While many of us on the Ideal Home team have expensive taste we don't have the budgets to match up, so when a 'luxury' trend comes our desks, we're best positioned to assess whether or not it's actually worth it.
When it comes to the latest kitchen trends, some of the most desirable features are the ones that cost the most. It makes sense - the things that don't feel necessary are also those that level up your kitchen so that it feels like a high-end homestay or professionally-designed space. Our latest obsession fits neatly into that category, enter: the pot filler.
Pot fillers are quite a US-centric kitchen feature and in a country where cooking spaces are much smaller, we haven't seen them pop up too much until recently. Pot fillers feel like a luxury, but are they actually expensive to install? And are they worth it? I spoke to kitchen experts to find out.
Should you buy a pot filler?
Regular taps, hot water taps and now pot fillers - you might be wondering why having a third faucet is at all necessary. It's understandable, most of us simply use our kitchen tap or kettle to fill pots and pans with water to cook with. It's effective and makes use of what we have, so is a pot filler worth it?
First, let's talk about what pot fillers actually are. It's a wall-mounted tap with a swing-out arm, typically situated over a hob, so that you can fill large pots and pans without having to carry them across a kitchen.
The arm can be pushed back against the wall when not in use, acting as a design feature as well as a practical choice. It differs from a hot water tap as it's not connected to hot water, so it won't replace a kettle if you prefer to pre-boil water.
Pot fillers - pros
When it comes to deciding on which kitchen features to include in your design, you need to consider your lifestyle as well as budget. While budget is a constraining factor, you can make room in it by removing things that won't largely benefit your life and replacing with things that will - like a pot filler, perhaps.
One of the main benefits of a pot filler is the ease it can bring to cooking if you routinely cook for lots of people. Carrying large pots of water from your sink to the hob can be cumbersome and bad for your back, and a pot filler takes this stress away by allowing you to fill a pot with water straight on your hob.
'As with all luxuries, it is good to consider if this will be of use to you, and we find people with large range cookers, big families, and a love of cooking are the most likely to include this tap in their kitchen redesign,' explains Helen Parker, creative director of deVOL Kitchens.
'The pot filler, firstly, looks great and brings an old Victorian-style gadget into modern-day kitchens. However, it also fits into a contemporary or rustic-style kitchen too. If you have a stove top kettle, it is also incredibly useful giving you an additional water source in your kitchen right where you need it,' Helen adds.
Pot fillers - cons
Part of the reason why we haven't previously seen pot fillers hugely take off is because of the added expense. If you're in the initial planning process then cutting out unnecessary features is an easy way to save money (although you might feel as though a pot filler is an essential for you), and adding it in retrospectively can cost you in plumbing work.
This is why it's really crucial to weigh up the lifestyle benefits of a pot filler. If you're a huge home cook and love hosting it will be a special feature you rely on every day, but for those who are happy with a kettle and regular tap, it might not be worth plumbing a pot filler in.
Tom Howley, creative design director at Tom Howley Kitchens, also offers a boiling water tap as a compromise. 'We often recommend choosing a boiling water tap over pot fillers – as they tend to be more versatile and are even shown to help cut your energy usage at home. With a boiling water tap, you will always have the convenience of instant hot water for brewing tea and coffee or quickly cooking pasta without having to stand around, waiting for the kettle to boil. All you need is an electric point and water supply close by,' he explains.
It's also important to take into account the leak risk. Taps often become leaky over time and as a pot filler is situated above your hob, leaking water could result in some costly repairs.
The final word
While we're by no means saying a pot filler is going to become a kitchen essential, we do think they're a stylish way of elevating your kitchen in 2025 and beyond. Particularly perfect in traditional kitchen ideas, a pot filler adds to a classic design and will make a space look much more high-end.
However, as a kitchen is about more than just style, first assess whether you need a pot filler or not. If you're on the fence then upgrading to one of the best boiling water taps might do the job. Alternatively, if you're designing your dream kitchen and love cooking for lots of people, a pot filler could be your next favourite kitchen tool.
Would you be tempted to add a pot filler to your kitchen? Let us know below.
