Cozy home - How to Choose a Hot Water Dispenser for the Kitchen

Thermopot is a cross between an electric kettle, a thermos and a samovar. Its main function is in common with a kettle — boiling water, with a thermos — the ability to keep water hot, with a samovar — a way to pour water without raising the tank.

More than twenty years ago, this miracle of technology was invented in Japan, but it is impossible to find a device for preparing hot drinks more suitable for Russian cultural and everyday realities.
If we compare a thermo pot with a kettle, then, on the one hand, it heats the water more slowly, and on the other hand, it never lets it cool down, which the kettle cannot do.

This is very useful for saving electricity for those who have the habit of boiling water in a kettle, but not using it hot. The samovar is undoubtedly the most sincere and beautiful device for heating water, however, from a practical point of view, the thermo pot has a larger number of functions and their well-thought-out execution, respectively, it satisfies the needs of a modern person much better.

Principle of operation

To use a thermal pot, open the lid, pour water into it, after which it boils it and maintains the temperature at a certain level — set by the user or set by default. After boiling, you can pour water into a mug or wherever you want. The spout of the thermo pot is on top, so a pump is used to supply water to it from the reservoir. Usually, a thermopot is equipped with two types of pumps at the same time — manual (pump platform on the sweat cover) and electric.

Volume

In terms of the volume of the water tank, thermo pots are larger than kettles, but smaller than samovars. So, the smallest thermopots hold from 1.5 to 3 liters, they are suitable for families of up to three people. A thermo pot of this volume is quite compact, it will fit well into a small kitchen.

Medium-sized thermo pots — from 3.2 to 4.5 liters — are suitable for large families, as well as those who use a lot of hot water for other reasons. There are also thermopots that hold 5-6 liters of water, they are convenient to use in the country or during family holidays. Devices of even larger volume are intended rather for catering points.

Power

To maintain a certain water temperature, thermopots still require a small amount of electricity, which distinguishes them from thermoses, however, they can maintain it indefinitely. To boil water, the maximum power of the device is used, and to maintain the temperature, the power is about ten times less.

For different models, both parameters can be very different, so you should check them before buying. Thermal pots with high power (from 900 W) and low consumption in maintenance mode are considered more efficient. Thermopots with a lower power (from 500 to 900 W) will boil water more slowly.

Housing material

The material of the thermopot body affects two points — aesthetic and practical. The metal case of the thermopot is less susceptible to mechanical damage, the outer surface is less abraded during cleaning, and if the case is not painted, it has the natural color of the metal.

The plastic case will not withstand significant mechanical stress, its surface can change its appearance due to careless maintenance, but from an aesthetic point of view, it is in no way inferior to the metal one. Whatever material the body of the device is made of, in no case should it get very hot during the operation of the thermopot.

Design

The appearance of thermo pots varies significantly from traditional cylindrical cases with control panel visors and Gzhel painting to futuristic chopped or streamlined shapes in monochrome. When selected by this parameter, comrades are not searched. The main colors of thermopots are usually white, black, grey, silver and beige, but you can find other colors of thermopots.

Design features

Most thermopots have the following design features:

a carrying handle, it may be needed to move the thermal pot, for example, closer to the festive table;
detachable lid makes it easier to drain the remaining water, and also makes it more convenient to fill;
a base that allows you to rotate the device around its axis will allow you to lift a heavy full thermopot less often.

Location

It should be borne in mind that the thermal pot is larger than the kettle and requires such an arrangement that the steam generated when water boils does not damage the surrounding furniture or finishing materials.

Connection cable

The power cord in most models is detachable so that it is convenient to transfer the thermopot. The length of the cord is important if you are going to install the device far from the outlet, but not too important in operation, since the device is able to maintain the temperature of the water for a while without mains power.

Control Panel

The thermopot functions are controlled using a keypad installed in its upper part. Most often, boiling is done automatically as soon as the tank is full and the power to the device is turned on. The minimum set of buttons is re-boiling, unblocking the water supply and supplying water with an electric pump.

A button-key is traditionally placed behind the spout of the device, under pressure on which the edge of a mug or other container (pressure direction is up) also turns on the water supply. The more various additional functions, the more buttons on the panel. Some models are already equipped with displays that display the selected modes and temperature values.

Thus, the displays also perform the function of indication, which in simpler models is carried out with the help of indicator lamps. Traditionally, the display shows the following processes and functions:

boiling,
temperature maintenance mode
lack of sufficient water
blocking or unblocking the water supply function.

However, the display also accompanies other specific functions, such as the child lock or the descaling program.

Temperature conditions

The simplest thermopots are equipped with only one temperature setting, which is maintained immediately after boiling, sometimes it is indicated as «below the boiling point», usually around 80 degrees Celsius. In advanced devices, you can set the desired temperature yourself with an accuracy of up to a degree Celsius. How many modes you will need and how specific they will be — you need to decide in advance. For example, the following modes can be given:

40-50 °C is the optimal temperature for baby food,
60-80 ° C will be required for green tea lovers,
85-90 ° C — for oolong lovers,
95°C for black tea and coffee.

It should not be forgotten that the water in the thermopot will reach the set value when it cools down to it after boiling. The cooling time for all models is different.

Protective functions

Thermo pots have some of the most modern user protection functions for household appliances. The two main ones are protection against overheating and fire when there is not enough water, as well as protection against burns from steam or water (if the feed buttons are accidentally pressed).

Be sure to read the instructions carefully in order to take advantage of all the life, health and property protection functions provided for in a particular model. However, it is recommended to check the operation of protective functions before purchase, since several resources involved in testing equipment indicate that these functions did not work in all real samples.

To confirm this fact, the author conducted tests on a personal thermopot, the instructions for which indicate the overheating protection function (there is no water or there is not enough water), and made sure that it does not work.

Additional functions

Modern models of thermo pots are equipped with various additional functions. You should familiarize yourself with this list in advance, perhaps try out their work in the store, otherwise there is a risk of overpaying for unused additional amenities. Every year, manufacturers come up with more and more of them, we list the additional features that have already proven themselves:

Delayed start — one of the frequently used additional functions — allows you to start boiling not immediately, but after a while (usually after several hours),
The backlight will help you fill in the right amount of water and set the modes in a dark kitchen,
Self-cleaning will relieve some of the hassle of caring for the device,
Sound signals will notify you when water is ready,
The filter will purify the water as it is supplied.

Price

The cost of a thermal pot will depend on a combination of all of the above parameters, as well as on the value of the brand under which it is released.