Water heaters are excellent at fulfilling typical hot water needs such as showering and washing clothes and dishes, not to mention that nobody enjoys washing their hands with cold water. But purchasing a Zojirushi water boiler is an excellent way to have hot water available at a moments notice for hot beverages and other cooking needs.
Zojirushi is one of several companies who manufacturer these highly convenient and increasingly popular kitchen water boilers. They're portable, easy to clean, and extremely handy, and once you start using one you'll wonder how you've ever lived without a water boiler! This article will help you determine if a Zorirushi water boiler is right for you.
What is a Zojirushi Water Boiler?
Zojirushi is a Japanese manufacturer of consumer electronics. Water boilers are one of their flagship product lines. These appliances do exactly what you would expect . . . they boil water. However, Zojirushi water boilers aren't like standard kettles.
Kettles are meant to heat water fast. Water boilers aren't. Instead, the goal of a Zojirushi water boiler is to provide you with water at the temperature you prefer for long periods of time.
For example, maybe you and your family like to make tea in the morning, but never enjoy your beverage at the same time. You could use a Zojirushi water boiler to keep the water warm over a period of a few hours so that everyone in your family can make tea instantly at a time that best suits their schedule.
When compared to a traditional kettle, each time a family member is ready to enjoy their cup of tea, they'll need to reheat the water.
How Do Zojirushi Water Boilers Compare to The Competition
Zojirushi appliances are often considered the top of the line when it comes to water boilers, but how do they really compare? This chart takes a close look at the Zojirushi CD-WCC40 Water Boiler and Warmer with two competitors.
Why Zojirushi Water Boilers are Special
Zojirushi water boilers are loaded with special features that make it even easier for consumers to access hot water on demand.
For example, models like the Zojirushi Micom Water Boiler & Warmer have timers that allow you to choose the time you want water hot. You could program the timer before going to bed and wake up to warm water that's ready to be used immediately.
Zojirushi Micom Water Boiler & Warmer CD-LFC50
Similarly, most Zojirushi boilers include different heating modes. Many have what the company calls "Quick Temp Mode", which enables you to warm the water that you need even faster than normal. They also offer multiple temperature settings to hold the water, to help you get the highest quality taste from your hot beverage.
The Café Drip Dispensing is one of the features that makes Zojirushi water boilers special. If you're a fan of brewing café drip coffee, then this is a must have feature, as it reduces the flow of water from the spout by 60%. Which gives you a perfect cup of coffee every time!
How Much Do They Cost
Considering the features and convenience, Zojirushi water boilers are actually pretty affordable, and since the manufacturer has a wide product line there's many different models to choose between. This means a variety of features, sizes and prices. On the lower-end, you can find a model below a hundred dollars, and their flagship model falls in the two-hundred dollar range.
As you might expect, the features and capabilities of Zojirushi water boilers are proportional to their price. Similarly, the company's less expensive boilers have lower water-heating capacities than their more expensive options.
Zojirushi VE Hybrid Water Boiler & Warmer CV-DCC40XT
How Does it Differ from a Traditional Water Heater?
There's really no scenario where you would use a Zojirushi water boiler instead of a water heater. However, that's not to say that Zojirushi water boilers don't provide value, but they are meant to be an addition to your water heater, not a replacement.
A Zojirushi water boiler is all about convenience. They can provide you with hot water faster than a water heater and you'll have hot water for beverages and cooking easily available on your kitchen counter.
Here are a few of the major differences:
Hot Water Volume
There are two key differences between water heaters and Zojirushi water boilers. The first is volume. Water heaters give homeowners access to at least 40 gallons of hot water at any given time. That number could go as high as 120+ gallons depending on which type of water heater you own.
Zojirushi water boilers don't come close to matching this. Most of their models only provide between 4 to 5 liters (around a gallon) of hot water at a time. That's not even close to enough to meet your households' total hot water needs.
Water Delivery
Another key difference between the two is how they deliver the hot water they generate. Hot water heaters are tied into your home's plumbing system. This means they're capable of providing your family with hot water anywhere in the home.
Zojirushi water boilers are a counter top appliance. The only way you can access the hot water within a Zojirushi water boiler is to take it out of the machine yourself.
Safety
Have you ever been tempted to use hot tap water in order to shorten the time it takes to boil water? Don't do it! The EPA warns that using hot tap water could be dangerous to your health.
This is because the hot water from your tap may leach lead or other harmful contaminants from your home's plumbing which when used for hot beverages or in the preparation of hot foods, might be ingested and cause health issues.
Using a Zojirushi water boiler allows you to have healthy hot water by starting with safe cold tap water. Since you'll supply the Zojirushi water boiler with cold tap water, the hot water it produces will not only be safe to drink but also to use for cooking.
How to Use a Zojirushi Water Boiler
Zojirushi makes it incredibly easy to use their products. This starts with the lack of an installation process. When you purchase one of these appliances, you can literally just plug it in and start using it to heat your water right away.
The actual water heating process is also incredibly easy. You'll start by filling the inner container with as much water as you want to warm up. Then, simply choose the desired temperature on the LCD display panel by using the "Temp Set" button.
Zojirushi has also made dispensing water from their boilers very safe and straightforward. Simply put your cup or container under the spout and press the machine's "Unlock" button, then the "Dispense" button. The two step process helps prevent accidental release of the water.
The water boiler is designed with other automatic safety features, such as an auto shut-off mode and a removable magnetic power cord. In addition, it even has a built-in cleaning mode which we'll discuss in the next section.
Watch the Video
How to Clean the Zojirushi Water Boiler
Depending on use and the hardness of your water, the company recommends cleaning their water boilers every 1 to 3 months. Zorirushi offers their own 100% citric acid product which can be purchased through Amazon, although you can use an off brand citric acid if you prefer.
The cleaning process is very easy. Here's what to do:
- Simply take a cup of warm water and insert 1 packet of the citric acid. Stir until fully dissolved. Make sure the contain is empty and the filter is attached. Then pour the solution into the water boiler's water container. Fill the container with water until it reaches the maximum water level. Close the upper lid and plug in the appliance.
- Press and hold the "Reboil" button for 3+ seconds until you see the lights flash on the LCD display. There will be a square on the LCD display rotating. After about 1-1/2 hours the square will stop rotating. This is your indication that the water boiler has finished it's cleaning process.
- Unplug the magnetic power cord at the unit, and open and remove the lid (be care not to burn yourself). Pour the water from the water removal area at the top/back of the unit.
- Fill the water boiler with cool tap water to the maximum water level. It will begin boiling when you attach the power cord. Once the water boiler has heated the water, dispense about a cup of hot water. Then pour the rest of the water down the drain.
- Your water boiler is now clean and ready to use!
Watch the Video
How to Troubleshoot a Zojirushi Water Boiler
If your Zojirushi water boiler isn't working as you expect, you might be able to fix it with some quick troubleshooting. Here are a few things that may be causing the problem:
Won't Turn On
The first thing to check if your water boiler won't turn on is the power cord. The best way to do this is to swap out the power cord with a different one, although this may not be possible unless you have an extra cord laying around.
If you are able to rule out the power cord as the problem, then the issue may be with the unit itself. In that case, the most likely cause is the heating element.
Heating Element
If the heating element isn't working it makes sense that the water boiler won't be able to heat the water. The most common solution to this problem is to check the power cable connection (which you likely alread did).
If the power cable is well connected and the heating element still isn't operating then you should contact Zojirushi if your unit is still under warranty, or take it to an appliance repair center.
Making Noises
If your Zojirushi water boiler is making noises the problem could be as simple as the lid not being fully locked in place. As the water boils, vapors are released. If the lid isn't properly closed it could be causing a knocking sound.
Another possible issue is the water boiler needs to be repositioned on the counter. Check that its on a flat, solid surface. If the it's still making noises, check if the surface is hollow. It's possible that you'll hear odd noises when the water boiler is sitting on a hollow surface.
No Water
If your water boiler won't dispense water and you've pressed both buttons ("Unlock" and "Dispense") in the two-button safety process, the issue could be a build-up around the button(s) itself. Grease and dirt often collect in the button area and require extra attention to clean. You can use the edge of a folded piece of paper, straight pin, or other sharp, thin object to scrap the debris surrounding the button.
Lime Scale Build-up
If you notice a white build-up at the bottom of your water boiler, or worse, you see rust or corrosion, then you need to clean your unit. The cleaning process is outlined above and although it takes about 90-minutes it isn't difficult and the water boiler does the majority of the work.
Last update on 2024-10-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API