The Best of Tea

When I was a kid, our neighbors had, what I considered to be, the coolest toy around: an in-sink hot-water dispenser. It might sound strange for a 6 year-old kid to be so captivated with a kitchen appliance, but I just loved that you could push a button and *poof* hot steaming water; no waiting for the water to go from cold to warm to hot. No, just instant hot water on demand.

As I got older, I occasionally considered having one put in our house. I am glad now I never did. It seems that these in-sink dispensers have a horrible habit of breaking down after a couple years. I was disappointed as it seemed my dream of instant hot water would never be realized.

Fortunately, this tale has a happy ending.

I recently discovered the Zojirushi dispensing pot. About the size of a small toaster, this pot holds four liters of water, which is plenty — even for a large family. What makes it even better than in-sink dispensers is that it can maintain water at one of three temperature settings: 175, 195, or 208 degrees. Each setting is designed specifically to be ideal for white/green, black, and herbal teas. Switching between the temperatures is straightforward, only requiring the push of one button. If you drink a mix of teas, I would suggest keeping the water at 175 and increase it as needed. The pot boils water much more quickly than it allows it to cool. Going from 175 to 208 takes just a few minutes.

Dispensing the water requires pushing two buttons: unlock and dispense. I have already found the unlock button to be an essential safety feature, as my 4 year-old son apparently shares my fascination with hot water devices.

The pot also includes a window that allows you to see how much water is remaining. When you do need to refill the pot, it automatically boils the water after closing the lid, and then drops to the specified temperature.

Zojirushi also included a water dechlorination and descaling feature. I’m not sure water sort of voodoo-water-magic is involved, but it is a nice feature.

My only two complaints with the device are that it could be more attractive, and the way the cord plugs in the back of the unit is odd. Instead of inserting the cord into the pot, the cord is magnetically attached. My guess is that this is a safety feature in case the pot ever falls off a counter.

Overall, I am thrilled with the pot. If you are serious about drinking more tea — and given the health effects of tea — you should be, you should really consider buying the Zojirushi pot.