The Zojirushi water boiler and warmer keeps water hot all day. Photograph: Megan Reynolds/The Guardian View image in fullscreen The Zojirushi water boiler and warmer keeps water hot all day. Photograph: Megan Reynolds/The Guardian Guardian journalism is independent. We earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
It heats water up fast and crucially, keeps it warm for the whole day, so you can can access hot water to your heart’s content.
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Megan Reynolds Mon 7 Sep 2026 16.15 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Jump to What is this thing, anyway? Why would I want hot water all the time? How do I use this? How do I clean it? Still a skeptic? Electric tea kettles I recommend O f all the things my mother has given me from the vast warehouse of her garage, there are two items I treasure the most. One, a Costco-sized box of gallon-sized Ziploc bags, and two, a battered Zojirushi water boiler that has been in the family for decades. The Ziploc bags are nice to have and can be easily replaced; the water boiler, on the other hand, has become an indispensable tool that makes my life at home a little better, every time I use it.
A brief twist: if given the choice, I’d take an ice cold beverage over hot any time. But even I, with my preference for drinks so cold that they hurt my teeth, have been converted to my family’s beloved Zojirushi.
I use it almost every day – for the instant Cafe Bustelo coffee that I drink every morning, for instant noodles, for tea and hot chocolate and any other wintry weather beverage. Once you’ve opened your heart (and wallet) to one of these things, I promise you that you will never look back.
Better than any electric kettle Zojirushi Micom Water Boiler & Warmer
What is this thing, anyway? View image in fullscreen Photograph: Megan Reynolds/The Guardian The Zojirushi is essentially a souped-up instant tea kettle with a much larger capacity – our family heirloom holds three liters. It heats water up fast and crucially, keeps it hot for the whole day, so that you can have access to hot water at the push of a button.
Electric tea kettles do the same thing (and take up much less counter space), but I’m impatient to a fault and a little lazy – the standard kettle holds way less water than the Zojirushi and doesn’t keep the water hot all the time; you’re stuck reheating it every so often. All of these quibbles are relatively minor, but when you’re craving instant noodles that are actually instant, or need a hot chocolate this second now, I bet your stomach will feel the difference.
Zojirushi Micom Water Boiler & Warmer from $161 $161 at Wayfair $161 at Amazon Hot water dispensed from a Zojirushi Micom Water Boiler & Warmer $161 at Wayfair $161 at Amazon Zojirushi Micom Water Boiler & Warmer from $161 $161 at Wayfair $161 at Amazon Why would I want hot water all the time? If I’m doing something vaguely ambitious with miso paste when I’m cooking, a little splash of very hot water loosens up a marinade. For jars of anything that are seemingly welded shut, running some hot water over the edge of the jar helps. And if I’m feeling particularly fancy, I’ll switch from instant coffee to something in my moka pot and add hot water in its chamber to make the brewing process a little faster. Hot water: you need it more than you think!
Practical uses aside, there’s been recent chatter around drinking hot…