Jura-Capresso H2O Plus Water Kettle
by Jura-Capresso
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Jura-CapressoBrand: Jura-Capresso
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Jura-Capresso H2O Plus Water Kettle
Customer Review: Excellent design, but questionable health risk
Summary: 3 Stars
This product is smartly designed and boils water in a very short period of time. I have used one for almost 2 years now, especially since becoming more of a tea drinker. I was so happy with it, I wrote a review and gave it *5* stars. However, I now rescind that rating.
Why? Because I now have some health risk concerns. You see, the product came with a strong plastic smell inside the kettle. And even after quite a few baths in vinegar and lemon shortly after I purchased it, the smell persisted. I didn't think much of it then, expecting it would dissipate over time. Well, it hasn't. Almost *2* years later, and the smell is still noticeable.
Smell is an important sense. It warns us of obvious and potential hazards. Where human inventions are concerned that deal with food and beverages, contamination is a paramount concern. I've heard from experts about how exposure to aluminum products can result in aluminum build-up in humans to unhealthy levels. It is also true of polymers. That gasket which is used to separate the heating element from the glass carafe in the Capresso is of polymer design. A super dense piece of plastic can continue leaching chemicals from it for many, many years. And I suspect that the Capresso company has managed to use an inappropriate material.
My claims are not founded with any scientific evidence. I called up the Capresso company and the representative assured me that they do NOT have a recall on this product for this reason (there is one for an earlier model, prior to the 259, that had a flimsy handle which breaks easily). She assured me that, and I quote, "there are absolutely NO health risks at all in using Capresso water kettles." But a smell is a smell... I don't like it. And really, quite frankly, I do not want to be a future statistic when the day comes where my doctor has told me I have cancer, which ends up being traced back to polymer exposure from this water kettle. It could be 1 year from now, or 15 years from now.
Capresso did make an offer to me, despite being out of warranty. For $35, about half the cost of a new one, she's mail me a new one. I wouldn't have to return the original. Not a bad deal. But there wouldn't be any guarantee that the next one wouldn't have this smell problem. And given how the product is made in China, and the recent chemical issues encountered with products made there, who knows... maybe even those products that DO NOT SMELL might be leaching particulates that can enter the body and accumulate.
If you wish to discount the concern I've stated and want to more about the product's other characteristics, I can describe them. The Capresso Water Kettle is of solid quality. A noticeable difference from the previous model. And it heats water at a rapid pace. I estimate it takes about 2.5 minutes to boil water at a level about 1/4" above the heating element--enough for two cups of tea. And since it works fast, you can always heat more water. The design is aesthetic too--looks very modern. And the new electric base design where you just place the kettle on top of it works extremely well (other hot water heaters have this design now). Two of the other reviewers complained about the silver finish, because they were expecting it to be metal. I can see the photo might be a little misleading. But I find the silver plastic to be of good, acceptable quality. I'm not looking to showcase my kitchen to Home & Garden anytime soon! And I don't care for the chrome option, as it's much harder to keep clean, showing every fingerprint.
Here's a tip: For a long while, I used my Capresso water kettle only for making tea. But one day it dawned on me that when I need to boil a lot of water for making pasta, it would be faster to do a full kettle of water and about 1/2 inch of water in the pot. By the time the pot water heats up to a boil, the water in the Capresso kettle will be boiling. I'd say it cuts the time to make pasta in half. Using less energy means a definite savings, so eventually the Capresso not only pays for itself but keeps saving you money. Not bad!
All of this sounds great, and it is. I just wish that there wasn't a plastic smell continuing to leach out of the kettle. It concerns me and I don't want expose myself to a health risk.
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