London had a lot to offer: world-class restaurants, the best hotels, incredible nightlife.
And also, as any resident knows, hard water too.
The capital is a notorious hard water area, dulling hair, encrusting pipes and sinksides with limescale and adding an unwanted bitter, slightly salty flavour to our drinking water.
Healthwise, there's no cause for alarm. The deposits of calcium and magnesium found in hard water don't pose a risk to humans - in fact, calcium is needed to keep bones and blood healthy, points out Friendly Water.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) backs this up, stating hard water has no known adverse health effects. So what's the problem? Keep calm and pour on - right?
Well, there's a case for drinking soft water. The taste for one, is drastically improved with filtered water consumption, making drinking and cooking with the stuff a more pleasant experience. Plus, soft water can potentially cut the risk of developing painful kidney stones as no mineral deposits are swirling around your gut.
There are plenty of water filtration options on the market, from countertop devices to ‘clean’ water, and under-sink water softeners which must be installed around your kitchen’s cold water pipes. Boiling water taps, which give you 100° H2O in an instant, often come equipped with filters to take out the nasty stuff before it reaches your lips. And there are water filter jugs, which can be kept in the fridge for clean and cold water when you want it.
Another option? A kitchen filter tap for drinking water. These fixtures offer the perfect fuss-free solution for cleaning hard water so that it’s ready for drinking or using to boil potatoes, pasta and rice. They’re not as pricey as you’d think either and many come with installation manuals to allow you to DIY the job, bypassing expensive plumber fees.
We’ve rounded up the best options below for anyone thinking about upgrading their kitchen tap.
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Quooker Fusion Square
Serving cold, hot and boiling water from one source, the Quooker tap comes with a 3-litre water tank which can be upgraded to 7-litres if your household demand is high.
Naturally, with water available at 100D, a childlock is part of the parcel but it can be easily disarmed by adults. Available in a range of pretty finishes, extras like a cold water filter are also available.
Buy now £1095.00, Appliance City
InSinkErator 4N1 Touch
Best for: All your boiling and steaming water needs
Okay, first of all, this has a great brand name and, secondly, alongside an expansive range of options, the 4N1 Touch offers that something more.
Starting with the basics, a 4-in-1 tap, as the name would suggest, not only does this dish out filtered cold, hot and boiling water in an instance, it also adds in a fourth feature, namely the ability to access steaming hot water too. Thanks to a NeoTank nestled under your sink, a digital adjustable dial allows you to set the dial between 88- and 98°C, giving you utter control over your water’s temperature.
Featuring a 2.5-litre tank and a safety spring lock push-down lever mechanism that means the hot water handle springs back into place as soon as it is released by the user to stem the flow immediately, the InSinkErator 4N1 Touch is not only safe but it also cuts down on both water and energy wastage as you’ll only ever use the amount needed.
Filtering out impurities such as limescale to improve water taste, the 4N1 dispenses cold water at the touch of a button, making it very user-friendly, while – always with an eye on protecting you from any incidents involving the hot end of the scale - the flow of boiling/steaming water is automatically reduced to avoid any accidents from spraying and sink splashback.
Also, as good-looking as it is smart, this eye-catching Italian design tap comes in chrome, velvet black and stainless steel finishes to add additional class to a whole world of kitchen convenience.
Buy now £880.00, Amazon
InSinkErator Chrome Effect Filtered Hot Water Tap
Best for: Stylised, budget-priced boiling water
In a word, the InSinkErator Chrome Effect Filtered Hit Water Tap is: funky.
While all other options here have a somewhat austere minimalist look to help them slot fuss-free into any kitchen, this boiling water tap has a look all of its own with two large stem levers that remind us of tulips.
A standalone, hot and cold side tap model that sits beside your usual tap array, a push-down safety handle automatically shuts down the flow of boiling water making it impossible to leave running or unattended, keeping kids and elderly relatives out of harm, while the cold lever simply dispenses lovingly filtered cold water ready to drink straight from the faucet.
A simple and as straightforward as boiling water taps get, this elegant solution to ditching the kettle weighs in at under £400, making it one of the far more accessible options too.
Buy now £398.74, Amazon
CREA 3 Way Kitchen Tap
Perfect for busy kitchens where the sink is always brimming with washing up, this handy three-way tap uses a pull-out sprayer to aim water at awkward spots, reducing splashing all over the countertops. As well as spray and steam function, there's a separate outlet for filtered water too - and no need to drill any additional holes. Made from easy-to-clean stainless steel, the tap can be connected to all standard hot and cold water pressure systems. It comes with a ceramic cartridge that has undergone 500,000 cycle tests to make sure it lasts.
Buy now £134.99, Amazon
Qettle Original Mini
Best for: Standalone boiling water
Unlike the 3-in-1 units, the Qettle Mini works as a standalone option, easily installed alongside your regular tap. As such, it is also considerably cheaper than the multi-use models, which is definitely worth taking into consideration.
Comprised of a choice of 2-, 4- or 7-litre tank, an undersink filter system and the Mini spout, there are no additional extras with the Qettle Mini, meaning the price you see is the price you pay.
Whichever size tank you plump for, the efficient insulation means your preheated water is stored at a full 100°C, while the filter system works to remove all the stuff in drinking water that you probably don’t want in drinking water, such as chlorine and any and all other unpleasant tastes and odours. Also, if you live in a soft water area where limescale build-up is a constant (and eventually costly) issue, the filter protects the tank, leading to a longer lifespan.
Featuring a red safety clip that makes accessing boiling water impossible when in place, the clip must be removed to use and, even then, the button on the handle must be depressed as the handle is turned, adding an extra layer of safety that keeps that scalding water out of access to kids.
Simple to install for those with the confidence to have a crack, calling in a plumber or a Qettle Accredited Installer to get the job done properly is always the best way forward.
A swift and unobtrusive route to both boiling and filtered water at a value-giving price, the Qettle Original Mini is a great little font of red-hot water handiness.
Buy now £520.00, Amazon
John Lewis Urbana 2 Lever Water Filter Kitchen Mixer Tap
Available in shiny chrome and a brushed nickel finish, you wouldn't suspect anything unusual about this kitchen mixer tap. Yet the Urbana design offers warm, cold and purified filter water, well, on tap. The Italian-made fixture comes with a 360D swivelling spout so you can move the water flow, which comes out smoothly thanks to the integrated aerator, to where you need it. The water filter cartridge will require replacing every six months, but the purchase includes an extra one to get you started.
Sold with a five-year guarantee.
Buy now £289.00, John Lewis
Deluxe Drinking Water Filter Tap
With an elegant swan neck and sleek chrome finish, this tap will feel right at home in contemporary kitchens. The mixer uses a lever to switch between hot and cold water with a filter embedded into the stem to ensure only clean water flows out. The design is intended to be used as a separate water filter tap rather than a replacement for the main unit.
Buy now £22.99, Amazon
Waterdrop WD-FC-04 Water Filter Tap
Waterdrop is on a mission to clean up the nation's drinking water. This little gadget screws onto your current faucet, using an activated Carbon Fiber (ACF) material to absorb up to 12 times more than ordinary carbon. It's a long-lasting solution too, cleansing up to 1200 litres over three months - just think how much you'll save on bottled water!
Further its lifespan by switching between purified and tap water by flicking the lever. A variety of adapters are included to ensure a watertight fit on your kitchen tap's spout.
Buy now £23.99, Amazon
XNTONG Water Filter Tap
Leave the spanners alone, there's barely any DIY to be done with this option. Instead of replacing your existing tap, this design screws onto the lip, with hard water passing through a carbon filter to remove chlorine, limescale, heavy metals and funny smells. It will last for up to six months without needing to be cleaned meaning it's not only low-effort to install but barely requires any maintenance.
Buy now £23.99, Amazon
