Review: The Breville Hot Cup is my cup of tea

By JULIAN GAVAGHAN
Updated:


Breville HotCup

The Breville Hot Cup boils water a mug at a time in a speedy 40 seconds

Breville. The name conjures up childhood memories of its popular toastie maker.

But you may be surprised to know the firm also sells an appliance which doesn't involve volcano-hot cheese oozing from sealed sandwich pockets. 

The Australian firm, which has been manufacturing home gadgets for 72 years, has come up with a promising new device called the Breville Hot Cup.

In essence, it's a kettle, but its party trick is that it boils one mug of water at a time. As this takes just 40 seconds it's perfect for when you're desperate for that cup of tea. 

And by using less energy for each boil, it promises to reduce your carbon footprint too.

The Hot Cup is simple to set up. You fill the main 1.5-litre compartment like a regular kettle, slot it into the power base and place your mug on the drip tray under the spout.

Then push the button and in less than a minute it pours up to 250ml of boiling water.

The spacecraft-like blue light that illuminates the water as the 3000W electric element heats it is a nice touch.

Hot Cup users can decide how much water they want from a dainty teacup to a large mug by moving a slide switch.

Precise volumes are hard to predict though and it takes practice to get the amount you want exactly right.

Luckily, there is a stop button, so that you can stop the flow if it looks like your cup is about to overfill.

While it might be perfect for a small office or the home, the Hot Cup is inconvenient if more than one person wishes to use it at a time.

Once you’ve boiled a cup, it takes the same length of time to boil another, meaning the process could be quicker with a regular kettle if making a round of drinks.

Also, the boiling noise is pretty loud and reminded me of a passenger jet taking off.

And, costing up to £60 in the shops, it is a lot pricier than most kettles too.

But, apart from these few grumbles, it is an impressive gadget.

Unlike many of its competitors, such as the Tefal Quick Cup (the first of its kind to market), the Hot Cup actually boils the water properly.

So, in less time than a regular kettle and wasting less energy, it brews a decent cup of tea. That’s no mean feat.


 

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