Customer Reviews

Zojirushi CD-WBC40 Micom 4-Liter Electric Water Boiler and Warmer, Champagne Gold

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Who spends money on fancy water heaters? People who like to have fine control over the brewing of their tea. Also, probably some folks who like to have unusual gadgets so they can rub it in the faces of those who are less awesome, but for the sake of this review let's pretend you're not one of those people.

This particular Zojirushi holds enough water for 2-3 people to drink throughout the day. It boils the water first -- this takes about 15-20 minutes -- and then allows it to cool to one of four "keep warm" temperatures. The "keep warm" presets of 208, 195, 175, and 140 are perfect for most kinds of tea, cup o' noodles, baby bottles, and various kinds of water torture on intrusive guests.

The magnetic break-away cord is a fantastic feature that demonstrates Zojirushi's attention to detail. When your mother decides to rearrange your kitchen without warning, you can rest assured that the Zojirushi will be safe from electrical mishaps. Don't ask how I know this.

Other safety features include an automatic shut-down when it runs out of water, a dispenser that will not dispense until you "unlock" it by pressing a button, and a "steam-save" design that limits the amount of steam being vomited into your kitchen. This last feature is especially nice for those of us with wall cabinets extending over the counter. I like to steam my food on the stove, not while it's in storage, thanks.

This device is so simple to use that even my husband can do it. That said, due to the charming Engrish in the instruction book, at first I was under the impression that the timer existed to shut down the machine. I realized later that either my math skills were terrible, or in reality the timer was designed to start it up. Ignore the fact that I ended that sentence with a preposition. The point still stands. The good news is that having a timed start-up is more useful to me than a timed shut-down, so for once I was glad to discover further evidence that I am an idiot.

I had one concern prior to purchase. Would teapots fit under the dispenser? I am pleased to report that they can, despite the best efforts of the Zojirushi photographers to make it look like the spout is designed to work with cups alone. If you have an epic teapot that serves 300, you might have a problem getting it up under there. But a normal pot? Rock on.

This little device is now my favorite appliance next to the washing machine. Because as much as I love tea, I like clean underwear better.

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Note: Confused about which Zojirushi water heater to purchase? Check the comparison chart! Amazon links to this chart in the Product Details section of the description, but the average person manages to miss it. It's like a ninja, but with fewer pointy edges.

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Update 1: It's now been over a year since I got my Zojirushi, and I am pleased to report that it still works like it's new. I have cleaned it twice with Zojirushi's cleaner -- sold in packets here on Amazon -- despite it never really looking like it needed cleaning at all. I did it simply because the company recommended it. I'm a follower like that. The Zojirushi has survived a move, three extreme power surges, and a switch to mineral-heavy tap water. I'm starting to wish Zojirushi had made my own body. I mean, think of the time I could save if I only had to be cleaned up twice a year! And I didn't survive the move in nearly as good a condition. Tsk. At least I'm not old enough for power surges yet.

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Update 2: And now we're going on 2.5 years of ownership. It's survived a second move, as well as an unfortunate mishap that left its inner container discolored orange. No, you may not have the hilarious but humiliating details. The official cleaning packets I mentioned in my previous update saved the day, so it's good as new again. (Use the keywords "ZOJIRUSHI INNER CONTAINER CLEANER" here on Amazon to find a box of the packets. You only need one packet per cleaning job.) I'm pleased to report that over the years the Zojirushi has not slowed down, started making odd noises, or in any other way complained. Best $125 ever spent, outside that marriage license thing. I think.

After much research looking for a perfect boiler for my husband and me, I came upon this one. With only a handful of reviews, I was a little reluctant to buy it. But the description was just what I was looking for. I was also reluctant because I thought it looked a funny shade of pink in the photo and wasn't crazy about that color. But I ordered it anyway, thinking I could return it if we didn't like it. Upon opening it Christmas morning, my husband filled it with water and plugged it in. We have been using it nonstop ever since! When the water level gets low, we just refill it, let it reheat, and have another 4 liters of hot water in just a few minutes. We keep it plugged in day and night so the water is always ready! Love it!

The magnetic plug is so convenient. It just pops on. No pushing at all. Also, the unit swivels too which is kinda cool. The color is nothing like the picture shows. It's more of a beige and cream. Very attractive. The dispenser is up high so you can put a very large mug underneath. Very convenient! There is a window on the front so you can watch the water level and fill when running low. There are three temp settings: 175, 195, and 208. The other thing I really like is the unlock feature. You have to push the unlock button before you can dispense the hot water. Very smart for households with small children who could burn themselves with the water. Another cute feature is the melody it plays when the water has heated up (whenever you fill it). It also has a timer so if you don't want to leave it plugged in overnight, you can set the timer and it will heat your water in the morning so it's ready when you get up. We use it for tea, oatmeal, instant coffee, hot chocolate, grits, etc. VERY VERY CONVENIENT!!! We love this machine! Not one negative complaint!

I'm a big green tea drinker. I was stuck with microwaving my water and trying to guess the temperature. This usually ended up with me getting either lukewarm tea or yellow, disgusting tea. I now do not have that problem with this neat little contraption!

The inside is stainless steel with a Teflon-like coating. There will be a plastic smell the first time you use it and I'm guessing it's coming from the spout, but don't worry. After draining it a few times (I had to dump out 5 liters of hot water), the smell will go away. I was a little bit worried about the Teflon, since I am not a big fan of eating the stuff, but there's no reason for you to ever even put your hand inside this thing as you're supposed to dump some citric acid in it and let it clean itself. No scratches, no problem. The coating is there to keep mineral buildup from occurring.

The water level indicator is super cool on this thing and it will tell you how much water is in the pot or if you need to refill it. There's a timer so that you can set it for six to ten hours later, which is handy if you want to wake up and use it. It doesn't take long to boil at all -- usually something along the lines of 30 minutes. It does, however, take a long time to cool down to the lower temperatures, so if you're using this for green tea, you may want to set it to boil six hours after you go to sleep instead of eight or ten.

It swivels, so you can angle it so the steam isn't pointed at your cabinets while it's on. It will shut off automatically if there's no water in the pot and it has a few nice features such as lowering the temperature before boiling so there's less steam coming out of it. It's a handy little product and I totally recommend getting the larger sized ones because once you have it, you'll use it a lot more than you think you will.

Positive reviews are 100% correct regarding this product. We can't live without it. I do have one thing to say, though. Since it is not a thermal pot, it uses approx 90 watts to maintain a constant water temperature. I bought an International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor here on Amazon and this was the first product that I measured. My plugged in laptop only generated 40 watts of power....half of what this pot generates in standby mode. It comes in at 731 watts to boil water (my toaster takes 457 watts). We use the timer feature at night, but keep it on all day. So, figuring 16 hours of standby use and throwing in an average of three boils a day, we figure that it costs approx $12-15 per month to operate. We COULD take it off standby mode when not in use, but then it takes longer to boil....catch 22.

Bottom line? The product is so darn good at what it does, that we are willing to forgive the energy consumption cost.

I purchased the CDWBC40 (4 liter) version. I searched for a boiler that would stand at a preset temperature. This boiler handles that.

The fit and finish is pleasing, and I do not detect any hint of plastic taste--which I have detected in a few other boilers and coffee makers. I have used it for drip coffee and press coffee on both the 208 and 195 F settings. I like the flavor at 195 better than at 208. I use light-medium roast coffee, I think the higher temp would be fine with a darker roast.

There are a few things buyers should know which I have not seen in the reviews so far.

At least one reviewer said it took 15 minutes to reach a boil. With the unit filled with 4 liters of water, it took 35 minutes. Water from our tap is 72-75 F, and we are 1000+ above sea level. It took another 15 minutes to reduce the temperature to 195. The times increased to 45 minutes to boil and 60 minutes to reach 195 when we used filtered water from the refrigerator.

I fill the unit at night and plug it in so that I have hot water the next morning for coffee.

By the way the instructions are very clear about the time it takes to get your hot water to the correct standing temperature. They also recommend dispensing one cup before using the water as the temperature will be lower than the stand temperature--depending on the time the water has been standing. I found this to be accurate based on a digital probe thermometer. The first cup drawn was below 190; the second cup registered a bit under 195 (at the stand temperature set to 195).

I do not see any of this as being negatives for the product. It does seem to be counter to a few of the reviews on this site. With these types of products, I guess it is helpful to let users know what your ambient temperature, altitude, water temperature, and water volume is. I suppose it also would help to know the PPM of the water used. All of these affect boiling temperatures and time to boil.

Ambient room temp: 73 F

Water Temp: 74 F

Water particulates: 119 PPM

Altitude: 1023 ft above sea level

Barometric pressure: 29.9

The unit instructions state that it is able to change the standing temp at 208 to assure the unit does not continuously boil at higher altitudes. That does not apply at our relatively low altitude.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00114Z464/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title

As a fussy tea maker having reliable hot water at the temperature I want is imperative and the Zojirushi delivers and delivers reliably. I do not leave it on all day but if you steep a pot several times it is nice to have

hot water ready to go as a pot is ready. It is great to fill it up in the evening and have it ready to use all evening

long. Highly recommend!

When my electric water kettle quit working, I started looking for another one. Found a replacement but the water tasted like plastic. Started to look again. Amazon had an "out of box" sale on this Electric Water Boiler and I decided to take a chance, although it was really pricey. I am glad I did. I fill the container in the morning and have hot water all day. It is easy to use, has an easy to see water level, keeps water at an even temperature and even has an over night, or any time you want shut-off timer. My only criticism is that you have to keep it plugged in to use the dispenser spout, so you can,t heat the water and move the kettle to the table or somewhere away from an electric socket. So, I ask, why does it have a carry handle? So far, it has been worth every penny I paid. I would really recommend this to my friends.

I was looking for a multi-temperature hot water dispenser for making tea for me (black, oolong, green) and coffee for my wife (instant).

I thoroughly researched the other available items in this category---both pitchers and dispensers. All others that I considered evidenced either poor build quality and/or inaccurate temperature control.

I've had the CD-WBC40 for about 3 weeks. Build quality is excellent. Temperature control is accurate (including a useful digital readout). A timer allows one to have the CD-WBC40 turn off when you go to bed then turn on in the morning---saving unnecessary 24-hour water heating.

The controls are simple and intuitive. For example, the go-to-sleep timer is set using one button. Dispense rate is excellent (there are two ad hoc dispense rate options). Control buttons are completely sealed against water incursion.

Easy to fill. Easy to clean. No detectable tastes or smells after first-use break in. The wide-window water level display on the front of the CD-WBC40 allows easy determination of the current water level.

For dispensing, you first press the unlock button then hold down the dispense button. In my opinion, this is an excellent safety feature that prevents inadvertent release of scalding water.

I echo others who suggest selecting this 4-liter rather that the smaller capacity model.

Having spent a couple of weeks in Japan, I fell in love with the idea of an always-on water heater. Has been great to have one at home, and a good one at that.

The only note I would add to previous comments is that the unit *does* kick off a LOT of steam during the boiling process. I originally put it on the kitchen counter, tucked back against the wall, based on earlier comments about there being little to no steam.

Oooooh. Wrong. About 20 minutes into the boil, I happened to pop into the kitchen to find water dripping off the underside of the overhanging cupboard, water running down the wall, etc. YIKES.

Like I said, the unit is a good one. Just be sure to pull it out to the edge of the countertop and spin it to face away from you during the boil stage (so the steam vent is out on the open edge of the counter), and you'll be good to go. After the boiling stage concludes, you can spin it around to face the correct direction and slide it back under the overhanging cabinetry. The little bit of steam it puts off while in a holding pattern is next to non-existent.

I thought that I was a little silly buying this thing as I have an electric kettle that works fine. However, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this thing. I am on a diet and drink a lot of tea now (instead of sodas, juice, etc.). I like to make large mugs of tea instead of making a whole pot each time. This appliance gives me hot water instantly and keeps it hot all day long. I am glad that I got the four-litre instead of the three liter. I am surprised at how often I end up filling the thing! I use it more than I thought I would. The different temperature settings are great if you enjoy gourmet teas. You can set the guage for the optimal brew temp and there is no guessing. The quality of the product is also excellent. The color is very neutral and goes with most everything, but it would have been nice to see a range of other colors to choose from.