The Flex, with its modern, pull-out hose, is one of Quooker's best-sellers, and along with the Fusion and Classic Fusion it's one of the all-in-one taps most of our customers choose – boiling, hot and cold from a single spout. If you'd rather keep your existing mixer and add boiling water beside it, a dedicated tap like the Nordic Single or Nordic Twintaps does that instead. Either way, you can add a CUBE for chilled-filtered and sparkling water.

Both – and more. A Quooker is a true boiling tap: the water leaves the spout at 100°C – boiling – not the near-boiling temperature other hot water taps provide. It offers hot and cold water as well,  and with a CUBE, adds filtered chilled and sparkling water too.

The tap sits above a small, vacuum-insulated tank in the cupboard below, which holds water at 108°C. Turn the boiling tap and that water rises and pours out at a true 100°C, instantly. No kettle, no wait. The tank plugs into a standard socket and requires just 10 watts to keep the water hot – less than a low-energy bulb.

What you'll pay depends on the tap and finish you choose, the tank your kitchen needs, and whether you add a CUBE. As a long-established Quooker dealer we run promotions throughout the year – give us a call or start a chat, and we'll give you our best price. Learn more in our article, How much does a Quooker tap cost?

Very little. The tank is vacuum-insulated, so it keeps its whole store of water hot on just 10 watts – less than a low-energy bulb left on. Beyond that, the only running costs are a replacement filter around once a year, plus the odd CO₂ cylinder if you have a CUBE. Learn more about running costs in our article, How much does a Quooker tap cost?

Yes – a Quooker filters its boiling and hot water as standard, and you can add filtering for the cold too. Every Quooker has a built-in HiTAC carbon filter in the tank, which cleans the boiling and hot water of chlorine and other impurities, so it tastes great. Your cold water comes straight from the mains, so it isn't filtered as standard. If you'd like it to be, there are two options: a Quooker Cold Water Filter gives you filtered cold water from the same tap, while a CUBE goes further, adding chilled, filtered and sparkling water as well. A CUBE has its own filter built in, so you won't need both. Whichever you choose, the filters are simple to change, roughly once a year, and your tank will beep to tell you when it’s time.

It depends on whether you would like just boiling water, or want your Quooker to provide your hot water too. The PRO3 tank gives you three litres of boiling water and draws cold from your existing supply – ideal if you simply want instant boiling. The COMBI adds a generous supply of hot water as well, and the COMBI+ gives unlimited hot water, so it can take over from a conventional hot supply. The one that’s right for you comes down to your kitchen and how far the tap sits from your existing hot water – we can work all of this out with you.

Yes – it's designed with safety in mind, especially around children. The boiling water has its own handle that you push and turn, a deliberate double action separate from the normal hot and cold, so it can't be set off by accident. The spout is double-walled and stays cool to the touch, and a light ring glows red to show when boiling water is on.

For anyone who uses their kitchen regularly, a Quooker boiling water tap soon earns its place. There's no kettle to fill and wait for, no pan to watch for boiling water, less wasted water, and – with a CUBE – no bottled water to buy or store at home. We believe the best way to judge is to see one in use: book an appointment at our showrooms in Reading, Berkshire or Woodstock, Oxfordshire, and come and give ours a try.

There are other boiling water taps on the market, but Quooker invented the category and is the brand all others are measured against – which is why it's the one we use and recommend. Where some taps give only near-boiling water, a Quooker delivers a true 100°C; it's gentle on energy on standby; and it comes in a variety of finishes suited to any kitchen. We're happy to talk through how it compares with anything else you're considering.

Less than you might expect. The tap itself requires a small tap hole on your work surface, while the tank lives in a cupboard below – the compact PRO3 is about 15cm across and 47cm tall, the larger COMBI a touch wider. And  if that space is already taken, the tank doesn't have to sit under the sink at all: an extension kit lets it live in a neighbouring cupboard instead. We've yet to meet a kitchen we couldn't make it work in – tell us what you're working with and we'll find a way.

Yes. The vacuum-insulated tank keeps water hot on about 10 watts, and the COMBI tank is rated A for energy. You take only the water you need, with none of the overfilling and pouring-away of a kettle, and with a CUBE, you can stop buying bottled water altogether. And you can feel good about your purchase: Quooker donates clean drinking water in Ethiopia for every COMBI sold.

Honestly, very few. But it’s worth saying that in hard-water areas you'll need to descale the spout from time to time to keep it flowing nicely, and a scale filter helps. The tank needs a cupboard space and a socket nearby, and the upfront cost is higher than a kettle – though it does a great deal more, and it lasts. Beyond that, you’ll need to change your filter roughly once a year and, with a CUBE, occasionally replace your CO₂ canister.

Quooker is a Dutch family company, and the inventor of the boiling water tap – the world's first – back in the early 1970s. It's still the name the rest of the market is measured against. It’s the one we choose for our own kitchen, and the one we recommend.