‘Put the kettle on’ has been the British response to any crisis since time immemorial. Now we can say something else, although perhaps not quite as quickly.
I can timeline my life through the kettles I’ve owned, from tin ones that sat on my student gas hob and often boiled dry, through giant Swan Kettles with a plug the size of an EV charger, to cordless models that occasionally blew up when the base was wet.
But how many hours, perhaps even years, dId I waste waiting for those kettles to boil?
I’ve occasionally looked into getting one of those clever taps that deliver boiling water instantly, but the cost, plus the rather complicated looking plumbing, has always put me off.
So here we have something in between, a rather stylish machine that puts out hot water at whatever temperature you desire at the touch of a button.
It does better than that though, it puts out super clean water as it has a built-in replaceable filter (included in the box). In fact, when you look at the removable 2.7-litre BPA-free tank of water after it’s passed through the filter it’s so gin-clear you might almost think the tank was empty. That’s impressive and the taste of the tea is far superior. The filter removes pollutants such as heavy metals, reduces limescale and preserves important minerals. A filter lasts about six weeks in normal use.
For such a relatively small unit, it has quite a few features. Firstly you can set the temperature to what you need, going up in 5°C increments from 40-100°C, as well as ambient. That’s because not every hot drink needs boiling water, many drinks are better brewed at a lower temperature, delicate teas and tisanes for example, and boiling water is not good for instant coffee, 90°C is best . Green tea is best brewed at 70°C, while Oolong is better at 80°C.
The machine also lets you set how much water it dispenses with seven volume settings. This is handy because once you know your cup size you can set the machine and walk away with no danger of the cup overflowing in your absence.
Not that you need to walk away, Turbo by name, Turbo by nature, the machine is very fast even on the 100°C setting, so you can watch and wait. After you press Go there are ten seconds of gurgling noises and then the hot water starts steadily coming out.
Rather cleverly the machine remembers your last temp setting, even if it’s been turned off, and cleverer still you can set it to memorise your favourite temperature and cup size. There’s also a setting for whatever kind of water you have – hard, soft, medium – the machine goes into descale mode when it thinks the time has come for a clean.
Obviously it’s ideal for ‘one cup’ brews, but we found we could also get a teapot under it, just about. Two dispenses of 400ml is enough for two people
Of course instant hot water is also useful for other things, such as a bowl of instant noodles or quickly washing a pan.
And not just time is saved. Most kettles will use more energy to create the same result and most kettles also have a minimum fill, which is often more than you need.
Can you throw away the kettle? Perhaps not quite, it may still have the odd specific use, but you can safely put it under the sink and enter the world of Instant Hot with the HW770.
RRP £149.99
It joins other great Caso gadget gift ideas. All available from casodesign.co.uk and selected national retailers.:
For creative cooks: The IceCreamer 5-in-1 (£279.99) makes ice cream, soft serve, sorbet, yoghurt and frozen yoghurt, with no pre-freezing required.
For home mixologists: The Clear Ice Advanced (£149.99) produces crystal-clear ice in just 12 minutes, ready for their next cocktail creation.
For wine lovers: The VinoCase Tabletop Wine Cooler (£109.99) keeps a single bottle at at its chosen serving temperature, with settings from 5°C to 18°C.
For busy cooks: The AirFry DuoChef (£199.99) transforms from a dual-basket air fryer into a spacious 14-litre oven, offering flexibility for family meals and entertaining.
For more information, visit casodesign.co.uk
Big T Mistakes
Caso Design did a bit of research and found
“More than eight in ten Britons (85 per cent) believe they make the perfect cup of tea but 70 per cent are guilty of not brewing it for long enough or other mistakes such as pressing the teabag to the side of the cup – a process which releases bitter tannins.”
“Only 14 per cent follow the golden rule of letting tea brew for two to three minutes, either falling short to end up with a weak version or for too long making it too strong.”
Tips for the perfect cuppa, according to Carri Hecks, a tea sommelier and tutor at UK Tea Academy, include using freshly drawn water each time, loose leaf or larger teabags such as the pyramid shaped variety, brew for two to three minutes.