Quooker/Hot Tap Energy Usage

We recently bought a Fohen hot water tap, and it's brilliant. It doesn't do boiling water, "only" 98 degrees C, but this is plenty in reality for making tea, filling a pan for the hob etc.

We got it for the relative bargain of £370 in their recent sale, and installation was simple. The sale prices are not as good now, but you can still get one for ~£420+.

I've no idea what it costs to run, but I'd say when it's not being used it needs to periodically reboil, maybe every 30-45 mins, for about 10-20 seconds to get the water back from 96 degrees (where it begins it's reheat) to 98 degrees.

You can adjust the temperature of the output between 75-98 degrees C if I remember correctly. We just have it at max, because why wouldn't you?

It has an inline replaceable carbon filter system, which depending on water hardness can need replacing as often as every 3 months, or as long as every 6 months. They cost about £48 delivered (or less if you buy in builk).
 
coffee machine isn't a kitchen appliance it's like N Cage's snakeskin jacket.

Havana_UK said:
I've no idea what it costs to run, but I'd say when it's not being used it needs to periodically reboil, maybe every 30-45 mins, for about 10-20 seconds to get the water back from 96 degrees (where it begins it's reheat) to 98 degrees.
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re-boiled water isn't recommended for tea, once you've liberated all the dissolved air/bubbles,
so, there is a point where you should really discard/purge old water in the boiler
 
jpaul said:
re-boiled water isn't recommended for tea, once you've liberated all the dissolved air/bubbles,
so, there is a point where you should really discard/purge old water in the boiler
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Hmn this is true actually. Same for coffee. Whether not you'd notice in real world taste test I don't know...
 
I imagine there is probably a significant difference between re-boiled from a kettle that’s gone cold and a boiling water tank that has dropped 3C.

Also there is no air in the tank, it’s a sealed vessel and is under mains pressure. Even at 100C the water isn’t actually boiling because it can’t at 100C when it’s under pressure.
 
Honestly that was my dilemma the Quooker was about £1k and I was contemplating getting a plumbed espresso machine instead. Will probably end up with both :D
 
So a quick scan of this thread looks like

Those who have had or do have one would recommend

Those that dont have or never have had can't see the point

Standard internet argument then
I bet the same argument happened when Fire was discovered
 
Scam said:
Good point. Is this why people say 100c taps splutter a lot as they come out?
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It’s not under mains pressure as it’s released from the tap so the water vapour can start to expand and is released.

It’s really not that dramatic though and it’s not like you unleash a tap on full pelt into an empty cup ever because it just goes everywhere regardless as to whether it’s hot or cold.
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
It’s really not that dramatic though and it’s not like you unleash a tap on full pelt into an empty cup ever because it just goes everywhere regardless as to whether it’s hot or cold.
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Daft question, but you mean you can control the flow right. For some reason in my head the hot water taps were just on or off. I have no idea why, just being dumb :p

I'm set on getting one, I'm just not sure I can justify the Quooker and I'm not actually sure I like the look of it as much as the Abode Pronteau. The only problem with the latter is it looks like a normal tap, but the boiling water comes out of the left handle. Even though there's a lock mechanism it really looks like a standard water tap with hot on the left and cold on the right - and I can see friends/family coming over and scalding themselves on it. Not sure it's a good design.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlu_e5JL-Jw Thoughts?
 
no - as said under changing pressure boiling temperature changes ... you can't cook potatoes quickly at the top of everest.

b0rn2sk8 said:
I imagine there is probably a significant difference between re-boiled from a kettle
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you never reboil in a kettle, just boil what you need. I boil 1.2L for a pot of tea and dump it in pot in one shot.

tap gurgling/spitting is symptomatic of air out of solution/boiling but there must also be some expansion capability/pressure release too,
coffee machine tank has an air gap - a pressurestat(not thermostat) + emergency valve and vacuum valve -I just warm cups with the hot water though, no tea.

the earlier comment on efficiently heating water with induction cooker is very valid now, which would deal with bulk of my non hot-drink demand,
all vegetables are steamed - which needs little water anyway, leaving just pasta/rice that need submersion in hot water.

( I did subsequently see that oracle of mumsnet had a critical thread of tea capability - consensus, of - flat drinks )
 
Scam said:
Daft question, but you mean you can control the flow right. For some reason in my head the hot water taps were just on or off. I have no idea why, just being dumb :p

I'm set on getting one, I'm just not sure I can justify the Quooker and I'm not actually sure I like the look of it as much as the Abode Pronteau. The only problem with the latter is it looks like a normal tap, but the boiling water comes out of the left handle. Even though there's a lock mechanism it really looks like a standard water tap with hot on the left and cold on the right - and I can see friends/family coming over and scalding themselves on it. Not sure it's a good design.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlu_e5JL-Jw Thoughts?
Click to expand...

There is modulation on my Qettle tap and you can have a dribble of boiling water if you want. The flow rates are lower than a normal tap by design though so it can’t push out the volume of a normal tap. The boiling water pipe is quite narrow and the water is also coming through a carbon filter so it takes the edge off nicely. I can’t speak for any other brands but the Qettle is half the price of a Quooker.

The one we have looks sort of like a normal tap, the left side has a normal mixer leaver that does the usual hot and cold. You turn the leaver to change between hot and cold, you tilt it out to open and close the tap.

The right side is different and has a safety button for the boiling (no leaver). You turn it forward for filtered cold water and turn it back for boiling while pressing the button.

jpaul said:
no - as said under changing pressure boiling temperature changes ... you can't cook potatoes quickly at the top of everest.


you never reboil in a kettle, just boil what you need. I boil 1.2L for a pot of tea and dump it in pot in one shot.

tap gurgling/spitting is symptomatic of air out of solution/boiling but there must also be some expansion capability/pressure release too,
coffee machine tank has an air gap - a pressurestat(not thermostat) + emergency valve and vacuum valve -I just warm cups with the hot water though, no tea.

the earlier comment on efficiently heating water with induction cooker is very valid now, which would deal with bulk of my non hot-drink demand,
all vegetables are steamed - which needs little water anyway, leaving just pasta/rice that need submersion in hot water.

( I did subsequently see that oracle of mumsnet had a critical thread of tea capability - consensus, of - flat drinks )
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I wasn’t suggesting you should re-boil water, the point was that holding hot water in a pressure vessel at temperature is different to boiling a kettle, letting it cook and then boiling again.

The tank does have a pressure release valve and a pipe which you need to route to the waste. As the water expands as it heats up, it does need somewhere to go to ensure the pressure in the tank remains at safe levels. They all have that.

There is no air in it though, you bleed it all out when you set it up. The main outlet of the tank is on the top so any air is forced out when you first open the tap when the instructions tell you to bleed it before switching it on.
 
Scam said:
Daft question, but you mean you can control the flow right. For some reason in my head the hot water taps were just on or off. I have no idea why, just being dumb :p

I'm set on getting one, I'm just not sure I can justify the Quooker and I'm not actually sure I like the look of it as much as the Abode Pronteau. The only problem with the latter is it looks like a normal tap, but the boiling water comes out of the left handle. Even though there's a lock mechanism it really looks like a standard water tap with hot on the left and cold on the right - and I can see friends/family coming over and scalding themselves on it. Not sure it's a good design.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlu_e5JL-Jw Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Same as above, the franke range are the same design as the Qettle, I had minor reservations about safety, but absolutely no issues or worries now we’ve had it for a while.

I like the way the boiling is modulated, you can just trickle it in a cup if you so wish on the franke/Qettle.
I wanted a quooker but actually find the boiling water mechanism not as intuative and feels less safe since the control is closer to the spout, and it’s latched on at max flow.. in the Qettle/Franke setup it feels safer as your hand is at the side when operating and it instantly springs back if you let go..

Each to their own, I was drawn to the quooker because it looked more ‘techy’ over the more traditional taps, but if I had to replace mine, I’d go with the same design again and not bother with a quooker because for a 4 in 1, the quooker is crazily priced and not so easy to use (albeit filling a pan is easier if you have limp wrists ;) )
 
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b0rn2sk8 said:
The right side is different and has a safety button for the boiling (no leaver). You turn it forward for filtered cold water and turn it back for boiling while pressing the button.
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Sounds sort of similar to the Abode. Has anyone managed to scald themselves? EDIT: In fact the Qettle is exactly the same design as the Abode.
Demon said:
in the Qettle/Franke setup it feels safer as your hand is at the side when operating and it instantly springs back if you let go..
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Ah that's true, I think the Abode does that.

I like the idea of Qettle but unfortunately their Signature Classic only comes in shiny brushed brass, nothing patinated/antique like the Abode or Quooker.
 
mattyg said:
So a quick scan of this thread looks like

Those who have had or do have one would recommend

Those that dont have or never have had can't see the point

Standard internet argument then
I bet the same argument happened when Fire was discovered
Click to expand...
yea it's known as confirmation bias? or is it something else when you spend money on something daft then refuse to admit you wasted money
 
arknor said:
yea it's known as confirmation bias? or is it something else when you spend money on something daft then refuse to admit you wasted money
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instead of admitting I've wasted my money. We found we liked it so much we've installed them at 3 of our previous houses
I suppose you wasted money on a kettle that you plug in, Instead of boiling it on a stove...
At least your embracing the future. Albeit a bit slow
 
mattyg said:
instead of admitting I've wasted my money. We found we liked it so much we've installed them at 3 of our previous houses
I suppose you wasted money on a kettle that you plug in, Instead of boiling it on a stove...
At least your embracing the future. Albeit a bit slow
Click to expand...
weak comparison. doubt the future is everyone have lazy taps, then again with the average size in this country...
 
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