Skip to main content

Morphy Richards One Cup Review

DSC04135

So you may remember that Morphy Richards asked me to be one of their Home of the Houseproud reviewers. The way it works is they ask me if I'm interested in the gadget of the month and I say yea or nay depending on caprice.

Most recently, they offered to send me the One Cup. Now, I have the brain of a guttersnipe and clearly spend too much time on the internet, so of course I accepted this offer with glee.

In fact, I was this close to getting my sister-in-law to pose with me and the machine, purely so I could post a photo with an appropriate caption, but then I thought that might be going too far for a family-friendly site.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, that's a good thing.

DSC04277

In direct contrast to the beast they sent me last time, the Morphy Richards One Cup is relatively petite and rather curvaceous.

Its concept is simple - it heats and dispenses one cup of water for you in about 30 seconds - so a bit like the long-lost Tefal Quick Cup which I nearly bought before I saw the decidedly mixed reviews.

From the colourful Accents range, the One Cup comes in two parts - the machine proper, and a drip tray which for some unearthly reason doesn't actually slot into the main part. This bugs me.

So you get your mug of water (I don't have a cup), and you chuck it into the reservoir at the top. If you're cack-handed like me, you chuck half the water over the machine and then freak out about short-circuits.

DSC04279

Then you put your teabag etc in the same mug, place it on the stupid drip tray and you press the button.

30 seconds later, after a noise like the one they used to make in the Brook Bond Red Mountain ads, a steaming jet of water fills your mug and your hot beverage is ready. And that's it.

DSC04281

Does it work? Yes, it does.

But to be honest, I can only think of six reasons why you'd want to buy this:
  1. you work in an office where people don't want to make tea for their colleagues;
  2. you're the little old lady who lived opposite my parents and who only ate biscuits;
  3. you have weak wrists;
  4. you lack patience;
  5. you're amused by gimmicks;
  6. you like pretty gadgets.
Because otherwise a kettle is better. A KETTLE IS BETTER.

Sorry Morphy Richards, but it's true.

Talking of kettles, since then I’ve been sent a gorgeous red toaster and and kettle, also from their Accents range.

I have little to say about them except just staring at them makes me happy - oh and they work exactly as they should, so I recommend them both completely in terms of both form and function.

DSC04275DSC04276

The Accents Pyramid Kettle and Accents 4 Slice Toaster are currently on special offer on Amazon for £39.99 each, and also come in other desirable hues.

A GIVEAWAY (SORT OF) [NOW CLOSED]

Anyway, here's a competition of sorts - my One Cup obviously isn't new any more, and it's too heavy for me to post, so if you know me in real life and would like the One Cup, leave a comment telling me why you want it and the best answer by this Friday 11 November will get it delivered to them in person. Oh yes.

Or the One Cup is £34.99 if you don't know me and want one for yourself (
you can get it in black for the arbitrary price of £29.74).

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED - THE WINNER IS FATFRAN - Thanks!

@LoveYourMorphy on Twitter
www.facebook.com/morphyrichardsuk



It's Ross Kemp! With hair!

Comments

Kavey said…
I want the one cup, not because I think it's useful - I agree fully on a kettle being better - but because it looks like a little blind robot and I feel sorry for it and I really really want to buy some little googly eyes from a craft shop and stick them on it, plus I have a moustache sticker somewhere, from those stamps, remember the ones that were fruits and you could accessorise with hats and facial furniture, so yeah. I want to make the one cup into One Cup Favelle. Or something.
Michelle said…
I'd actually like that kettle of yours. Except that I now live in Canada, and its on a different voltage. Damn you mad North Americans!!
Anonymous said…
I've always had problems with one cup machines be they for tea or coffee. They never work well for me and coffee often doesn't taste very good coming from them. I'll stick to my good old fashioned French press and kettle.
PDH said…
We are kettle and toaster buddies now, mine are in black though! Swish.
PDH said…
Oh and we paid for ours though...
Kelly said…
it looks like a less fancy version of the one cups you find in hotel rooms now a days.
meemalee said…
@Kavey - Ha, that sounds excellent! I loved those stickers.

@Michelle Peters-Jones - Eh? North Americans?

@Sydneylk - Heh :)

@Pavel - Don't hate me.

@Kelly - In Asia they have airpots which are similar but with a proper capacity. Never seen a hotel one cup though.
Neil D said…
I bought the old Tefal one for my parents and they hated it - the Irish are very partial to their tea being done just right.
PDH said…
Don't hate the player, hate the GAME! Though I'm sure that saying wasn't created with food bloggers in mind...
FatFran said…
I would like the one cup so it encourages me to drink green tea and fancy tea and lemon juice in hot water and stop me being a raging alcoholic.
meemalee said…
@Neil D - Ha, oh dear!

@Pavel - Ummm, ok.

@FatFran - Ecellent answer!
Unknown said…
If I put something awesome here will you come and deliver it to me in Cambridge?? :D
The Grubworm said…
I DON'T want the one cup, for I will then forever associate you with TGOC (you KNOW what I am talking about). TBH, it's almost worth asking for the machine just so I can make endless puns that only the truly geeky (and slightly sick) people will actually get. Sorry for those that have no idea what I'm referring to, believe me, it's better that you don't know.

I am liking the rather sexy and curvacious red toaster though. It wouldn't need to toast particularly well, it's definitely something you want for it's looks rather than conversation ;)
Erik said…
Speaking of 2G1C is that splash on the mug deliberate? ;)
Food Urchin said…
Thank goodness you DIDN'T go in for that photo because then I would have been OUTRAGED and would have to WRITE a letter.......to someone
tori said…
Hilarious. As always. No, I don't need one, but thought I'd pipe up and tell you you're hilarious regardless.
meemalee said…
@Deepa - Oh bugger.

@The Grubworm - I'm not offering you the toaster!

@Erik - No, it's part of the design :)

@Food Urchin - To ME.

@tori - Thanks ;P
Uyen Luu said…
can I have your toaster instead? looks very nice! hehe : )
This would be perfect for the bakery I work in as the person I work with doesn't do tea so we have NO KETTLE! The horror.
I'm with Kavey - it looks kinda robot'y!
May said…
I don't want the one cup but it would be a nice piece of roboty gadget to go with Simon's collection? If not, a handy doorstop.
Sasa said…
I totally thought you were reviewing...the other type of cup. For ladies ^o^
meemalee said…
@Leluu - You and the Grubworm are mega-cheeky.

@I heart cupcakes - No kettle? Harsh.

@May - Ha, good idea!

@Sasa - Oh, the Mooncup? No way, man.
Unknown said…
Ok...

Seeing as Cambridge is so very cold all of the time I think a One Cup would allow me to drink tea constantly and therefore never feel the bitter cold of the fens.
And also it looks very nice.

If you come and deliver it to me in the barren wasteland of Cambridgeshire I'll make you a cuppa with it.
meemalee said…
@Deepa - Ooh, feisty.

@vincent - Thanks for the invitation!
Shu Han said…
I HAVE THE SAME CUP!!
meemalee said…
@Shu Han - It's cool, isn't it? :)

EVERYBODY - thank you so much for entering/commenting - the winner is FatFran
Brian said…
Thanks for your fine review! I just ordered one from amazon.co.uk for 25£ including postage to Denmark - I just couldn´t resist!! I love shiny plastic kitchen gadgets, especially from plastic heyday of the 70´s, and the One Cup will fit right in:)
Is it only me that noticed a resemblance to the starship enterprise? Cool factor: warp 2 :D