The best boiling water taps dispense instant, perfect-temperature water for tea, coffee and hot chocolate. They’re a bit of a kitchen revelation, replacing kettles and transforming your sink set-up. And unlike traditional taps, which require a pump to heat the water, instant boiling water taps work by heating cold water directly from your mains feed. They’re also energy efficient, using up to 50% less energy than a conventional kettle, so they’re great for those who are eco conscious.
They’re not cheap either, with prices starting at PS500 and most needing to be professionally plumbed in alongside your existing kitchen taps – although the boiler tank is usually compact enough that it can sit beneath your sink, away from the reach of little hands. However, there are models that are more affordable and that come with a three year guarantee. The Franke Omni 4-in-1 tap, for example, has a four litre capacity, operates at 5 bar water pressure and costs just 3p a day to run when on standby.
It’s child friendly too with a double push and turn safety switch and serves your steaming water in an aerated spray to avoid the risk of accidental scalding. The tap is also easy to clean and comes with a filtered drinking water option too. And if you run out of water, it only takes 10 minutes for the tap to refill. It even has an LED display to let you know when it’s time for a filter change.