Tefal Quick Cup Review

Typical price:

£60

We like:

The design; its simplicity; the way it avoids heavy lifting; the fact it makes over-filling obsolete; the corporate eco reporting

We don't like:

The water filters' embodied energy; the up-front cost

SmartPlanet judgement:

This is a great eco kettle, and avoids being too heavy -- a charge levelled at its rivals -- by using a simple dispenser tap instead of a traditional pouring spout. Sure, it's around three times the price of a typical kettle, and twice that of the cheapest energy-saving kettle, but you get what you pay for. In this case: a nice design, simplicity and a smaller carbon mug-print.

Score:

Contact:

Nice Car Company at http://www.tefal.co.uk/tefal/
Telephone: +44 (0)845 602 1454

Eco kettles are an antidote to a peculiarly modern problem: tea addicts over-filling the kettle just to make one brew. The Quick Cup is the latest attempt to solve the dilemma, following hot (ahem) on the heels of the official Eco Kettle and the Plunger Kettle.

Unlike the reservoir-and-boiling chamber approach of those two, this machine borrows coffee shops' instant boiling water tech. Press the red button on the top and simple -- you get exactly one mug's hot water.

If the long-term savings are anything like the popular Eco Kettle, you'll use 30 per cent less electricity to enjoy your Darjeeling. Factor in that most kettles use the equivalent of 300 energy-saving bulbs, and you're talking about a big cut in your carbon and electricity bill.

We like the Quick Cup's design. As well as looking handsome, its choice of a tap over a pouring spout side-steps the weight issues levelled at the Eco Kettle and Plunger Kettle -- both of which are much heavier than your average kettle. And it's high enough to fit over most saucepans.

Boiling the right amount of water means you get a lightning fast cuppa. It took just 15 seconds to fill our very average-sized mugs, though you can programme the default boil size if you usually sup from a vast bowl. It's worth noting the temperature of the boiled water is a mite cooler than a typical kettle, which is fine for herbal teas but will annoy some English Breakfast drinkers. The kettle also makes a juddering sound when boiling, which is disturbing the first time but didn't bother us during our months of testing.

As well as making nice kit, Tefal has a pretty clean reputation as a company: its main business is selling kitchen appliances like this kettle. There's also a reasonably detailed sustainability plan on its website, including some good concrete goals, such as making many of its products recyclable.

On the downside, the kettle's water filter will need replacing every few months, cancelling out some of your carbon savings through manufacture and distribution. At last check, Tefal isn't even offering a UK recycling scheme for the filters. Fortunately, you can happily use the kettle without the filters.

The other catch is the price, which is three times more than your average kettle (but about the same as a posh Dualit one). If you make enough tea, though, you'll likely make your money back eventually… and in the meantime, this is a stylish way to cut your carbon mug-print.

Score breakdown:

 

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