Looking for one for an elderly relative - not too expensive if possible and corded rather than plumbed in.
I had a Breville one at work probably 10 years ago or more - current model looks similar but the original I had didn’t quite heat the water well enough for tea. Maybe the current version is better.
Nice features would be:
easy for an elderly person to remove and refill a reservoir
option to dispense different volumes or simply a stop/start dispensing button
I’ve still got the Breville, probably in storage it just didn’t heat quite well enough for tea - suspect they’ve refined it a bit over the years but a short lifespan would be frustrating.
Thanks. Not seen that one (haven’t really looked yet). Can it be used without the filter as I suspect the recipient wouldn’t be too keen on priming/swapping them every few weeks if they’re like the ones for plastic jugs..
I had a similar issue this year. I use an induction hob, so may not be relevant. I started with a thin based Japanese or Chinese pan - worked well but was not aesthetically pleasing. The solution was a Hario type kettle, the Kalita wave: it’s brilliant, well balanced and a good pour. I believe there is an electric version: fellow stagg EKG, but it is not cheap.
Caution about using a microwave oven to heat water is that it heats from the centre. Unlike a kettle or pan it does not naturally generate convection, i.e warm water rising from the bottom to the top to generate even heating until boiling occurs. Instead it is possible that the centre of the cup of water gets above 100°C and then erupts once the tea bag is dropped in.
However if you establish how long it takes to adequately heat a favourite cup of room temperature water, then set this on the timer there should be no problem.
This is what I used to do while working for Boeing, where kettles were unheard of.
No it doesn’t. The microwave energy is absorbed fairly efficiently by the OH groups in the water/oil/food - if this didn’t happen, microwave ovens would be useless!
Most of the microwave energy is absorbed within a centimetre or two. Since the water in the top layer of a cup of water will be heated, it won’t convert since it is already at the top of the body of water.
Your point about the dangers of superheated sections of water is quite right.
I think it would be a bit fiddly for her to be honest due to the reduced dexterity and mobility - she mainly drinks tea (bag in a mug/cup I think) or maybe cup a soup type preparations so ideally something dispensing hot water to fill her usual cup/mug is I think what Mrs AC is looking for as a gift.
Thanks for the clarification. What I do know is that it can make an absolute mess of the kitchen if you get it wrong. Never burnt myself, jumped out of the way just in time.
