Kitchen & Housewares : Tefal Quick Cup

Rating: - time saver
Important things you should know about this product:

1. It doesn't deliver boiling hot water.
2. It is a bit awkward to fill.
3. Its a bit noisy

However...

Fill you mug with hot water to warm your mug, then throw it away and fill it again for your coffee/tea and you'll get a nice hot drink - the cold mug cools the drink too much, and since you can fill your mug with hot water in about 15 seconds, why worry. I don't suppose this does anything for the energy rating though!

I wouldn't go back to a kettle. You get used to walking into the kitchen and walking out with a brew within the minute.

The water resevoir at the back comes off so that you can take it to the tap, but its a bit awkward and unballanced.

Apart from that, I'm fairly happy - although i've not thrown out my kettle!

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Rating: - Ignore Get A Life -Get a Refund!!!
Bought this thinking it was "the future". What a disappointment!
I had to stick it out for a good while though as my hubby said straight away-"what are you wasting your money on a new kettle for? we've already got one!" blah blah blah let me tell you, this thing doesnt get the water hot enough. You either have to put hot water from the hot tap in to start with or nuke it in the microwave afterwards...whats-that-all-about??
Anyway it made me a right old laughing stock within our household. Ladies (and gentlemen)it aint worth it save yourself a load of grief and humiliation- buy shoes instead!!;)x

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Rating: - It does the job, but its very loud.
Ask yourself if you have ever seen this product advertised on the television without quiet ambient music, and the answer will probably be 'no'. And there's a reason for this, too: it's very loud!

The main appeal of this item is that you get 'instant' hot water and increased energy efficiency. So far, having had ours only two weeks, I can't quite vouch for the energy savings although it would be hard to see how heating only the water you need could cost more. Further, it's not quite as 'instant' as you might be forgiven for thinking.

For while it may take 3 seconds to get hot water at the push of a button, it takes around the 30 second mark to get a cup of hot water. Which is fine, if you're not in a rush for your drink.

Another point to note is the plastic water reservoir. Someone has clearly put a lot of thought into make it very easy to remove and fill up, however, this also seems to be the cause of a spot of 'leakage' every now and then. We found that once the container was full, even a slight movement of the unit on the horizontal causes the non-drip valve at the bottom to leak - so watch out!

Plus, the water that comes out is not 'boiling' - so some teas, which I am told require boiling hot water to release the flavors, won't taste quite as good. You also can't use the heated water that comes out for sterilisation purposes.

But, if you're like me, and you drink mainly coffee, I would imagine this product is perfect for you. Just remember that its noisy, and probably not something you'd want to use at midnight for that late night coffee!

Overall, I am indeed happy with this product. I just wonder how well it is built and how long it will last.

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Rating: - safety
My Mother-in-law has macro degeneration, so is nearly blind. To my mind pouring hot water into a cup you can't properly see is fraught with the danger of a scalding. This product means that she only ever lifts a jug filled with cold water - in order to fill it. It provides a cup full of hot water at a time, hence, as she uses a large cup it never overfills. To me it's worth every penny to someone like her.

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Rating: - Great at the beginning then starts to short circuit
Bought this in Sept 2007 (not from Amazon) and after sending it back to Tefal 3 weeks ago, have just received a letter (June 2008) stating "After extensive testing and inspection by our engineers we have found that the problem has occurred due to a manufacturing fault".

Due to the collection of water in the base of the unit from drips during usage and filling, we experienced our fuse box tripping and lost some electrical equipment (TV, PC) because of it.

Sure it's a cool thing to have and the difference in tea and coffee taste is noticeable. The water is not heated hot enough to dunk biscuits into but you can put the mug into the microwave for 10-15 seconds. With the added cost of the filters, I doubt this saves money in the long term - it certainly didn't for us.

Now this maybe a problem related to our unit but it would be surprising if a "manufacturing fault" is confined to one unit alone.