Customer Reviews

Jura-Capresso H2O Plus Glass Water Kettle, Silver Matte

5 star:		(211)
4 star:		(57)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(47)
1 star:		(110)

 

 

This is a beautiful kettle and it boils water very, very quickly. But the reviews about the the foul chemical smell and taste are correct, at least with mine. I chose to ignore the bad reviews regarding the smell and I bought this two weeks ago. As soon as I unpacked it I could detect what the other reviewers were referring to. Every night since I got the kettle, a solution of either vinegar and water, baking soda and water, or lemon juice and water has sat in my kettle, all to no avail. I called Capresso after the first week and the customer service rep acknowledged the problem and suggested the lemon juice. She was very nice and told me to be sure to call back if that didn't work. After a week of trying the lemon juice, I still got the foul smell and taste in the water. I use filtered water that tastes fine before it goes into this kettle. When I called Capresso back, as directed by the first rep with whom I spoke, the rep who answered my call told me that I could send it back and they would replace it with one that "has been tested and doesn't have the smell," but that I would have to pay for the shipping. I didn't feel that I should have to pay for shipping so I asked to speak to his supervisor. The supervisor told me there are no problems with the kettles; he is unaware of any chemical odors and that I could pay for the shipping or return it to where I purchased it and have them replace it. When I explained that I wanted one of the ones his rep told me have been tested and have no odor, he denied all of that as being completely false. He got very nasty and said he could care less that I wasn't happy with my kettle.

I am especially disappointed in Capresso and their customer service. We have been loyal Capresso customers with their coffee products and have never been disappointed. The kettle, however, has been a big let down. I am an avid tea drinker; the chemical taste is that is getting into the water when it is heated is beyond discernible, it is prominent even in cocoa and strong tea. If this is going to matter to you, don't buy it. It is really a shame because it is a beautiful kettle and does work well. But I am tired of dumping out undrinkable cups of tea due to a foul taste and am returning this.

This is, indeed, an awesomely designed kettle, unrivaled by any. A glass kettle is just a brilliant design.

But it has a serious design flaw. The heating element is like half a metal ball that protrudes from the bottom of the kettle. In order to place the glass kettle around it and seal it, they use a silicone/rubber washer.

This is what causes the foul smell. I cannot believe how people can simply fail to understand that even if the smell goes away, the chemicals emitted in the water do not! And I cannot understand why people are giving manufacturers such an easy time and not look after their own health.

Saddest thing, this is the easiest flaw to fix. Instead of a glass bottom, they should have had a stainless steel bottom that could fuse seamlessly with the heating element. The bottom could form a short rim up the sides of the kettle, and the glass could be fitted into this metal base. This would still require some material to seal the glass into the metal, but at least it would not be so exposed to the boiling water.

Anyway, they need to rethink this. Back to the store it goes--though it matched oh so well with my awesome Bodum Kona all glass coffee drip maker. What a pity....

The Hamilton Beach 10 cup is my next choice (available through the manufacturer, though not Amazon.

I ordered this kettle specifically to avoid heating up water in plastic. However, this kettle emitted a foul chemical odor that also transferred to the water. I boiled it a few times plus tried the water/vinegar suggestion in the brochure but nothing seemed to help. I decided that I didn't want to take the risk of drinking these unknown chemicals so I'm returning it - it's not worth the risk. I can't figure out if it's coming from the "stainless steel" bulb (that feels like plastic to me if you tap on it) that covers the heating element or the plastic seal between the glass & the bulb. Plus the lid has a stong odor too & that is plastic covered in "stainless steel".

My biggest rave is the Amazon.com customer service. I fell in love with the look of this kettle and found the best price on Amazon.com (with free shipping!) When it arrived, it only worked if the kettle was oriented one way on the base -- when it boiled, the water dribbled on the cord. Called Capresso Cust Svc -- 1st person said, it's supposed to do that. After another week, it got worse. Capresso would replace it if I paid it's shipping back to them. Called Amazon.com, got another in the mail days later, post-paid shipping back the first one to them. Wow! This kettle works just fine. Very rapid boiling of water, no complaints about anything. To keep the glass and that silver dome shiny, you do need to do the vinegar thing every now and again. Couldn't be happier.

I had mine for about 8 months and then the handle fell off while I was pouring a full kettle of boiling water into a teapot. I was lucky not to be badly burned. The handle is held to the lid with two small screws that are screwed into plastic. It looks cool, and maybe mine was somehow defective, but watch out (especially if you have small kids who might be in the way of the boiling flood).

I bought this kettle because I loved the glass carafe and that I could see the contents of the kettle and I really liked the overall design. But I was completely disgusted with the results!

I always use filtered water for cooking and drinking because I am quite sensative to tastes and odors in my water. The filtered water I put in this kettle tasted FINE, but after the boiling routine was complete, the water smelled and tasted like a swimming pool. I took a sip of tea I made from this kettle and spit it across the room (a la Kramer)! The most foul chemical smell and taste I have ever known. I cannot believe that anyone else using this kettle, or in fact the manufacturer, would not notice it. I washed the kettle with soap and emptied it after each use, but even after a week, the same foul contamination was occuring as a result of heating the water in this kettle. If I left a small amount of water in the kettle for even an hour, I could watch a thick chemical buildup forming on the chrome heating dome that I could wipe off with my finger, like a BAD science project.

I don't know what is wrong with this thing, but it is truly scary. I am warning all consumers to stay away from this chemical hazzard producer and find another way to heat your water!

Note: If you want to better understand the problem, walk into any Bed Bath & Beyond or Linens & Things store and sniff the inside of the carafe they have on display. There is clearly something wrong with the materials used in the manufacturing of this item. It CAN'T be safe.

I have used my Capresso Electric H20 Tea Kettle for just over 5 years - and LOVED it! It looks great and would bring water to a boil in about 4-5 minutes (in a high altitude location, too). But today, I had an accident with the tea kettle that alarmed me. I had just brought a full kettle of water to the boil and was pouring it into a teapot, when the entire handle just ripped away from the body, sending a cascade of BOILING water all over my counter and my leg. I got a bad burn from the event. Upon closer examination, I saw the fatal flaw in the construction of this tea kettle: there are two tiny screws, screwed into a plastic sheath that hold the handle in place. Over time, with repeated use, the plastic sheath becomes warped, stripped of its rings, cracks, and in the case of today, finally gives out completely. I was shocked at how cheaply made this kettle was in the most critical juncture: where the handle attaches to the body. I have already filed a complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and informed Capresso as well. Yes, the kettle looks great. Yes, it boils water fast. But in time, the handle WILL fail. Not "if" but "when". You do not want to be on the receiving end of a cascade of boiling hot water.

Have had this for a month now and it works great. Heats fast, the level lines are nice ( not hard to see for me ), no dripping problems. But the silcone gasket around the heating element is still imparting a bit of an off taste and releases a plasticky smell. It's gotten a bit better but I still don't like it. The 'chrome' appears to be chromed plastic, didn't see that mentioned in description or reviews.

I recently purchased this teapot after viewing all of the others available on Amazon and reading all of the reviews. I was very happy with this purchase. This Capresso not only looks really cool, it heats up twice as fast as my old kettle, and it actually holds more. I like that this one has a glass kettle and a covered heating element. The little blue light on the handle is nice, but I don't notice it much. Yes, it would be nice to have the cup and ounce lines on the side of the pot rather than on the back by the handle, but I don't really use them much. I just "eye" it. It also has no "ding" when the water boils, which was kind of nice on my old one, but not really necessary.

Unfortunately, after one month of use, the kettle just stopped working. I could not longer turn it on. I called the company and after a long wait to the customer service line, I left a message on their machine. They called me back the same day and had me send the machine back to the company to either fix or replace. I received a new machine within 2 weeks. I was surprised by the good service. My new machine has been working well since it was replaced.

I recently purchased this kettle. First problem: when you fill the pot to the indicated full line and boil the water, it dripples out the spout. Before using, I boiled 4 pots of water and rinsed it, even boiling an additional pot of water with some white vinegar and then two more plain pots of water - and I could not get the discernable odor out of the pot and out of the water. This pot has a nice design but poor function. Also, the 'stainless' is NOT stainless - it is most definetly plastic. I have returned this kettle.