Zojirushi
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I’ve had mine for a while (maybe not this exact model, but these kinds of Zojirushi Water Boiler and Warmers. It literally could not get better for the single tea drinker. You can make tea a cup at a time, pre-boil water and have it around until you need it, or make a pot in a few minutes. I can’t recommend it enough.
This thing is great for hot beverages as long as you dont steep your tea in the thermos itself and then cap it (I did this and the tea went sour before it was at a drinkable temp)
For cold beverages this thing is phenomenal, I had a drink with ice one night in spring drank all the beverage and had some ice left over with about an 1/8 inch of water from it melting and in the morning(9-10 hours later) I still had ice and just over a 1/4 inch of water.
10/10 would recommend to a friend who listens well or coffee with cream drinkers
8/10 for a coffee drinker/ tea drinker that likes HOT beverages but sips them
6/10 for a "run out the door and Steep’ person (just too hot for too long)
I don’t think I could live without this boiler. My wife wanted to borrow mine for a month and I didn’t hesitate to immediately (and I mean overnight) buy another one. Do I regret having two? NOPE! Never out of water to brew tea and I can set each at different temps when I want to switch from Puerh to Oolong tea on a whim. Love this thing!
I have one of these and it works wonderfully. I have to be careful to let my tea cool down before putting it in the thermos because it will stay too-hot-to-drink for hours. I’ve actually left tea in it over night, and opened it the next morning to find the tea still steaming.
Best thing ever.
Basically, I drink so much tea that I kept breaking cheap (under $30) electric kettles every year/year and a half. After going through my third one (the base leaked water and it became an electric hazard), I figured I’d save up over the summer for one of these and wound up getting it a little before classes started, which was almost two weeks ago. I’ll try to remember to update this over time.
So far, no complaints. I picked this one (instead of the 3L Champagne Gold model) due to its larger capacity and vaccum-electric hybrid, which is supposed to help reduce electricity consumption (which would hopefully lead to a slightly lower electric bill than if I’d gotten the 3L model). The music notification irritated me, but pressing and holding the “Unlock” button for several seconds can set it to Beep or Silent mode, so I set it for the former.
There are three temperature settings (in F): 208, 195, 175, and a Vaccum Insulation-only mode.
The only two things I want to point out:
It always boils water first, then lets it cool to the temperature specified. This is probably the only big flaw I can see for tea drinkers who want to make the most out of their water by only letting it heat up to the temperature they want and not go over that.
For college/grad students (or people who do a lot of moving and live in small spaces like studio or efficiency apartments): This is kinda big. Not massive, but definitely a little bigger than I expected (it has a 4L capacity, after all). But it shouldn’t be too hard to find a box for it if you don’t have the original and need to move. And it’s not oddly shaped like a gooseneck kettle, which is a huge plus when it comes to packing.
Awesome review, was wondering how this thing actually works. Seems like it would take up an additional room all to itself! 4 L is obscenely huge and incredibly tick. I think the boil then cool is the way to go, it follows the method for Japanese tea, and would also boil off any odd tastes and stray bacteria in the water. If the local water supply goes bad you would be all set for that too!
How long does it take to heat the water? I downloaded the Owner Manual from the website and it said 35-40 minutes! Seriously?? Is that true?
It boils for a few minutes before the “done” notification sounds. From my experience, it takes around 30 minutes to go from cold tap water to a “done” boil beep. I’ve taken to unplugging and refilling it with room temperature water after the water level drops a little under 1L. It seems to take around 15-20 minutes to get to the “done” beep then. You can dispense water at any time as it’s heating up though.
Wow, I guess this product isn’t for me then. I’ve heard such great things about it but I don’t want to wait 30 minutes just for boiling water. I guess it’s convenient for re-steeps? Anyway, thanks for writing back!
Oh, sorry if I wasn’t clear earlier— it keeps the water at the specified temperature (mine’s currently at the hottest, 208F) after the water heats up. So once the water’s boiled you don’t need to reboil/reheat it until it’s time to refill (or if you use the insulation-only mode). There’s a turn-on reboil timer that you can set in any mode, though I’ve really only ever used it when I kept it in the insulation-only mode. I’d set it at night and tell it to start heating up when I wake up so that I could have a cup of tea after my shower.
It’s super convenient for resteeping and for making tea throughout the day without needing to wait for the water to heat. It worked for me as a student since I’d study in my room a lot and constantly drink tea while studying/writing. For days where I’d be in the library, I could quickly fill up a giant thermos of hot water for “grandpa brewing” teas in a separate tumbler. A 2L electric kettle would have worked just as well for the latter scenario though.
For my current situation (spending more time outside the house), this is admittedly somewhat overkill since I run around with the giant thermos. I try to get in a few gongfu sessions most evenings—its convenience is much more apparent then. I think if you brew Western style once or twice a day and don’t tend to resteep or if you’re not at home very much when you make/drink tea, this might be a little excessive.
I hope that helps a bit more! Good luck on your teaware search!
Thanks Ag! I’m going to get a 2L electric kettle cause I think that’ll suite my needs just fine. I appreciate the detailed review!
Duplicate entry because there are two listings for this product and I am a big fan…….
I have been using the 12oz Zojirushi stainless steel travel mug for about 18 months – I use it daily and I absolutely love it. I tried the ever-popular Timolino (several models actually) and I was not really satisfied / not impressed. The Zojirushi beats them hands down IMHO. I love them so much, I bought a 16oz and I just picked up another 12oz recently.
They keep things hot all day long and do not “contaminate” the flavor at all. Fill it and drink out of it for hours knowing my tea’s temperature is just as I like it and then I brew and refill it again. If I want to drink out of a small cup, I use it as a teapot because I do not enjoy drinking lukewarm tea. Highly recommend to all.
Which Zo model # do you have: SM-KHE48AG or SM-KB48TM?
The travel mug do not know have the number in front of me now.
My specifics:
I started with the Zojirushi SM-KHE48NL (16 oz size. Still have it and use it. Paid $25 on Amazon.
Tried the 12 oz size a few months later and I find that I use this smaller one more frequently (SM-KHE36A6 and SM-KB36TM). Paid $23 for these; 1st 12 months ago and the 2nd about a month ago.
WHAAAAA? There’s a 16 oz??? swoooooon! I’m going to Amazon NOW! :)
I have been using the 12oz Zojirushi stainless steel travel mug for about 18 months – I use it daily and I absolutely love it. I tried the ever-popular Timolino (several models actually) and I was not really satisfied / not impressed. The Zojirushi beats them hands down IMHO. I love them so much, I bought a 16oz and I just picked up another 12oz recently.
They keep things hot all day long and do not “contaminate” the flavor at all. Fill it and drink out of it for hours knowing my tea’s temperature is just as I like it and then I brew and refill it again. If I want to drink out of a small cup, I use it as a teapot because I do not enjoy drinking lukewarm tea. Highly recommend to all.
I love this boiler, I have the 4 Liter version and it’s absolutely amazing it’s one of the best items I could ever invest in. Keeps water hot all day and has 4 temperature settings including a delay timer that I always use before I go to bed. I’ve used it for more than just tea, I use it for my pour over coffee and ramen noodles to instant potatoes!
Preparation
I don’t want to be snotty but I have both the Breville and the Zojirushi. Although the Zojirushi was fine for me at first, I still had trouble with over and under steeping. The Breville is soooo much better. I know the Breville is more expensive ($250) but I got it on sale at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $190. I know that they are not completely comparable but the additional money is well worth it to me.
AMAZING. Virtually a glorified kettle, but I can’t imagine life without it. I live out in the country, and have to be up VERY early for work (with a long commute) and I set my Zojirushi before I go to bed. I wake up to water that is already at the perfect temperature, steep my tea (or cook my hot oats) and head out the door.
It sings a little song to let you know the water has reached the correct temperature, which I find endearing.
I have also used it at parties so people could make hot chocolate on demand.
FYI: The sides are magnetic, so mine now has tea-themed magnets all over it!
Hi TeaRawcs,
How long have you had your Zo hybrid? Thanks!
Hi looseTman,
I’ve had it about 1.5 years now. I’ve never had any problems, but I live in the country and my water is VERY hard on it, so I buy jugs of spring water. The company sells a citrus cleaning thing (the machine collect minerals over the year, but you can just wipe it clean), however I used Lemon juice and boiled it and let it sit, and wiped it clean!
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Love love love this Zojirushi Water Boiler, saves time and the hassle of getting that right temperature. I currently have 2 of them, the first being almost 2 years ago and the second I’ve had for several months. The water comes out clean tasting every time and its very easy to maintain. This is one of the best investments a tea drinker can make.
Forget everything else I have looked at.
This is what I want for Christmas :-)
Nice! I’m still a Breville convert, only because it steeps it all for me as well as ensures the temperature is perfect.
Hmmm…lol…you keep me thinking, but I love the fact that it will keep the water your preferred temp ALL DAY!!
Ah, yes. That is the one default/downfall of mine. I do wish it kept things hotter, longer, especially when I’m brewing a liter of tea at a time.
Happy New Year CelebriTEA, What did Santa bring you for Christmas?
looseTman good to see you back!
mrmopar That’s very kind of you!
I’m very glad to be back. I’ve been out of town for several weeks helping my elderly parents. My father just had successful total knee replacement surgery. I’ve been too busy to taste & review tea or even to logon to Steepster. My diminishing stash of TeaVivre Premium Keemun Hao Ya & Verdant Laoshan Black teas have kept me going. I missed all the Christmas tea sales too! :-( As you can imagine, I now have a quite a backlog of teas to review which will take time for me to work through.
I am just glad you guys are ok! Tasting notes and reviews are not what caused my gladness!
Honestly, can’t think of a bad thing to say about the digital Zojirushi water dispensers… I actually have a different model, the 5L size in the same color, and I have run 2 of them side by side at 175 and 205 degrees. It just makes it so incredibly easy to infuse tea whenever you want… Highly, highly recommended (although I do agree, these are NOT cheap!)
I received one of these for my birthday this year. I had wanted one for a while, but figured that my electric tea kettle was pretty good and I never really was planning to buy a Zojirushi. Now I don’t know how to live without it. Water is ready to go when I wake up thanks to the timer feature and gone is the constant reheating water and waiting for it to cool to the right temp. This never seemed to be a big inconvenience at the time, but I don’t think I could get by with out the Zojirushi. I even bring it to work with me! The downside to this product, however, is that my tea consumption has gone way up and I have been buying much more tea than in the past!! (Although…on second thought…that really is not a downside!!)
This thing is pretty awesome. It heats up water quite fast and then it sings a little song when it is done. You can have it turn off for up to 10 hours and then it heats right back up automatically. I do wish that it had a longer standby setting than 10 hours (14 or something) but I’m glad it has one at all.
I put only filtered water in this and I think that’s what it says in the manual, not that I’ve read the manual in a really long time. You should rinse it out on occasion and that’s a bit of a pain to do, but this is otherwise a pretty fantastic water heater.
And it fits on my desk while hidden by the half wall of my cubicle such that the dreaded standards people can’t see it from the hall and tell me I shouldn’t have it. My coworker’s got a Keurig in plain sight for that.I don’t have this EXACT one – I have a 5litre black one with the descaling function – and I adore it. I use it constantly and drink way more tea than I did – The only one thing I dont like about it is that it doesn’t dispense properly all the time – almost like its clogged (it’s not) it dispenses the best when it’s between 2.5-4 litres – other than that it dispenses slowly (if that makes sense) I still love it thou and am so glad I bought it!
I’ve had mine for about a year now. I’ve been through 3 kettles prior to this one… no contest Zojirushi. Granted it takes longer to hit up the water, so it isn’t a ‘Now-for-NOW’ thing. I mostly ‘plan’ my tea drinking so I’m more than OK with it. Keeps water up to temperature as long as needed and has a timer setting which I use for the mornings.
To be honest, right now my favorite ‘feature’ is the cleaning. I live in DC and the water is HEAVY. Damages most kettles fairly easily and most say you can clean them but really residue always stays behind and water tastes awful. This one on the other hand hasn’t.
I have a zojirushi and I can’t imagine living without it now!
I also have a zojirushi & it is the best!
I agree with both of you 100%.
I am seriously contemplating the idea of this for the Holidays… hum, a gift from me to me maybe? JC, I read there are preset temperatures on it, but I’m assuming they are for the keep warm feature and that you can set the exact tempature you need if you want and not just the presets?
Well you can’t preset your own temperature. You can choose from 4 presets that are also ‘keep warm’ sets: 140, 175, 195, 208F. Lower temperatures take longer because it HAS to go through the Boiling process then lowers the temperature. But it keeps the water in the correct temperature all day and longer if needed.
The timer can also be set to an specific temperature. The cool thing about it is that it takes into consideration the ‘cool down’ time, so if you want 175f water it will start boiling with enough time so it will cool down to the proper temperature by the time you planned. Honestly I think the temperatures are perfect. if you need an ‘in between’ just use a small pitcher and pour hotter than wanted water count around 30 seconds and it would have easily dropped 5-15 degrees depending on your environment. Hope this helps.
Great, it helped a lot, thanks for the details JC :-)
I’ve been eyeing this for a while and I finally got it for my birthday. Although I did not get mine from Mandala (sorry Garrett), I figured I might as well use this thread.
I love this thing. I was REALLY starting to slow down on drinking tea just because I didn’t feel like going downstairs and going through the hassle of heating the water on the stove and all that. This thing is a lifesaver. The hot water is there when I need it, no hassle necessary. There are even different temperature settings perfect for every type of tea (208, 195, 175, and 140). It keeps THREE LITERS of water at the perfect temperature, all day. A simple press of a button and you’re only minutes away from a cup of tea. It’s great for gongfu brewing and also wonderful for western style. Now I can drink tea all day without having to heat water.
I highly recommend that anyone who is serious about their tea should get this device.
Happy Birthday! :)
Yes, happy birthday!
I love my breville so I don’t see the need for this device at time, and I think that my husband would flip out if I told him I needed another pricy tea gadget. LOL But the breville does everything I need it to.
Happy birthday!
happy Birthday! Great birthday present! :)
Happy birthday! And oh boy, what a great present!
Happy Birthday!! hope it’s a great one :)
that is an awesome gift!!
Happy Birthday!
OK, so this isn’t a tea, but it is what I use to heat water for tea (as well as other things which require hot water). It’s a bit on the pricey side (~$100), but the auto-timer, four different temperature settings, and HUGE capacity make it well worth the investment if you’re an avid tea drinker.
One of my zojirushi kettles is over 8 years old, another one over 6 and my youngest is 5 yrs old. They are used and abused here at our tea shop and the coffee/tea houses that we sell these to are quite happy with them. They are workhorses and my life has not been the same since getting my first one :)
Used this baby last night for a pu-erh session with hubby and a movie. Not once did I have to leave my seat to make water or anything. I LOVE THIS! LOVE!
Upping rating to 100!!!
I considered getting one of these before I got my breville, but, I don’t think I need it. Sure, it’d be handy (and nice) to have, but, I don’t think I’d get the use out of it to justify the expense.
Well I don’t and won’t get AS much use out of it as I do my Breville but it sure is nice to have when you know you will be sitting and re-steeping a lot. I usually avoid my better re-steepable teas because I really don’t have time to keep going back to my breville. HOWEVER with this now I can use it in the evening or anytime I have sit my rear down and enjoy my life time and use my Breville for when I am working and just making a few teas through out the day. Oh also this is so light and easy to carry around with the handle I am going to take it when we go to St. Louis in a couple of weeks. That way it will be in the hotel already hot and ready to go when I want a tea and I can get in the room – steep the tea – and get out again. :) So I would say if you have any desire for things like that – it is TOTALLY worth it.
Doggone it, I didn’t think I needed anything like this, but now you are talking me into it!
That’s a good point – using it on the road. Please update after your trip and let us know how it handled as a “traveling companion” :)
I shall update after the travels! I just anticipate without it I would suffer not having time to steep good tea. This I can put in the water, leave and come back and the water is ready to go – even for a black it reboils quickly as it holds the heat at 208 if that is what you set it at.
Timer allows for up to 10 hours which is AWESOME!
Also I know how I am in the mornings – on travel its even worse! This is going to make mornings SO much easier on everyone haha.
I would not dare take my breville on a trip and while I do have my kettle with the thermometer on it which would be handy to take it still would not be as simple as having the water right there.
This thing reminds me of something you would see at a convention, or a wedding party, or something.
There are a ton of different styles but this is one of the smaller ones which is perfect for me.
I don’t know if they all have a handle though and the handle is NICE!
I don’t do a whole lot of traveling… but I can definitely see how this could become a necessary item if you do a lot of traveling… very good point!
Looking on Mandala it looks as though they do all have the handles.
Damn…. I really want one. It’s such a pain to be constantly heating water, especially for multiple-infusion teas.
You should get one when you can. At least you won’t be buying TEA lol
My only problem with the Zojirushi is that it only has three set temperatures. A super-high quality green or white tea (which I don’t drink often these days, considering a tight budget) responds much better to a slightly hotter temperature, maybe 180-185 degrees. I have seen water heaters that will heat water to the degree, but they are hard to come by and more expensive than Zojirushi. In the meantime, I will have to deal with watching for the shrimp eyes at the bottom of my saucepan.
Well for the most part I got mine for pu-erh however does have that added benefit of transportability but the re-boil feature was the big draw for me.
I’ve thought about one of these. I’ve heard great things about them. Did you get yours from somewhere special or get a good deal on them?
I got mine from Mandala Teas online.
I love Garret the owner.
The prices were fair, online with what you would see them for on Amazon.
I did find one about 4 bucks cheaper but I prefer to buy from Garret at Mandala.
When I was looking into yixing pots and such, he spent over 45 minutes to an hour with me on the phone just chatting about tea. He took the time and was not in a rush, he explained things, answered a million questions, responds to email, facebook, and here on Steepster quickly.
He not only is a tea guru but he runs a spiritual healing business which is in the genera of work I am in so that is cool as well.
I just like the guy and its always great to keep our money invested in small business.
I paid 125.00 for mine and has been worth every cent.
