Insinkerator Instant Hot/Cold Water Dispenser - Cool! (No, Hot!)
Out of the gate, I'll say it...the InSinkErator instant hot/cold water dispenser is the appliance that I didn't know I wanted until I was asked to try it. Sure, why not? Brings me one step closer to experiencing an appliance I have not used before, good for my knowledge base!
I never had one and I never thought much about owning one, even though I have installed many for my clients over the years. I guess it was the cooktop or microwave that did the jobs I needed.
It has a generous 2/3-gallon capacity that dispenses 200 degree water instantly. And the filtration system reduces chlorine taste and odor and is listed under NSF Standard 42 so you can be assured of its performance.
One of my first questions was that I wanted to learn about the green aspects of this appliance. It does use energy, after all. Each tank uses about the same energy as a 40-watt light bulb. That is enough energy to heat and cool the water that is currently in each tank.
When you use the handle on the instant hot water dispenser, cool tap water flows into the tank. The cool tap water is first filtered and then heated to approximately 200 degrees F for the stainless steel tank and up to 38 degrees F for the chilled water tank, and flows into the expansion chamber where it's ready for later use. So, new tap water is filtered (FILTERED, YES!) and then displaces the hot and cold water that was dispensed. Since the dispenser is not used for extended amounts of time during each use, like a dishwasher or washing machine, it is a very practical and energy efficient product for daily use.
Here are some great uses for it:
Loosen Jar Lids-great for Aging in Place Seniors.
Remove Labels From Bottles.Remove Wax Residue.
Polishing Silver.
Polishing Jewelry.
Faster Cooking.
Warming Baby Food.
Quick First Aid.
Keeping Food Hot.
Remove Baked-On Food.
Melt Chocolate.
Remove Shortening.
Creaming Butter.
Removing Fruit/Vegetable Skins.
Cutting Cheese.
Cleaning Cheese Graters.
Scooping Ice Cream.
I love it because the cold water is cold and not only does it speed the cooking process but when I think of how long the gas cooktop has to be on to heat water over and over during the week, among numerous other things, this has to be a better solution.
Monday, June 15, 2009 at 02:15PM
Reader Comments (19)
Other uses that we like:
- "instant" tea
- ditto for hot cocoa
- easy spot cleaning -- just wet a microfiber towel with a brief squirt from the hot side and you can remove most dirty spots without any soap, even
We had only instant hot in our previous kitchen, but in our new kitchen we are installing this exact instant hot/cold filtered water faucet.
Rachele, that's right, it's great for multiple beverages. Appreciate all those tips, thanks a bunch!
yep. Swiss Miss & ramen noodles.
O, but no families on design sites eat ramen noodles do they......ha ha
We have one of these -- or one very similar -- in our office kitchen. The hot is indeed hot, but not quite hot enough to make a great cup of tea, in my experience. Still, it's pretty nice to have hot water literally on tap.
The cold, however, is more cool than cold. Again, it's nice, but it's not the same as ice water or refridgerator-chilled water.
Hi Chloe, ah yes, my son's entire food group, ramen noodles. :)
Mike, I don't know what kind you have, but my hot water is super hot and my cold water is really cold. When it was first hooked up, I was underwhelmed because the cold water was just 'eh and my husband looked at it again, flipped a switch that he had not seen on the unit below the sink and wow, what a difference! Maybe it's time for a new one?
Can you adjust how hot you want the water? It looks like a very space efficient design, and would be useful to have in the modern family, but maybe they don't want the hot water always too hot for safety reasons?
Nicolette
I don't believe the temperature can be adjusted. I'd invite someone from InSinkErator to answer any questions!
Chloe C., Ramen noodles are a big part of my diet too. As more and more instant healthy items appear on the shelves having instant hot water makes a quick meal so easy.
Mike, They have an optional chiller that works bettter than my refridgerator, no need for ice. Susan must have one too.
Nicolette, Every time I move I end up installing a hot water dispenser at the new house. I've had one for the last 20+ years and each one is better than the last. The temperature has always been adjustable. Sometimes it's too hot.
Very interesting post about Instant cold/hot water dispenser.
Unfortunately, Insinkerator has stopped making their chillers. Or more accurately, they are still taking orders but just saying they are waiting to make them & thus are back ordered.
I love this concept but it's just so UGLY!
I wish there were a few more stylish options as I think this one looks like some kind of weird insect or crustacean with gooly eyestalk handles and a boring oh-so-basic suction nose-hose.
Having instant hot water 24hrs a day is definitely a bonus. I have heard that tea/coffee does not taste the same.Franke have brought out a similar product as have Quooker.
I'm looking into purchasing an instant hot. I have a 1 month old baby at home and heard it helps with sanitizing bottles, etc. Obviously having children I am looking for "green" products and in reading up above I'm amazed that the ISE instant hot uses the same energy as a 40-watt light bulb. I went onto ISE's website to see more info on that but don't seem to find anything. Could you give me more information on the "green" aspect of this product?
Hi Liz! Thanks for your interest and pending purchase. Studies show that using an instant hot water dispenser can save up to 80 percent of the energy normally required to heat water to 200 degree F. It also avoids water waste because you don’t have to wait for the water to “heat up.”
The cost of heating water has 2 factors; standby energy cost and dispensing cost . Standby is the electricity used to maintain instant near-boiling water in the tank. That relates to about 0.605 kilowatt hours per day. Dispensing is the electricity used when the water is used, which equals to about 0.021 kilowatt hours per 8 oz. cup of water. All in all, it requires about 0.815 kilowatt hours per day to produce the average 10, 8 oz. cups generated per household. By comparison, one standard 40-watt light bulb left illuminated 24 hours would consume on average 0.96 kilowatts of electricity.
Lastly, the under-counter filtration system enables you to forgo plastic water bottles and rely on tap water to be the primary source for drinking, cooking and preparing hot beverages. According to published reports, of the billions of water bottles Americans purchase each year about 80 percent end up in landfills.
I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Michelle Gross, Marketing Manager, Water Products, InSinkErator
I’d like to take a few minutes to address other questions on this site.
Yes, the temperature on the Stainless Steel Tank and Chilled Water Tank are both adjustable. The Stainless Steel Tank is adjustable from 160-210 degrees F and comes factory preset at 200 degrees F. The Chilled Water Tank is adjustable from 33-45 degrees F.
Our instant hot water dispensers are equipped with a filtration system that ensures your water smells and tastes clean and fresh. There should be no difference in taste when preparing tea and coffee using your dispenser. However, filters should be replaced on average every six to twelve months depending on use.
We are still producing and offering the Chilled Water Tank as an optional accessory for all the instant hot/cool water dispensers.
And we offer a variety of styles in addition to the Series 1100 model seen on this site to complement any kitchen décor, whether it’s traditional or contemporary. Several lines come in up to 11 designer finishes. And we’re also launching a new dispenser style in early 2010 called the Modern that’s a complete visual departure from our current lines offering a more minimalistic design.
Thanks again everyone for all your comments and questions.
Michelle Gross, Marketing Manager,Water Products InSinkErator
I love my hot shot. Getting a new version for my new kitchen remodel. Another use- your good pots say not to put cold water in a pot just off the stove. as it can warp them. So I fill my dirty pot with hot shot water and a little soap and wash it after the meal. Water is right temp by then for hand washing. Works great. Also wash my knives under the hot shot. Love it. Mary Dommert Baton Rouge, LA
This is one cool gadget that I would want to have installed in our kitchen, too. And one that I know would make my wife happy because it would make her cooking so much easier and faster. Warming up baby food and removing labels would probably be our main use for this.
Daniel Wilson
Here is how I designed my new kitchen/butlers pantry layout (there is a common wall between the two room) - I used one InSinkErator filter to filter water to my pot filler, the Hot Water Tank SSTFLTR and to the CWT00 cold water chiller - I seperated the hot water tank from the cold water chiller placing one under the main kitchen sink and one under the butlers pantry sink to prevent any heat issues since ventilation is limited. I have two dispensers (3 small children) - at the main kitchen sink is the Hot and Cold water dispenser and in the butlers pantry sink is the cold water only dispenser (all by InSinkErator) - this way I have no problems letting the kids fill up on cold water in the butlers pantry without fear of them accidentally burning themselves at the Hot/Cold dispenser. Worked with my plumber and electricians ahead of time to coordinate all the lines and electrical needs.
Where can I find the technical details and price of the chiller in England ? Thanks