InstaHot...What would you use it for?

Do you make tea (assuming the water is hot enough for tea) or hot chocolate from water? Would you fill pots prior to putting them on to boil? Something else?

Are you on a well or do you have "city water"?

I don't have an InstaHot and while I occasionally wish I did, I don't consider it a "must have"...not even close...there are many other things I'd rather have! Plus, I'm not sure it's a good idea with well water b/c when it fills, the water would have been sitting in the pipes for a while and with well water you're supposed to run the water to clear the pipes first (also a reason not to have a pot filler...along with the fact that a pot filler is a sink with no drain and has no easy access to the plumbing!)

Soap Dispenser (SD)...Do you currently have a hand soap and/or dish detergent bottle or dispenser sitting on your counter? If not, are they stored under the sink in a cabinet? Do you use much of either?

SDs are great for getting a bottle off the counter but they don't make it easier to clean b/c you have an SD to clean around that can't be moved. Personally, I like that I have a low-profile pump that is hooked up to a warehouse-sized bottle of soap under the sink and I only have to change it out 2 or 3 times a year (NeverMT). The SD also controls how much soap is used...we go through a lot less now than we used to b/c less soap is dispensed with a push than when we had a bottle. I use hand washing soap in my SD, but many, many here put dish detergent in theirs. (My hands are too sensitive for even the mild detergents to use them to wash my hands regularly...I wash them many times during meal prep!)

Garbage Disposal (GD)...Do you have one now (I'm assuming not)? Do you throw out a lot of veggie/fruit leavings or scrape leftovers into the trash? Do you compost? Are you on a septic system or do you have "city sewer"?

We have a GD and we're on a septic system. We got a GD designed for septic systems but still don't put everything down it. I do put fruit & veggie scraps down it, but usually stills scrape plates into the trash. I also keep meaning to start composting, which will also cut down on what goes down the GD.

Have you ever had one? If so, do you miss it? Do you grumble when there's stuff in the sink that has to be dug out b/c it cannot go down the drain? If so, I'd say get one...they're not that expensive.

If you go with the instahot, check the energy usage ratings. I have a friend who bought a keurig (sp?) pod-coffee maker, and uses it without the pods for hot water for beverages or a little boost to the hot water in the sink for cleaning. She found it reduced her utility bill over keeping her insta-hot running.

Here are my thoughts...I don't want to have to refill a soap dispenser and it is one more thing that can break...I couldn't live without my disposal even though we compost as much as possible. I just wouldn't want to have to dig out food particles out of my drain everytime I wash dishes. Now, as far as the instahot, I would love one! My dad and his wife have one and it is great for rinsing a dish before you put it in the DW...they also make tea and cocoa in the winter and it is great for that. I Consider where your hot water heater is in relation to your kitchen and sink too. If you get hot water to your sink relatively fast, then it would seem pointless to install insta hot, in MHO...

Regarding the soap dispenser -- had found that I routinely pick up the soap bottle and squirt directly into the pot.So decided not to get the dispenser. (Also did not want the extra hole and the extra thing sticking up).

I do have a filtered water faucet for tea and drinking even though our tap water is fine, I would not want the Insta Hot because I want to use the filtered water for the tea, and I want that water to be at a full boil. So I prefer a kettle on the stove.

I like the disposal and don't feel there are good reasons not to have one so why not?

All very individual preferences and usage patterns.

Such a personal preference question I think. But I'll tell you why I am getting the instahot. I currently have a hot water dispenser on my counter which I have used tonnes. I got one from my MIL who was downsizing, thought I'd bring it out when she came to visit and put it away in between. Then I found it super useful so when the one she gave me broke I went out and bought another. I guess we use a fair bit of hot water in my house! So the instahot will get one more bulky appliance off my counters.

Regarding some of the other responses - my instahot will be filtered before it is heated. I thought that was pretty standard? I guess it depends on how much filtration you need/want. Might not be able to get the best of filtration but it's good enough for me and our water. And the hot water from the instahot is very near boiling. But not boiling, just almost boiling. So if you need it really boiling then a kettle is still the way to go.

A downside might be the potential for scalding ... so I'm having a valve installed by the plumber so I can switch it off when my kids are playing at the sink. A bit of a pain until they're old enough to be trusted at the sink but worth it for my peace of mind. It might not be an issue for you, but you wanted both pros and cons right?!

I pondered the soap dispenser and never MT. I think they're great, but I decided I didn't want so many things cluttering my sink since the instahot will be there already. On a day to day basis there will be clutter. My house is lived in and the kitchen gets tonnes of use so on a day to day basis the dish and hand soap will both be out. But I wanted to be able to put those away for a cleaner and less cluttered look when/if I want to. Also, unless you have mostly plastic in the soap dispensing guts there can be corrosion of the metal parts from the added antibacterial agents and perfumes/colours in the soap. I've found that on my countertop soap dispenser in my MB - mostly aesthetically dis-pleasing so I haven't replaced it yet. It probably isn't too much of an issue since tonnes of people use them on the kitchen sinks. So for me I would have probably done the soap dispenser if I wasn't already doing the instahot. I just don't want so much stuff being permanently attached to the back of my sink.

In regards to the disposal there are tonnes of interesting and varied opinions in the link you've already been given. I won't bother repeating it all again!

HTH!

@mmhmmgood I know this is an older thread but in hindsight would you do the "insta hot" at your sink again? I need to decide today and I have already decided to forgo the soap dispenser. thx

Just remember that they are not at all energy efficient. If that is important to you, heating a cup of water in a microwave is the best way to produce near boiling hot water for kitchen use.