It's amusing to read about el cheapo RO experiences where they last 2, 3, or 4 years then have a problem and get replaced. The owners proudly proclaim "This is my 3rd or 4th RO system" and are proud that they spent $140 four times over a four or six year period. Or the horror stories when the homeowner gets home and finds their el cheapo, no name, pacific rim RO split a filter canister or an imitation John Guest or JACO fitting popped and flooded the room. How'd that $140 RO look to the homeowner now? I bought a quality RO in 1995 (for more than $140) assembled from top quality NAME BRAND components (made in the USA) and it's still operating PERFECTLY. It ONLY has two pre-filters, although people who know little to nothing about ROs think three pre-filters are superior, and they have been changed religiously every year while the final (polishing) filter has been changed every two years. I'm on my third membrane and I'm still getting a 96% rejection rate with water that has about 600 TDS. People should exercise some common sense when shopping for appliances that can cause tens of thousands of dollars of damage when they fail... especially inexpensive appliances. The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is gone

Saskatchewan Girl, I don't know if this is what you have in mind, but I have the Moen Model 85800SL AquaSuite One-Handle Butler Faucet. Mine is in stainless, but I believe it comes in other finishes as well. It has cold water connections only. Here is a picture of it: Hope this helps.

I'd say it depends on where you are living. I'm in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, which is notorious for contaminated tap water, so I have both an Aquaversa and a Brita Filter for pitchers. I also try to stay away from the bottled water too because of the environmental issues. But I would find out how clean the local water is before making any major changes or paying extra money.

Your builder is handing you a lot of BS there. These units are never considered a “necessary” luxury. Do you have the Sub Zero refrigerator? Pro style range? In some locations, those would be considered necessary at a certain level of build. A hot water dispenser? Ah, nope. Having had had one prior, it didn’t make it to the next kitchen. When you find yourself making excuses to use it, and those excuses are few and far between? Plus, to make tea, you want fresh oxygenated water heated to just shy of the boiling point for the best flavor. A freshly filled electric kettle is as rapid as happens for a pot of tea. For a cup, the microwave is the quick solution. Now, I collect tea pots, and have a whole cupboard of different teas, so someone who isn’t as fussy about it could be perfectly fine with an instant hot. I put that instant hot money into a whole house tankless water heater.