Boiling water taps, revolutionary or crap?

They're amazing, changed our life. We have a qettle.

The cheap ones are crap, can't speak for the dearer ones. Redring was cheap and blocked up very quickly.

Boiling the kettle is such a lovely, comforting thing to do. My favourite words are "Put the kettle on" - especially when texted to me by one of the kids or DH, indicating they are just a few minutes from home. I can see a boiling water tap might be more convenient if you can't wait two minutes for the kettle to boil, but I can always find something to fill that two minutes. I live in France where lots of people don't have kettles - or even more bizarrely - keep them in the cupboard. A kitchen is always poorer for not having one on the side or on the stove - ready to be pressed into action at a moment's notice. If you want to splash the cash get a luxury kettle (I had my eye on a mint green Smeg until the man in the shop confided that it wasn't really any more reliable than the cheaper Kenwood model).

Tried a Franke version. Loads of issues with it and Franke gave us a full refund. Changed to a Quooker which we’ve had for several years and no issues. My 90 year old mother loved ours so got one herself! And it makes great tea!

They are not BOILING water and, to me, that makes a huge difference to the taste. I agree with @TenWeeCaramelJoeys I am contemplating complaining about the firm that advertises '98°C boiling water' on TV. Because 98 IS NOT boiling.

All it does is heat the water flowing from the water pipe, same as a kettle. It doesn’t alter the taste. I’m so fussy about tea that I have a Brewista kettle for certain teas so it’s the right temperature and the flow of the water into the leaves is even. If the Quooker was wrecking my other teas, I’d know. Are you sure it wasn’t either a water softener, change of tea bag or milk affecting the taste? Because if not, she should get the water supply tested.

I’ve used them on holiday, but they seem like an expensive gimmick. I’d buy a decent kettle.

If you have a water softener, they require zero maintenance. It’s only if you have hard water that filters etc need changing / parts servicing. I was told that by the manufacturer a few weeks ago, so you can be sure of that. We have a Quooker flex tap and it’s brilliant. Love it for making the speediest cups of tea and for filling huge pans. Reduces counter clutter. We use it so often that if I ever had another kitchen fitted it would be the thing I wouldn’t compromise on to save money. It cost over a grand but it’s worth it!

For those that talk about the sputtering and spraying, i was told its a safety feature. So that youre aware that youve put on the boiling water part of the tap, not just regular cold or hot water running part of your tap and accidently out your hand under it and burn yourself.**

I moved into a new house nearly a month ago that has a Quooker, and honestly, it's over-hyped. I used it a few times the first few days I moved it, and perhaps there's a knack to it, but sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't. Plus I wouldn't say the water was proper boiling either.
Also, for the space you'd save on the counter by not having a kettle, the under-sink unit for the Quooker takes up about the same, if not slightly more, "floor space."

I've just defaulted back to my rapid boil kettle. Plus I have a really good induction hob that brings a stone cold pan of water to boil in perhaps 3 minutes.

I'd love one!

Got ours last year and wouldn’t be without it now. Kept my kettle in case of emergencies/Christmas dinner and the amount of things needing done. Hasn’t been needed once. Game changer.

Of course you didn’t, because she was proud of her new gadget, which is why I conclude that many proud owners of Quookers and the like have no idea that, whatever their other virtues may be, they make poor tea and coffee, because they’re not fussy themselves, and other people are too polite to say ‘This is rank’ to someone who’s just spent quite a lot of money on something.

Yes, we're in London so have very hard water. We replace the filter ourselves once a year and have had ours serviced once in 5 years.

We put in a whole house water softener (the drinking water bypasses that) but before that, we had lots of limescale.

We have a Quooker for the past 8 years, and I can't imagine living without one. They are so handy for tea, coffee, washing frying pans and pots. It provides boiling water all Summer when we wouldn't have hot water from oil-fired heating being on. I'd really miss it if it were taken away.

MIL got a Quooker when she had her kitchen refurbished recently and I haven't liked the taste of the tea at all. I'm very easy to please in general , but I suppose tea is the one thing I'm a bit fussy about. It just tastes strange. The first time I was given tea made from it, I didn't know, but I still noticed the difference right away (obviously I didn't say anything to MIL!)

This is exactly how I felt before we had one. DH was keen, and as part of a new kitchen refurb whats another thousand pounds…but now I’m a total convert, would be the first thing on the list if we ever move.
We have a Quooker. It’s fab.

I was thinking of getting one when we had our new kitchen put in 4 years ago, but then my daughter got one and I really don't like it. It sputters and spits and frightens me! I realise that not all not water taps are the same, but it put me right off. I do really like the idea though.... Ours was going to be at the bottom end of the (long fairly thin) kitchen at our coffee station, which is near the breakfast table and as far from the sink as it could possibly be. We got another kettle instead, but it is annoying to have to go right down to the other end of the kitchen to fill it.

I'm quite happy with my kettle, we have boiling water taps at work and they never seem quite right (and always seem to be broken).
However I would seriously consider a pot filler tap, although admittedly I've done no research on these other than they look like a good idea.

I love having one. Don’t get a Franke though - the water boiler on ours has failed for the 3rd time - first two were covered on guarantee but that has now run out. May just replace the whole bloody thing with a cheaper brand as looks as though it may cost the same as just the boiler from Franke.
had a Quooker for years in previous house with no problems at all

Crap. It was the aspirational kitchen knickknack du jour when I lived in an English village from 2012-19, and I must have had bad tea or coffee on a regular basis from about fifteen different Quookers. The owners were so proud of them it would have been cruel to say ‘This is dreadful’.

Get a Breville hotcup water dispenser. Then you only need to get DH to fill it and you can make a brew whenever you want one. We had one of those before the qettle.
It only boils and dispenses one cup at a time so ideal for saving fuel and when you don't want to lift a kettle full of boiling water.

@oakleaffy
Next time rub washing up liquid over the outside of the pan before it goes on the fire. It makes it much easier to get the spot off 😁