Which boiling water tap?
Discussion
Current kitchen we have a Quooker which is getting on for 8 years old now and we wouldn't be without.
About to move, albeit to a temporary house whilst our new one is being built. In the new one I'll probably go all out for a ZIP with sparkling water 'just because' but since we'll also be keeping the place we're going to live in for the next 12-24 months anyway, we will want to fit something there as well.
Default option might be another Quooker at approx £1000 for the basic model (fitted) when ordered direct.
ZIP taps seem to start a fair bit above that (£1400+) so I'll probably wait on that til the new place.
I noticed that Insinkerator also make a tap that replaces the mixer, which would be about £800 fitted.
First things first, it needs to be good enough to make a cup of tea with, as well as filling pans for veg, pasta, rice, etc. So I'm not sure about the Insinkerator as it advertises only 98 degrees water temp. Quooker is definitely 100 degrees.
Secondly, it needs to be fitted - either by the retailer or manufacturer with the installation cost included for comparison as I really don't want to get involved with that!
Any other thank Quooker, ZIP or Insinkerator I should be looking at?
About to move, albeit to a temporary house whilst our new one is being built. In the new one I'll probably go all out for a ZIP with sparkling water 'just because' but since we'll also be keeping the place we're going to live in for the next 12-24 months anyway, we will want to fit something there as well.
Default option might be another Quooker at approx £1000 for the basic model (fitted) when ordered direct.
ZIP taps seem to start a fair bit above that (£1400+) so I'll probably wait on that til the new place.
I noticed that Insinkerator also make a tap that replaces the mixer, which would be about £800 fitted.
First things first, it needs to be good enough to make a cup of tea with, as well as filling pans for veg, pasta, rice, etc. So I'm not sure about the Insinkerator as it advertises only 98 degrees water temp. Quooker is definitely 100 degrees.
Secondly, it needs to be fitted - either by the retailer or manufacturer with the installation cost included for comparison as I really don't want to get involved with that!
Any other thank Quooker, ZIP or Insinkerator I should be looking at?
Our Quooker is furred up completely inside, as I found when I replaced one of the o rings which had failed last year, but that was really the only thing wrong with it over the 8 years or so we've had it. The amount of scale I got out of it was shocking! 
Would definitely fit the pre-tank descaler next time.
ZIP taps are used extensively in a lot of the offices I frequent so I presume they're well built and stand up to corporate abuse. And I did like the idea of both properly chilled and sparkling water too, in the eventual house.
Seems like a Quooker might be the best bet in the interim house as well in that case.
The worktops are granite so I definitely need a professional install job - there's no way I'm risking drilling that and messing around with worktops myself. Hence buying from Quooker direct.
Wonder if any of the Ebay companies also fit - I'll take a look.
Would definitely fit the pre-tank descaler next time.
ZIP taps are used extensively in a lot of the offices I frequent so I presume they're well built and stand up to corporate abuse. And I did like the idea of both properly chilled and sparkling water too, in the eventual house.
Seems like a Quooker might be the best bet in the interim house as well in that case.
The worktops are granite so I definitely need a professional install job - there's no way I'm risking drilling that and messing around with worktops myself. Hence buying from Quooker direct.
Wonder if any of the Ebay companies also fit - I'll take a look.
Ok I'm leaning towards another Quooker again at least in the interim property.
But still need to get it properly installed - so am I better buying directly from Quooker at a higher price and using their 'free' installation, or buying the Quooker myself and trying to find a plumber who can fit / drill through a granite worktop / etc.?
But still need to get it properly installed - so am I better buying directly from Quooker at a higher price and using their 'free' installation, or buying the Quooker myself and trying to find a plumber who can fit / drill through a granite worktop / etc.?
pete said:
I've just fitted a Quooker Fusion in my new kitchen. Even with my non-existent plumbing skills, I did it myself in a couple of hours last night (time included a lot of head-scratching also plumbing in a new sink!), and found everything very nicely made and easy to fit. Ok, I've been using it now for a grand total of 4 hours, so not the best long term review in the world, but I'm impressed so far :-)
One point to note is that I sourced mine through my kitchen supplier, who supplied it well under the Quooker list price, albeit as part of a large kitchen order. I would certainly phone around your local Quooker dealers rather than just ordering direct at list.
Pete
I think our posts crossed - but I presume with a Fusion you didn't need a new hole (I'm basing this on having a separate boiling tap) so didn't need to drill the worktop?One point to note is that I sourced mine through my kitchen supplier, who supplied it well under the Quooker list price, albeit as part of a large kitchen order. I would certainly phone around your local Quooker dealers rather than just ordering direct at list.
Pete
If that's the case I assume installation is relatively straight forward, and a plumber can do it providing there's a nearby socket...
But drilling granite worktop is usually the pain...
48k said:
Yes I share you pain. Isn't it just so frightfully annoying when your hot water is whole 2 degrees cooler than you want it to be. #firstworldproblems 
If you're making tea, the recommended temperature is 100 degrees - i.e. water which is just boiled. True for black teas, at least.https://www.tea.co.uk/make-a-perfect-brew
More importantly, one of the main uses is cooking pasta, rice, vegetables, etc - for which you put the water in a pan then onto hob and boil. Of course you'll need to bring it up to temp particularly if you're adding something into it straight away, but the closer to boiling the water is from the tap the less hassle it is to get it back up to boiling again on the hob.
I know it sounds a bit fussy, but 100 degrees is a selling point of a Quooker (for example) and if it drops below that, I may as well just use water from the warm tap / cold tap and bring it to the boil on the hob which defeats the object!
48k said:
Can you seriously tell the difference between 100 degrees and 98 degrees? What equipment do you use to validate that the temperatures are accurate? How is your equipment calibrated? In a blind test of 4 cups of water, could you identify the two at 100 degrees and the two at 98 degrees?
I'm seriously impressed if you can tell the difference, in the real world. I know I couldn't. But then, I'm a coffee drinker so what do I know
Does it matter whether I can tell the difference or not?I'm seriously impressed if you can tell the difference, in the real world. I know I couldn't. But then, I'm a coffee drinker so what do I know
I couldn't probably tell you just from driving them back to back whether a car that does 0-60 in 4s feels faster than one that does it in 4.2, or whether the clock speed and fast RAM on my PC makes it noticeably quicker than a slightly slower one - but if you have an application which demands a specific level of performance for optimum results, then why not at least factor it into the buying decision?
Actually from what I recall, Quooker used to advertise and market their taps as '103 degrees' which, bonkers as it sounds, it probably right for the storage of the water (it was kept under slightly pressure so it didn't turn to steam at precisely 100 degrees) - but the point is they deliver the water as close to actual boiling as they can, whereas some of the other taps only advertise themselves at a few degrees lower.
Right then... based on the above, I may just go the 'easy' option of Quooker Fusion rather than have a separate tap this time around.
Which basically means anyone could fit it providing there are electrics nearby - I need to pop to the house and check, as we've not completed / moved in yet! And also means I'm not tied to going direct to Quooker and paying RRP just for their 'free' installation. Result.
For the longer term house, jury is definitely out on whether to plump for the Zip based on the comments here so I need to do more research I think. I did want chilled, boiling and sparkling and would have sited this either with the Zip 'well' or with a small bowl sink, maybe in the kitchen island - but I could do that with another Quooker Fusion but just be missing the chilled / sparking elements. Price difference is pretty big I have to say.
Definitely will be going the de-scaling option (£245 from Quooker RRP) having seen the mess in the Quooker we already have.
Will now look around Northamptonshire / Cambridgeshire for someone who can supply and fit
Which basically means anyone could fit it providing there are electrics nearby - I need to pop to the house and check, as we've not completed / moved in yet! And also means I'm not tied to going direct to Quooker and paying RRP just for their 'free' installation. Result.
For the longer term house, jury is definitely out on whether to plump for the Zip based on the comments here so I need to do more research I think. I did want chilled, boiling and sparkling and would have sited this either with the Zip 'well' or with a small bowl sink, maybe in the kitchen island - but I could do that with another Quooker Fusion but just be missing the chilled / sparking elements. Price difference is pretty big I have to say.
Definitely will be going the de-scaling option (£245 from Quooker RRP) having seen the mess in the Quooker we already have.
Will now look around Northamptonshire / Cambridgeshire for someone who can supply and fit
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