This summer, in boiling hot Turkey of all places, 10-year-old Sophie discovered a passion for fruit tea and had great fun trying out all the different flavours at the breakfast buffet. Well, when we got back, she wanted to carry on and excitedly bought some red berry and blackberry & apple tea at the supermarket.
However, I wasn't so sure. On holiday, you just had to push a button and the hot water came out straight into your cup. You still had to be careful you didn't spill it and scald yourself or burn your tongue on overly hot tea, but there was no steam to add to the risk. I really wasn't keen on her using the kettle because of the steam aspect and also because it's so heavy that it would be easy to drop or spill, so I told her to heat a mug of water in the microwave. Even then, it's still a bit awkward getting the mug in and out without spilling it and it's not easy to judge how long it needs to heat for.
When Morphy Richards told me that the latest Innovators project was trying out their brand new One Cup machine, I thought it sounded ideal. And it is. It's so incredibly simple to use that it's Sophie's absolutely favourite gadget (of the kitchen variety anyway!), she worked out how to use it all by herself and she's been showing us how it works !
As the name suggests, you just empty one cup of water into the wide opening at the back, close the flap, put your cup on the grille under the spout, push the button and, within 30 seconds, hot water comes dribbling out to fill your cup. Sophie loves standing there watching it do its magic but there is also the added bonus that - if you're in a mad rush and want to gain a few precious minutes in the morning - you can put your teabag in the cup before you put it under the spout, then wander off and make your toast or sort your cereal out or whatever and when you come back, the tea will be ready to drink.
As you pour in the exact amount you need, there's no way it can overflow and this also avoids wasting water and electricity every time you overfill the kettle (and let's face it, we all do). The One Cup can hold between 150ml (a cup) to 300ml (a mug) so it's ideal for students, old people or anyone who lives on their own. For the elderly, the fact that it avoids handling heavy kettles is another great safety feature.
It looks really stylish on the counter too. It's been dubbed "the spitting penguin" in our house by the kids, because they think it looks like a penguin and Juliette always laughs when the water starts coming out ! I love the fact that it comes in black or red and perfectly matches the Accents toaster and kettle (that I reviewed here and here) as well as our red Dolce Gusto machine.
My only slight qualm is that it's designed for one cup, whereas I'm sure many couples would prefer a dual "tea for two" One Cup (or should that be Two Cup ?) so that they could use it as a timesaver in the morning at the same time. Although nothing's stopping them from buying two and running them simultaneously !
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £34.99
for more information : http://www.morphyrichards.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Product=43930
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Looks like a handy gadget.
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