Q&A Product Spotlight: Evolution of Instant Boiling Water Systems

In this week’s product spotlight, we sit down with Nick Taylor of HotSpot Titanium to discuss the future of hot drinks in the workplace.

Q: What are the key designer and end-user considerations when it comes to selecting instant boiling water solutions for the workplace?

A: There are many considerations, but the main ones would be initial buying costs combined with running costs, space available, performance, and aesthetics. We are also regularly compared on warranty, safety features, water quality, environment sustainability and legislation.

Q: Why not just stick with a simple Kettle?

A: As you will no doubt know, traditional Kettles gave us near-zero installation time and effort but…in addition to insufficient capacity, also gave us unacceptable waiting time, poor insulation, safety hazards, portable appliance testing and hard-water scale intolerance.

Whilst the traditional kettle gave us portability, it is arguably ‘unsafe portability’ and the UK market moved to mains water-fed on-wall boiling during the 1990’s, with circa 40,000 new installs per year by noughties. Safety improved with the avoidance of loose power leads and secure fixings to the wall. However, what was saved in worktop space was lost wall space.

Q: So what was it in the late noughties that was the driver for change away from on-wall-boiling to ‘surface-mounted’ integrated tap units?

A: Our research suggests that it was chilled water and aesthetics that were the main drivers. The ability to hide the heater / engine room within the under-counter-cabinet and out of view. Instead, all that was left on view was a stylish tap. Chilled water moved from a ‘nice to have’ to ‘a must have’ – the magic of having this all in the one stylish tap captured the attention of the entire office market.

Q: But what came with this luxury?

A: Initially we saw a big increase in price to buy, massive amount of cabinet take-up, problematic systems with high servicing costs.

At HotSpot Titanium we want to make instant boiling water systems more accessible. We believe a realistic price point for a good filtered boiling water solution needn’t exceed £1.5K.

In terms of space – both Facility Managers and Home Users are increasingly expecting high-volumes of instant boiling water (a) without the heater filling an entire cupboard/cabinet and (b) without taking up valuable kitchen worktop space.

The solution is surely to find a good-capacity product that will fit comfortably in the cabinet under a standard sink; plus a hot/cold mixer with filtered boiling rather than worktop clutter from additional taps. Try an 8Litre HotSpot Titanium in the smallest of under-sink cabinets saving counter space and unnecessary cutting off the kitchen work-surface.

At HotSpot Titanium we believe that our customers have already paid for a good serving of peace of mind in the purchase of the product and are proud to offer a warranty that is not conditional to an extortionate service contract.

Q: What about safety, is it safe to go with an instant boiling water tap?

A: Our research tells us that both the trailing power lead and the knockable-over aspects of such as the kettle are greater safety risks than the accidental short-dispense from an instant boiling water tap.

In the future safety will not just be about accidental scolding but also bacteria transfer. Whilst it will take a hardy bacteria/virus to survive a good boiling our research suggests that hygiene of tap touch will rapidly ascend in importance. The technology for touch-free dispense is of course already with us. Expect to see the up-and-coming manufacturers integrating antimicrobial technology – applying coatings that work to keep them cleaner from multiplying bacteria.

 

 

Q: What about water quality?

A: During the on-wall-boiling era filtration was predominantly to protect the system from the effect of mineral deposit / calcium limescale which, particularly in hard water areas would cause narrowing of pipework which in turn reduced both flow of incoming water to recover the capacity and the out-going flow for the hot drinks.

Look for an instant boiling water system that has the boiling water filter included and has the ability to greatly reduce calcium hardness. Furthermore, market demand will sway toward durable materials for the water containment. Materials with non-corroding properties ensure that, as a result of the boiling water process, are not contaminating your drinking water.

Q: How important is the delivery temperature?

A: If you choose a Hot Drink appliance that is vented (has the boiling water chamber open to atmospheric pressure) then expect the 100°C traditionalists to smuggle a kettle back into your office kitchen. Try an unvented Hot Drink appliance (has the boiling water chamber closed to atmospheric pressure) then the water arrives in your cup at boiling temperature – perfect for a great tea brew!

Q: Environment and sustainability is increasingly a more and more important aspect in the decision-making process, how can this product help?

A: Good environmentally friendly insulation ensuring low standing heat losses is simply a bare minimum and will be nothing to boast about. What will become unacceptable is the transit of finished product from the Southern Hemisphere and filters containing more plastic than 60 small bottles of water being sent to landfill. Good specifiers will look for product with the smallest transportation footprint and an effective spent filter recycling policy.

To find out more about HotSpot Titanium and the product range, get in touch with us today.