“Buying the best water tap will make everything in your kitchen that little bit easier,” says Helena Myers, design director at kitchen design company The Myers Touch. With one small addition to your sink set-up, you can effectively solve a ton of problems you might not even realize need solving and help shift your kitchen into the future.
It’s a Better Way to Clean Fruits and Vegetables
Whether you’ve gotten into the habit of wiping down your groceries immediately upon arrival at home or you just won’t eat fresh fruit or veggies without a proper rinse, a hot water tap is a highly effective way to wash off lingering dirt and debris.
You Can Streamline Your Worktop
While it’s become trendy to install a hot water dispenser in its own dedicated space, it’s not a requirement. Some models allow for cold, hot, and near-boiling water all from one faucet, simplifying your kitchen workstation and sink area set-up even further. “This is perfect for creating a streamlined and minimal finish, and for keeping a compact kitchen looking neat and tidy,” says the team at sink manufacturer Pronteau. Myers agrees. “Having a hot water tap in the kitchen allows to help create less clutter on the worktop, so aesthetically, it’s great for smaller sized kitchens and keeping worktops clear for a streamlined look,” she says. But be warned: “Even though it’s great for saving space on the worktop, you will need space underneath the sink to house the tank and filter system,” Myers says. It’s worth keeping in mind that the filtration system will require about sixty percent of your under-sink storage space.
It Makes for Better Dish-Cleaning
Having a hot water tap is also, unsurprisingly, more time-efficient—especially when it comes to dish-washing because, as we all know, there are numerous benefits to washing dishes in hot water. “The job of rinsing off pans, plates, and cutlery ahead of placing them in the dishwasher is far more effective with really hot water, making this yet another time-saving benefit of a hot water tap,” the Pronteau team explains. Plus, you can fill pots and pans to soak in hot water much more quickly.
It Saves Water
Heating a kettle of water for tea or coffee or heating water on the stovetop or in the microwave for cleaning typically means filling the vessel with more water than you actually need—and, often, tossing whatever water is left. With a hot water tap, you can pour exactly as much water as you need, lowering the amount of wasted water for a number of household chores.
Boiling Water Is a Breeze
Because a hot water tap can ensure your water comes out practically at a boil, filling a pot and getting it to a boil takes a little less time. With one less step to consider, this makes heating water for cleaning or making homemade dyes or whipping up pasta, rice, and other foods easy-breezy.
It Means No More Kettle
As the team at Pronteau tells us, the hot water tap replaces your need for a tea kettle. “Delivering steaming hot water at up to 98°C (208°F) [means] there’s no more waiting for the kettle … before you can enjoy a brew," they say. “There will always be enough hot water in the tank.”
They Have Built-in Safety Features
If the thought of pouring near-boiling water directly from the faucet sounds mildly terrifying, rest assured: Hot water taps are about as safe as garbage disposals, meaning that, yes, they require added care and attention, but there are safety mechanisms in place to prevent injury. “You need to get past in-built safety locks,” Myers assures us. “[These] safety locks are an important feature on the hot water taps. For example, the Quooker-brand tap has a double-tap safety feature and warning light to alert users they’re on the hot/boiling water [setting].” Whether you’re a regular tea-drinker or a lover of the varied uses of hot water for housekeeping and cleaning purposes, there’s no question that a hot water tap should be on your list of must-have (and relatively minor) kitchen updates.
