Customer Reviews

Capresso 260.03 PerfectTea Cordless 48-Ounce Electric Glass Kettle

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I really really wanted a glass kettle, with no plastic, and to be able to see the water level. Having the temperature selection to boot made this kettle an almost sure winner - on "paper"...

I was hoping they fixed the "smell/taste" issue from the old model. They didn't. Around the heating element, there is a silicon/rubber seal. I think it's the fault of the seal - there is a smell AND taste in the water.

What I did (after washing and boiling with vinegar as instructed) was boil some water in it, let it sit there to cool, and then taste it. YUCK!!

NOW - two important things to mention.
First - my spouse is just barely able to detect it, and it doesn't bother him as all. He describes it as a "faint mineral aftertaste". To me it is SO strong, I can't see how anyone would call it faint..
Second - I *cannot* taste the difference if the water is NOT pure, i.e. in tea, oatmeal, or something else. This almost makes me want to keep the kettle, because otherwise it's so beautiful and practical. But I can't help thinking that I don't know what it is that I am tasting... Probably not BPA, and it might be completely harmless, but how can I know for sure??

I might keep the kettle till the last minute before I can return it, to see if the smell/taste goes away, but I am not hopeful...

Lastly, a practical point that might matter for some - it does NOT swivel all around on the base. Rather it can only go on the base in 4 discrete places, 90 degrees apart.

Bought this kettle hoping for an all-glass product with no plastic, etc. I had considered the Breville Variable-Temperature Kettle but decided against it once I saw that there were plastic parts that came into contact with the boiling water. When the Capresso PerfecTea arrived, it had an awful plastic, benzene-like smell inside that seemed to be coming from a clear gasket that is in the very bottom of the kettle, protecting the heat element. The instructions had noted that this may exist as a result of "the manufacturing process" and recommended boiling water in it and discarding before use to get rid of the smell... I have boiled water in it, washed it with soap, washed it with baking soda, washed it with vinegar, and still that awful smell is there. I made one cup of tea and could smell and taste the same plastic qualities in the tea. I don't know how long it's supposed to take to get rid of the plastic smell/taste but I don't know if I'm willing to wait. I contacted Capresso Customer Service and am waiting for a return call.

It's too bad because I really like the convenience of this product. I brew all sorts of various teas on a daily basis and really like the ability to pinpoint the various water temperatures. I really don't understand why Capresso would choose to use a gasket made from a material that gives such off-putting smells. I would think that the market for a variable temperature kettle are tea-drinkers who need the right temperature to extract the perfect qualities (smell and taste included) from each tea type. That same group of tea drinkers are going to undoubtedly taste this plastic-like taste that comes with any water brewed in this kettle.

I'm giving it a few more days - simply because I love the design past the smell - but if this doesn't go away I am returning it for sure. At that point, I will then still be looking for a variable temperature kettle that does not have plastic in the water base....

I bought this for my desk at work and thought it might inspire me to drink more tea with all of the health benefits that go along with that. I love it, I'm definitely drinking more tea, and I have no complaints whatsoever. I bought it in spite of the few previous reviewers who complained about a funky taste eminating from the container. I must say I never had that experience. My tea tastes just fine. I didn't really think that there would be much of a difference if I didn't use the handy slideout guide for brewing my tea (this is a chart to select the correct brewing temperature for different types of tea). However, there is a huge difference! I tried steeping Tazo full-leaf Zen (a green tea) after selecting "boil" as opposed to the recommended 160 degrees. After trying the tea at both temps the tea had a very noticeable and much better taste when I used the suggested temp. I really like that feature. It heats up super fast and I have been trying out all kinds of teas- bagged, loose, sachet. I even picked up an Oolong tea the other day just to give it a try. Pretty soon I will be a tea sommelier!

I too really wanted to like this product, and I am debating about returning it or not. I use a water kettle to heat/boil water for tea and coffee, and also to boil water so that I don't have to heat it up on the stove (for steaming vegetables, cooking pasta, etc.).

It doesn't rotate around the base, one of the explicit reasons that I buy a round-bottomed kettle. I like the temperature adjustments, but it should also be able to keep the water warm. Also, it doesn't beep or make any sort of notification when water has reached the desired temperature. The only way to know is that the little blue light goes out. If you are in another room, or on the other side of a kitchen/dining area, the light won't be noticed.

I haven't decided yet if I am going to return it or not, but I am glad that I kept the box, just in case I do decide to return it.

I wanted that Kettle before it went on sale. Amazon didn't have it and I waited. Finally it was available and i bought it. We loved the kettle, looks amazing, no plastic inside, all glass. Bring water to boil very quick plus variable temperature settings. We used it every day, by the way, no smell after first few times it went away. My husband loves different kind of teas... It was perfect for a few months (not even half a year), until top of the plastic handle came off and it look like it was deformed by contact with high temperature. My guess when you poor hot water some steam escapes and deformed plastic. The was 2 little screws holding it together with the lid, so my husband screwed it back. It lasted another week, until one day I pick up a kettle and handle totally came off. I was holding just a handle in my hand and glass part with hot water came all over the kitchen. Base an the glass part is not broken, but it is unusable without handle. So beware....For almost $90 I expected much better quality. My old Braun kettle still works and in one piece for more then 7 years, I just don't want to use it because it is plastic. So I am looking for stainless steel kettle now.

I was really excited about getting this kettle and loved the temperature options. It worked great for a month making tea once a day. At 3 days over the return deadline, it stopped heating. The light would come on and then go right back off within seconds. I cleaned off the contacts and it worked again for 2 days. Now it does the same thing. If I replace the kettle in the base and jiggle it around, I may be able to get it to heat but certainly not consistently. This is way too expensive for unreliable service.

It did well for 10 months and then started acting up. I use it for french press press coffee which requires water at 195 degrees.After 10 months it would periodically go to a full boil.

I contacted Capresso and was asked to ship it back on my nickel and about 2 weeks later UPS delivered what looked like a new unit.

When I plugged it in for the first time - I found that this unit was DOA.

SO now they will mail me a return label and try again - by the time the next one arrives I will have been without it for more than a month.

It's a great piece of industrial design. It has a graceful shape, it's easy to use, it's well though out and boils water fast. Except... You can smell the gasket material when you walk into the kitchen! How did they let such a beautiful design be ruined by a gasket! For a week I boiled water repeatedly, I used vinegar, I tried to just get over it. But my business partner wanted it out of his kitchen. He pointed out that if you can taste it, there is something in the water. If you can smell it, there is something in the air.
What a sad story to come so close to perfection and have it be a failure. I bet the designer is heartbroken.

We owned one of these for two years, then the heating element went bad but we loved the pot so we bought another in August of 2010. The manufacturer has changed the method of sealing the pot and are now using some seriously foul smelling material that makes the water taste terrible! We have tried everything we can think of to remove the oder including manufacturer suggestions. We loved the original but whoever makes it now is sub-standard by far! DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT! IT IS NOT like the original. Very sad.

The first kettle I received worked great for about 3 weeks then suddenly stopped heating water. When the button was pushed, the blue light would come on, but heating would not start and after about a minute the light would switch off. No idea what the problem was, but Amazon was EXCELLENT to deal with to exchange for a new kettle. I have had the second one for ~ 3 weeks now. Still working so far, fingers crossed.

As to the plastic smell that some people report. I could certainly detect it in the product when unpackaged. I boiled a few pots of water with white vinegar prior to first making coffee and have not found there to be any detectable "off" plastic/chemical smells that I can detect. As long as this keeps working, I'll be happy.