Do I need a Quooker boiling water tap

[alittlebitofbreadandnocheese]

We are having a kitchen renewed and would like a boiling water tap. Quooker seems to be the go to brand but wandering if anyone has a cheaper version that they are happy with?

I just don't understand how boiling a kettle is so inconvenient. It takes a couple of minutes in my relatively posh kettle, which heats to 10 degree increments from 40 to 100 degrees. It cost £49 and offers me more than a hot water tap would for a tiny fraction of the price.

@partyatthepalace

They are handy for cooking, but utterly foul for tea (something to do with lack of oxygen in the water because boiled too much.

I’m just warning you because it made me sad

We didn’t get one in our new kitchen because I read a similar comment to this on another thread. I have had tea from them in friends’ houses and I haven’t really noticed but DH is a massive tea addict so I didn’t want to risk it. Also I didn’t want to use up the under sink space. I have my lovely bins there.

Are they environmentally unfriendly?
I was keen for one but that has put me off!

We are a big family and frequently boiling two or more kettles for pasta, potatoes etc. And DH drinks lots of tea and me a bit but neither of us WFH.

This is a good link explaining how they work, including the environment effects and the issues with making tea. Worth a read.

We have one at work, and I really like it. If I was having a new kitchen I would consider getting one, and ditching the kettle, though as @DennisTMenace says you’re not exactly saving yourself hours of time for a Few cups of tea and coffee. You need a free cupboard to put the boiler in it though.
I thought the tea and coffee were both fine from it, we’re in a soft water area if that makes a difference.

It’s quite child proof, you can’t really accidentally turn it on. It’s a bit scary the first couple of times, but you soon get used to it.

@weasle

Are they environmentally unfriendly? I was keen for one but that has put me off!

We are a big family and frequently boiling two or more kettles for pasta, potatoes etc. And DH drinks lots of tea and me a bit but neither of us WFH.

If you mainly need water for saucepans I would recommend investing the £1k+ spent on a boiling water tap on a top end induction hob instead. I have a bora and don't bother boiling the water first as it is so quick at heating it.

We’ve got the insinkerator one (put in my vendor). I like it (game changer to have instant tea lol). We’re getting a new kitchen this year and I think I’ll get a quooker. I prefer the style and it’s got a good reputation

This is an interesting read.

Wanky bro has one and I was intrigued by the rock bottom £90 installation fee heavily promoted on TV. Looked into it and realised it needed a tank which put me off as I like fresh water for my cuppa not water that's hung around like a spare part all day. I also like and need my under sink space. It cost enough for a lifetime of top range kettles and seemed to need regular TLC. The upping of hassle makes it a 'no' from lazy arse me.

I've had a Quooker for 5 years and I love it. It's properly hot for tea, the tank is only like an extra large bottle of Coke. A child would be unlikely to accidentally turn it on because there's a sequenced move you have to use. And the water has extra air in it so it doesn't burn if it gets on your hand. I use it all the time. I was going to get a cheaper one and the woman at the kitchen company advised me to go to this other place where they had different taps plumbed in so you could see how they work. She said I might change my mind and she was right. There is a hot water tap at work but it's not hot enough for tea so everyone boils the kettle...

We had an Insinkerator one installed almost 8 years ago, we absolutely love it. Instant almost boiling hot water.

We are possibly upgrading to a Quooker. At the time we installed the insinkerator they were half the price of Quooker and we had just forked out for a kitchen extension and a very expensive induction hob so the Insinkerator was a good compromise.

Love it so much because I’m impatient and you don’t have to wait for boiling water. Very safe to use and no cluttered up worktops - the only thing out on ours is the magimix. Uses hardly any electric as very well insulated. Had a Franke before and had loads of problems (Franke refunded my money after 3 years). Would have had another in the utility room but thought that extravagant so will buy my daughter one instead for their new house! It’s like an iron with a separate steam tank - once you’ve had one you don’t know how you managed without it!

Should have added ours does not have the sparkling/cold water bits as were happy to drink tap water. Love the pull out hose though.

The tank takes up about a third of the cupboard so there’s still more than enough space to house cleaning stuff, dishwasher tablets etc. You don’t have to sacrifice a whole cupboard for it.

Interesting post, can I ask a question for all those that currently have a quooker? Our friends have one in their kitchen and I must admit I hate the fact that to fill a teapot seems to take a while ....the boiling water comes out fast enough if you’re just filling a mug, but for a teapot it ends up more of a trickle than a stream. It also is quite “spitty” which I hate! You always get spat at with tiny drops of scalding hot water and steam. Not nice!

Having read al the glowing comments I’m wondering now whether our friends’ just isn’t a very good one and that isn’t how they generally work? I’m bemused because there is no way on earth I’d use the quooker to fill a saucepan or a bucket to mop the floor, and yet that seems what people do use them for? Thanks. Don’t want to be missing a trick when we do our kitchen!

Don’t do it @alittlebitofbreadandnocheese.
They make rubbish tea and are a pain to maintain.
As others have said, they’re ok for filling a mug but the rapid boiler is only designed to heat small amounts quickly so filling a pan for pasta etc takes ages.
Buy an induction hob with rapid boil - much quicker. And use a kettle.

I love ours. It's a Franke 4 in 1.
I don't like tea made in a mug so always use a teapot, I don't notice any difference in the quality of tea at all.
There are splutters when I fill the mop bucket for example but they don't splash me because of the bucket. I find it safer than holding a full boiling kettle especially for children.

I couldn't get on with my induction hob at all and switched it for gas.

@Daisydoesnt I think mine is a 3 litre one so it comes out at the same speed until it's all used up. It's fine for filling up a pan for pasta and I do use it for buckets. The "spitting" I think is because the water is aerated for safety but it shouldn't be spitting far, like if I'm filling a mug I wouldn't expect any to land on my hand. And that's probably also why it seems slightly slower than if just normal water was coming out of the tap, because you're getting water and air.

@Tubbyinthehottub thank you!

We have a quettle and had a franke one in our previously. Its a must have for me, makes lovely tea and has safety features (my mum has a badly scarred arm from dropping a kettle on her arm, and I still remember trying to cut the fabric off her skin).
The quettle filters are about £30

I absolutely love ours. It is hot enough for tea, and I like mine hot. Great for boiling water quickly for eggs, veg etc. Love it.

We have a Quettle - me and hubby saying only today it was the single best bit of kit we’ve got for our kitchen. Wouldn’t ever be without one now. EVER

@MrsJamin yes I'm sure they said that about dishwashers back in the day!
I love mine and wouldn't be without it. It takes up not that much room (it is under the sink and plenty of room for all the other crap that one normally puts there), I haven't noticed any significant increase in electric bills and after four years I've had no maintenance problems and it is used several times a day. A child can not accidentally turn it on. And it is boiling temperature and tea tastes fine.

@MrsJamin I also feel I couldn't live without one ever again (had ours 3 years) and I most definitely am not middle class. It is by far the best thing I have ever purchased for the house. Perhaps don't be so judgmental of others- their opinion to like them is just as valid as yours not to want one.

Sometimes I wonder what world some MNers live in. You do know how absurd that sounds with the whole world going to shit with the pandemic? You couldn't live without your boiling water tap? Take a look at yourselves! I love having a dishwasher but I know how privileged it sounds to say I couldn't live without one.

I also worry about water quality with these taps when they get older. If you do get one it is worth getting a TDS meter to monitor it.