Capresso 261.04 teaC100 Temperature Controlled Water Kettle

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $88.16
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Fits my needs perfectly; I drink about 3 8oz cups of tea each morning. No issues thus far after 3 weeks of daily usage.

Initial heating of water first thing in the morning:

Filled to maximum capacity which is 48 oz

Water and ambient air temperature: 75 F

Time to reach 195 F was 4 mins 30 secs.

Used the following to measure temperature:

CDN DTQ450X ProAccurate Quick-Read Thermometer

Reheats within minutes if reheating within a few hours after the initial heating. I do not refill the kettle with water until after making my last cup of tea.

Love its simplicity of operation!

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Update: 10.11.2012

Kettle still going strong, still using daily.

To operate:

Turn dial to desired temperature then press the center of the dial to turn on.

When ON, a blue ring on the knob lights up along with a blue LED next to the selected temperature. Lighting turns OFF when water is at desired temperature.

Would have been nice if it had a means to audibly notify that the water is at the desired temperature.

Still luv'in the kettle...

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Update: 01.08.2013

Kettle stopped heating water earlier Dec '12, received replacement after Christmas '12. Had to shipped back the unit to Capresso at my own expense.

The replacement was a new unit, but the power switch does appear to be defective. The switch sometimes requires an extra press or two to turn the unit on. Haven't decided if I want to request another replacement, appears there are quality issues after reading some of the other reviews.

Somewhat disappointing after owning a Capresso espresso maker for over 6 years which is still going strong.

Changed rating from 5 stars to 3...

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We've been using this Capresso electric kettle pretty heavily (several times daily) for just over a month, and so far it's working quite well.

Pros:

No plastic parts in contact with water (important for health reasons).

Temperature control works very well, so it's great for tea lovers.

Reasonably attractive retro-modern design.

Auto-shutoff works properly at high altitude (8500 feet here), unlike at least one of it's temperature-controlled competitors.

Cons:

The unique design of this kettle has a flaw for single-serving use: The steel dome at the bottom must be completely submerged to avoid damage, which means you always have to heat at least 2 1/2 cups at a time, even if you only need one (because if you only put one cup in, it won't cover the top of the steel dome). This unnecessarily wastes energy, water, and time, and this problem doesn't exist with other kettles (it's specifically a result of the design of this particular model with the dome at the bottom).

Another downside to the glass-and-steel design: If your water is hard, the beautiful, shiny steel dome will be covered in calcium scaling before long, and since the kettle is glass, that scaling is visible. In our home, the water is quite hard and it only takes a day of use for the scaling to be quite visible. So, unless your water is pretty soft, you'll have to choose between frequent cleanings with vinegar or leaving a visibly scaled-up kettle on your counter. In other words, in hard-water locations, it's a more high-maintenance kettle than its all-steel competitors. We can't fault the manufacturer for the quality of our water, but we wanted to make sure that you, the prospective consumer, are aware of what you're signing up for if you have hard water.

Still, we're reasonably happy with the purchase. We're totally sold on the concept of temperature-controlled kettles and we're happy to have found a plastic-free model that works dependably (so far). Next time, though, we'd look for another plastic-free model that doesn't have the steel dome design and thus can be used for single servings without wastage.

BTW, we're sorry to see other reviewers experiencing failed units and some other issues, but we haven't encountered any of these problems (at least not after one month of heavy use).

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UPDATE Aug 25, 2013: Just a quick follow-up to say our kettle is still going strong months later. We have not had any of the problems with the power button that others are reporting. Perhaps it's the luck of the draw.

Buy Capresso 261.04 teaC100 Temperature Controlled Water Kettle Now

I bought this based on the other great reviews, but mine quit working after a week. I returned it through Amazon's great return policy. One other thing to note is that it has a large silicone rubber type ring in the bottom of the kettle to seal the heating element to the glass kettle. There is no mention if this is BPA free or not.

As a replacement for this kettle, I ordered the Bonavita 1-Liter Variable Temperature Digital Electric Gooseneck Kettle. So far it has been fantastic. It has a variable temperature setting the will maintain a constant temperature for a pre-determined time. The Capresso would bring the water to one of five pre-determined temperatures and then shut off once it has been reached. Plus the Bonavita is an all stainless kettle. The only plastic on the kettle is where the handle attaches at the very top, which is out of reach of the heated water. I highly recommend the Bonavita over the Capresso.

Read Best Reviews of Capresso 261.04 teaC100 Temperature Controlled Water Kettle Here

They have a problem with this hot water heater for tea--something internal malfunctioned as there isn't much to go wrong elsewhere. Bad experience for my tea-loving wife and thus for me too!

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It is a cute kettle and the temperature settings are good for people who like to drink tea. I really liked it when I got it. However, mine stopped working for 1.5 months after I got it. The kettle stopped to heat water: the blue light kept flashing every time I pressed it and then turn the kettle off automatically. Well, the customer service is fine. They asked me to ship it back (I paid the shipping fee) and sent me a replacement. The replacement was also deficient. It was hard to shift the temperature control to the right place, where the power button can be pressed to heat water, and one of the temperature setting cannot be choose. I am waiting for the another replacement (they paid the shipping fee to return it this time) and hope to get one that works perfectly.