Fancy a cuppa? Who doesn't, but waiting for the kettle to boil is a right bore. Thankfully the groundbreaking Tefal QuickCup is here and it delivers hot water in 3 seconds. You heard, 3 seconds! That's about the same amount of time it takes to say 'Isn't Firebox fantastic?' Astonishing.

So how does this sleek gizmo work? Easy, just press the red button and mind-boggling 'Opti-Quick' technology sends enough water for one brew up the QuickCup's heating element in a spiral movement, heating it immediately as it travels. Simply program the QuickCup to dispense the perfect amount of water for your favourite cup. This means it doesn't waste energy heating water you don't need. Tailor made H20? Suits you, sir! In fact QuickCup provides an energy saving of up to 65% compared to a standard kettle, helping you save on leccy bills and reduce your pesky carbon footprint. Pass the biccies.

Just think, with a QuickCup in your home or office you can make coffee, tea, instant noodles, packet soups or anything else that requires hot water in a flash. Incidentally, notice we said hot, not boiling. That's because the QuickCup heats water to around 85 degrees, which is hot but not so hot that you have to wait five minutes before it's drinkable - perfect for the fast-paced, I-want-it-yesterday Noughties.

Even if hot drinks aren't your thing, the QuickCup is ideal for fans of filtered water. Just press the black button and your tap water is instantly filtered through the pump. You can then add ice and a slice or a splash of your favourite squash. You can even store the removable water-filled tank in the fridge before filtering and dispensing. This speedy triumph of technology makes the whistling kettles of yesteryear seem like ancient artefacts. Indeed it makes most of today's hi-tech kitchen accessories seem terribly passé. Still not convinced? Consider this: by the time you've read this page we could have made around fifty hot cuppas. One lump or two?