Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It is amazing, but is it worth the money?, October 29, 2007
I am a recently disabled adult that cannot get enough of a good cup of tea. So seeing this I thought it would make a nice birthday present for me, and make life a little easier around the kitchen. It performs as it says it will.
It looks bulky but is surprisingly lightweight and easy to handle. The whole unit spins on a lazy-susan device making it east to direct the steam vent away from kitchen surfaces.
You will need a water pitcher of some kind to fill this easily. I have a medium sized one sand simply filly the pitcher twice to fill this device once. The handle on top, removable lid, and notched corner makes emptying and cleaning a breeze.
The temperature features are splendid and accurate, there are three:
205 for noodles/ramen etc, herbal infusions, or pu-er.
195 for most black teas. Darjeeling or delicate blacks like Illam valley are at this temperature as well, let the water sit a few minutes in the pot if you have a very delicate tea.
175 for green or white teas. A few of the more delicate whites fill the tea pot first, then add the leaves. By filling your teapot dry first, this allows the water to lose 5-10F by just warming the pot. Often enough to make a better flavored tea.
On a given day I can go from pu-er tsocha right from boiling, and set the temp to 195. Make a pot of bold assam in the afternoon, set the temp to 175. Now, after dinner it is set for making jasmine tea for dessert. All with a minimal energy usage and cost.
I have found it a good idea to refill it 1-2 times then empty the remains, give it a brush inside with a towel, and then let it completely dry. My scale buildup was reduced quite a bit this way.
For a fully able person this unit -is- a bit of a luxury. A simple electric teapot with temperature control would do you just fine for a fraction of the initial cost. This will make cost up over time by the thermos nature though, just a fyi.
Have a chain tea drinker in your life though or thoughts for limited commercial use (like a small teahouse), or like tea but have a very full life and time schedule? This would make a great gift for you or even a small splurge to treat yourself.
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37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Appliance, June 30, 2007
This is my third Zojirushi electric boiler and the best so far! It boils water quickly, dispenses water at a rate that prevents splashing and saves energy by using vacuum insulation. In response to an earlier review, I placed a digital thermometer probe inside a nearly full pot to gauge the accuracy of the unit. The selected temperature of 195 degrees Fahrenheit was measured to be 192 degrees. This difference seems insignificant considering thermometer margin of error. Also, the water temperature does rise above the highest setting of 208 degrees but this is ONLY after boiling. It does return to the selected temperature and maintains at this setting. Lastly, the unit is so well insulated that after choosing the "vacuum insulation" setting - which uses no electricity until dispensing water, 195 degree water was still 150 degrees 8 hours later. This is quite an impressive unit.
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent tea tool for the frequent drinker, September 7, 2007
If you're looking for hot-water on tap for tea, hot cereals, instant soups, ramen, etc - this is a very convenient item.
I drink green teas heavily, and bought it based on the strength of reviews and the Zojirushi brand reputation. I was not disappointed.
I fill it up from the tap, move it to the counter and plug it in. It usually boils in around an hour, and then settles back down to the (adjustable) setpoint in another 1.5 ~ 2 hours. Although I haven't taken a thermometer to its output to verify consistency, I've had great results from the teas I use, so the variations can't be too wild.
As is common with Japanese consumer products the controls are well thought out. It has an unlock button to prevent you shooting water onto the floor or something else accidentally, and the double action lever to open the top makes it hard to have your hand in the way & get a steam burn as you open it.
The water level is clearly visible via a clear tube with a patterned background, and the 4L capacity suits my tea usage for somewhere between 4 and 7 days, depending on just how much I happen to feel like having.
I especially recommend it if you're a Macha tea fan, as it makes the process remarkably fast and easy, simply scoop your tea into a bowl, add some water straight from the Zojirushi, whisk and enjoy.
The only design annoyance I've seen is that the power plug relies on magnets to hold itself in the socket. This is itself a good idea, except most of the body is metal. So if you position the dispenser such that you 're trying to plug it up from behind and can't see where the plug should be exactly, the magnet sticks to the body anywhere you put it until you can feel around for the socket. A fairly minor annoyance, but one that could have been fixed by making the body out of plastic further around the plug socket.
Very solid overall product.
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