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If you are currently thinking of giving your kitchen an update, then make sure you include a hot water tap. This wonderful appliance is a true investment for any kitchen makeover and rightly so. It can help you in more ways than you could think it’s possible. With so many choices for a kitchen tap, choosing the right one for your space can feel daunting.
Should you go for a single or dual lever tap? Go for a traditional bridge tap or stick with a contemporary look? And even when you find the right design, there’s the issue of colour choice. Lucky for you, award winning interiors blogger Jenny Kakoudakis of Seasons in Colour is on hand to share her recent experience choosing a tap for her newly remodelled kitchen. Read on to find more about hot water taps and how you can cleverly mix materials in your kitchen for a completely unique look.
A kitchen renovation can be an exciting and rewarding experience. It’s a great way to give your kitchen a new lease of life, with updated features and appliances that will make it more functional and aesthetically pleasing.
With careful planning, you can create a kitchen that is both beautiful and practical. Whether you’re looking for new countertops, cabinets, or appliances, there are plenty of ways to upgrade your kitchen. With the right combination of design elements and smart appliances, you can create a kitchen that is both stylish and efficient.
While designing the kitchen of your dreams, you will no doubt spend hours focusing on larger surfaces like the cabinets, flooring and worktops. And it’s true that these elements will define a number of smaller design details down to accent colours and cabinet handles. I find, however, that taps are often overlooked until it’s time to start the kitchen install.
But taps are quite large these days. They can take up a lot of space visually and you have to absolutely love them because they will always be visible, especially if they are installed on an island.
Upgrading your tap can happen even if you are not going for a full kitchen renovation. If your heart is set on having a kitchen sink with an instant hot or steaming water tap then read on how such a tap can help your everyday kitchen chores.
The model that we used in our kitchen remodel was the Vapos 2 3-in-1 tap in a stainless steel finish. This tap can supply fresh cold, regular hot and filtered 98C steaming water. It comes with a 3.5l boiler (up to 120 cups an hour) and filtration can help you manage scale and water acidity for increased boiler protection.
The striking tap, with swan neck, has a cool touch spout and separate flow for delivering the steaming hot water. Normal hot and fresh cold water are controlled through single lever for ease of control and a separate push in, child-safe, lever controls the steaming water.
Having steaming hot water on demand is a new experience. Gone are the days when boiling water in a kettle was the norm. The instant hot water tap will let you reclaim precious worktop space by removing a kettle! Being able to fill up a cup of tea instantly might not be life-changing but it certainly earns points with everyone in the family, it’s fast and efficient.
And while we are on the subject of tea preparation, did you know that you can set your VAPOS boiler to the precise temperature you need your tea in? Herbal, black and English Breakfast tea, for example, require near boiling water (so go with 98C) whereas green tea should be brewed in around 78-85C. This is definitely not something you can do with your average kettle and can make a huge difference if tea (and coffee) taste are important to you.
While using your steaming hot water tap for your drinks might be efficient, wait till you try it with cooking preparation! Having access to a steaming hot water tap is an efficient and convenient way to speed up your cooking process and improves the taste of food. You can use a steaming hot water tap to quickly boil pasta or rice, cook vegetables, boil eggs and more.
Simply fill the pot straight from the tap and then place it on your hob. By using a hot water tap, you can have hot water ready in no time so that you can focus on the other steps of your recipe and get dinner on the table faster than ever.
With a hot water tap, you never have to boil more water than you need, something that usually happens with kettles. At the same time, the heavily insulated tank will keep the water at the correct temperature while conserving energy because it is difficult for heat to escape (as it does with the kettle!). So overall, the consensus is that a hot water tap is more energy efficient, cup for cup, than a kettle.
The thin stream of steaming water perfectly fills the bottle without nasty splashes that can singe your fingers and the instant warmth of the water bottle will put you off any temptation to raise the temperature in your house.
This designer tap is WRAS approved as well. The Water Regulations Approvals Scheme (or WRAS) is an independent UK certification body for plumbing products and materials, helping business and consumers choose compliant products that keep water safe. Productapproval by WRAS means the product is of suitable quality and standards to avoid water contamination and minimise waste, when installed properly.
As I mentioned, your VAPOS 2 3-in-1 tap comes with a water filter to keep your boiler free of scale and acidity. It is recommended that you change the filter once every 6 months (failure to do this may invalidate the guarantee).
Externally, you can keep your tap looking new by cleaning regularly with hot soapy water and a soft cloth (I use a microfibre cloth). If you have stubborn limescale deposits, a white vinegar and water (50/50) mix will help but always rinse thoroughly after use. I also dry my tap after every use to delay future build up as water is particularly hard in our area.
If the boiler is not going to be used for a long period of time, it is recommended that you disconnect it from the power supply. Allow the steaming water to flow from the tap until it runs cold. And remember to always fill the tank completely before connecting the boiler to the power supply and setting the temperature control to the desired temperature setting.
If you want to introduce colour in your kitchen then you should know that CAPLE offer this multi-tasking tap in different finishes, to complement your cabinets and worktop. The tap is available in traditional stainless steel, but also modern black, gunmetal (perfect if you are pairing with ovens in the same finish), copper or gold.
And if you are a fan of contrasts, why not pair a stainless steel VAPOS tap with a PVD sink? PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) is a popular technique used in sink manufacturing to create durable and aesthetically appealing sink surfaces. It is a coating process that involves depositing thin layers of material onto a substrate through a physical vaporization and condensation process. This method allows for the creation of a wide range of finishes and colours on sink surfaces, including the very popular gold finish.
PVD coatings provide excellent protection against wear, corrosion, and tarnish. Sink surfaces are exposed to a variety of harsh chemicals, detergents, and abrasive materials on a daily basis, and PVD coatings can create a durable barrier that helps to prevent damage and maintain the sink’s appearance over time.
PVD coatings can create a wide range of finishes and colours, allowing sink manufacturers to offer sinks with various decorative options. This includes popular finishes such as brushed nickel, stainless steel, bronze, and gold, among others. Why not mix your VAPOS tap with a steel and gold sink; or use a black 3-in-1 tap with a waterfall worktop and a black steel SASO sink, the latest introduction by CAPLE, perfect for luxury kitchens.
AD: We provided Jenny with the following Caple appliances, sink and tap at a discount to feature in her kitchen: DD810BK, RI7306, CM111SS, Zero150R and VAP2/3IN1/SS.
