Excellent piece of technology
I will be honest and say we ordered this as it was very similar to our Neostar 5ltr hot water dispenser which finally stopped working after 4 years of use, and because the Neostar was out of stock.
Well, I'm not disappointed. In fact I'm well impressed, so far I'd say it is slightly better than the Neostar.
It arrived well packaged (and double boxed) and inside it was set in styrofoam to stop it from moving. The user manual is very well written and understandable.
When I first filled it up to the full mark it took 24 minutes to boil. It beeps to let you know it's done. I use filtered water from a filter jug as opposed to the tap as I'm in a hard water area. I rarely let it get too low so filling up from about a quarter full takes less time to boil. The boiling point does reach 100 degrees but it settles to about 97 degrees which you can see from the photos. The water line is easy to see because the blue stripe is blurrier and enlarged when in water, leaving the small narrow blue stripes showing above the water level.
I usually use the silver button next to the unlock button for pouring my hot water but the little switch at the back of the pouring spout is just as good. Just remember to press the unlock button before you use either.
I like that it has a self cleaning function (which the Neostar didn't have), I will admit that I haven't used it yet because I've not had this a full month.
I was surprised it arrived with a cream sort of overcover plug, you'll see from the photos what I mean, my husband said that its likely because it has come from Germany and needs that for our voltage here in the UK. It hasn't put me off the product and I could have moved the dispenser in front of it so that it was out of sight but I prefer my dispenser on the edge of the worktop.
So far I haven't found anything negative to say about this product. I know that some of you out there will be unhappy that it doesn't stick to the 100 degrees, depending on what you want the water for, but it is perfect for making hot drinks and cooking. There is a reboil function if you want to use it.
When empty it is quite light to carry, there is a swivel base that allows you to turn it easily, which is very useful for me when I'm filling it up. Whilst it's boiling I leave it nearer the front of the worktop so that it doesn't get steam coming out of it whilst positioned under my wall cabinet. Only when its boiled do I return it back to its normal place (against the wall behind the tray).
The Neostar cost me well over £100 all those years ago and I know these have come down in price. I paid £79 (which converted to 72 euros and change), which I personally think is worth it. I am not really well off but because I've used one before I believe this to be good value and was willing to pay the price.
I would certainly recommend this product, and I won't be returning to a standard kettle any time soon.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: New