The best boiling water taps promise a ‘third way’ – delivering boiling or near-boiling hot water for drinks, snacks, cooking and cleaning. A safety lock is there to prevent children from accidentally using them and scalding themselves, so they’re safer than even the best kettle. There’s a built-in water filter too.
The most convenient designs replace your current hot-cold mixer tap and add the extra-hot option, so you don’t need a new hole in your sink or worktop. We’ve focussed on those here but you can also get dedicated boiling water taps that sit alongside your current tap.
Either way, you’ll need to sacrifice some space in the cupboard under your kitchen sink for the boiler – the bigger the boiler tank, the larger the capacity. All of the models here have a larger capacity than a kettle.
Boiling water tap, or hot water tap?
One of the biggest factors when buying is whether to get a tap that delivers true boiling water at 100°C or one that’s a fraction cooler, also known as an ‘instant hot water tap’.
A couple of degrees makes little difference if you’re filling a saucepan to cook pasta or making up a hot water bottle, but true 100°C water is better for everything from making tea straight from the tap to sterilising baby bottles.
Throughout this buyer’s guide, we’ve outlined the water temperatures each tap delivers and called the water from the ones that are lower than 100°C ‘near-boiling’. You could also call it ‘kettle hot’.
Best boiling water tap 2021
1. Grohe Red Duo
Best near-boiling water tap
Delivers: Hot, cold and filtered near-boiling water
Temperature: 99°C
Tank capacity: 3 or 5.5 litres
Design: L, C or U spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:
• Great child lock
• A-rated energy efficiency
• Small boiler footprint
Reasons to avoid:
• Not 100°C
Grohe Red taps are rated A for energy efficiency thanks to a titanium boiler with excellent insulation. It takes very little energy to keep the water at the required temperature. Water is dispensed at 99°C.
What sets Grohe Red apart is its child lock, tested and certified by renowned German Safety Testing body TÜV. You must press two icons to start the near-boiling water: one then the other. And the outside of the spout is safe to touch.
The second you take your finger off the button, the water stops. However there is a pot-filling function that delivers up to 3 litres of near-boiling water in 60 seconds without keeping your finger on the button. Testers have remarked that it runs slower than expected and it’s true that that’s half the speed of your regular hot tap.
Add a mixing valve and you can also mix near-boiling and cold to make warm water. Your kitchen probably has a hot water supply but a clever feature uses a little of the near-boiling water initially to boost its temperature when you run warm water, just until the hot supply is up to temperature. No more wasting water before doing the dishes as you wait for it to warm up.
The M-size boiler (37cm high) has a 3 litre capacity while the L-size (49cm high) boils up to 5.5 litres. Both have a 21cm diameter, so a small footprint.
Water is filtered before it enters the boiler and Grohe has recently launched cartridges that filter out impurities but add essential minerals such as magnesium and zinc.
2. Franke Minerva Electronic 4-in-1
Best space-saving boiling water tap
Delivers: Hot, cold, filtered cold and filtered boiling water
Temperature: 100°C
Tank capacity: 5 litres
Design: L or J spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:
• True 100°C boiling water
• Handy pre-set controls
• Large boiler fits behind plinth
Reasons to avoid
• Quite pricey
The Franke Minerva Electronic 4-in-1 delivers boiling water at 100°C. We especially like the way its large boiler can be hidden behind a plinth. Its pre-set touch controls are especially user-friendly.
The tap automatically switches to child safety mode when not in use. Pressing the electronic dial on one side wakes the tap from its safety standby mode and it glows white. Then twist to select a mode: it glows red for filtered 100°C boiling water and blue for cold filtered water.
Once you’ve picked a mode, two taps of the dial deliver either 30 seconds of filtered 100°C boiling water or 15 seconds of filtered cold water. Three taps of the dial deliver either 60 seconds of filtered 100°C boiling water or 30 seconds of filtered cold water. With these automated settings, you can let go once it’s triggered. Press again if you want to stop early.
Water flow can also be controlled manually by turning and holding the dial to give more or less water than the pre-set options. A separate lever on the other side delivers regular hot and cold water.
The boiler’s capacity is large at 5 litres, but with an innovative boxy design that has a large footprint but is just 15cm high, so it fits behind the plinth of your kitchen cupboard. Everything else under the counter, including the water filter, is in a smaller box. Installation is simple and plug-and-play.
3. Quooker Fusion
Best boiling water tap for add-on features
Delivers: Hot, cold, filtered cold and filtered boiling water
Temperature: 100°C
Tank capacity: 3 or 7 litres
Design: C or U spout; various finishes
Reasons to buy:
• True 100°C boiling water
• Optional huge capacity
• Option to add chilled and carbonated water
Reasons to avoid:
• Add-ons are pricey
• Big boiler option takes up more space
The Dutch-designed Quooker was the first ever boiling water tap. It delivers true 100°C boiling water. If money’s no object, you can double down and add a Quooker Cube, which dispenses sparkling and still chilled water from the same tap too.
The Fusion’s control is an easy-to-grip textured metal ring just above the lever. You push the ring down twice to unlock (that’s the childproofing) then turn it to control. An LED light ring glows red to indicate that you’re on boiling water mode.
Push the ring down once and it lights up blue for filtered cold water. This is also how you dispense chilled and carbonated water if you have the Cube add-on.
Flow of boiling water is similar to the Grohe at around 3 litres a minute, showing that boiling water taps just don’t flow as fast as regular hot water. The boiler capacity is either 3 litres (considerably more than a kettle) or a supersized 7 litres.
The Fusion has a contemporary look but there’s a Fusion Classic with more detailing that’s better suited to traditional kitchens and a Flex that has a handy pull-out hose (used only for regular hot and cold water).
4. Qettle Signature Modern
Best-value boiling water tap
Delivers: Hot, cold, filtered cold and filtered boiling water
Temperature: 100°C
Tank capacity: 2, 4 or 7 litres
Design: J spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:
• Great value
• True 100°C boiling water
• Optional huge capacity
Reasons to avoid:
• Design less fancy than some premium models
• Big boiler option takes up more space
It’s hard to fault the Qettle for one good reason: price. It dispenses true 100°C boiling water plus filtered drinking water, as well as regular hot and cold, yet it costs less than rival taps. Its filter cartridges are more affordable than rivals too.
The design is nice enough too. The spout has a J shape, it comes in a range of metal finishes and you can choose between Modern for a contemporary kitchen or Classic, with its white lever handles and subtly flared base. But it doesn’t have the fancy design details and glowing lights of premium boiling water taps.
The Qettle’s affordability is down to a clever design with four different waterways. That means there’s no electronic components to switch between sources (read: less to go wrong). The boiler comes in three sizes – 2, 4 or 7 litres – and the taps are stainless steel and engineered in the UK.
Safety-wise, you have to depress a button and hold it down to turn the dial to dispense boiling water, to prevent mistakes (rather like the button for turning a shower temperature up high). There’s also an optional safety cover to keep little hands off it altogether. The spout is insulated, so cool to touch.
Qettle offers an optional add-on for dispensing chilled water. Sparkling water is literally in the pipeline: they plan to introduce that option early in 2022.
Buy direct at Qettle.com
5. InSinkErator 4N1 Touch
Best discreet near-boiling water tap
Delivers: Hot, cold, filtered cold and filtered near-boiling water
Temperature: 88-99°C
Tank capacity: 2.5 litres
Design: J, U or L spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:
• Good looking
• Compact boiler
• Option to add chilled water
Reasons to avoid:
• Not 100°C
• Small capacity
InSinkErator boiling water taps are endorsed by multi-award winning interior designer Kelly Hoppen CBE as a “no brainer… perfect for anyone with a busy kitchen and lifestyle”. The Italian-made taps look great but the fact that they don’t dispense at 100°C will put some buyers off.
The boiler features a digital, adjustable thermostat that lets you set the water temperature from 88°C to 99°C. The boiler is compact at 2.5 litres; it’s a shame you can’t pick a larger one.
The easy-to-grip hot water handle has a push-lever safety locking mechanism. This ensures the flow of water stops immediately as soon as the lever is released.
Touch controls mean you can do clever stuff like tap the InSinkErator for 30 seconds of filtered water at ambient temperature, perfect for filling a water bottle. There’s also an optional add-on for filtered, chilled water at 3-10°C.
Our favourite design touch is the fact that it’s so discreet: it looks like a normal, two-lever kitchen tap but there’s a subtle button on the front.
Buy direct at InSinkErator
6. Perrin & Rowe Armstrong 3 in 1
Best traditional near-boiling water tap
Delivers: Hot, cold and filtered near-boiling water
Temperature: 75–98°C
Tank capacity: 2.4 litres
Design: J spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:
• Exquisite build quality
• Compact boiler
• Operates at low water pressures
Reasons to avoid:
• Not 100°C
• Small capacity
This polished brass tap is part of Perrin & Rowe’s award-winning Armstrong range, hand-crafted in the UK. Build quality is exquisite with thicker plating than industry standards and the dual-lever design doesn’t look like a hi-tech tap at all.
It dispenses filtered, near-boiling water as well as regular hot and cold water. Capacity is small at 2.4 litres but at least that means that the boiler under the counter isn’t too bulky. You can set the temperature between 75°C and 98°C.
There is an anti-scald locking mechanism to prevent youngsters using it. The tap operates from as low as 1.5 bar pressure, which stands out as some rivals require a higher mains water pressure.
Buy direct at Perrin & Rowe
What is the running cost of a boiling water tap?
Fortune Brands
Energy consumption is genuinely low. All the brands here that have quoted energy costs put it at 3-10p a day to keep the water in the tank hot, thanks to insulation. Compare this with boiling a kettle, forgetting and reboiling. Or boiling more than you need accidentally. You might even save energy.
Running costs include replacing the filter cartridge every six months. These range in price with the affordable Qettle being the cheapest for cartridges too.
Take a look at more kitchen essentials with the best coffee machines
Are boiling water taps safe?
If you’re considering investing in the best boiling water tap, you’ll want to know if it’s a safe and worthwhile investment. We spoke to Anne Kaarlela, Marketing Communications and Customer Service Manager for InSinkErator to find out if boiling water taps are genuinely safe.
“InSinkErator specialist kitchen taps benefit from a self-closing, easy to grip, steaming hot water handle with push-lever safety locking mechanism. This ensures the flow of water stops immediately as soon as the lever is released, so it is inherently safe as well as eliminating the risk of leaving steaming hot water running.
Using a steaming hot water tap, or combination tap, is a safe way to heat hot water for use in the kitchen. It makes the kitchen worry free as it eliminates the kettle and its trailing cord, hot cooking zones or naked flames from a gas hob. It also makes everyday tasks much quicker, convenient and efficient, while eliminating the time and energy lost waiting for the kettle to boil and saving precious worktop space.”
Take a look at the best slow cookers for more top picks
How do boiling water taps work?
Boiling water taps vary in how they work, but for most, they will connect to the plumbing of your kitchen taps to fit a miniature boiler underneath the sink. This will create a constant supply of hot water, on-tap.
“InSinkErator taps fit easily under all sinks and simply need an electrical connection. They require space under the sink in order to mount the tank, along with a small filtration unit. However, minimal space is needed under the sink.”
A boiling water tank will pass regular cold water through a filter before heating it to the desired temperature. “To dispense the steaming hot water, users must push the safety lever down and pull the handle towards themselves. Once the handle is released, the flow of steaming hot water stops.”
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