How popular are instant hot water spigots in kitchen sinks and would you use one of you could?
Posted by Background_Humor5838@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 364 comments
While I'm sure most people are happy using a kettle to make tea or anything else that requires hot water, I'm curious how many people have an instant hot water spigot and what you use it for. For those who don't have one, would you find it convenient and perhaps more convenient than a kettle for tea or any other purpose?
I hope I'm using the proper term but basically it's a little spigot next to the faucet attached to the kitchen sink that only produces nearly boiling water (typically around 200F/93C but you can set the temp). I had one growing up and used it to make tea, instant noodles, instant oatmeal, etc., but we also had a kettle on the stove that we used when we needed a true rolling boil or if we had guests and were making multiple cups of tea at once. I will clarify I'm from the US where old fashioned stovetop kettles remained popular long after electric kettles were invented lol and possibly still are. Now that I don't have a spigot I kinda miss it. Anyway, I haven't heard much from my British friends about hot water spigots so I'm curious what you guys think.
R05579@reddit
We have a boiling tap, wouldn't be without one now as they are so convenient.
Originalmissjynx@reddit
We have one at work, once a year it goes off for descaling. It gets soaked for a few days in some kind of dangerous acid bath š³. I only use the kettle and descale that with lemon juice.
Upper-Flatworm8784@reddit
Our kettles boil faster than USA kettles do, and so for most of us a āhit water spigotā would be of no real benefit.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Wait how fast does your water boil? My electric kettle boils in about 3-4 minutes
paulskamoonska@reddit
Probably like 90 seconds
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Sounds violent almost lol š¤£
DreamyTomato@reddit
FYI the British national electric grid is literally designed around making tea. [true story] It's designed to safely deliver the power needed to boil a little bit of water as quickly as possible. That's why UK household wall power supply is 240v / 13amp. UK kettles are around twice the wattage of US kettles.
Further info: IIRC British tanks were the first in the world to come with tea making facilities inside the tank. Apparently very much impressed the Yanks in the various Gulf wars. The Americans had to leave the safety of their tanks to boil up water for meals and coffee. IIRC the latest US designs now have hot water on tap inside the tanks.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Awesome!
Lasagna_Wrap@reddit
I couldn't imagine waiting 4 minutes for tea
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
It builds character
Dutch_Slim@reddit
One litre from completely cold takes 2m 5s. I rarely boil that much at a time, and I drink so much tea that the kettle is never cold.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
That's really cool. I'm so impatient I usually just boil enough water for my cup because I don't want to wait for a whole kettle to boil lol
illarionds@reddit
Why on earth would you boil a whole kettle if you only need one cup? That's just wasteful, as well as slow.
Lasagna_Wrap@reddit
Read it again lol
pm_me_your_amphibian@reddit
We would normally just boil what we need, not a whole litre, I think that was just for reference for you.
Dutch_Slim@reddit
Better for the environment and your pocket! Iām the same, but I did the one litre experiment when I saw your post and the other commenter saying 90s.
Plus it was an excuse for another cup of tea š
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Lol that's awesome. I can make almost anything into an excuse for a cup of tea š
illarionds@reddit
Put the kettle on, grab milk from the fridge, grab cups, put tea bags in cups - and the kettle will have boiled by the time you're ready for the water. Not long.
Unless you massively overfill it, I suppose.
Beartato4772@reddit
For a cup of tea? Well under a minute.
Every_Individual_25@reddit
58 seconds for one mug worth of tea with a Russell Hobbs model 26080. I only fill the kettle for what I need though as otherwise it takes longer anger is a waste of energy and water tbh
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I do the same lol I only fill up a whole kettle if I absolutely have to
matto1990@reddit
Technology Connections has you covered https://youtu.be/_yMMTVVJI4c
Gisschace@reddit
When I lived abroad I was amazed how long kettles took to boil, Iād be getting up and checking the thing was working. It would take a minute or so before the water even started making a sound whereas here itās instant. Iād put the kettle on and then go and do something else, whereas here you put the kettle on and it will be done in about 60-90 seconds
Classic_Mammoth_9379@reddit
Double the voltage, double the speed (approx).Ā
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Double the voltage double the fun š¤£
Upper-Flatworm8784@reddit
I haven't timed it, but nowhere near that long. Nowhere near.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Oh sweet!
Mysterious-Post-2067@reddit
I have one in my kitchen and every 6 months I have to pay £50 for a new filter and descale solution, I wish we just had a cheap kettle
Lasagna_Wrap@reddit
Can you not just buy a kettle?
InternationalRide5@reddit
You could just buy a cheap kettle.
The hot-water-tap of whichever brand is incapable of feeling any emotion of abandonment.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
In that case yeah I would just buy a 20 dollar kettle and never use that thing again lol
Merlisch@reddit
Some of them work. I once accidentally, after a very long day, tried to wash my face using one of them. Fortunately didn't get very far but rest assured. That water is blasting hot
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yikes!
MJsThriller@reddit
My wife wants to get one installed but I've been set against it. Water pretty much only gets boiled for 2 cups of coffee once or twice a day. I cant imagine we'd ever see an roi in our lifetimes if we got one š
illarionds@reddit
I don't see the point, to be honest.
I have never seen one.
Ellavathing@reddit
I live in a very hard water area and it would'nt work after a week!
The alternative would be to have a water softener, but then you drink sodium laden water.
So no good for me at all.
PS I do have a water softener, but I also have a triway water tap with one tap carrying filtered water tap (Brita) so no sodium in drinking water.
No-Willingness-4097@reddit
My dad had one, did boiling and filtered water out of a little extra tap in the kitchen sink, it stopped working and he never bothered sorting it cos kettles work well.
emuostrich31415@reddit
I'm a cleaner in the UK, I'm seeing more and more taps with a boiling water function... I absolutely hate them, they're dangerous and spray boiling water drops everywhere. Right pain when I'd normally boil the kettle for hot water now I have to balance my mop bucket and try get at the tap without burning myself. Horrid things
Little_Pink@reddit
Personally I wouldnāt want a boiling water tap. Seems like a lot of expense and faff compared to just using a kettle. Our kettles boil pretty fast here so if I click on the kettle and then get the cups/teabags, the water is pretty much available when I am ready.Ā
Maintenance on a kettle is loads easier than a tap with a filter and an electricity feed. Plus if the boiling tap breaks I have to replace it like for like because Iāve drilled a hole through my counter or sink.Ā
bubbagrub@reddit
We've had a boiling water tap for about 8 years and have not had to do any maintenance to it at all apart from replace the filter once every 6 months (it takes about 30 seconds). Boiling water is available instantly -- no faff at all. Still, I agree that if / when it stops working, it'll be a big pain.
Decard_Pain@reddit
Which do you have?Ā
bubbagrub@reddit
It's the Insinkerator 4 in 1... We use it a lot. :-)
Particular-Swim-9293@reddit
How much does the new filter cost?
bubbagrub@reddit
about £15 each (around $20).
lucyuktv@reddit
Thatās more than my last kettle cost, a few years ago.
Previous-Ad7618@reddit
It's also trivial money to a large number of people. So it's kinda neither here nor there.
Electronic-War1077@reddit
They also use a lot of energy and the power/ heat unit wastes an under worktop cupboard.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
That makes a lot of sense.
Suspicious_Tax_6558@reddit
The Quookerati are like the Teslarati!
JollyConfusion2545@reddit
We have a Quicker tap. Installed when we got a new kitchen. Love it and very convenient for filling pans for the hob or making drinks. Definitely a luxury given the cost and no more unsafe than pouring hot water from a kettle.
Martinonfire@reddit
I drink tea, to make proper tea you need boiling water and for that you need a kettle. I see no need to waste money on something complicated and expensive that almost does the job.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
So I should have clarified that they can produce boiling water if you set it to that temperature but it's true that a kettle works just as well.
Martinonfire@reddit
You can clarify all you like but 98 degrees is not boiling.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I know that's why you can set it to 100
Prestigious-Gold6759@reddit
Can you really though? I don't see how that could work.
Beartato4772@reddit
You can basically advertise anything in America.
Unless itās a massively inefficient one that keeps water near ready constantly, itāll come out in the low 90s.
ionthedonut@reddit
Some brands claim to reach 100C.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I believe it's pressurized but I'm not an engineer. I just know they advertised to produce boiling water at least in the US but many people have commented on my post saying they have one that boils water too. Apparently they are a lot more expensive in the UK so I understand why they are not popular. They are not that popular here either but they are not exactly cost prohibitive. It's only a couple hundred dollars which in the scheme of a kitchen remodel or sink install, is not a lot extra if you're gonna use it every day .
Beartato4772@reddit
If they donāt have a tank of near boiled water, no they canāt. They claim to but they canāt.
Beartato4772@reddit
No, they donāt get water hot enough for good tea.
Ones with a tank can do but thatās a different product.
Prestigious-Gold6759@reddit
I'm guessing a spigot is a tap?
I've worked in offices that have them, and the water is not quite hot enough to make tea, and that's pretty much all I use a kettle for. A gimmicky waste of money is my view.
PunchyPete@reddit
Mine the water comes out at 95 Celsius. Itās not boiling but itās close.
Acceptable-Sentence@reddit
Top tip, fill your mug with the hot water then dump it out, then make your tea. Makes a difference where every degree matters
Altruistic-Table5859@reddit
I always "scald" my cup when making tea. It does make a difference.
PrawnShamble@reddit
Just more work
PM-me-your-knees-pls@reddit
You can avoid this step by using a bone china mug- the porcelain doesnāt instantly absorb the heat so you get a perfect cuppa every time
Acceptable-Sentence@reddit
Where do you work?? Buckingham palace? Iāll stick with my sports direct pint mug
Manbry@reddit
I work for a utility company and we have them In every building x
nd1online@reddit
that's why my bill has been rising!
Manbry@reddit
Nah, theyāve had them for over 10 years, so no change.
Ok-Blackberry-3534@reddit
They're still paying the installments
Manbry@reddit
lol, too much money for buying āon tickā ;)
PM-me-your-knees-pls@reddit
Theyāre not expensive (you can easily pick them up in a charity shop if youāre currently ālooking for workā)
Iāve drunk thousands of cups of tea out of my current mug- Itās probably way more cost effective than wasting kettle water preheating the thing. And it tastes nicer than drinking out of an (excuse me) shitty mug.
ten-toed-tuba@reddit
Bone China really does make a difference
Alarmed-Newspaper994@reddit
What a waste of energy and water...
Acceptable-Sentence@reddit
Maybe but if the work tap goes no hotter, and they have removed all kettles then itās the only option for a passable cup of tea
BuncleCar@reddit
John Lewis does this when making coffee from one of their machines. It does help make the coffee a bit hotter but itās still not very hot.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Brilliant
floofienewfie@reddit
I had one in my last house and loved it. Now Iām back to microwaving water for tea.
Particular-Swim-9293@reddit
What's wrong with a kettle?
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Even my American ass puckered up reading that nonsense about a microwave
floofienewfie@reddit
Takes longer.
Blue_Star_Child@reddit
I can't imagine this is anything a plumber or a pediatrician would recommend be in a house. Water shouldn't be hot enough to burn children if they accidentally turn on the hot water. This has always been told to me by my plumbers and gas installers.
Particular-Swim-9293@reddit
Yes, I wouldn't want one in a house with children. I've never understood why the safety aspect isn't discussed more.
SuburbanBushwacker@reddit
they have a catch on the really hot water
Extra-Sound-1714@reddit
You will be surprised what kids can manage to release
weedywet@reddit
So you donāt have a choice range or cooktop then?
Buddha-dan@reddit
These devices mostly require a finger covering a sensor when the tap is used, minimising/preventing accidents.
andycwb1@reddit
Thatās the cheap ones. Quooker is perfect for making tea.
Opening-Fortune4@reddit
I have one of those, itās brilliant. Also good for sterilising things and quicker cooking of things like pasta and rice.
Akash_nu@reddit
This! I have one in the kitchen.
Coralwood@reddit
So do I, love it.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
That's fair. It can be set to boiling but you really only need fully boiling water for black tea. Green tea and other herbal teas use less hot water so it could be useful for that. If you're mostly making types of black tea, you'd wanna set it to boiling.
AlfMisterGeneral@reddit
Surely normal tea is the absolute standard?
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Perhaps, yes. I'm not sure how popular other teams are in the UK but Americans tend to have a variety of teas on hand. I usually just boil water regardless of what tea I'm making and if I'm making a delicate tea I let the water cool a tiny bit before pouring.
AlfMisterGeneral@reddit
Sorry didnāt even consider youād be American. Yeah tea is tea, unless itās something else.
Prestigious-Gold6759@reddit
spigot....faucet....???? Had to be American!
AlfMisterGeneral@reddit
Like I said, I just thought they was posh lmao
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Is spigot a posh word for faucet? We only use the word spigot to describe that hot water device. Otherwise we use the word faucet or less commonly tap unless you're using the phrase "tap water" which everyone uses.
nemetonomega@reddit
No, a spigot is an outdoor tap, generally used for garden hoses. The indoor taps are all called taps regardless of the water temperature.
Faucet comes from the Old French word Fausset. We call them taps, from the Old English Taeppa.
AlfMisterGeneral@reddit
Ermā¦. Donāt really know, Iām not posh š¤·āāļøš
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Oh ok I'm just finding that interesting because someone else mentioned my use of the word faucet as distinctly American which I hadn't noticed til now lol. I realize I've mostly heard Brits use the word tap but it didn't cross my mind that I haven't heard anyone with a British accent use the word faucet. Not that I can recall anyway.
AlfMisterGeneral@reddit
I can kind of hear āfaucetā be said in a posh British accent in my head? Although I donāt think it is said tbf no. I think Iām thinking of moira rose from schitts creek tbh
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
š¤£š¤£ ok fair enough
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
The only time we use the word spigot is for that hot water device. Otherwise it's just a faucet. Most people don't call it a tap either but we do say tap water. I had no idea there was any kind of classism involved in the words for water dispensers.
Estrellathestarfish@reddit
Is it classism now to point out that someone using American terms is likely to be American?
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Ok gotcha it's ok. I did mention it but my post was long so I understand if you didn't read the whole thing.
AlfMisterGeneral@reddit
Nah my fault apologies x
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
No worries ā¤ļø
keithmk@reddit
You didn't guess the OP was american with all the spigots and faucets and so on. LOL (aside from them saying they are in US)
AlfMisterGeneral@reddit
Iāll be so fr I skimmed it. Assumed they were just posh or something idk
GingerWindsorSoup@reddit
Pass me my smelling salts. Tea should only be made with boiled fresh water from a kettle, not hot water from a tap.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I see what you're saying but the water in your kettle comes from a tap too.
Lollygagger105@reddit
Iām sure in the UK that legally these taps canāt actually run at boiling point, but a couple of degrees under. I loved mine for the convenience, but they need frequent maintenance which I may have rather neglected, and so mine was removed after 5 years for faults and leaks etc.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Ok understandable. I haven't had one myself in over ten years and my kettle never did me wrong lol so
Alarmed-Newspaper994@reddit
This is a fitting description for many tech "revolutions" in the last decade sadly. People have really run out of ideas, the only big one lately that has stuck is AI which is why everyone's pouring so much money into it.
PunchyPete@reddit
Have had one for 30 years.
BusAdditional6518@reddit
Was a kitchen fitter for many years and installed quite a few different versions of them. All of them were pretty disappointing. Awesome if you like lukewarm tea though.
marmite_mut@reddit
Hell yeah. Having to go back to a kettle after having a tap of instant hot water was traumatising. I could feel myself losing minutes of my life waiting for the kettle to boil!
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Precious seconds down the drain!!
Former_Elk_7690@reddit
I have an insinkerator 3in1 recently installed its my favourite thing in my kitchen which isn't a typical thing like knifes etc. God a good price on Ebay for 1/3 the selling cost.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Insinkerator has been around forever. Trustworthy brand for sure.
Ok_Corner5873@reddit
Thought about it and decided not to bother, like the space under the sink for cleaning products and don't want the faff of remembering when the filter needs to be replaced.
hulkissmashed@reddit
My in-laws have one and I wanted one for our new kitchen. Had to choose between that or a waste disposal, and the waste disposal at our last house was brilliant so was the obvious choice. No regrets as we have a kettle and boils water plenty fast.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Oh absolutely if I had to choose I would always choose a disposal. I had an apartment once that didn't have one and it was so much work keeping the drain clean and preventing drain flies because you can't stop everything from going down no matter how hard you try lol
putowtin@reddit
Not worth the money, father in law got a quote a few years back and you would need to live of tea to justify that price
peedy17@reddit
What about when boiling veg, boils a lot quicker when using the tap 1st. Really efficient too
putowtin@reddit
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure some folks would get their money's worth, my example is based on one chap who is more likely to microwave a ready meal than boil veg š
Stratospheric-Ferret@reddit
The wife of a friend was always drinking hot blackcurrant all day, so had one of those things fitted to facilitate that.
It's also handy for cooking and general food prep, cleaning dirty cutlery/crockery, so much they hardly used the dishwasher. After using a knife to put spread on toast, give it a quick blast with that and it was sanitised and back in the drawer. Once it was there, he realised how handy it was.
I wouldn't get one myself, but if you can justify the capital cost I can definitely see how having one would be nice.
wildskipper@reddit
I don't think a quick blast would really sanitise anything though. Soap is needed to kill the germs. You'd have to submerge in boiling water for some time to have any effect (hence what is done for baby bottles etc).
Stratospheric-Ferret@reddit
Whilst what you're saying is true, if all you've done is use a metal knife to put some spread on something and then blast that spread off again with pressurised boiling water, you'd have to be one of those super paranoid people that puts their hands in plastic bags when they leave the house to be worried about whatever was left.
Sasspishus@reddit
I'm sure there was a post on here at some point where someone calculated that they would need to drink 22 cups of tea per day to break even
InternationalRide5@reddit
Fair dos, most British couples would get through that easily. Or if you've got a builder in.
Critical_Pin@reddit
Very popular in offices. I don't know anyone who has one at home. An electric kettle is a much simpler and cheaper solution.
Jojo6167@reddit
Think I'll stick to my kettle, it boils quick enough
peedy17@reddit
We've got one and love it. Had it about 6-7 years now
virusdancer@reddit
I use a hot water cup small kitchen appliance instead of an electric kettle.
EvilLee666@reddit
We had one in our old works and it didnāt last long before we were back on kettles.
skaterbrain@reddit
I love my Quooker and don't even have a kettle in the kitchen!
I use it a hundred times a day, for making tea, coffee etc also cooking rice, pasta, vegetables: Plus rinsing things, scalding things, heating up dishes quickly - there's no end to the many uses of a Quooker.
PS It has its own tiny sink right beside the cook-top - not for washing-up etc
PPS We call this a Tap - not a faucet or spigot.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Sounds awesome! Yes I'm aware I just thought it would be weird if I changed my language to sound British because I'm not but I also didn't know that you didn't call that specific separate tap a spigot because in the US, we only use the word spigot for a instant hot water dispenser or sometimes an outdoor water hookup. It's pretty specific to that device even the product is called that but every other sink tap is commonly called a faucet in the us. Some people call it a tap all the time but it depends on what your family calls it or it's sometimes connected to regional accents and dialects.
MsPB01@reddit
My parents had one installed a few years ago, and it's very useful
Cheap-Vegetable-4317@reddit
I've been toa few rich person houses who have them. Have never seen any function in it and they seem a bit dangerous to me. Children or visitors can easily burn themselves. Just rich people having more money than they need and finding stuff to waste it on.
abyssal-isopod86@reddit
It's not an issue if children aren't in the house and don't visit.
Cheap-Vegetable-4317@reddit
You never have visitors?Ā
abyssal-isopod86@reddit
Of course I have visitors, but none of them are children.
Cheap-Vegetable-4317@reddit
Boiling water will burn an adult hand and it is quite possible for an adult to turn on the wrong kitchen tap.Ā
abyssal-isopod86@reddit
Well if they did that they are the dumb idiot that didn't pay attention to the indicator on the tap itself.
It's literally colour coded red and blue for hot and cold which is the standard in my country.
Cheap-Vegetable-4317@reddit
You'll be amazed when you find out how many injuries are in fact caused by people doing something stupid.Ā
abyssal-isopod86@reddit
Well such people are not welcome in my home so that will weed them out.
This is my home, I am designing it for me and my family and not the comfort of somebody who might enter it.
Cheap-Vegetable-4317@reddit
You poor creature.
abyssal-isopod86@reddit
Not at all, I'm not social, never have been.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Lol yes that is what they do š¤£
This_Rom_Bites@reddit
Not many, and I would not. Water needs to be boiling, not just 'hot' for making tea.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
So I did clarify that they do make boiling water but I also likey kettle so I understand
RaggamuffinTW8@reddit
If I won the lottery and had tens of millions then perhaps I'd bother with a boiling water tap.
Otherwise it's an insane waste of money. I have a perfectly fine kettle already
InternationalRide5@reddit
If I won the lottery and had tens of millions I'd have a tea sommelier.
RaggamuffinTW8@reddit
Valid. I'm too socially anxious for that though.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Agreed
Pier-Head@reddit
The one at work failed so many times that after 12 months it was decided to not to bother and a kettle was bought instead
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Understandable. I had to buy my own mini kettle for my desk at work because the office kettle was so gross I just couldn't take it. Idk what people do with their kettles at home but my coworkers treated the office kettle like barbarians it was so strange lol. I hope your office mates are more respectful of the shared kettle than mine were š one lady actually out loose leave tea inside the kettle with the water and turned it on. I was in shock. Never seen anything like it.
Far-Sir-825@reddit
Itās something since Iāve had (quooker) Iād find really difficult to do without. A very 1st world issue obviously but they are bloody useful
linifloor@reddit
If they heat the water continuously wonāt it go kind of flat tasting and make awful tea? You need fresh water in a kettle every time or it loses something I canāt rememberā¦. Ions, nitrogen? Whatever - it makes tea taste if tea
weedywet@reddit
Water is stable. It doesnāt āloseā anything.
Butagirl@reddit
It absolutely does. Boiling reduces the dissolved oxygen content and causes minerals to drop out of solution. Sure, the H2O part is unchanged, but thatās being pedantic.
weedywet@reddit
But you boil water EVERY time you make tea.
Thatās not different with an instant hot tap
Butagirl@reddit
I wasnāt addressing the differences - I was rebutting your comment about water not ālosingā anything when it clearly does.
Particular-Swim-9293@reddit
Water that's been sitting around in a kettle or tank and gets boiled again tastes less pleasant than freshly boiled. I don't know what the cause is. In a plastic kettle it tastes more plasticky. I know that microplastics are removed from hard water by boiling and end up captured in the limescale that floats in the kettle. With one of these taps I imagine limescale and microplastics are not able to be tipped out in the same way and just sit in the tank. Although there is a filter but 6 months seems a long time for just one filter change. I'm no expert so this is just me wondering about all that.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Honestly idk. Idk how long it sits in there and it probably depends how much you use it. I like my kettle myself so I have no need for one but I think if I had one again I'd probably use it.
Free_Ad7415@reddit
American electricity is much weaker than ours, so our kettles boil fast. That might be one reason they arenāt popular there
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yes it's pretty much the same as boiling a kettle over the fire on the stove lol and most people already had a stovetop kettle when electric kettles were invented, so they had no reason to convert.
roobarb_the_dog@reddit
We've got a quooker tap and yes it was expensive, but I hate using a kettle now. We don't use as much eater or power now either. Totally worth it.
daveoxford@reddit
The problem is that they don't produce boiling water, and it's not close enough for tea.
Familiar_Giraffe_129@reddit
Absolutely, and if it has a small tank in which it heats and stores the water then youāre never getting fresh and freshly boiled water. And water coming from a ātankā nearly always has a ātasteā to it.
nimhbus@reddit
mine does. Quooker.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
You can set it to boiling if you want. It definitely depends what type of tea you make most often and if it's a type of black tea, you want boiling water. If you tend to me green, white, or herbal tea, you want a bit less than boiling but I definitely see your point.
isearn@reddit
Weāve been using one for tea for years, and itās fine.
daveoxford@reddit
I'd be worried my Mum would rise from her grave and haunt me!
snoozymum@reddit
My mates had one for over 10 years and swears she's saved so much on her electric with the kettle not being put on every 5 minutes. But I just don't really enjoy the tea when I'm at her house, it doesnt taste properly brewed. I prefer my kettle tbh.
Particular-Swim-9293@reddit
The trouble is that the electricity needed to boil the water is scientifically identical in both cases. The difference in cost comes from the amount of wasted electricity. And it's very unclear how much electricity is used keeping these things on standby. Because they never tell you. And they're never designed to be turned off at night. I did a lot of research trying to get a water heater for someone who is extremely energy conscious and it's shocking how little the designers and makers really care about energy consumption. They all want to have an eco label but none of them have any actual information about what it means or sensible ideas for careful usage.
Butagirl@reddit
Exactly. Objectively, hot water taps use/waste more electricity. The only reason u\snoozymumās mate would be using less electricity is if she had a habit of routinely overfilling the kettle.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
You can't compromise quality for convenience
The_Red_Thirst@reddit
They are ok but not at a grand each
MsJ9@reddit
I would never have bought one but we moved I to a house with a Quooker last year and honestly now I would never want to do without it. Especially for cooking and counter space. Its impossible to turn on accidentally so I'm comfortable from a safety perspective.
MidasToad@reddit
Seems like an expensive way to add scalding hazards to your kitchen! I don't even trust myself with a metal or glass kettle, accidental burns suck.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I didn't think of that. I have a glass kettle myself. Do plastic kettles not get hot to the touch?
MidasToad@reddit
Nope, not enough to burn you: plastic's a good insulator. That's why the handles of the glass and metal kettles and pots are plastic. Or sometimes wood, another good insulator.
(I am resigned to microplastics at this point)
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Oh ok good to know. MidasToad has become one with the plastics š
Weird1Intrepid@reddit
I was staying at a mates house for a couple weeks while we were building an office in the backyard, and he had one of these things.
They use a boatload of energy to keep the water boiling, but they are really, really convenient.
Gone were the days of asking "should we stop for a cuppa?", you simply made two cups as you walked past the kitchen. Then again. And again. And...
I think I drank more tea in that fortnight than I had all year to that point lol. I was practically vibrating down the hall.
So yeah, they are fantastically convenient and it's very, very easy to get used to not having to wait for the kettle to boil, or the pasta water to heat up etc.
Would I install one in my own home? No, just because they're really inefficient and I'm poor. But would I if I could afford it? Absolutely.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Lol that's cracking me up just picturing downing cups of tea every time you walk by and bouncing around the house on 500mgs of caffeine! 𤣠Almost too convenient it seems
Amazing-Visual-2919@reddit
Don't they use more energy than a kettle? I don't know anyone who has one at home but we have one in the office.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I have no idea but that's definitely something to consider
Amazing-Visual-2919@reddit
Oh apparently the running costs aren't too bad but the hot water tap is twenty times more expensive than a kettle to buy.
Historical_Heron4801@reddit
Half the reason for making a cup of tea in the first place for s that lovely little mini break you get from the making process.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
That's so true!
FinnemoreFan@reddit
I doubt any True Brit would trust the water coming out of such a contraption to be hot enough to make tea. Whatās wrong with boiling a kettle?
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Definitely nothing wrong with boiling a kettle I do that myself. I was just curious what the general opinion was
SameOldSong4Ever@reddit
We Brits don't like foreigners meddling with our plumbing.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Lol don't worry I have no interest in doing that
TelumCogitandi@reddit
The time it takes to boil the kettle is part of the ritual of the tea! I don't mean to sound all "analog is better than digital" but in this case I do think that the familiar sequence of sounds (the water as it boils, the click of the switch) and the small amount of waiting have a non-negligible benefit to the smooth running of our brains
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I totally get that. Sometimes I use my stovetop kettle just for the vibes lol
SleepDammit@reddit
My daughter has one and itās my favourite part of visitingā¦apart from seeing them and my grandson, blah blah blah! š
WonderfulDelivery639@reddit
I have a Quooker boiling water tap. Wouldn't have got it if it wasn't 60% off when we bought it. I love it. It feels weird waiting for a kettle to boil at my parents now because there is no waiting. It will move with me whenever we move. I love that I can pop downstairs between meetings and make a cuppa in minutes and don't have to wait for the kettle and then be late to the meeting. My only complaint is filling a long hot water bottle is hard, I kept burning myself so now hubby does it instead
Expensive_Buy_8426@reddit
I encountered one of these for the first time at my cousin's house a couple of weeks ago, kinda blew my mind! Her husband said he wouldn't be without it now, makes getting the kids dinner going that bit more efficient, and it's so much quieter than running the kettle. Apparently they were offered to have a sparkling water option as well, but they felt that was overkill.
insound0@reddit
They have one in the office at work and the engineer is always being called out to fix it.
Triana89@reddit
We have them at mine, when they are working they claim to be 100° but clearly arent, ok for an instant porridge pot if its ones of those days, but makes most teas taste terrible.
Hefty_Wolf4792@reddit
We also have one in the office... no one uses it. We still the kettle.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Well that doesn't sound worth the trouble. Hopefully your office has a kettle as well just in case.
centopar@reddit
I have a Quooker that dispenses sparkling water, chilled still water and boiling water in my office: I like it so much Iām also having one installed at home.
No_Celebration_8801@reddit
Very convenient and entirely safe and child proof-Grohe. Expensive, but using the medium filters and running them a thousand litres over the recommended quantity helps. No difference to taste!
Chickenhugga@reddit
Theyāre good for coffee but not hot enough for tea. Whatās the pointĀ
albertohall11@reddit
My sister has one and itās a death trap. Well maybe not death, but it does spatter my hands with boiling water whenever I try to make tea.
jimmywhereareya@reddit
I'd be worried about the kids scalding themselves trying to get a glass of water
dinkidoo7693@reddit
My neighbours redid their kitchen and had one fitted, the maintenance man comes out quite regularly
BlackJackKetchum@reddit
A very expensive solution looking for a problem.
wdwhereicome2015@reddit
Depends. We have them at work and as others have said, beats waiting for a kettle to boil, then refill and boil again if a few people want one at same time.
Of at home though, a kettle does fine
Euphoric_Reindeer675@reddit
Kettles boil super quick now.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Lol that's true
Euphoric_Reindeer675@reddit
Don't see the point in them really and heard the are nothing but trouble.
Aggravating-Food3368@reddit
I have a one cup boiler you can set the amount put the cup underneath with teabag,toast in toaster, bacon under grill 30 seconds later cup is full, let bacon and toast grill add milk if preffered perfect timing
Sxn747Strangers@reddit
Hot water taps can take up a bit of room under the sink, they can go wrong and have to be removed for repair or replacement, depending on the specific product the maintenance varies, a regular electric kettle is much less hassle.
Peteat6@reddit
Yes, we have one. Itās absolutely wonderful. Cheaper to run than a kettle (so they say), but maintenance is slightly annoying.
Fuzzy_Cantaloupe6353@reddit
They're annoying and go wrong a fair bit from experience.Ā Great idea on theory thoughĀ
redandbluebadness@reddit
I had one put in in a previous house, it was useful but at the same time, I don't really miss it either.
For the prime use of creating boiling water; I find that with an insulated kettle, whatever I'm boiling water for - tea, pasta (that's pretty much it off the top of my head), if I flick the kettle on first and then go and get by mugs, milk and bags/pan and other ingredients - by the time I've done that, the kettle is ready. Even coming from using a boiling hot water tap every day, I don't even notice the difference.
That said, I would consider one with the addition of ice cold and carbonated water.
maceion@reddit
There is a very basic difference, and it lies in the voltage of the electric supply. With 240 volt supply at any plug in UK, versus 110 Volt supply at plug in USA . It is very very much easier to heat a kettle with a 240 volt supply (13 amp) socket.
Practical-Let-7725@reddit
My family has one. I use it for convenience sake but you really have to use a kettle to get a good cup of tea, so I wouldnāt install one in my own house.
My parentsā home is a very old farmhouse though. So without the boiling tap the only ways we can get hot water is by using the immersion heater which is incredibly expensive or by having a fire lit which has a boiler behind it. Obviously you canāt have a fire lit 24/7 so it works for us, and itās surprisingly cheap to have water kept at boiling in the tank.
Otherwise, itās kinda seen as one of those unnecessary, fancy middle-class things in the UK.
Efficient_Hyena_7476@reddit
It's the most expensive way to heat water. No.
isearn@reddit
Not really, as you only heat as much as you need. And itās instant.
Norman_debris@reddit
Do you understand at all how hot water could possibly be instantly available?
whistlingdogg@reddit
They keep the water hot all day but itās insulated. Under most (MOST!) normal use of a hot water tap (spigot? wtf) vs a kettle, the hot water tap will cost less to run.
Particular-Swim-9293@reddit
I think this is unlikely to be true. Especially since I believe it's not something people turn off at night.
whistlingdogg@reddit
Looking into it a bit deeper and you are probably right, but the difference isnāt really that much. The cost for a quooker is between 90-180 kWh per year. 10-20W continuous heating. If you boil a litre of room temp water 5 times a day then that will be about 0.5kWh per day or 180kWh per year. So hot tap works out the same as boiling 5 litres of water in the kettle per day.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yes lol
ron79852@reddit
Got one,wonāt want a house without one now,and a waste disposal,game changing.
neilm1000@reddit
OP is an American AI or LLM trainer. Do no engage.
peddersmeister@reddit
Quooker taps are the only domestic types i have heard of here in the UK, there are probably others, but they aren't cheap, so not common. Where this sort of tap IS common is in Offices where there is gerally a lot of people making lots of cups of tea/coffee.
As others have mentioned UK electric kettles are quicker than UK ones, our 204v sockets can typically, safely pull 3,000 watts, a 120v US socket only about half that making our kettles approx twice as fast
Coralwood@reddit
We have a Quooker tap which makes tea & coffee at just the right temperature. It's also great for cooking, I'm able to add hot water to a dish rather than cold.
I also love it when I'm washing up, being able to sterilise utensils in boiling water is very satisfying.
Indigo-Waterfall@reddit
I work in peoples homes. They became popular a few years ago. However, most people nowadays rarely use them and still have a kettle to make tea because the tea made using the boiling tap is absolutely vile.
khooke@reddit
We have a Quooker in the house we bought. Itās the gadget I never imagined needing, but having lived with it now for a couple of years I couldnāt imagine not having one. Instant boiling water for tea and coffee? Itās awesome!
_debowsky@reddit
I had an integrated system in my old apartment in London as well as a food waste processor in my sink. I donāt miss the instant boiling water but I do miss the food waste disposer.
Sea_Enthusiasm_3193@reddit
How does that work? If grey/black water is only supposed to accept food thatās passed through the body and some light toilet tissue, doesnāt the processor just add a slurry into the drain?
_debowsky@reddit
Correct, itās basically a blender, very common and popular in America not so much here in Europe. I found more convenient and hygienic than the compost bin.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Those are always nice to have
_debowsky@reddit
I had an integrated system in my old apartment in London as well as a food waste processor in my sink. I donāt miss the instant boiling water but I do miss the the major issue with the instant boiling water is that it comes out too fast and dosing it right can be tricky, also with a good quality kettle you can regulate the temperature depending on what you are brewing which you canāt with those faucets/taps.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
That's true. A lot of people I know have fancy kettles that have settings for different temperature but I just turn my kettle on and just kinda guess when I've hit the right temp for green tea for example lol
_debowsky@reddit
Thatās outrageously barbaric š
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I mean it has a light that goes from blue to pink to purple to red so when it's purple it's almost boil and when it's red it's boiling so I estimate. I'm not a snob about tea I just like a lot of different kinds of tea and not having the exact temperature water hasn't changed me level of enjoyment.
_debowsky@reddit
I was kidding⦠it wasnāt a serious comment š
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I can see how some people might truly find what I said barbaric lol so the sarcasm went right over my head š
_debowsky@reddit
The humour was too much in the background maybe š
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Amazing š
ruellera@reddit
I know one person who has one and I believe they are happy with it.
No-Agent3916@reddit
My parents have one and itās the best thing in their house , so useful when cooling and making tea , it comes out boiling , making tea is so much faster .
Johny_boii2@reddit
They just seem dangerous, might as well use a kettle
CatWoman-666@reddit
The heating element part takes up a whole cupboard which I do not have room for. Why spend all that money when I have a kettle? If the kettle eventually breaks it's considerably cheaper than a Qooker tap thing. It also worries me that someone might use the tap and scold themselves. I understand the reason it's so quick to dispense boiling water is because it's heating water continuously which sounds like a waste of energy/money
Curious-Term9483@reddit
Yep this. I don't live in a mansion, I don't have the luxury of losing a cupboard to a fancy tap.
We also aren't a very hot water heavy household I don't think - I make a pot of coffee in the morning and we will boil the kettle at meal times if we are cooking pasta or something that needs to start off with boiling water. But not like a household with multiple people drinking tea all day.
Gisschace@reddit
My friend had one in her old property which was there when she moved in, she raved about it but has since moved and theyāve not put a new one in.
I think itās one of those nice to haves but not really essential
metal_maxine@reddit
"You were a naughty little soul turning on the tap like that instead of asking mummy. You've scalded yourself and it's your fault for playing with the tea tap"
Little_st4r@reddit
We have one. Its not a separate tap its hooked up to our kitchen tap. I drink a lot of tea and I love it! Also useful for cooking
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I like that it's attached to your tap. Very cool
AnneKnightley@reddit
I prefer a kettle of freshly boiled water each time, if youāre getting instant hot water that means itās sitting somewhere which I donāt like for drinking water.
weedywet@reddit
They donāt all work that way. Some just pass fresh water over a coil that heats it instantly.
Estrellathestarfish@reddit
The ones I've encountered aren't boiling so aren't hot enough for tea, and a plumbed in fixture is going to be expensive to buy and maintain. My £20 kettle will boil in 60 seconds so I don't see the point. In an office they make sense as you have a constant stream of people wanting boiling water but not in a residential setting.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yeah that seems to be the consensus so far and I have to agree. For most people at home, a kettle is all you need
HappyUnicorn212@reddit
I love boiling water in my kettle. It's all part of the tea making ritual (and I'm very fond of my kettle, too!)
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
It's true I have a special fondness for my kettle as well lol
workerbee41@reddit
UK electric kettles boil fast enough to not make it much of an issue. Probably more useful in the US, where electric kettles ARE now common contrary to what people on the internet think, but take a bit longer to boil.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yes that's why a lot of Americans still use a stovetop kettle. Electric kettles are t much faster so there's no need for another appliance lol
abyssal-isopod86@reddit
Absolutely! I wish I could afford one!
Fyonella@reddit
I have a Franke Boiling Water tap. I think Franke are the only 100°C taps. I use it for tea & coffee etc, and also for general cooking, filling a pan for pasta or rice, getting a quicker start for vegetables etc.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Oh now that's very cool!
Glass_Chip7254@reddit
I work in a lot of offices which have them but almost no-one has them at home
Personally donāt like them too much and think that itās a waste of money
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Gotcha. Yeah at home would be silly unless you're already renovating or something.
Gnarly_314@reddit
We have had a hot water tap for 16 years. The system filters the water and has a tank for heating so we get hot or cold filtered water. It was the one ridiculous expense we added to our new kitchen.
When we have been on holiday there are two things we miss, our bed and our hot tap.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Omg that's a racing review! Right up there with bed!
Decent-Chip-868@reddit
I've never heard of these things in the UK. They sound like something I would expect in tiny city apartments but even then I haven't come across them anywhere in Europe.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yeah they are not that common in the US either but I was curious about the British perspective since people are boiling a lot of water
MartinUK_Mendip@reddit
electric kettle: £15, lasts probably 4-5 years
boiing spigot: £200, plus fitting on top, requires special electrics ('cos kitchen so electrician with qualification) and may, or may not based on other comments, get as hot as a boiling kettle. Lasts - I don't know, 10 years? My main worry would be build-up of scale (parts of the UK are very limestone-rich).
Verdict: nah, I'll stick with the kettle, thanks, it only takes 3-5 minutes to boil and nothing is that urgent. Gives you chance to open the biscuits.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
That's a great point. I like my kettle a lot as well. Never does me wrong.
zoonazoona@reddit
Electric kettle in the US takes an age to boil. We put 220v in the kitchen and brought a kettle with us. You should try it.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I never thought of that. I usually just boil enough water for my cup so I don't have to wait lol but when I have to make a whole kettle it drives me nuts. Might as well boil a kettle on the stove š you know what that might be why a lot of Americans didn't convert to electric kettles lol they weren't any faster than a stovetop and took up space on the counter
zoonazoona@reddit
I think it might be that. We have a 110v kettle elsewhere and it drives me mad.
First world problems.
zoonazoona@reddit
We had one put in our kitchen 9 years ago.
It was good for cooking, but I hated it for tea. It just wasnāt hot enough and made the worst cup of tea. For that reason we didnāt put one in our new house.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Ok good to know. I haven't used one in over ten years so I can't remember if I liked the tea any better than a kettle but you're not the only person who has said they didn't like it as much for tea. Some people said it makes a great cuppa so idk lol
zoonazoona@reddit
It made the tea all frothy. Iāve had the same with other hot water taps as well. But then we are British. We take tea a bit too seriouslyā¦
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
As you should lol there's nothing worse than a bad cup of tea
SimpleExpress2323@reddit
We have a Quooker tap in our swanky kitchen area at work.
Two people have had burns from it and yet it isn't hot enough to properly make things like instant noodles and pots of rice.
Also has a habit of turning off randomly.
In the end the company bought a kettle.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I think they made the right choice
darkerthanmysoul@reddit
I bought one off Amazon because thereās no way I was paying Quooker prices. I think itās called Qettle.
Itās about 98 degrees I think and I love it. BUT I donāt drink hot drinks so my family all do and they rave about it. I just have family who boil the kettle youād think they were keeping it on life support.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
ššš somebody's gotta do it
BreqsCousin@reddit
I don't have a spare cupboard to dedicate to the machinery that lives under it
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Fair enough
EldritchSanta@reddit
There's one at work. I use it.
I wouldn't install one in my house.
ERTCF53@reddit
Faucet ? Do you mean the Tap, dear ?
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yes same thing. If you saw I mentioned I'm from the US. Faucet is the common term but tap is also acceptable. I understand tap is the common term in the UK but I didn't think it was necessary to change my language to sound British. That would be weird.
barrybreslau@reddit
Tends to produce "continental" boiling water. It's ok, but I prefer a steel kettle.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
What is "continental" boiling water?
barrybreslau@reddit
Not properly boiling. Maybe 90-80°c
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
They do advertise true boiling water and many people a have confirmed that for me here but since learning your kettles boil extremely fast I see why it's not necessary
barrybreslau@reddit
I've used them, and they aren't necessarily bad, but you get a really good result from freshly drawn water and using water straight off the boil from a kettle. I prefer them to a plastic kettle though.
kat0id@reddit
My parents installed a boiling water tap when they renovated their kitchen a few years ago. You have to push part of it down while twisting it in a way I can rarely ever get completely right.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Oh that's definitely not cool. The ones I've seen just have a simple handle but perhaps that is some kind of safety feature so children can't scald themselves accidentally.
kat0id@reddit
Thereās is a both a normal tap and a boiling one, it can switch between. Either way itās 34 year old child proof
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
ššš that's rough
nunatakj120@reddit
Having perma boiled water will make for a shit brew. No thanks.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Interesting. I'm assuming people who have one are using it all day so the water is constantly replaced. It's not a giant tank.
Nevernonethewiser@reddit
I only know one person who has a quooker tap (the one that does boiling or sparkling and whatever else) and he's an elderly retired doctor. He was a specialist, the type that so high up the medical heriar hy that they transcend 'doctor' and go back to 'mister'.
I'm saying he's insanely wealthy.
For a lot less (but still quite a lot) you could get one of those zojirushi hot water tanks that keeps about 5L at whatever temperature you want all day. That's all the tap does anyway, it's just that the tank is small and it's tucked away under your counter.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yeah I didn't know about that fancy one with the sparkling water and stuff until I made this post and people mentioned it. Sounds really intense lol. I was just thinking about the cheaper tank style ones but I agree they are not really necessary just kinda cool if you have it.
andycwb1@reddit
100% a fan of our Quooker boiling water tap. Instant hot/boiling water.
Alternative_Bit_7306@reddit
The whole premise eludes me. Is there ever nothing at all that needs doing in the kitchen for the 2 minutes it takes to boil a kettle?
actualinsomnia531@reddit
Just something else to break as far as I'm concerned. My wife really wants one and her sister has one and loves it.
In the meantime, we don't even have an electric kettle, I've got a hobtop one like I'm stuck in 1952.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
It's ok I have a lot of family that still uses a stovetop kettle. It's not as weird in the US though for some reason but I can see how you seem stuck in the past amongst your peers. Never be ashamed of your hoptop!
Old_Top2901@reddit
We have a Quooker tap in our office, and itās useful cos itās a lot quicker than a kettle, but I wouldnāt have one at home. Theyāre expensive to buy and run. I stick to the kettle at home. There has been a couple of occasions where Iāve gone to the tap at home to make a brew without thinking and then remembered! Iād say theyāre uncommon in homes here.
nimhbus@reddit
i have a quooker. canāt live without one.
ionthedonut@reddit
My in-laws have a Quooker boiling water tap which they love, and itās great when we visit them. Weāre getting a cheaper version installed since our electrician/plumber said some cheaper brands are just as effective.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yeah usually they are just as good.
soundman32@reddit
My boiling tap (quooker) stores the water under pressure at 108°C and it instantly boils when it leaves the tap. Much better than the previous non-pressurised one that was about 90C. No waiting around when you want a nice cup of tea.
kendoddsdadsdeaddog@reddit
Another gadget that someoneās hoping it goes viral so weāll all buy it and make their profits ! Iād put it with the soup maker, bread maker, ninja and countless other canāt live without gadgets that are gathering dust in most peopleās homes. Iāve got a kettle and it takes a few minutes to make me a cuppa!
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
That's true I'm not big on items that serve a single purpose and take up space
-You_Cant_Stop_Me-@reddit
*tap
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
A tap is different from a hot water spigot. We don't use the word spigot to describe any other kind of sink faucet or tap
-You_Cant_Stop_Me-@reddit
No.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
No what? Are you telling me our words are wrong?
HalfAgony-HalfHope@reddit
Ive only ever heard spigot to refer to an outdoor tap. Like what you attach a hose to. But all the words really just mean tap.
We have one in work, its fine but kettles boil pretty fast in the UK. Put the kettle on, add a tea bag and sugar, get milk out. Grab a biccy and kettle is done. Instant hot water seems a bit redundant.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Now that I know your kettles boil extremely fast i can see why it's basically useless
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
We don't use the word spigot to describe a sink faucet or tap. Only that little device.
-You_Cant_Stop_Me-@reddit
They're all taps.
s_l_a_c_k@reddit
I've used a few at friends, exes, and past offices. Make more sense in an office but I wouldn't have one in my home, it's a gimmick I'd never use. It was quite handy being able to put boiling water into a pan to boil quickly, but not a good enough reason to get one imo as induction (if you have it) boils water very fast anyway
Even_Happier@reddit
Iād never even heard of them until I saw an advert for one recently.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I've also recently found out you can get a dedicated cold water dispenser for the sink like for drinking but that seems like a waste when I can just turn the tap to cold on my existing faucet lol
bondinchas@reddit
The point of the separate cold dispenser is that you run the water through filters, useful to remove chlorine or other tastes for drinking or cooking, and sometimes to remove salts if your water is hard.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Oh ok if it has a filter I understand
Visible-Equal8544@reddit
Iām a Brit who lives in the states. My sister has a hot water tap and itās quite useful. But Iād never use that over my electric kettle for tea.
Active_Definition_57@reddit
We have one in our kitchens at work. I think they work well there compared with trying to share a kettle. I think unless you have a lot of money the cost of having one at home isn't worth the cost.
FormerlyDK@reddit
No, an electric kettle is fine.
Classic_Mammoth_9379@reddit
I donāt see the point, you need extra under sink kit to buy and maintain, costs money to keep it always hot, electric kettles are pretty damn quick on 230V.Ā
Surreywinter@reddit
We've got one & use it multiple times a day for making tea
Great bit of kit
We have them in the office as well - exactly the right temperature for making tea.
Emotional-Brief3666@reddit
Quooker taps have instant boiling hot water because they have a pressurised tank in the cupboard below. I'm sure they make a nice cuppa but they cost the same as a small car.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
What!? Omg I was just think of the ones that are like 150-300 dollars. Not a whole system.
Emotional-Brief3666@reddit
I was exaggerating, but they are about £1,500 over here.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Oh dang
StillJustJones@reddit
Instant hot water taps are becoming more prevalent. I know a few people who have them. Quooker are the brand/type that seem to have the biggest share of the market.
They seem like another thing to go wrong and are a bit gimmickyā¦. One of the people I know who had one fitted when they had a kitchen remodel swears by them though, so I appreciate they can make life easierā¦.
Theyāre not for meā¦. But then I use a whistling kettle!
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
A whistling kettle is a whole vibe in itself so I get it lol
StillJustJones@reddit
I got fed up with popping the kettle on, going back to my desk (wfh), getting my head into something, forgetting what I was doing, coming back to the kettle, repeat ad infinitum.
I started using the old whistling kettle⦠I certainly donāt get distracted now!
Illustrious-Divide95@reddit
Listen to this consumer review pod first!! Short BBC pod on the taps and goes through cost, efficiency, different brands etc. really useful before you invest in one.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0027jxf?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Cool thank you so much!
spr148@reddit
Wife wanted one. I didn't - because I was like a lot of commentators here who have never had one. But you have to make compromises, so we have got one. It's great - won't be going back - and not all that expensive if you don't go with the big names.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
It's definitely one of those things that's just nice to have but not at all necessary.
lottiebobs@reddit
Theyāre reasonably popular here, at least with people whoāve had new kitchens recently installed. Most people may know them by the brand name Quooker as they were the first to get popular here. Often theyāre installed as a combo tap so they can do cold, warm, hot and near boiling rather than multiple taps in the same sink area. I donāt drink tea so donāt have an opinion there but my dad has one installed in his house and nobody ever seems to complain about how the tea tastes at their house. The coffee is certainly fine and hot enough.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
I'm hearing a lot about this Quooker system from other replies and apparently it's much more expensive than the type of spigot I was referring to so I can understand why a lot of people would find it unnecessary.
Plane-Consequence515@reddit
We got a free Quooker when we had our kitchen fitted last year. Since then the kettle is gathering dust in the cupboard (for emergencies!) All that ānot hot enough for teaā is nonsense! That said, we wouldnāt have paid for one as they are overpriced!
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Yes it's one of those things that's nice if it's already there but you don't wanna go out of your way to install it
BG3restart@reddit
I know a couple of people who have the Quooker tap and they love it. If I could afford one, I'd have one when I have the kitchen refitted. I've used theirs and it's definitely boiling hot. I'm all for reducing the number of appliances on the worktops. I hate clutter.
kalendral_42@reddit
Most British kitchens will have a cold water tap & a hot (but not boiling) tap, & now a days a lot of people are installing things like a Quooker tap which does cold, hot, boiling, & in some cases sparkling water
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Oh wow that's cool!
YourLittleRuth@reddit
I love my boiling tap.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
That's awesome. Do you use it mostly for tea or do you find it useful for other things?
YourLittleRuth@reddit
It has changed my kitchen rhythms. I use it for instant coffee or tea, and any time I need hot water for vegetables, pasta etc, I no longer need to boil a painful or a kettle. It is remarkably convenient.
Deep_Banana_6521@reddit
I wouldn't want one. they feel a bit like a bacteria breeding ground. A kettle is fine.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
That's understandable. I'm not sure if there's any additional maintenance required but I recall just cleaning it the same way I'd clean my kitchen tap.
Carnste@reddit
The only spigot Iāve got is one in my back garden, but thatās just for cold water. Never heard of or seen one that exclusively produces boiling hot though, and especially not in the kitchen haha. Iām sure itād be more convenient and Iād love to have one, but my trusty kettle is doing fine.
Background_Humor5838@reddit (OP)
Ok gotcha. Yeah it's funny because it's called a spigot but it looks like a miniature version of a tap.
Easy-Equal@reddit
I just don't see the point for the money when you can get a kettle
SneakyTrevor@reddit
We have one and itās great. The water in the tank is pressurised so itās more than 100C, which means that when it comes out itās hot enough for tea. Having the convenience is great.
qualityvote2@reddit
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