Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Boiling water taps, revolutionary or crap?

135 replies

BoilingTap · 08/10/2024 13:59

We’re in the process of having a brand new kitchen done. I’m really keen on a boiling water tap (Quooker) whereas my partner thinks they are a waste of money (it is over £1k) and we can just get a kettle. His argument is we can get a nice looking kettle for a tenth of the price, it’s no faff, if anything goes wrong you just replace.

I quite fancy one as I cook a lot of pasta, rice, potato’s, as well as making teas and coffees. I also like the idea of having more worktop space and reducing the amount of things plugged in. Obviously it’s a big expense and I’ve also read they need regular maintenance, I don’t fancy spending over a grand on a tap and then shelling out hundreds in maintenance. Can anyone who owns one shed any light?

YABU - team DH, they are a gimmick and crap.

YANBU - team BoilingTap, they are revolutionary, go for it!

OP posts:
Original poster
BoilingTap · 08/10/2024 18:50

@okydokethen See, I would love a cheaper one first, but I’ve been told that any brand other than ones that heat to 100c i.e. Quooker, Qettle and the like, aren’t good…

OP posts:
user7654263 · 08/10/2024 18:50

I have one that cost about £350. It's necessary since it's in an isolated cottage with no hot water supply so it's used as a hot water tap as well as a boiling water tap. Its very useful.

RecycleMePlease · 08/10/2024 18:45

Ohh - other's Quooker's don't spit? I can see I need to get onto their customer service and find out what I can do about mine :)

RecycleMePlease · 08/10/2024 18:44

I love mine. Don't find it slow (do find it spluttery)

I realise it is the most expensive kettle I've ever bought, and that spending that much to avoid having a kettle (and a soda stream) on the kitchen counter is a ridiculous luxury.

My dad and eldest son are both scandalised at my profligacy - but I love it and I don't care.

Hydrangea58 · 08/10/2024 18:40

JumpstartMondays · 08/10/2024 14:13

Yes agree. Kettle would be quicker to serve hot drinks to a number of guests, too, so if you ever have more than 2 or 3 people in for a hot drink at a time, it'll be slower than a kettle.

Show quote history

I bought a kettle/flask that keeps tea hot for hours. I use it when family are here as they all drink loads of tea. It's quicker than boiling a kettle every time.

EverythingIAm · 08/10/2024 18:34

I live ours. It's not hard to control and doesn't splutter. Maybe not 'revolutionary' but very useful.

Flossiecotton · 08/10/2024 18:17

Our kitchen designer recommended one. DH was keen but I was not. The designer said his wife was the same but theirs broke recently and she really could not get it fixed soon enough. When I said I was not sure telling us the tap broke is not the best sales pitch I’d ever heard.

Highlandcathedral · 08/10/2024 18:05

Love mine! (Quooker, had it 4 years, not needed any servicing). It doesn’t spit, easy to use, love not having to wait for a kettle or take up the space (or the noise which always irritated me). I’d definitely put one in again if we moved.

okydokethen · 08/10/2024 18:04

Check out Wodar, I've got Heritage brushed brass 3 in 1 boiling tap for £449

okydokethen · 08/10/2024 18:00

I love mine!

Cleaning, cooking and obviously hot drinks so much easier and quicker.

SweetGenie · 08/10/2024 17:11

@BoilingTap
Look at Intu taps a gamechanger and half the price in lots of metals. British company and very good customer service
Mine has never needed maintenance and I use it many many times each day

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 08/10/2024 17:01

Absolutely love ours (Quooker). Luxury but glad we splurged.

GasPanic · 08/10/2024 16:58

pinkteddy · 08/10/2024 16:46

We are getting quotes for a new kitchen at the moment and everyone has quoted with a boiling tap. When we queried we were told everyone has one and looked at as if we were mad not to get one!

Show quote history

Of course they did. It's a life saver that you can't live without.

It can also rescue pets and does work for charity in it's spare time.

Original poster
BoilingTap · 08/10/2024 16:55

I believe there are only a few taps on the market (Quooker, Qettle) which genuinely heat the water to 100c. That might account for some of the issues people are stating on here, not being hot enough for tea, or crap taps at work etc?

OP posts:
LoobyDoop2 · 08/10/2024 16:49

We used to have one. It was quite useful for filling a pan quickly, but didn’t really earn the space it took up. I’m not a tea drinker though, my husband used it more and liked it.

pinkteddy · 08/10/2024 16:46

GasPanic · 08/10/2024 14:50

Not just 1/10th of the price, 1/50th of the price. And that doesn't take into account servicing etc.

There is a thread on here about them every other month. I think they must be the latest thing for the middle class to spend (waste) their money on.

I have seemed them described as "life changing", "game changer" and a "life saver" and other nonsense hyperbole.

It's almost as if using a kettle somehow goes beyond peoples ability once they start eating avocardo on toast.

I do get that if you are disabled they may be more convenient than trying to move heavy kettles around, but my guess is if this is a problem for you then your house will already be appropriately modified.

We are getting quotes for a new kitchen at the moment and everyone has quoted with a boiling tap. When we queried we were told everyone has one and looked at as if we were mad not to get one!

AnnaBegins · 08/10/2024 16:39

Team BoilingTap!

My sister and I reckon this is the generational divide of this generation. Our parents/aunts etc find them scary, we love them!

We have an own brand one which is so far so good.

BobbinThreadbare123 · 08/10/2024 16:35

I have a Franke one. I like it. It is economical and I can fill a pan with no problems. We did get it thrown in gratis with our kitchen supply/fit deal though.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 08/10/2024 16:31

I like ours but -

It's slow, tea and coffee fine but you can't fill up a large pan to speed up cooking. Hot water bottles also slow

If you like your coffee hot you have to fill up the cup to warm it, chuck out the water and then make another one wirh the coffee (still quicker than waiting for kettle to boil)

If there are water works in the area that cause the pipes to be disturbed and a bit cloudy, the filters block up. That's the maintenance we've needed to do, however my husband has done it himself

famofthree · 08/10/2024 16:30

I feel like this is one of things that you really want in the moment when you are looking at brochures and imagining your kitchen, but then once you decide not to get it you forget about it pretty quickly.

Unless you've got money to burn then I think you can save your £1000+! You could buy a really expensive smart super fast kettle and still have money left over for something which will get you some lasting happy memories.

On your deathbed you're not going to wish you'd bought a Quooker!

(The risk of wrong temperature tea would put me off too).

YankeeDad · 08/10/2024 16:24

Both!

They amazing when they work

They are crap when they break down.

Createausername1970 · 08/10/2024 16:23

ranoutofquinoaandprosecco · 08/10/2024 14:04

We got one for about £900 can't remember what brand but I love it. My mums also had one fitted as she was struggling to hold a full kettle getting older.

But strangely enough my friend had one and raved about it, but is now thinking of having it removed because arthritis in her fingers means she can't quite work it properly. The one she has means you have to push down on a button and turn the knob at the same time and she is finding it harder and harder to do it successfully. So she has reverted back to a kettle.

CoastalCalm · 08/10/2024 16:11

Love our quettle although I was very sceptical when DH suggested one - would always install one in our home in future

RugbyMom123 · 08/10/2024 16:05

We ummed and ahhed. Decided to get a standard tap instead with a single hole (cut in the quartz rather than two hole bar version) so if we decide to change our mind later we can.

I don’t like the spluttering. And they aren’t great for tea imo. Always tastes a bit bubbly to me.

Superworm24 · 08/10/2024 15:56

I think the quooker makes tea taste weird. I wish you could test before buying.