Boiling kettles is so last year. You need a boiling water tap like the InSinkErator 4n1 Touch
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(Image credit: InSinkErator)
(Image credit: InSinkErator)
T3 VerdictGranted, the InSinkErator 4n1 Touch boiling water tap-cum-filtered water apparatus is an expensive addition to anyone’s kitchen armoury but it absolutely slaughters the humble kettle for speed and convenience. Should you buy one? If you have the financial wherewithal and enough space under your sink, the answer is a big fat yes.
T3 Verdict
Granted, the InSinkErator 4n1 Touch boiling water tap-cum-filtered water apparatus is an expensive addition to anyone’s kitchen armoury but it absolutely slaughters the humble kettle for speed and convenience. Should you buy one? If you have the financial wherewithal and enough space under your sink, the answer is a big fat yes.
Instant filtered boiling water on tap
Instant filtered cold water whenever you need it
Easy and safe to use
Reasons to avoid-Expensive to buy and install-Uses up cupboard space under the sink
Expensive to buy and install
Uses up cupboard space under the sink
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
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Welcome to our nuts-and-bolts review of the Insinkerator 4n1 Touch, aboiling water tapsystem that makes first-world domestic life go with a zing.
TakeInSinkErator, for instance, a company that goes all the way back to 1927 when its Wisconsin owner John W Hammes first invented the mechanical food waste disposal unit. Fast forward a few decades and, in 1973, InSinkErator developed its own brand of boiling water tap and the rest is history. Since 2013, the company has been near the forefront of both domestic and professional kitchen waste disposal and boiling water systems and in 2018 it launched the 4N1 Touch boiling water tap which we are reviewing right here.
Insinkerator 4n1 Touch review: what is a boiling water tap?
A boiling water tap is just that, a tap that produces a steady stream of boiling water for whenever you need it. With a boiling water tap in situ, you will never need to use a kettle again.
Some models like the InSinkErator 4N1 Touch also come with a filtered cold water function. Aside from being a brilliantly convenient way to access spotlessly clean drinking water 24/7, the tap can also be used to refill a coffee machine, a steam iron and any other product that usually requires descaling on a regular basis.
Contrary to what you might assume, running costs are pretty minimal and most manufacturers will say that running a boiling water system is cheaper in the long term than boiling a million kettles. In fact, according to N Power, the average cost to boil a full kettle of water is 2.5p whilst a boiling water tap costs as little as 1p per litre.
In short, a very small, heavily insulated boiler situated under the sink continually tops up the temperature so that the water is always ready for use, rather like your home combi boiler produces hot water. However, unlike a normal tap which takes about 20 seconds for the hot water to come down the pipe, with a boiling water system steaming hot water streams out of the tap the moment you activate it. In most instances, the boiling water is assigned to a separate tap and, furthermore, the tap itself will always be equipped with a safety mechanism so you don’t end up scalding yourself.
Now you know how it works, let’s get down the nitty gritty of the InSinkErator 4N1 Touch.
Insinkerator 4n1 Touch review: design and features
Available in three styles and three finishes(Image credit: InSinkErator)
Available in three styles and three finishes
Available in three styles and three finishes
(Image credit: InSinkErator)
Designed and and built in Italy, the 4n1 Touch is available in three different tap designs – J shape, L shape and U shape – and three finishes – Chrome, Velvet Black and Brushed Steel.
I opted for the traditional J shape which is better suited to a country-style kitchen. But if your home is of modernistic design, perhaps go for the L or U shape options which are well suited to Grand Design-style kitchens with Scandinavian-style minimalism.
The build quality of the InSinkErator 4n1 Touch is exemplary and everything about it screams quality of the highest order. The chrome model I opted for is stunningly shiny and ultra smooth, and very easy to keep clean with just a quick wipe.
The swivelling J-shape model on test is about 39cm tall (just over 15 inches) and comes with a reach of 21 cm (about 8 inches) so it will easily swivel over a twin-sink system if positioned centrally.
Positioned near the bottom of the tap is a touch-sensitive button that activates the cold filtered water function. Simply tap it to start and tap to stop. The flow will automatically cut off after 30 seconds if left running.
The boiler itself features an on/off button and a sliding-scale temperature gauge. The boiler’s factory pre-set temperature is 96˚C but you can adjust it yourself from 88˚C to 99˚C. The recommended water supply pressure is between 1.7 and 8.6 bar.
The accompanying water filter should be replaced every six months or so, especially if you use the drinking water function a lot. At £75 for two, the filters are actually quite keenly priced when compared to other brands.
Insinkerator 4n1 Touch review: installation
What lies beneath(Image credit: InSinkErator)
What lies beneath
What lies beneath
(Image credit: InSinkErator)
Before ordering an InSinkErator 4n1 Touch, be sure you have enough space under the sink. In fact, InSinkErator’s installer may ask for a photo of the space beneath your sink before proceeding with the installation.
We have a traditional ceramic twin sink system with a double cupboard beneath. Although we did originally have a dividing shelf underneath, this had to be removed to accommodate the boiler, water filter assembly and extra pipes. It literally depends on the space in your cupboard and how tidily your under-sink plumbing is arranged. Personally I’m not too bothered about losing the shelf because it encouraged me to fill it with lots of items I’ve never used.
Installation cost for the 4n1 Touch is about £180 though you will need to spend a bit more on an electrician to instal a plug socket under sink to power the boiler. This should be done before the InSinkErator is installed.
Insinkerator 4n1 Touch review: how it works
(Image credit: InSinkErator)
(Image credit: InSinkErator)
At first glance the 4n1 Touch looks like a standard twin tap system with leavers for hot and cold on either side. However, in this instance the lever on the right is a dedicated mixer tap for both hot and cold mains water. The lever itself is superbly engineered so it has a slightly stiff but forgiving action that, once mastered, allows the user to keep the lever in the ‘magic spot’ for a perfect hand temperature. The water is slightly aerated, too, so it doesn’t splash out of the sink bowl when it hits something like an upturned spoon.
One of the very best things about this model is that it’s equipped with a cold filtered water function. Simply tap the tip of your index finger against the button near the bottom of the tap and, voila, instant cool filtered water. To stop the flow, tap it again. If you leave the water running, the flow will automatically stop after 30 seconds. Just be sure to use a tapping action rather than a pushing action when activating the filtered water function or it may not work.
Insinkerator 4n1 Touch review: verdict
(Image credit: InSinkErator)
(Image credit: InSinkErator)
I honestly never thought I’d ever need a boiling water tap or even a filtered mains water system. But since having the Insinkerator 4n1 Touch installed, I’m finding it amazingly convenient. Yes it’s first-world convenience but I’m very much liking the time it saves in waiting for a kettle to boil and I’m especially loving the filtered water feature which filters out hardness, limescale and other impurities to make even our unappealing Thames water taste better than some bottled waters. In fact, the water that now comes out of my tap has almost the same silkiness as my favourite mineral-free Aqua Carpatico still water.
At roughly £1,300 without installation, the cost of the InSinkErator 4n1 Touch is tough to justify when you can continue to simply boil a kettle and drink bottled water. However, like most things that seem unjustifiably expensive at first but soon become something you can’t live without, the InSinkErator 4n1 Touch inveigles itself into your everyday domestic life and before long you’re hooked.
Looking for a different brand or model? Check out our guide to theBest Boiling Water Tap.
InSinkErator 4N1 Touch: Price Comparison
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