The handy Breville VKJ318 Hot Cup allows you to save electricity and time with a speedy one cup heating process, ideal for those looking for a cup of coffee in a hurry or for anyone looking to cut down on their energy bills. This one cup hot water dispenser is the second generation model from Breville. The first model proved useful, but had some flaws that made it not quite strong enough against some superior competition in the one cup kettle market. So has the second attempt from Breville improved on these fronts, or is it still a mixed bag?
Rating: 4.5
Price: £££
Key Points
- 2 litre water capacity (8-9 cups of tea)
- boils water in 30 seconds
- water is never lukewarm
- simple to assemble and use
- improves on previous bottle, which has a set 250 ml cup size; allows you pick from 9 different cup sizes and has a manual stop button
- may need to be de-scaled from time to time
Increased Water Capacity
One area where the Breville VKJ318 really has improved on its predecessor is in its water capacity. The Breville VKJ142 Hot Cup had a 1.5 litre capacity that wasn’t quite large enough to suit some people. If you like to fill up the jug at the beginning of the day to have your water ready for multiple cups of tea or for a large pot for cooking then the 1.5 litres wasn’t quite sufficient. The new model has a 2 litre water capacity, allowing for around 8-9 cups of tea, a marked improvement on the 5 that most people could get out of the first Breville Hot Cup.
The water jug is also completely clear, allowing you to see how much water is in the Breville Hot Cup at any given time. Some of the other one cup kettles on the market don’t have this feature, which can make it difficult to take a look at how much water you have left before you boil.
Speedy Boiling
The Breville VKJ318 has also increased its speeds. While the previous model clocked in at about 50 seconds, this new product can heat your water up in as little as 30 seconds, making it super fast for the more impatient customers out there, and putting at the top of the market for speed even against more expensive devices.
High Heats
Some people find that the hot cup kettles out there don’t make their water quite as hot as they would like when compared with a standard kettle. The Breville VKJ318 certainly doesn’t have this problem. The water quickly heats to boiling point and is never lukewarm, giving you the perfect cup of tea without any trouble.
Convenience and Design
The Breville VKJ318 Hot Cup is simple to assemble and use, and is surprisingly compact, making it a good addition to your kitchen countertop and no more cumbersome than a kettle. It comes with a removable drip tray to prevent annoying spillage mess that you can detach if you want to fill something a bit bigger and don’t want the tray to get in the way. The design is clever, with a large opening for water filling and a design that looks modern and attractive. The tank also illuminates while the water heats, which is a nice aesthetic feature.
Customisation
The key areas of improvement from the first generation Breville Hot Cup is in the customisable features of the kettle. The main issues in the previous model revolved around the fact that you couldn’t adjust the flow of the water to allow for the right amount for your needs: it always measured out 250ml cups of water. This was okay for the average cup of tea, but not so great if you wanted more or less water at one time. The new Hot Cup from Breville has solved this problem, allowing you to pick your own volume with nine different cup sizes to choose from. The company has also added a manual stop button that allows you to interrupt the flow of water at any time if it’s going over the amount you need. This is a major improvement, and should win over many customers who were unsure about the previous Breville Hot Cup.
Maintenence
There have been some issues with the product in the amount of water being produced declining fairly quickly with use. This generally comes down to scale deposits. Once the Hot Cup is de-scaled it seems to go back to its normal, so if you do decide to go with this product, make sure you de-scale it frequently to avoid losing any quality. An instruction booklet comes with the Breville Hot Cup that explains in good detail how to do this, and the frequency will depend on the hardness of the water in your area.
Should You Buy It?
All in all, Breville have come leaps and bounds from their first generation one cup kettle, producing a product that should suit many people. The price is higher than the earlier model for obvious reasons, but given the savings you’ll make in your electricity bills by switching from a normal kettle, this should be a good investment for people in need of frequent boiling water. The Breville VKJ318 is easy to use, fast and convenient, and should be a great addition to your kitchen.
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