Used to have one and it was very convenient. Then it broke and since we knew we were redoing the kitchen eventually didn't replace it. I got used to just microwaving water when I needed it. I'm doing my kitchen now and didn't even think about putting one in again. I don't know if it was just mine that broke pretty quickly or if a lot of them do. It's definitely nice to have but they don't seem to last that long.

For some it's a necessity, and others a waste of money. Same with the cold water. I wouldn't want to live without the hot dispenser, but could care less about chilled water.

We like the hot water and use it nearly every day. The cold filtered water option is new with the new kitchen. We do use it, but the unit is large, so if you're thinking of both it would be good to confirm that you have enough room under the sink.

I put one in in my remodel over a year ago and use it several times a day. I also have the filtered cool (I went with this instead of just hot because I plan to replace my refrigerator with one lacking filtered door water--I haven't gotten around to replacing my fridge so I don't use the filtered cool much yet).

Chilled vs "cool" is an important distinction of course. I don't have chilled; just cold. But as far as HOT goes--I love it. (My parents, on the other hand, let theirs die and didn't replace it and never missed it--I think the new faucets are easier to get in the habit of using than the old though.)

I had the hot water dispenser that broke a few months ago after many many years of use and I miss it daily. I didn't replace it because I got a new hot/cold with the filtration system for when I renovate, but in the meantime, I keep missing it. It's extremely convenient.

We put one in during our kit remodel of 2002. The water wasn't drinkable, but, I believe it was a chemical reaction with our particular water. It just didn't taste bad, it SMELLED bad :o The tanks today are much better (Insinkerator). I would love to have one again (even tho I know it wouldn't be used every day) but won't.
Monica

monicca - if your water stinks it stinks, it's very doubtful that a small heater alters the taste and smell of your water. It's possible you had/have something living in there or left over manuf. junk but it's doubtful.

n.b. - it's a good idea to put a filter on these units regardless of water quality.

We are looking to add an instant hot/cold water dispenser in the new kitchen. My inlaws have it at their house and use it all the time. Theirs is an insikerator and I've read some people are having issues with them. Would you guys mind sharing which brand/model you have? Thanks.

There are basically two heaters: ISE and one made by - can't remember who right this second. It's under the Mountain Plumbing, Franke, Quick & Hot, Everpure and many other names.

There are people who have problems with both types and some have no problems after a decade of use. Your mileage may vary, but a filter and careful installation will go a long way towards a trouble free life.

anaheim makes them for all the other brands.

antss, :o The taste of our water isn't the greatest. We don't drink it unfiltered but it's not undrinkable. I promise you, heated and sitting in that tank made a WORLD of difference in the taste and smell! Something dead in it? Left over junk from the manufacturer? No. Insinkerator replaced the tank after a repairman came out to see if he could fix the problem. Replacing the tank didn't help. It got so bad that I couldn't even use it to just rinse off dirty dishes because of the odor.

monica - have you had a chem. analysis done on your water? I'm curious what chemical reaction is going on inside that water heater.

Is your primary water heater gas or electric? What is the water like that comes directly out of it from the drain spigot?

monicakm, any TANK is a sedimentation device. Water sits in it overnight, 365 days a year. Give this some thought.

We had an instant hot water dispenser in the house we purchased. I got to using it every day for coffee and tea. Black tea need hotter water so use the microwave for that. When we remodeled the kitchen we put in another Kitchenaid dispenser. Old one was still working great. I use a whole house filter and purifier for the cold water in the kitchen. Works great too. Had it installed in the garage. The fridge has a cold water dispenser in the door.

I have an In-Sink-Erator H990W-SS hot water dispenser which I use many times a day. It's cranked up to its maximum temperature which works fine for coffee or herbal tea. Because of lung problems I've had recently, I need to drink warm/hot water, so I add hot water to all my drinking water (I have it hooked up to a filter under the sink). This is my second one of the same model; I think the first one lasted about 10 years. It's an indispensable part of my life.

I know part of tea is about the experience and if you're doing Japanese or English tea every day - there is no substitute. My guess is that there is no one here that has the time or resources to indulge in that.

Barring that we are talking about just a few degrees below boiling coming out of these devices and I'll be willing to bet you cannot tell which is which (boiling kettle or dispensed f/insta hot) if I did a blind test for you.

You in FL? I'll take you up on that, antss, if you are. There is definitely a difference between the behavior of boiling water and hot water in infusions.

We had one several years ago. It worked for a year or two and then developed a moderate leak we did not discover for quite sometime. Eventually noticed a funky smell that led to further investigation, Et voila: bad situation. It was convenient while it worked, but I have not replaced it nor would I choose to take the risk again.

Perhaps new models are better, but if you get one I would recommend placing a large dishpan under it or become fanatical about checking for leaks, especially if you have hard wood flooring.

I plan to install mine at eye level or a bit higher, on the wall over the kitchen sink, and then hide it with a "Shadow Box" (like a six-sided cube with one panel removed do you can see into it; web search to see visuals of beautiful shadow boxes with lights inside + used to display artwork). In front of it there will be something beautiful to look at. I definitely like to keep my plumbing connections in a place where leaks Get Spotted Early. I'm figuring out how to get a wallmounted faucet into a shelf so that there is no cartridge, valve, or connection in the wall stud cavity. I want to see leaks. For the Insta Hot, I plan to put filtered water into it. Any tank is a sedimentation device. Water will sit in it overnight, every night. Gunk would pile up faster if the water weren't filtered prior to entering the tank.

Before buying it, I did read that a temperature slightly below boiling is good to make tea. Reading about tea making is what convinced me that it would serve many purposes. Since it's more than a half gallon, I'm sure I'll be able to use it to jumpstart induction cooking and get a bit of boiling water going within a matter of seconds. Steaming spinach couldn't be easier than that. When I cook pasta, I often start with a small amount of water, just because I can. Then, using thermal inertia as my friend, I add some water later once the pasta is in the pot, roiling boiling. Ta daa.