one even has to pay for tap water is: bringing something to someones table is a service... even if it is just tab water. plus filling up a cup and bringing it to you takes time which the waiter could have used to serve a guest who is actually willing to pay.
I get so annoyed about the endless US-American jabbering about the not free and also sparkling water in restaurants My recommendation is, if you're too stingy or poor to pay for still mineral water or sparkling mineral water at a restaurant: a. ask for ordinary tap water b. eat at home c. go to McDonalds or similar; according to the US this is a restaurant d. apply for a job with a higher pay
I don't think I've ever seen a drinking fountain in Germany and honestly I don't think I would use it. As you suspected: I think it's disgusting to drink from the same fontain as a complete stranger. Even my German dogs don't want to drink from a water bowl a strange dog used before 😂 Boneless chicken??? I don't get it.
Well, well: First, there is the "Trinkwasserverordnung" in Germany, which states basically, that the tap water everywhere must be drinkable without any additions. If that is not the case, there is usually a sign near the tap saying "Kein Trinkwasser!" But that leads to that the fontains or taps have to be maintained at a higher rate than in the US, I guess and that sets up highter costs. I have heared of some verdicts, where the restaurant served specially spicy or salty food and in those few cases they HAD to serve free tap water. Try carbonated water with juices. It tastes almost like a soda, but has less sugar. I for myself only dring still water, if I have to, or as tea or coffee.
FYI: From what I know from friends owning restaurants, the primary reason that there is no free water is mainly because (mid-priced) restaurants make their money not through the food, but primarily through drinks. As you probably know, food is usually quite inexpensive in German restaurants.
To your random question: It depends on what part of the chicken I eat. Half Chicken or a chicken leg normally with bones, chicken breast without bones.
The trend that I'm seeing in the US is an increasing number of free bottle fillers in addition to water fountains. These allow you to avoid the possibility of exposing yourself to those who might spread germs on a shared fountain. Interesting during the early months (even 2 years) of the pandemic, I mostly saw closed drinking fountains to prevent the spread through their use. As for chicken I like it both ways, but there is something particularly satisfying when eating bone in chicken wing flats.
Well, when you are familiar with the fact that New York is about the same geographic altitude as Barcelona, you may recognize Germany in a more temperate zone obviously situated more northern. This indicates less requirement of preventing people from dying of thirst (public fountains with drinking water) and the necessity of soothing the thirst of potentially dehydrated customers - to make them ready to enjoy your excellent restaurant meals . . .
Tap water in Germany does in fact contain a small amount of chlorine, however it is much less (typically 0.03-0.05 mg/litre, max. 0.3 mg, US max. 0.8 mg) and a different formula (chlorine dioxide instead of hypochlorous acid), which altogether does not affect the smell or taste.
I hate uncarbonated water. I only drink carbonated (sparkling) water. Sparkling water tastes better in my opinion and adds freshness. I am living my entire life in Germany and i thought that cold water is only a thing in a schools Restroom or a little public Restroom, because most other Restroom in Restaurants, shopping centers or else had warm water. Every Sink in my household has a warm water option. And I like my chicken boneless
It's always interesting to see how much tastes can differ. Despite living and growing up in Germany, I have always absolutely detested carbonated water and never understood why people voluntarily drink it lol
In my appartement the toilet only had cold water. Why would I need more for a short washing of the hands ? If they are really dirty I go to the bathroom. Warm water wouldn't be very useful because the warm water needs some time through the pipes. I'm long finished before there is warm water. I even use cold water e.g. in toilets somewhere else because I don't want to fiddle around getting a useful temperature.
New Zealand practice: For washing, warm tap water and liquid hand soap for me, thanks. For drinking, cold tap water; in the summer I keep a 1-litre jug of tap water in the refrigerator which I refill through the day. Chilled sparkling water: only if mixed with gin or vodka. Boneless Korean fried chicken with a moderately spicy sauce, or as an ingredient of Indian butter chicken, or in Japanese curry with rice.
NOt sure how english distinguishes "water with natural carbon" and artificially carbonated water. "carbonated" is the wrong term. The culture started with the natural carbonated water, coming straight from the ground, long before "carbonation" was even possible. Same as in beer or champaign, it's not carbonated, the gas is just inside, without putting it in. It can be best compared with, nobody is drilling holes into the cheese. There is a difference from holed cheese to cheese with holes.
Same. Carbonated water tastes sour and sometimes a little salty. And the flavour is weird. And it hurts my mouth. And I have to burp from it. Just plain tap water is the best drink!
There's a rather simple and pragmatic reason for the cold water only taps: Money. Esp. For public (ish) ones. It means less heating Costs, no need to have a pipe installed leading to the Boiler, and less stuff that can Break and thus less maintenance costs.
I (German) drink simple tap water all day long. But in restaurants I'll order sparkling water. Probably to make it more different. Chicken question: Yes 😜
Tap water in German restaurants is usually not free, because you will need a glass which has to be cleaned etc. and you will be served, i.e. the waiter/waitress will bring it to you and remove the empty glass later... and finally the water costs a cent or a fraction of a cent .... - that's what my son explained to me when he was jobbing as a waiter to earn some pocket money after school. And some restaurants even put a slice of lemon into the tap water.... And since you have to pay anyway, the idea is to better serve you the "good" water in the fancy bottle. This might cost 5 Euro instead of 1 but hey.... BTW: tap water is one of the most controlled and regulated food in Germany. Chicken question: it depends! :-) I prefer the Hähnchenschnitzel without bones but the Brathähnchen feels more natural with bones....
To pronounce foreign names and brands as in the country of origin would demand respect from Americans. Instead, the American says, "I'm an American and I do it my way. No one tells me how to do anything. Because I am an American. And don't tell me there are other American countries outside the United States. USA! USA! USA!"
As has been mentioned already, restaurants make most of their income from the drinks they sell. They'd go broke soon if everyone just ordered tap water and they couldn't charge for it. Plus they still have to have servers fill it, serve it and that glass has to be washed. In Austria they are permitted to charge 50 cents per glass. They will do that if that's all you order. So...what we do is order either another kind of drink and then ask for tap water, they will rarely charge us then. .. or just order bottled (sparkling) water from the start. As to your hands getting chapped in winter, it might have to do with the soap you are using. I see mostly young men who are using hand lotion nowadays. Hardly ever older men. Perhaps it is a generation thing? (Just borrow some from Aubrey?) It's a lot easier to cook boneless chicken, but the price per kilo is less when buying chicken breasts with bone.
Veggi - so no chicken at all for me. But wow, I'm amazed - I lived in Germany my entire life, and the only time I came across bathrooms without warm water was in fast food restaurants. So I kind of assumed that washing your hands with cold water actually was some american thing that McDonalds and Burger King brought here ... When the announcement was made, that the warm water would stop in public buildings to save energy both for the environment and due to Russia related gas problems, there were a lot of protests at my work place. Anyways, why don't you wear mittens when you go outsinde in the cold?
3:23 I would argue that this is the wrong conclusion, or at least with a strong american pov.. This is because "soda (water)" in its original meaning refers only to "carbonated water" and not to soft drinks. In English, the word is used in a strange way. ;) It is simply shorten to "soda" because soft drinks (usually) contain carbonated water, but even without any flavour or sweetener/sugar it remains soda - and not the other way around. In the all day language in AE soda = soft drink. The word "soda" in connection with water goes back to the Hungarian inventor Father Ányos Jedlik, who invented a special bottle to carbonate water. Fun fact: Sodastream is neither german nor american it is israeli. One of its predecessor was british. The model were soda fountains for restaurants - and whether and if so which flavor you add is up to the user ;) Just a guess regarding your hand / skin issues: German tap water comes often - at least as a big part - from deep groundwater fountains. The american tap water is often treated surface water from lakes / reservoirs. Therefore german tap water contains more minerals aka "chalk". We call it the water hardness, the more minerals the "harder" the water - good for drinking, bad for machines, skin, hair, and so on.. hard water dries out the skin more than soft water. During the cold seasons there is th air idryer ( in absolute watesteam per volume) plus the hard water can threaten the smoothness of your your skin.
Germans and Americans do think of different things when they hear the word "soda", so the difference in the use of Sodastream devices might be due to that. "Sodawasser" in the narrow sense is naturally carbonated water, but some Germans call all sparkling water "Sodawasser" or "Soda". So they soon realised that they didn't need to use syrup in their Sodastreams, but could also use them to produce their beloved carbonated water. I'm a vegetarian, so I prefer chicken alive and fluttering about.
I have to completely sympathize about the broken skin issue. I need lots of lotion for my hands in the winter regardless of the temperature i wash my hands with. Changing the soap might help some. Actual soap, I recently learned, is very aggressive to the protective layer on the skin, because of the detergents in it. If you switch to washing lotions with syndets (synthetic detergents), which are less aggressive to this protective layer, your skin might feel better. But also, because of the cold and the reduced humidity of the air, there will probably still be issues.
Brüchige Haut wäre ein Anzeichen für einen Mangel an Fetten auf der Haut. Zu häufiges Waschen (vor allem mit Seifen) oder zu geringe Sekretproduktion der Talgdrüsen sind wohl die häufigsten Faktoren. Mit Fetthaltiger Chreme kann man dagegen angehen.
Free drinking water: in Germany you can drink water out of every water tap all over the county. The water supply is one of the most controlled things in Germany. To drink from a water tap hold your hand below and drink out of your hand.
I was born in 1972 and one of my first memories is that at my grandparents' house, when I was playing in the garden and got thirsty, I used to run down to the basement to quench my thirst directly from the faucet at the basement sink. I hate sparkling water to this day. The first sip is refreshing and after that everything tastes like ... foot? I have to add one more thing. In the restaurant I never dare to ask for tap water. Because of the inconvenience. Too German in this case.
Fun fact: as a German I usually drink carbonated water. However when drinking non carbonated water, I only drink fresh (or cooled) tap water, I loath bottled still water. Even the „Medium“ style mildly carbonated bottled water I do not like at all. So bottled water: always carbonated „Classic“ variety, if possible cold. Non carbonated water: never ever (if it safely can be avoided without dehydrating) from a bottle. Straight from the tap is ok, preferably cool / cold. Sounds weird? Maybe I am.
There are multiple dimensions when it comes to water temperature and hand washing. For most substances, solubility in water increases with temperature, meaning to get actual contaminations by foreign substances off your hands, higher temperatures help (both directly and indirectly by getting a higher amount of “soap” into the water). But the effect is not very large and the effect of “soap” is more important. And as you alluded to, since the anti-microbial effect of soap works via changing the surface tension and less by dissolving substances, the temperature effect is not really relevant here. And higher solubility also means higher solubility for the natural oils on your skin and thus hot water actually is more detrimental for the skin. But one other factor is that you might not wash your hands long enough if the water is too cold. And then this winter with the shortage and high prices for energy, only using cold water for your hands helps to keep energy consumption low.
Best comment! I usually prefer cold water for hand washing (or brushing my teeth) because I find it refreshing. Only when I am really cold or my hands are really dirty do I use warm water.
In winter in avarage the air is much dryer than the rest of the year. And it is cold, therefore you a sweating less. That is the reason for the Problem with your hands, etc. in winter.
I think part of the confusion comes from the fact that in German, carbonated tab water is called Soda, while US "soda" aka sweet fizzy drinks are called Limonade, if it contains lemon or not.
As a German with zero blood circulation I hate that we only have cold water in public bathrooms. As a teenager I used to have a friend who refused to wash her hands in winter because they would turn blue. 🙈
I grew up and lived in Berlin Germany until 2000 then moved to Massachusetts US. Always drank tab water, sometimes straight from the faucet. That was over once I tried the US tab water. I always warn my german visitors to stay away from the tab water. The only place I ever encountered having only cold water sinks is in pubs or older restaurants, never in apartments.
Not all the tap water in the US is as bad as it is in Massachusetts! But I know what you mean, I would not drink it either. Here in the Pacific Northwest we have very good tap water.
the article you showed about free water in restraunts says, that it is common in France and Austria to get a carafe of free tab water. As an Austrian I have never experienced that here in Austria. Well, in pricier restraunts it's more likely.
Carbonated waters stimulates your tastebuts. I have only tried ameri an tabwater in 6 towns, and from the showerhead fountain they have at the bar. It stank, ssmelled of chlorinre.
Free water? - No. But there is something else: By law every restaurant (and any other place selling food and drinks) is obligated to offer at least one alcoholfree drink at a lower price than the cheapest alcoholic drink.
the outermost layer of your skin is a kind of defnese wall made up of (dont know the exact eng terms) dead skins that works like a wall but too much water makes swell and the protective layer loosen up - general working problem for people in cleaning buisness and other jobs with a lot of water contact that and some handcremes etc can have similiar effects for different reasons - thats why normally good workplaces have hygiene plans for hands and co about using gloves etc (if they are waterproof and your hands sweat in them too much over (work)time same problem...) and how to properly clean your hands etc like first start with cold water to get most of your hands physically and then start with other stuff/products like soap etc (just as a very basic/roundabout info for the part at the end of the video) mfg Olli
Using cold water saves some money on heating cost. Also better for blood circulation of the Hands. When your hands skin cracking try a diffrent soap - i recomend SebaMed - Seifenfreies Waschstück , its made soapfree with Oliveoil. I love it my Hands are very soft and clean after using it. Also try Senstive Care Fluid Soaps without extra addtions like sents
Washing your hands with anything but cold water just feels like a waste of energy to me. A few of my friends do it and it just feels wasteful and un-German to me.
As someone coming from Serbia I had similar issues. In Serbia having public drinking water fountains is common. In old time that was the only way to get water in cities. When public water supply got to every flat public one were installed in all park, pedestal areas and free time places (outdoor sport areas, banks of rivers used for walking...). It is true that Serbia has more sunshine and warmer climateso more need for waterwhen you are outside. But also more collectivistic society. Some of public fountains were donations of people who wanted to do something good for society. Some are historically important. One of Belgrade fountains gave it's name to whole part of city. At the other one a Turkish soldier killed a boy who came to fill a flask and the war started between Serbs and occupation forces of Ottoman empire. Skin problem I also got. I think that 2 sources contributed to it: water which were hard comparing to any in Serbia and colder and more windy weather (also high amplitude of dry/wet air). At least that is in Munich the case.
I learned from my father, that "Ich hätte gerne ..." is as polite and appropriate as "Bitte geben Sie mir ..." or in other words: "Bitte" could get replaced by "Ich hätte gerne". To use them both in one sentence is a bit too much.
What I find most perplexing is that you'll usually have a radiator in that ice-cold-water-only sink bathroom. That means about 6 inches away from the sink is a hot water pipe. Why not connect it? The technology to connect hot water radiator to sink must exist. I've been in several restaurant bathrooms where I saw an under-sink water heater and it is almost always unplugged. Why?
Because cold water is better for the health and the immune system and it's cheaper. Germans love to save money. As a child I learned that it's good for staying healthy to hold your forearms under cold water for 20 second each morning. And it works.
I can' t answer your question about the restaurants but the water in the radiator may not be drinking water. We have centralheating and the pipes for this are separate. Of course the water was orginally tab water. But it has been heated and is not controlled after that, because it isn't ment to be used for drinking. Our warmwatertank is heatet with the radiator heating water, but it is not the same. Also there are more regulations for warm water because of the risk of "Salmonellen".
@@ClausStephanSchlangen I believe you, but feel it should be an easy update to fix it. Or connect it and post signage, "kein trinkwasser" and it's all good.
@@LythaWausW There is a reason why a heating has a water circuit. You cannot use water from the heating circuit without permanently refilling it. Then it is no circuit anymore and over the years the tubes will calcify.
I remember my first mouthful of „stilles Wasser“ that was actually carbonated… it was such a shock. And I still don’t know why anyone would buy that bitter tasting mineral water that you can get. I see your hand cream and raise you by a seifenfreies Waschstück. I take my own soap or the above mentioned thingie with me, as I think we immigrants must have missed the tough hands in Winter gene. I don’t eat meat, so bone in and running around happily in my garden.
lol, Australian here, I much prefer carbonated water. If I have to I will drink still water but prefer it carbonated. Our soda stream rarely has flavouring added.
When I m ordering a propper glass of vine or a Cocktail (not Happy hour 6 EUR) I have no pain to ask for tab water. But rarely sometimes, it is lukewarm :o
I invite you to come to Wayne County, NY, and find a common fountain. We have 2 million apple trees but they are not free either, but usually kept behind fences. And you can also get shot for helping yourself to apples from trees.
Jeder kann Mineralwasser nennen, wie er/sie/es wünscht, wenn du also eine x-bleliebige sprudelnde Plörre Selters nennst, kein Problem. Wer es aber vertreibt oder verkauft, der darf nur echtes Selters-Wasser auch so nennen.
Most carbonated water in Germany comes from sources that are mineral wells. The best known ones are Selters and Apollinaris. Those waters are said or supposed to be healthy and those waters have a natural amount of carbondioxide, but to make them taste more interesting they are enriched with carbon dioxide. Only they are allowed to be called "Mineralwasser". Simple tap water that is carbonated has to be called "Tafelwasser". As it is considered not to be good to consume too much sugar the idea that mineral water is a good thing to drink instead of lemonade or coke as a beverage is not wrong.
Depends on the circumstances. When I am at events like Oktoberfest, Street Festivals, grill parties etc. I prefer my Chicken with bones, but at home or in restaurants I´ll go for boneless chicken with fork and knife.
Basically ALL of the mentioned confusion aspects come down to hygienic reasons. Potable water is not chlorinated in Germany whereas this is mandatory in the US. To untreated water trinking fountains are a massive threat in terms of germs and bacteria and the spread of it. Water which is not hot enough increases growth of legionella. Artificial carbonated water was „invented“ in the 18th century, was a luxury at the time. The carbon gas, displaced oxygen in the container/bottle, hence less chance for the natural contaminants of water to grow, hence almost infinitive storage. So some Germans made „carbonated water“ a business, exporting it almost world wide to those who could afford.
Americans most of the time forget that the american term "soda" (often used as synonym for carbonated softdrinks) comes from adding "Soda" Na₂CO₃ (Natriumcarbonat) to Water which is another way to carbonat water. Soda water came years before softdrinks.
When you drink water in america in a Restaurant, the waiter bring you tap water, and you have more ice in the glass then water. In Europe you ask the waiter , special for ice when you like.Also the water quality generaly in Europe is much better. On many places is it not free, then the Restaurants make the most of the money with Wine,Beer, Water or what ever you drink and not with food. Another thing is, in America brings the waiter the bill, still when you are eating, Thats is realy weird. Not so in Europe, you ask for the bill when you are ready to pay.
About drinking water fountains - in Switzerland a LOT of the regular fountains are actually drinking water (which you can see on your list is among the #1 countries for water quality). Not sure how true that is in Germany.
Dera Donnie + Aubrey, perhaps I belong to the "few" Germans who drink tap water "just the way it is" out of the tap and do not have a "Soda Stream" or a similar system to carbonate it. When I was younger (child/teenager) I mostly drank "Sprudel" (that's the name for sparkling mineral water many people use in "common speech") but later I more and more preferred just plain tap water ... My brother however mostly drinks carbonate sparkling water and we have a crate of mineral water in the cellar ... I think that may be the case in several families ... Because we have a "high quality drinking water" I see no sense in buying mineral water so we only have a crate of water for visitors (or family members) who prefer it to tap water 🙂 Thank you very much for your funny and interesting videos from "living in Germany" 🙂 Many greetings from Philipp
Yeah, a lot of Germans like their water carbonated... but that's a giant generalization. Still water is just as popular. In fact, at my work place, when our employer was deciding which brand of water to buy for us, he did a survey and three quarters of us preferred still water. The thing is just: we don't like it from the tap. The water here is full of calk, which affects the taste. Some people use filters, but from my experience, they don't do much. We (those in MY circles, not generalized) prefer our still water bottled and from a natural spring.
I'm originally from Israel where a law (from 1986) obligates any establishment that serves food must provide each client a pitcher of cold water. In addition, public buildings (the definition includes many types, including movie theaters and supermarkets from a certain size) to offer a drinking facility that is freely available to the general public. Now I live in Spain that just passed a similar law for bars and restaurants (and from 2023 also for hotels). As for carbonated water, they are fairly popular in Israel . In the past the soda siphon, known as sipholux in Israel- the name of the popular local brand, was a popular wedding gift and many got a few of them, than came Sodastream (an Israeli company) which is pretty popular but now many switched to the water dispensers that added a carbonation option. As for the question, I don;t like bones so I prefer chicken (and any other meat) without bones. I will eat meat with bones but I leave meat on them, unlike the rest of my family that clean them completely and, in some cases, eat the bone as well.
At most of my US business trips when I went for dinner with colleagues. When the waiter came and asked if someone want water. My standard answer: „I’m thirsty not dirty“. Always good for a laugh. Can you imagine the national drink of the Pfalz without sparkling water? Rieslingschorle with tab water only - no way. Well about dry hand skin. I lived in NJ for some years. I always had dry hands and skin during the winter (and quite often nose bleed). Why? Well super dry winter air inside and outside. For example my house had forced air heating witha a crappy / broken humidifier. Same in my office. Chicken on the bone of course.
The 70% carbonated bottled water ist misleading regarding total consumption, because tap water is uusally perfectly drinkable in Germany, so many of those who drink water that is not carbonated usually also dont buy bottled water.
Many German houses have a central water heater attached to the heating system. Hence providing warm water in bathrooms would involve a lot of construction. In my own home (in Switzerland, not Germany) there are 2 restrooms without any sink at all (yet).
Als ich klein war mochte ich kein sprudelwater.. es hatte immer so ein komischen Geschmack.. aber als ich 12 war hatte ich einfach trotzdem angefangen, sprudelwasser zu trinken. Irgendwann ist der Geschmack weggegangen, und jetzt trinke ich fast nur noch sprudelwasser🤭 und ich mag Huhn mehr ohne Knochen. Ich mag Essen nicht gerne anfassen, besonders wenn es fettig ist..
German restaurant have to provide some non alcoholic alternatives that are cheaper than stuff with alcohol, most of the time this is water, maybe thats where the rumor originated to provide "free" water?
I'm at work now (Munich), and I just filled a bottle with carbonated water. at home I usually drink regular tap water, and I use sparkling water only to prepare various drinks (Schorle). I also remember that the water in US tasted and smelled funny, and I didn't like it.
I lived in one place in the US where people would drink nothing but water coming out of a rock face, thinking it's pristine because the Earth filtered it. Didn't matter what was upstream of that groundwater, i.e., a petrol station. Eww.
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I have one question:
If Germans want / need tap water they draw it from the sink in the kitchen - just like you do for cooking, making tea or coffee and so on.
So why do you use "going to the bathroom" as your default choice for getting tap water and never even think of drawing it in your kitchen?
Because I was talking about public access to water while they are outside the home. I was talking about public drinking fountains in the US and the counter argument to drinking fountains are where the most accessible water is found in Germany, restrooms.
@@PassportTwo Oh, you meant getting some water when you are outside.
Well, Germans usually prepare for that by having drinking bottles in their luggage - just in case they get thirsty.
As you know Germans mostly prefer sparkling water so that also makes most of them take bottled water with them if they go outside for longer anyway.
Furthermore you can buy 1.5 litres of their own brand bottled water in any supermarket or discounter for about 0.25 Euro (and 0.25 Euro for bottle deposit - which you get back from turning in the empty bottle in any other supermarket or discounter later).
Also due to its smaller size compared to USA as well as the different principles in the layouts of settlements in Germany everything is relatively close - which means those supermarkets and discounters are often in a short walking distance.
So there is no such large demand for drinking fountains in Germany unlike in USA where everything is far apart and more often than not hard to reach on foot.
Es gibt jetzt Telegramm Gewinnspiele unter meinen Kommentaren, in der Regel ist das SPAM, oder ist es von Euch? Wenn nicht würde ich es reporten
@@PassportTwo looks like someone tries to scam your followers by using your name and picture see various answers for free merch in the comment section of this video
Americans: drinking carbonated water is weird.
Also Americans: drinking liters and liters of carbonated water with an extreme amount of sugar and some artificial flavourings.
Sparkling water & seltzers have become super popular in the US recently! People don’t see it as weird anymore
@@HomeWorkouts_LS You know, when you follow "exploded" with "US", something else comes to mind. My mind went to a weird way for a few seconds.
@@Llortnerof Exploding from carbonation? Get it? haha
European restaurants make their major income on the drinks and not on the food. In return you can hang out there as long as you want, given you order new drinks. And not given our bill before you are done with your meal. Like in the US. Free drinks would break that system.
I allways miss this argument in videos like this.
„Mayor“?
Yes, but it is there decision to do so. And if i am not thirsty I won't get a drink and just eat something. Or drink my own tap water after it outside. I mean paying for a small still water 3 € is still rediculous.
I see you have adopted another German custom related to drinking water - repurposing used mustard glasses as drinking glasses 😀
For sure! Talked about it in one of our recent videos and have been using it ever since 😅 Perfect size in many cases! Haha
Das gute alte Kühne-Kristall...
Senfkristall
As a Dutchy I personally think carbonated water as a real German thing.
Your skin cracking has more to do with the soap you use then with the temperature of the water. I have problems with the soap they use at my office (cracking skin guaranteed). At home I have been experimenting a lot to find soap types that don't cause that issue.
yes, it actually comes, as many wird cultural thigns in germany, from the 19th century, and the asociation of Mienral water with health and as a luxury item.
this is to this day present in german tax law, as mineral water, sprakling or not, is taxed in the higehr VAT bracket.
And there we go again.
Even the term "Soda" is known in Germany only for Sodawater. Nobody associates the term with anything else. (unless today, and you speak engl. etc). It's the same as the term Lemonade (Limonade) is not associated with lemons at all. It's a term by itself. Sprite is Zitronenlimonde, french: limonade au citron, english: Lemonade from Lemons. So Sodastream does not advertise to make lemonade.
Because that's what soda actually is. Or what it was, when it was originally created. Back then: soda = soda water. Soda is just the term for carbonating your water. It has no connection to put any kind of flavor / syrup in it.
Then the softdrink industry was born. People started to add syrup to it and this way added flavor to their soda water. Normal carbonated water was rather unpopular in the US and lazy Americans shortened the name of this drink back to just "soda". It is actually incorrect to call a carbonated softdrink just "soda", technically speaking.
@@dnocturn84 Right, so language developed in different directions.
In Germany the term is rather not used at all any more - it will just be understood. Water industry advertise it as "mineral water", due to the little ingredients of sodium (which is called natrium in German), magnesium and others. They pronounced the health benefits.
@@holger_p In Austria there is still the difference between Mineralwasser and Sodawasser at groceries and at restaurants. The latter being cheaper. Even at Hofer(Aldi) you get both. I use Sodawasser mainly together with fruit juice for the carbonization, so I'm not interested in a special "Mineralwasser".
@@holger_p Mineral water in Germany is always (by law) directly bottled from a natural spring with all naturally occurring minerals. Only processing allowed is the removal of iron and the addition or removal of carbon dioxide.
Natural soda water is an alkaline (=containing sodium bicarbonate aka. soda) mineral water which often has carbon dioxide in solution from the spring.
If the water is made commercially in a bottling plant then it is classed as "Tafelwasser" (table water).
Always bone-in!
Same in the UK. Soda water is carbonated mineral water, no flavoring, just water. I think calling Lemonade 'Soda' is an American thing.
Growing up in Germany I had several friends who claimed that water that was not carbonated (tap or still bottled) made them gag and was simply undrinkable. I've lived abroad for over 20 years now and can't fathom the idea that something as basic to humanity as drinking water could be made so complicated...
BUT I have to say, as a German living in the US, asking for water in a restaurant always needs to include the word's "no ice" for me. I realized quickly that even saying "light ice" ended up getting me about 4x more ice in my glass than I'd like! Can't take the German out of me after all I guess...😄
Given that Americans love all kinds of sodas, I’m surprised it’s a culture shock to them to leave out the sugar and the flavor 😉
If you go to a natural spring with mineral water that is available in many places around europe, there is several places where the water is "Naturally carbonated" straight out of the mountain spring.
This is many times considered to be the best tasting mineral water.
Possibly that is the reason why sparkling water today is considered to be "The best"!
Soda technically just refers to the carbonation. Soda water (or just soda) used to be a thing before someone put syrups into it. By now it largely has been supplanted by mineral water in parlance.
Exactly. The misunderstanding (or surprise) that a Sodastream does not produce "soda" as understood by Americans is that soda in the rest of the world does not have added sugar, flavours, colours etc. (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodawasser). I wonder if Whisky Soda is called like that in the US at all?
Try ph-neutral soap (5.5). Normal soap is too high in ph and destroys the natural and slightly acidic layer on your skin.
Warm water is expensive. Building heaters into building or warm water lines is even more expensive. Especially in Buildings where warm water isn't needed (e.g. sheds, public toilets, graveyards, parks) you will not find warm water installed just to wash your hands.
German here. I prefer cold water to wash my hands - costs less and feels refreshing. Only when I am really dirty or really cold do I use warm water. I also use cold water for brushing my teeth. But I guarantee you there are many many germans who use warm water for both.
With drinking water I much much prefer still water right from the tap. No ice, no carbon. Don’t like the bubbles and really don’t like the somewhat stale taste of the carbonic acid.
And only (naturally boneless😜) tofu wings for me.
just as you said: german restaurants are not required to give out free tap water. i have been working at a hotel in the restaurant before and my boss even went as far as to ask for an official writing from her lawer explaining why she does not have to give out free water which we were sopoused to give out to guests if they wont exept the fact that they have to pay for tap water too. the reason one even has to pay for tap water is: bringing something to someones table is a service... even if it is just tab water. plus filling up a cup and bringing it to you takes time which the waiter could have used to serve a guest who is actually willing to pay.
I get so annoyed about the endless US-American jabbering about the not free and also sparkling water in restaurants
My recommendation is, if you're too stingy or poor to pay for still mineral water or sparkling mineral water at a restaurant:
a. ask for ordinary tap water
b. eat at home
c. go to McDonalds or similar; according to the US this is a restaurant
d. apply for a job with a higher pay
I'm 45 years old, but I have never seen a bathroom sink without hot water in my whole life here in germany.
I don't think I've ever seen a drinking fountain in Germany and honestly I don't think I would use it. As you suspected: I think it's disgusting to drink from the same fontain as a complete stranger. Even my German dogs don't want to drink from a water bowl a strange dog used before 😂
Boneless chicken??? I don't get it.
Chicken filets ot wings maybe?
@@arnodobler1096 I know chicken breast filet, but I don't think I've ever seen another part of the chicken sold without bones.
@@KrisThroughGlass Hühnerleber Chicken liver
@@arnodobler1096 Guten Abend, lieber Arno! Schönes Wochenende!
@@arnodobler1096 die ist lecker!
Well, well: First, there is the "Trinkwasserverordnung" in Germany, which states basically, that the tap water everywhere must be drinkable without any additions. If that is not the case, there is usually a sign near the tap saying "Kein Trinkwasser!" But that leads to that the fontains or taps have to be maintained at a higher rate than in the US, I guess and that sets up highter costs.
I have heared of some verdicts, where the restaurant served specially spicy or salty food and in those few cases they HAD to serve free tap water.
Try carbonated water with juices. It tastes almost like a soda, but has less sugar. I for myself only dring still water, if I have to, or as tea or coffee.
FYI: From what I know from friends owning restaurants, the primary reason that there is no free water is mainly because (mid-priced) restaurants make their money not through the food, but primarily through drinks. As you probably know, food is usually quite inexpensive in German restaurants.
To your random question: It depends on what part of the chicken I eat. Half Chicken or a chicken leg normally with bones, chicken breast without bones.
The trend that I'm seeing in the US is an increasing number of free bottle fillers in addition to water fountains. These allow you to avoid the possibility of exposing yourself to those who might spread germs on a shared fountain.
Interesting during the early months (even 2 years) of the pandemic, I mostly saw closed drinking fountains to prevent the spread through their use.
As for chicken I like it both ways, but there is something particularly satisfying when eating bone in chicken wing flats.
Love those water bottle fillers!
Well, when you are familiar with the fact that New York is about the same geographic altitude as Barcelona, you may recognize Germany in a more temperate zone obviously situated more northern.
This indicates less requirement of preventing people from dying of thirst (public fountains with drinking water) and the necessity of soothing the thirst of potentially dehydrated customers - to make them ready to enjoy your excellent restaurant meals . . .
Tap water in Germany does in fact contain a small amount of chlorine, however it is much less (typically 0.03-0.05 mg/litre, max. 0.3 mg, US max. 0.8 mg) and a different formula (chlorine dioxide instead of hypochlorous acid), which altogether does not affect the smell or taste.
I hate uncarbonated water. I only drink carbonated (sparkling) water. Sparkling water tastes better in my opinion and adds freshness. I am living my entire life in Germany and i thought that cold water is only a thing in a schools Restroom or a little public Restroom, because most other Restroom in Restaurants, shopping centers or else had warm water. Every Sink in my household has a warm water option.
And I like my chicken boneless
It's always interesting to see how much tastes can differ. Despite living and growing up in Germany, I have always absolutely detested carbonated water and never understood why people voluntarily drink it lol
In my appartement the toilet only had cold water. Why would I need more for a short washing of the hands ? If they are really dirty I go to the bathroom. Warm water wouldn't be very useful because the warm water needs some time through the pipes. I'm long finished before there is warm water. I even use cold water e.g. in toilets somewhere else because I don't want to fiddle around getting a useful temperature.
As a Swiss, I'm just saying "Very interesting" while drinking a glass of water from my tap, carbonated with a SodaStream.
Yes, it's not only Germans 😛
Here in the south of Germany, water is simple water, sparkling water is always called " saurer sprudel". This is only called water in the north.
New Zealand practice: For washing, warm tap water and liquid hand soap for me, thanks. For drinking, cold tap water; in the summer I keep a 1-litre jug of tap water in the refrigerator which I refill through the day. Chilled sparkling water: only if mixed with gin or vodka. Boneless Korean fried chicken with a moderately spicy sauce, or as an ingredient of Indian butter chicken, or in Japanese curry with rice.
Fun fact: in Hungarian the word "soda" means carbonated water. Every other carbonated drinks are "refreshers".
And boneless. Every kind of meat.
NOt sure how english distinguishes "water with natural carbon" and artificially carbonated water. "carbonated" is the wrong term. The culture started with the natural carbonated water, coming straight from the ground, long before "carbonation" was even possible. Same as in beer or champaign, it's not carbonated, the gas is just inside, without putting it in. It can be best compared with, nobody is drilling holes into the cheese. There is a difference from holed cheese to cheese with holes.
I'm German, and I never liked carbonated water. I just drink it from the tap.
Same. Carbonated water tastes sour and sometimes a little salty. And the flavour is weird. And it hurts my mouth. And I have to burp from it. Just plain tap water is the best drink!
There's a rather simple and pragmatic reason for the cold water only taps:
Money.
Esp. For public (ish) ones. It means less heating Costs, no need to have a pipe installed leading to the Boiler, and less stuff that can Break and thus less maintenance costs.
I (German) drink simple tap water all day long. But in restaurants I'll order sparkling water. Probably to make it more different.
Chicken question: Yes 😜
Tap water in German restaurants is usually not free, because you will need a glass which has to be cleaned etc. and you will be served, i.e. the waiter/waitress will bring it to you and remove the empty glass later... and finally the water costs a cent or a fraction of a cent .... - that's what my son explained to me when he was jobbing as a waiter to earn some pocket money after school. And some restaurants even put a slice of lemon into the tap water.... And since you have to pay anyway, the idea is to better serve you the "good" water in the fancy bottle. This might cost 5 Euro instead of 1 but hey.... BTW: tap water is one of the most controlled and regulated food in Germany.
Chicken question: it depends! :-) I prefer the Hähnchenschnitzel without bones but the Brathähnchen feels more natural with bones....
To pronounce foreign names and brands as in the country of origin would demand respect from Americans. Instead, the American says, "I'm an American and I do it my way. No one tells me how to do anything. Because I am an American. And don't tell me there are other American countries outside the United States. USA! USA! USA!"
Oh boy
Maybe you might want to get off the Internet I think it may be raising your blood pressure. Doesn’t sound healthy.
@@pjschmid2251 Adieu or Adoo as the Americans like to say.
Just culturally ignorant Americans, not all of us.
@@EmmaJaworski I know that I am talking about stereotypes.😉
As has been mentioned already, restaurants make most of their income from the drinks they sell. They'd go broke soon if everyone just ordered tap water and they couldn't charge for it. Plus they still have to have servers fill it, serve it and that glass has to be washed. In Austria they are permitted to charge 50 cents per glass. They will do that if that's all you order. So...what we do is order either another kind of drink and then ask for tap water, they will rarely charge us then. .. or just order bottled (sparkling) water from the start.
As to your hands getting chapped in winter, it might have to do with the soap you are using. I see mostly young men who are using hand lotion nowadays. Hardly ever older men. Perhaps it is a generation thing? (Just borrow some from Aubrey?)
It's a lot easier to cook boneless chicken, but the price per kilo is less when buying chicken breasts with bone.
Veggi - so no chicken at all for me.
But wow, I'm amazed - I lived in Germany my entire life, and the only time I came across bathrooms without warm water was in fast food restaurants. So I kind of assumed that washing your hands with cold water actually was some american thing that McDonalds and Burger King brought here ...
When the announcement was made, that the warm water would stop in public buildings to save energy both for the environment and due to Russia related gas problems, there were a lot of protests at my work place.
Anyways, why don't you wear mittens when you go outsinde in the cold?
3:23 I would argue that this is the wrong conclusion, or at least with a strong american pov.. This is because "soda (water)" in its original meaning refers only to "carbonated water" and not to soft drinks. In English, the word is used in a strange way. ;) It is simply shorten to "soda" because soft drinks (usually) contain carbonated water, but even without any flavour or sweetener/sugar it remains soda - and not the other way around. In the all day language in AE soda = soft drink.
The word "soda" in connection with water goes back to the Hungarian inventor Father Ányos Jedlik, who invented a special bottle to carbonate water.
Fun fact: Sodastream is neither german nor american it is israeli. One of its predecessor was british. The model were soda fountains for restaurants - and whether and if so which flavor you add is up to the user ;)
Just a guess regarding your hand / skin issues: German tap water comes often - at least as a big part - from deep groundwater fountains. The american tap water is often treated surface water from lakes / reservoirs. Therefore german tap water contains more minerals aka "chalk". We call it the water hardness, the more minerals the "harder" the water - good for drinking, bad for machines, skin, hair, and so on.. hard water dries out the skin more than soft water. During the cold seasons there is th air idryer ( in absolute watesteam per volume) plus the hard water can threaten the smoothness of your your skin.
Germans and Americans do think of different things when they hear the word "soda", so the difference in the use of Sodastream devices might be due to that. "Sodawasser" in the narrow sense is naturally carbonated water, but some Germans call all sparkling water "Sodawasser" or "Soda". So they soon realised that they didn't need to use syrup in their Sodastreams, but could also use them to produce their beloved carbonated water.
I'm a vegetarian, so I prefer chicken alive and fluttering about.
I have to completely sympathize about the broken skin issue. I need lots of lotion for my hands in the winter regardless of the temperature i wash my hands with. Changing the soap might help some. Actual soap, I recently learned, is very aggressive to the protective layer on the skin, because of the detergents in it. If you switch to washing lotions with syndets (synthetic detergents), which are less aggressive to this protective layer, your skin might feel better. But also, because of the cold and the reduced humidity of the air, there will probably still be issues.
Brüchige Haut wäre ein Anzeichen für einen Mangel an Fetten auf der Haut.
Zu häufiges Waschen (vor allem mit Seifen) oder zu geringe Sekretproduktion der Talgdrüsen sind wohl die häufigsten Faktoren.
Mit Fetthaltiger Chreme kann man dagegen angehen.
Free drinking water: in Germany you can drink water out of every water tap all over the county. The water supply is one of the most controlled things in Germany. To drink from a water tap hold your hand below and drink out of your hand.
WTF? I‘m German and I’ve never seen a house with a sink that has only cold water.
Ich ja - bei meiner Oma
I was born in 1972 and one of my first memories is that at my grandparents' house, when I was playing in the garden and got thirsty, I used to run down to the basement to quench my thirst directly from the faucet at the basement sink. I hate sparkling water to this day. The first sip is refreshing and after that everything tastes like ... foot? I have to add one more thing. In the restaurant I never dare to ask for tap water. Because of the inconvenience. Too German in this case.
Fun fact: as a German I usually drink carbonated water. However when drinking non carbonated water, I only drink fresh (or cooled) tap water, I loath bottled still water. Even the „Medium“ style mildly carbonated bottled water I do not like at all. So bottled water: always carbonated „Classic“ variety, if possible cold. Non carbonated water: never ever (if it safely can be avoided without dehydrating) from a bottle. Straight from the tap is ok, preferably cool / cold. Sounds weird? Maybe I am.
What i know is that tap water in Germany sometimes has chlor in it but not everywhere.
There are multiple dimensions when it comes to water temperature and hand washing. For most substances, solubility in water increases with temperature, meaning to get actual contaminations by foreign substances off your hands, higher temperatures help (both directly and indirectly by getting a higher amount of “soap” into the water). But the effect is not very large and the effect of “soap” is more important. And as you alluded to, since the anti-microbial effect of soap works via changing the surface tension and less by dissolving substances, the temperature effect is not really relevant here.
And higher solubility also means higher solubility for the natural oils on your skin and thus hot water actually is more detrimental for the skin. But one other factor is that you might not wash your hands long enough if the water is too cold. And then this winter with the shortage and high prices for energy, only using cold water for your hands helps to keep energy consumption low.
Best comment!
I usually prefer cold water for hand washing (or brushing my teeth) because I find it refreshing. Only when I am really cold or my hands are really dirty do I use warm water.
In winter in avarage the air is much dryer than the rest of the year. And it is cold, therefore you a sweating less. That is the reason for the Problem with your hands, etc. in winter.
I think part of the confusion comes from the fact that in German, carbonated tab water is called Soda, while US "soda" aka sweet fizzy drinks are called Limonade, if it contains lemon or not.
As a German with zero blood circulation I hate that we only have cold water in public bathrooms. As a teenager I used to have a friend who refused to wash her hands in winter because they would turn blue. 🙈
Do you ever see a boneless chicken running around?? 🤣🤣😂
Fun fact: "La Croix" is a brand for a chlorine cleaner for bathrooms in France... 😂
By the way, you can drink from any public water well or fountain in Germany if it doesn't specifically say "Kein Trinkwasser" on a sign.
I grew up and lived in Berlin Germany until 2000 then moved to Massachusetts US. Always drank tab water, sometimes straight from the faucet. That was over once I tried the US tab water. I always warn my german visitors to stay away from the tab water.
The only place I ever encountered having only cold water sinks is in pubs or older restaurants, never in apartments.
Not all the tap water in the US is as bad as it is in Massachusetts! But I know what you mean, I would not drink it either. Here in the Pacific Northwest we have very good tap water.
the article you showed about free water in restraunts says, that it is common in France and Austria to get a carafe of free tab water. As an Austrian I have never experienced that here in Austria. Well, in pricier restraunts it's more likely.
Carbonated waters stimulates your tastebuts.
I have only tried ameri an tabwater in 6 towns, and from the showerhead fountain they have at the bar.
It stank, ssmelled of chlorinre.
3:21 I use the soda stream for flavored drinks.
Free water? - No. But there is something else: By law every restaurant (and any other place selling food and drinks) is obligated to offer at least one alcoholfree drink at a lower price than the cheapest alcoholic drink.
I just don't like still water. I drink it when there is no alternative, but I always make an "ewww" face afterwards, because it tastes so bad. XD
Same here
I don't like carbonated water as well and we just drink it out of the tap.
Ein Senfglas.../A mustard jar...🙂
the outermost layer of your skin is a kind of defnese wall made up of (dont know the exact eng terms) dead skins that works like a wall but too much water makes swell and the protective layer loosen up - general working problem for people in cleaning buisness and other jobs with a lot of water contact that and some handcremes etc can have similiar effects for different reasons - thats why normally good workplaces have hygiene plans for hands and co about using gloves etc (if they are waterproof and your hands sweat in them too much over (work)time same problem...) and how to properly clean your hands etc
like first start with cold water to get most of your hands physically and then start with other stuff/products like soap etc (just as a very basic/roundabout info for the part at the end of the video)
mfg
Olli
Germans: Yeah, Iike water. But I'd prefer it, if it hurts while drinking
Using cold water saves some money on heating cost. Also better for blood circulation of the Hands. When your hands skin cracking try a diffrent soap - i recomend SebaMed - Seifenfreies Waschstück , its made soapfree with Oliveoil. I love it my Hands are very soft and clean after using it. Also try Senstive Care Fluid Soaps without extra addtions like sents
Washing your hands with anything but cold water just feels like a waste of energy to me. A few of my friends do it and it just feels wasteful and un-German to me.
As someone coming from Serbia I had similar issues. In Serbia having public drinking water fountains is common. In old time that was the only way to get water in cities. When public water supply got to every flat public one were installed in all park, pedestal areas and free time places (outdoor sport areas, banks of rivers used for walking...).
It is true that Serbia has more sunshine and warmer climateso more need for waterwhen you are outside. But also more collectivistic society. Some of public fountains were donations of people who wanted to do something good for society. Some are historically important. One of Belgrade fountains gave it's name to whole part of city. At the other one a Turkish soldier killed a boy who came to fill a flask and the war started between Serbs and occupation forces of Ottoman empire.
Skin problem I also got. I think that 2 sources contributed to it: water which were hard comparing to any in Serbia and colder and more windy weather (also high amplitude of dry/wet air). At least that is in Munich the case.
I learned from my father, that "Ich hätte gerne ..." is as polite and appropriate as "Bitte geben Sie mir ..." or in other words: "Bitte" could get replaced by "Ich hätte gerne". To use them both in one sentence is a bit too much.
What I find most perplexing is that you'll usually have a radiator in that ice-cold-water-only sink bathroom. That means about 6 inches away from the sink is a hot water pipe. Why not connect it? The technology to connect hot water radiator to sink must exist. I've been in several restaurant bathrooms where I saw an under-sink water heater and it is almost always unplugged. Why?
Because cold water is better for the health and the immune system and it's cheaper. Germans love to save money. As a child I learned that it's good for staying healthy to hold your forearms under cold water for 20 second each morning. And it works.
I can' t answer your question about the restaurants but the water in the radiator may not be drinking water. We have centralheating and the pipes for this are separate. Of course the water was orginally tab water. But it has been heated and is not controlled after that, because it isn't ment to be used for drinking. Our warmwatertank is heatet with the radiator heating water, but it is not the same. Also there are more regulations for warm water because of the risk of "Salmonellen".
Drinking water and heating are 2 different piping systems. The heating is a circuit whose water must not come into contact with drinking water.
@@ClausStephanSchlangen I believe you, but feel it should be an easy update to fix it. Or connect it and post signage, "kein trinkwasser" and it's all good.
@@LythaWausW There is a reason why a heating has a water circuit. You cannot use water from the heating circuit without permanently refilling it. Then it is no circuit anymore and over the years the tubes will calcify.
I remember my first mouthful of „stilles Wasser“ that was actually carbonated… it was such a shock. And I still don’t know why anyone would buy that bitter tasting mineral water that you can get.
I see your hand cream and raise you by a seifenfreies Waschstück. I take my own soap or the above mentioned thingie with me, as I think we immigrants must have missed the tough hands in Winter gene.
I don’t eat meat, so bone in and running around happily in my garden.
lol, Australian here, I much prefer carbonated water. If I have to I will drink still water but prefer it carbonated. Our soda stream rarely has flavouring added.
That was a pretty good "Oh no no no"
When I m ordering a propper glass of vine or a Cocktail (not Happy hour 6 EUR)
I have no pain to ask for tab water.
But rarely sometimes, it is lukewarm :o
I also hate the "only cold water" thing in bathrooms. As if my hands already have enough problem with the cold!
There is a map Called “Refill Deutschland” where you can see Refill Stations for your Bottle. It’s free and countrywide.
I invite you to come to Wayne County, NY, and find a common fountain. We have 2 million apple trees but they are not free either, but usually kept behind fences. And you can also get shot for helping yourself to apples from trees.
As a german i have to say i have never seen a bathroom were you only have cold water
And now you can’t say that anymore since I’ve shown you one 😂
Bei uns hieß das immer Selters, bis es nach der Wende verboten war Mineralwasser Selters zu nennen, solange es nicht von der Firma Selters stammte.
Jeder kann Mineralwasser nennen, wie er/sie/es wünscht, wenn du also eine x-bleliebige sprudelnde Plörre Selters nennst, kein Problem.
Wer es aber vertreibt oder verkauft, der darf nur echtes Selters-Wasser auch so nennen.
Most carbonated water in Germany comes from sources that are mineral wells. The best known ones are Selters and Apollinaris. Those waters are said or supposed to be healthy and those waters have a natural amount of carbondioxide, but to make them taste more interesting they are enriched with carbon dioxide. Only they are allowed to be called "Mineralwasser". Simple tap water that is carbonated has to be called "Tafelwasser". As it is considered not to be good to consume too much sugar the idea that mineral water is a good thing to drink instead of lemonade or coke as a beverage is not wrong.
Depends on the circumstances. When I am at events like Oktoberfest, Street Festivals, grill parties etc. I prefer my Chicken with bones, but at home or in restaurants I´ll go for boneless chicken with fork and knife.
Basically ALL of the mentioned confusion aspects come down to hygienic reasons. Potable water is not chlorinated in Germany whereas this is mandatory in the US.
To untreated water trinking fountains are a massive threat in terms of germs and bacteria and the spread of it. Water which is not hot enough increases growth of legionella. Artificial carbonated water was „invented“ in the 18th century, was a luxury at the time. The carbon gas, displaced oxygen in the container/bottle, hence less chance for the natural contaminants of water to grow, hence almost infinitive storage. So some Germans made „carbonated water“ a business, exporting it almost world wide to those who could afford.
A few years ago there was a discussion in Germany if restaurants should offer free tap water. But no law was enacted.
Americans most of the time forget that the american term "soda" (often used as synonym for carbonated softdrinks) comes from adding "Soda" Na₂CO₃ (Natriumcarbonat) to Water which is another way to carbonat water. Soda water came years before softdrinks.
When you drink water in america in a Restaurant, the waiter bring you tap water, and you have more ice in the glass then water. In Europe you ask the waiter , special for ice when you like.Also the water quality generaly in Europe is much better. On many places is it not free, then the Restaurants make the most of the money with Wine,Beer, Water or what ever you drink and not with food. Another thing is, in America brings the waiter the bill, still when you are eating, Thats is realy weird. Not so in Europe, you ask for the bill when you are ready to pay.
About drinking water fountains - in Switzerland a LOT of the regular fountains are actually drinking water (which you can see on your list is among the #1 countries for water quality). Not sure how true that is in Germany.
Dera Donnie + Aubrey,
perhaps I belong to the "few" Germans who drink tap water "just the way it is" out of the tap and do not have a "Soda Stream" or a similar system to carbonate it. When I was younger (child/teenager) I mostly drank "Sprudel" (that's the name for sparkling mineral water many people use in "common speech") but later I more and more preferred just plain tap water ... My brother however mostly drinks carbonate sparkling water and we have a crate of mineral water in the cellar ...
I think that may be the case in several families ... Because we have a "high quality drinking water" I see no sense in buying mineral water so we only have a crate of water for visitors (or family members) who prefer it to tap water 🙂
Thank you very much for your funny and interesting videos from "living in Germany" 🙂
Many greetings from Philipp
Yeah, a lot of Germans like their water carbonated... but that's a giant generalization. Still water is just as popular. In fact, at my work place, when our employer was deciding which brand of water to buy for us, he did a survey and three quarters of us preferred still water.
The thing is just: we don't like it from the tap. The water here is full of calk, which affects the taste. Some people use filters, but from my experience, they don't do much. We (those in MY circles, not generalized) prefer our still water bottled and from a natural spring.
I'm originally from Israel where a law (from 1986) obligates any establishment that serves food must provide each client a pitcher of cold water. In addition, public buildings (the definition includes many types, including movie theaters and supermarkets from a certain size) to offer a drinking facility that is freely available to the general public.
Now I live in Spain that just passed a similar law for bars and restaurants (and from 2023 also for hotels).
As for carbonated water, they are fairly popular in Israel . In the past the soda siphon, known as sipholux in Israel- the name of the popular local brand, was a popular wedding gift and many got a few of them, than came Sodastream (an Israeli company) which is pretty popular but now many switched to the water dispensers that added a carbonation option.
As for the question, I don;t like bones so I prefer chicken (and any other meat) without bones. I will eat meat with bones but I leave meat on them, unlike the rest of my family that clean them completely and, in some cases, eat the bone as well.
At most of my US business trips when I went for dinner with colleagues. When the waiter came and asked if someone want water. My standard answer: „I’m thirsty not dirty“. Always good for a laugh.
Can you imagine the national drink of the Pfalz without sparkling water? Rieslingschorle with tab water only - no way.
Well about dry hand skin. I lived in NJ for some years. I always had dry hands and skin during the winter (and quite often nose bleed). Why? Well super dry winter air inside and outside. For example my house had forced air heating witha a crappy / broken humidifier. Same in my office.
Chicken on the bone of course.
the skin cracking probably has to do with the low quality of soup (and/or hand sanitiser) and less with the temperature.
The 70% carbonated bottled water ist misleading regarding total consumption, because tap water is uusally perfectly drinkable in Germany, so many of those who drink water that is not carbonated usually also dont buy bottled water.
Many German houses have a central water heater attached to the heating system. Hence providing warm water in bathrooms would involve a lot of construction. In my own home (in Switzerland, not Germany) there are 2 restrooms without any sink at all (yet).
Als ich klein war mochte ich kein sprudelwater.. es hatte immer so ein komischen Geschmack.. aber als ich 12 war hatte ich einfach trotzdem angefangen, sprudelwasser zu trinken. Irgendwann ist der Geschmack weggegangen, und jetzt trinke ich fast nur noch sprudelwasser🤭 und ich mag Huhn mehr ohne Knochen. Ich mag Essen nicht gerne anfassen, besonders wenn es fettig ist..
Public Water fountains sound nasty 😂
The State and city I live,Napa Valley,Calif. We have excellent water.
Water? There are fish in it that love each other!
Gerade auf Facebook gelesen: "Wasser oder Bier?" - "Tja... kommt darauf an: Bin ich dreckig? Oder habe ich Durst?"
German restaurant have to provide some non alcoholic alternatives that are cheaper than stuff with alcohol, most of the time this is water, maybe thats where the rumor originated to provide "free" water?
If you want free water in Germany you have to specify that you want tab water.
I'm at work now (Munich), and I just filled a bottle with carbonated water. at home I usually drink regular tap water, and I use sparkling water only to prepare various drinks (Schorle). I also remember that the water in US tasted and smelled funny, and I didn't like it.
I lived in one place in the US where people would drink nothing but water coming out of a rock face, thinking it's pristine because the Earth filtered it. Didn't matter what was upstream of that groundwater, i.e., a petrol station. Eww.
Bonn has a very good tap water quality 😀
It's just a matter of being used to cold water when washing hands and in winter to grow some balls and get winter hardened.. ;)
I never liked carbonated water until I got here. Now I prefer it to still water. I still hate Perrier though.I don't know why but it tastes different.