Tefal BR303844 Quickcup > Reviews > hot, but not hot enough

Author's product rating:   

Performance	Poor
Ease of use	Easy
Durability	Satisfactory
Safety	Unsafe
Value for money	Very poor

Advantages:	nice design, heats water quickly
Disadvantages:	Doesn't heat water to required temperature, possibly dangerous, leaks

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

This product was given to me a Christmas present in December '07. The manufacturer states that it produces hot water in 3 seconds and also boasts a cold water facility from the same tank.

The product has an attractive design which would look good in any modern kitchen. It is also easy to fill and use. Another positive feature is that when you press the button to start filling the cup it will keep running until an average mug is filled. Otherwise you can stop the flow by pressing the button again.

Although it is easy to use and looks good, the water really isn't very hot. Other reviews of this product state that is dipenses water at around 82 degrees- but I have found that the drink can actually go cold while you are drinking it! I am not a tea drinker myself, but when I have made tea for others, this product does not get the water anywhere near hot enough for the tea to brew sufficiently. Furthermore, with all drinks, I find that a sort of scummy layer appears on the surface which isn't very appealing! The fact that the water is hot rather than boiling means that it is not sufficient for packets of instant soups and such like as they require recently boiled water.

Unfortunately, I also feel that the product could potentially be dangerous. It tends to continue leaking and dripping after you have finished, so I have had to keep a cup underneath at all times in order to catch the drips. When using the machine, I have found that it tends to 'spurt' which on several occasions have caused drops of water to splash onto my hand- both out of the cup and also from the machine itself.

I do appreciate that the manufacturers state that the water is hot, not boiling, but in my opinion, I though that suggested that it was near boiling- obviously, it's not. It does have some benefits. such as a nice, modern design and it does heat the water quickly (although not actually enough in my opinion!), but I don't feel that they outweigh the negatives (possibly dangerous, leaks and doesn't get hot enough), therefore I can't recommend it.