Customer Reviews

Rival 4071-WN 32-Ounce Hot Pot Express, White

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(50)

 

 

I bought one of these close to ten years ago and it's still going strong, though I've taken it on three cross-country trips, countless weekend getaways and even to Guatemala.

Why? First, I don't like using hotel/motel coffee units -- who knows how clean their innards are? This holds more liquid, is easy to clean, and I know where it's been!

Second, it's useful for more than just heating water. I once took my daughter to a nice Disneyland hotel for four days, and did all our cooking in this little pot because food was so pricey. I heated soup, ramen, veggies, all kinds of things... and we actually ate well (though simply) the whole time.

Other reviewers have noted that it doesn't have auto shut-off. That's a good point, and it's a bit of a pain, particularly when you're as forgetful as I am. But the water always boils loudly enough that I hear it. Could be a problem in everyday use if you are wandering from room to room; fine for a motel.

The flip side is being able to adjust the heat level, which I don't think you could do if the unit shut off automatically. I've found that VERY handy for things that need a gentle heat, and use that feature a lot.

Power cord is frustratingly short, but necessarily so for safety reasons.

Naturally, anything that holds 32 oz. of water is a little bulky, but when I put it in my suitcase I just jam socks and breakables into it, so it ends up taking less room than you'd think. You can snap the top off, which is also a help when packing it. It's fairly lightweight.

The reason I'm back at this page is that my daughter just went to college and took the pot with her. I need a replacement for my travels without her! I was amazed to find the same pot is still being sold after all these years. That's probably a good sign about its quality in an era when things get redesigned every year.

At this price, if it lasted a year or two of steady use, I think I'd still be happy.

At my workplace we have no hot water dispenser. Before this, I was resorting to microwaving a mug of hot water. I was recommended this device as a tool for shaving, but I found that it got the water a little too hot for my shaving needs. I took it into work and have been loving the thing ever since. In the time it takes me to clean a spoon in the sink and get yogurt out of the fridge, the water is hot enough for tea. The exterior stays quite cool and can be picked up and touched immediately even when the water inside is scalding hot. I've even boiled milk, water, and black tea together in this unit without problems. Cleans quite easily.

What a well-spent $12 this has turned out to be.

I love this little pot! It boils water and cooks everything very fast!! I have one at home and one for my travels. This little hot pot is terrific when one is away from home and has no kitchen. The non-stick bottom makes this pot a breeze to clean up! I have dietary restrictions and can not go out and "grab a bite" like most other people, when I am not near my house. I especially recommend this pot to anyone who may suffer the same problem as me. I would be lost without this pot, when I need to be away from home. :-)

I bought two of these for 8.99 on amazon and generally, they are OK. I drink a lot of green tea, and by reading the description, I thought it kept your water at a desired temp/setting. It seems it keeps hot by cycling on and off, which is ok, but your water may not be the same temperature, which is important if you are making green tea. Also, I left some water in it and the next day there was a large rust stain. It easily washed off, but I didnt particularly like the idea of drinking rusty water. The high setting really boils hard, and the low setting keeps the water warm. Generally, I got my 9 dollars worth

I absolutely love this little guy. I've been using him to make tea and coffee almost every day for about two years. Boils water in no time, quick to clean, no plastic-y taste. One particularly tough flu season, my little hot pot even successfully doubled as a humidifier (in my tiny apartment). Great value!

This kettle heats water in a matter of seconds and you absolutely can't beat the price. We have been using our 5-6 times a day for months without a single problem. My only two complaints are that you can see the plug spark when you unplug it. I have never had it do any more than that but it seems a little scary and there is no way to avoid it since there is not an on/off switch. The other thing is that the lip around the spout is oddly shaped and if you are not careful you wind up spilling a little water as you pour. The drawbacks are very minor in my opinion compared to the heating efficiency and the low price.

Having one through all the reviews, I'd discovered why I feel so many people have given this hot pot 5 star reviews. Most of then are years old, stemming from 2003, etc. The reviews that are more recent are from people saying that they've had their Rival pot for years.

It appears that many of the design problems are in more recent models (from the past few years) - the rust, the plastic taste, the leaking....

It is entirely possible that this Rival pot used to be of amazing quality and incredibly durable, but you know what they say... Some things ain't what they used to be.

This new version of the hot pot is a must have for anyone living in the dorm. You can fix just about anything in it, not just hot chocolate. I bought my daughter two of them and she and her roommate use them for just about everything and so do their neighbors. They fix all kinds of pasta, rice, soup, tea...you name it. It really does heat up quickly and is simple and safe to use. I recommend it to everyone going off to college. It makes it easy and inexpensive to have a hot meal.

I purchased this unit at my local Linen&Things to heat up water for tea. It has the right price point (ok, it is cheap), looks decent, the flat heating surface is easy to clean and it heats water quickly, unfortunately the water tastes like plastic. I've had it for two days now, tried to heat up water repeatedly (9-10 times so far) but still the same strong plastic taste. The only thing I have not tried yet is using vinegar as per a previous post. This could have been a great kettle, if not for that fatal fault.
Ok, time to finish my new blend of plastic green tea now...

brings water to a steaming boil really quickly. not much to look at, but it's perfect for making tea at my desk at work - no more schlepping to the microwave every hour! and it is FAST! very satisfied with this purchase.