Anyone thinking of buying a "Tefal Quick Cup" - I wouldn't recommend it

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TreeTiger

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My kettle died the other day so I went off to Power City to replace it. We make a lot of tea in this house so couldn't last a day without a kettle.

I noticed the "Tefal Quick Cup" which claimed to deliver hot water in 3 seconds, energy savings up to 65%, filtered, better tasting water. It seemed like a great (albeit not cheap) idea, the saleswoman told me her in-laws have one and it's great, so I paid up my €79.95 and brought it home.

I brought it back today for the following reasons:

1. It doesn't deliver boiling water (the instruction booklet inside tells you this, it doesn't say it on the box).
2. Because the water isn't boiling, tea made with it tastes horrible. Try making a cuppa using hot water from your tap and you'll get the idea!
3. It's noisy, sounds like when the steam nozzle on our coffee machine is operating.
4. It spits, so you need to have a tray or something to catch the excess water.

I really HATED this machine. Have now bought a bog standard cordless kettle at €25 and am enjoying a nice hot cup of tea.

Thought I'd post this in case anyone is considering buying one.
 
I recently bought a really cheap kettle from Tesco- a quick boil one. I can't remember the price but I'd say it was less than €10.00. It's not fancy but it does the job and it really is quick.
 
When buying a kettle, consider a 3kw kettle. Most bog standard kettles, including the tesco one mentioned above are 2kw. The 3kw one will boil in about 2/3 the time! You will notice the difference, and well worth the extra few bob in time wasted for the friggin 2kw one to boil.

3kw kettles, you will never go back!
 
And only fill the kettle with as much water as you need rather than boiling more than you need.
 
ClubMan said:
And only fill the kettle with as much water as you need rather than boiling more than you need.
Click to expand...

Should you leave enough water to cover the element in the kettle?

I always wondered if it damages the kettle if you pour all the water out while the element is still hot.
 
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efm said:
Should you leave enough water to cover the element in the kettle?
Click to expand...
I didn't think so but I guess you should adhere to the minimum water level indicated on the kettle itself?
I always wondered if it damages the kettle if you poor all the water out while the element is still hot.
Click to expand...
Why?
 
But that's just the water boiling off the (partially) exposed element. Not sure why this would necessarily damage the element...
 
ClubMan said:
But that's just the water boiling off the (partially) exposed element. Not sure why this would necessarily damage the element...
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if it does - that's why I asked the question :)

And knowing your expertise with domestic kitchen appliances I bow to your superior knowledge. I can now rest easy knowing that my kettle is safe to empty completely after boiling!
 
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i've a tefal kettle that is made up of glass you can see the water boiling but its full of fur now (think its limescale) is this bad for you. Only in the house 5 weeks so kettle is very new, should I use a water filter now for boiling the kettle and drinking from the tap?
 
pc7, it's a good idea to descale the kettle - the limescale isn't bad for you but it will prevent efficient heating of the kettle (and can make the tea/coffee taste awful). I use "Oust all-purpose descaler" which is for kettles, irons, etc.

I use a water filter jug but it doesn't remove limescale - a water softener would do that.
 
Re descaling: I use white wine vinegar, about a 3rd of bottle diluted to fill kettle. Does the job in same way, cheaper (about 50c per clean), more environmentally friendly too I would have thought.
And I saw this yoke reviewed on "something for the weekend" on BBC 2 a while ago and the bloke on it (Tim Lovejoy) said exactly what OP said - water not hot enough, tea tastes icky.
 
If you boil a kettle with the element exposed, that part of the element will heat the air and not water. Also, the element will get much hotter than normal and possibly damage the kettle.
 
In order to balance the argument about the Tefal Quickcup, I've just come across a positive report from someone who bought one for an elderly relative. I guess it depends on personal taste and what you're using it for.
Anyway, if you're interested the report can be found on www.eazy2use.co.uk
 
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