Anyone have the Breville "Hot cup" dispenser (VKJ318) ?

Astria

Bought one of these as it seemed like you could just fill it up and boil/dispense the exact amount of water that you need, saving time and energy - less trips to the sink to fill it up for example.

However, it seems like it's less efficient than my kettle and not as versatile.

Regardless of which cup size I select it appears to use the exact same amount of electric. I can only assume it boils the same amount every time but only dispenses what you select (not sure if the unused water stays in the boiling "chamber" or get released back into the main tank)

If you want more than one cup, or enough for a saucepan, etc, then you still need a kettle.

So it's back in the box and will be returned to the supplier.

Thought I'd post in case anyone is thinking of buying one.

I'm not going to post any links as that might be regarded as advertising.

markin

The reviews on the Breville's own site aren't that great. Is the water difference big enough to really make a difference on your power meter? What are you using to measure it?

savers_united

We really like ours, definitely more pros then cons. Use a plastic jug to fill first thing in the morning and it's good for a 4-5 big cups.
No more heavy kettle to carry, no more wasted water as we used to hate reboiling water, and in theory should only be boiling the 1 cups worth of leccy each time.
So no more need to keep checking the side of the kettle if we are filling to the right line for 1 or 2 cups.

I find it boils very quickly and not too noisy, very sturdy and you do not get as much steam. All plus for us. 

Only downside is when you have a few guests, it can take a while (so bring the kettle out then) and it may be slightly cooler than what comes out a kettle, not really an issue but if you like yours red hot you will notice it not being as hot.

The adjustment as you say is for the cup size, any excess water goes back to tank hence why you tend to find the second cup boils quicker.

We will not be going back to kettle for everyday use. 

swampduck

We got a similar version some six years ago when we were given instructions of does and don'ts for me following a major operation.
We wouldn't be without it now - it's so easy for a quick brew and as time goes on and OH is having issues with hand tremors - we can adjust the quantity that goes into a cup or mug -so definitely a positive from a safety point of view as a normal kettle would be too heavy to hold. We still have a kettle in the cupboard somewhere but it's rarely used. 

casjen

Brilliant piece of kit.... lasts day for me... looks gud and i find the water coming out as kind of therapeutic :-)

Astria

markin said:

The reviews on the Breville's own site aren't that great. Is the water difference big enough to really make a difference on your power meter? What are you using to measure it?

I did ten cups with both the largest and smallest cup size, it was a killawatt clone, probably still not enough data to completely confirm, but I've since confirmed that when you use the smaller cup sizes, unused water is spit back into the main tank, so it seems to boil the exact same amount of water regardless, but it's still better than boiling a kettle full each time and not using most of it.

[Deleted User]

I have one but not sure if it is the same model as yours. Mine holds 5 x 250ml shots in the tank. If I want to fill my 500ml flask for work I use a jug and press the button twice. I really like it. Only takes 45 seconds to boil and deliver a shot. 
I am the only one in the house that drinks hot drinks so it suits us. If you are making drinks for multiple people at once then a normal kettle will be better. 

Ultrasonic

Astria said:

Regardless of which cup size I select it appears to use the exact same amount of electric. 

How are you measuring this? Any chance you're mixing up the power in kW with the energy used in kWh? It would make sense for the power to always be the same but the energy used would depend on the amount of water heated.

Astria

Ultrasonic said:

Astria said:

Regardless of which cup size I select it appears to use the exact same amount of electric. 

How are you measuring this? Any chance you're mixing up the power in kW with the energy used in kWh? It would make sense for the power to always be the same but the energy used would depend on the amount of water heated.

I measured the amount of energy used for 10xsmallest size and 10xlargest size. Ie, the actual amount of energy drawn in kWh. They were both the same.

It has since been proven by others that the machine boils the exact same amount of water regardless of the cup size setting, the left over is returned to the main tank.

Ultrasonic

Astria said:

It has since been proven by others that the machine boils the exact same amount of water regardless of the cup size setting, the left over is returned to the main tank.

If that is really true I'd be demanding my money back and reporting them to the ASA. Their own website includes this statement:

Incredibly simple to use, the HotCup water dispenser allows you to choose from nine different cup sizes – giving you freedom to boil as much or as little as you want. And as the hot water dispenser only boils the selected amount of water, it is far more economical and energy-efficient than most standard kettles – great for you and the environment.

Source: https://www.breville.co.uk/breakfast/hot-water-dispensers/hotcup-with-variable-dispense-gloss-black/VKJ318-01.html

I just use a regular kettle and measure out what I need to boil each time with a jug and so have never been tempted to spend the money to buy a kettle like the Breville, but I did at least think they'd work!

Astria

Ultrasonic said:

Astria said:

It has since been proven by others that the machine boils the exact same amount of water regardless of the cup size setting, the left over is returned to the main tank.

If that is really true I'd be demanding my money back and reporting them to the ASA. Their own website includes this statement:

Incredibly simple to use, the HotCup water dispenser allows you to choose from nine different cup sizes – giving you freedom to boil as much or as little as you want. And as the hot water dispenser only boils the selected amount of water, it is far more economical and energy-efficient than most standard kettles – great for you and the environment.

Source: https://www.breville.co.uk/breakfast/hot-water-dispensers/hotcup-with-variable-dispense-gloss-black/VKJ318-01.html

I just use a regular kettle and measure out what I need to boil each time with a jug and so have never been tempted to spend the money to buy a kettle like the Breville, but I did at least think they'd work!

It does kinda say it in a roundabout way in the manual:

""As you use your Hot Cup, acertainportionofthewaterboiledwillbetransferredbacktothewaterreservoir. This will mean the water reservoir may become hot."