Taps have come on leaps and bounds in the last decade and are now far from just being a simple kitchen accessory that allows you to have water anytime you want. Taps can help a homeowner make a design statement and are available in many forms that meet varying standards of the most difficult to please. As well as coming in different finishes from the common shiny chrome to the elegant brushed stainless steel, they can make use of fascinating technology such as ceramic discs, or provide instant perfectly boiled water without having to change the boiler.

The latest innovation is the instant boiling water tap. It is currently threatening the existence of the ever-trusted traditional kettle. At present, there are only three or four manufacturers that offer the instant boiling/cold water tap but it will not be long before new brands will come onto the market. When other brands come into the forefront we can expect to see the pricing of the instant boiling water tap come right down as it currently is quite expensive.

So, what is it that makes the instant boiling water tap so special that it makes people covet it? Well, as its name suggests, it provides boiling water at a simple touch of a button or a pull of a lever and promises convenience at its best - no more filling the kettle, turning it on and waiting minutes for it to boil for your cup of tea.

As well as being a fantastic space saver, installing this kind of tap means that instant noodles and instant soup are exactly that - just turn the tap on and pour. The boiling water tap is also convenient for peeling potatoes, warming plates and sterilising bottles, which means no need to buy a bulky sterilizer when you are bottle-feeding your baby. It also saves time when cooking pasta, egg or anything that needs boiling water.

Instant boiling water taps have glowing features however, its main disadvantage is that it is very expensive compare to ordinary tap, even against a very up-market mixer tap. It also requires more electricity to run compare to the traditional kettle. Another point to make is that not all brands available promise water to be offered at boiling temperature so some aren't great for making tea or sterilising although there are two main brands that promise instant boiling water in a tap.