I live in a house where the kettle can’t boil fast enough. Everyone has their first morning cuppa well before 9am, and it’s pretty much on repeat until 9pm. Last week, I shared a hack that meant I was boiling the kettle half as much , saving around £25 a month, and so many readers suggested I invest in a Breville HotCup.
I drink approximately eight cups of tea a day, more when we invite family and friends around, with a chocolate digestive - okay, two. It means I’m constantly adding the amount of water I need to the kettle to boil, so I was intrigued to see if a Breville HotCup would help save me time, energy and money.
I bought the Breville HotCup VKT124 model, which is said to make six to eight cups of tea. I set it up on my kitchen counter and since then, I’ve completely ditched the kettle and resigned it to the pantry.
The HotCup offers a patented design for ‘super quick’ heating, with a 1.7 litre capacity, which is similar to most kettles. The average 3000W kettle takes 4.5 minutes to boil a full kettle of water, so I decided to time the Breville device on its first full boil. Having filled the HotCup to its maximum capacity line, I hit the button on the top of the machine, with my iPhone timer in hand and was stunned as hot water dispensed from the nozzle in just 30 seconds.
I live in a three person household, so poured three mugs of tea, each one taking less and less time to dispense from the machine. The Breville description says it holds six to eight cups of water, which would be ideal for when everyone in the room accepts your polite offer of a brew. However, I’d say it’s more like five or six mugs.
I probably wouldn’t use it to make any more than four, as in that instance it would be easier to use the kettle and natter while it boils, rather than stand by the Breville swapping cups from under it like a conveyor belt.
The Breville dispenses the perfect amount of water for an Emma Bridgewater mug, with just the right amount of space for milk, but there is a handy removable drip tray to catch rogue drips. Thankfully, it’s not a very leaky device. As a home worker who finds themselves putting the kettle on every 45 minutes, this kitchen gadget has been a lifesaver as I can make my cup of tea in less than 60 seconds.
The dispenser is more economical than a kettle, taking less time to boil, but also saves lots of time, which is perfect for our busy kitchen. The large water window also makes accurate filling easy, so you never run out of water halfway through making the teas and coffees.
This is an appliance I can see slotting seamlessly into any kitchen, from busy mums pressing the button between feeding toddlers, to home workers like myself who use caffeine to fuel their working day.
I also think it's perfect for people like my grandma, or people with disabilities that mean they may struggle to lift a heavy kettle, reducing the risk of injury. Priced at £39.99 in Currys, it looks sleek, saves money and works well. This week we’ve easily made 40 cuppas, so are already down to £1 per mug. This is a device that’s definitely going to earn its keep in our kitchen.
