" It's not an "issue" it's just a preference. " <= this.

This thread reminds me of those "I hate granite" threads, in which someone isn't asking for advice but rather stating their disdain for something that other people like or have. If I'm wrong, and the OP is actually considering using a pot filler, then I apologize for misunderstanding. But if that's the case, they could have been more clear that they're asking for pros and cons.

Perhaps it was made for people who use a canner in season almost daily, and that could be a lot of people if one counts farmers, people with large gardens, etc.

Ordinarily one's sink and one's stove are in the same general area. You can keep a clean length of 1/2 inch tubing and simply siphon the hot water into the sink.

The people I know that have pot fillers do use them. They don’t drain the pasta like I do (dumping it into a colander in the sink). They use a pasta pot with a lift out strainer, letting it strain back into the pot, then they dump the water when it’s cool.

Itsourcasa seems to be taking this as a personal affront as being a questioning of her choices but I don't think it is. I see it as a real question. Do you think this is useful and why and isn't this a problem? But I am the think it all through sort of person too. If you had one put in and like it then good. My plumber would have charged extra no matter what and I too see the downside of leaks. Utility wise I am not seeing it. I have a two quart measure I use to put water in large pots and my sink is right there at an angle to the stove top I use for that sort of thing. When the day comes that I cant lift the pot back to the sink I will just give up huge pots of water. Maybe now that I think of it I already have. Still, if you want one get one but pointing out the downside is not a bad idea.

We also cook pasta in a pot that has with a strainer "insert" to lift out but I'm not sure what role that plays in the pot filler conversation. You can do a lot more than pasta in such pots - steam veggies or shrimp, hard cook eggs, etc. With or without a pot filler over the range.

Edit to add - of course comments are personal views but not "personal" insofar as any differences of opinion.

I’m putting one in my new build. I would not if I didn’t like how they looked. We cook a lot of pasta and I can. I use a drainer insert when boiling pasta, so don’t need to haul boiling water around. It will just be a minor convenience to only haul water one way.

“ We also cook pasta in a pot that has with a strainer "insert" to lift out but I'm not sure what role that plays in the pot filler conversation”

People, on this thread, were mentioning carrying large pots of hot water to the sink to drain the pasta. I was pointing out that the pots were not moved while the water was hot.

LOL It's the latest "must have" for those building HIGH END "gourmet" kitchens--who mostly eat out and occasionally make macaroni and cheese.

@patriciae_gw I'm not taking this personal at all lol. Have you read my responses? I do think this poster thinks a pot filler is really dumb and wanted people to jump on the bandwagon.. or maybe wanted one good reason for having one. There may not be a good reason for many people... it's just a tiny bit more convenient when filling a pot of water. It's a pretty "extra" for some. You either like it or you don't and will find it useful or you won't.

Ah, got it maddielee. That's one point for the insert then but no points for a pot filler.

I love my pot filler. There are many times water is used in cooking - not just for cooking pasta. It is especially great if you use a canner frequently. I also use it for small amounts of water - hard boiling eggs, etc. I do have to mention that my husband is a plumbing contractor and building inspector, so the cost was minimal. Also, my stove is far across the room from my sink. In twenty years we’ve never had a leak. We do have a quality fixture.

I always thought they were there so you didn’t have to wedge a big pot under the faucet at a too-shallow sink. But it turns out that they flow faster than the water at the sink, they free up the sink for other tasks, they look cool and make people feel like chefs, and while true that you have to carry the pot back to sink once used, that’s one less trip with the heavy pot as you didn’t have to get it to the stove in the first place.

I just could never get past that a pot filler—that water comes out of—has no drain under it. If my kitchen had a pot filler, that would worry me, so I don’t have one. That is all.

My prep sink is too small to fill a pasta pot underneath, so I just rest the pot on the counter and fill it there...my faucet is a pull out. Also makes it easier as I don't have to lift the pot out of the sink....only need to carry it across.

If I were designing my kitchen, I wouldn’t take one if I was paid to take it. I don’t think they look good. I’d want the area around the cooktop to be as easy to keep clean as possible. That would just get in my way. If the day comes that I can’t carry a pot with cold water to the stove, how can I carry it full of hot water back to the sink?

We cook a lot. I don’t see it as practical.

It’s all just personal preference. I know people who have them and love them, and people who have them and never use them. The ones who love them often use them for more than just pasta pots - you can easily add water to any pan on the stove. I’ve also heard some people use theirs to fill a coffee maker that’s near the stove, or a tea kettle, or even flower vases that might be too large for the average kitchen sink.

We are in the midst of a new build right now and we decided not to get one, mostly because our stove is just a few steps from the main sink. I also worry about leaks in the wall/on top of our new Wolf Range.

Oh my, all this fuss over a pot filler. If you think they are not for you then don't get one. If you like them, get one. I got one. Not that I wanted one , but my son bought me one for Christmas. Is it necessary, no. Do I use it, yes, because it is there. I could just as well use the sink. I do have to agree the flow of water is stronger than the sink . No I don't worry about leaks. Mine has double valves and when we go on vacation we shut off the water to the whole house anyway.

@functionthenlook you have to laugh. Exactly what I was trying to say but you said it much more eloquently than I. It's not really a huge decision in the grand scheme of a kitchen renovation, at least it wasn't to me. Eh, I have one now, cool, I never thought about the filling and the walking and the dumping lol.

Kitchen and sink faucets are required by law to have flow reducers in them, that's probably why some see a flow rate difference.

Fuss? Hardly, just a conversation. But yes, people have different preferences.

Annie, I do what you do to fill my one big pot. I put it on the counter and fill it with my pullout faucet. I then walk the two steps from my sink to my range!

Ditto.

Pot fillers make sense in one and only one instance: Chinese restaurant ranges, which come with an integral drain surrounding the burners. If you've ever seen them in action, they're a marvel of efficiency. Using his spatula, the chef knocks the spout over his wok, which turns on the water flow. He then fills his wok without lifting it off the flames. To shut off the water, he knocks the spout back out of the way. The he scrapes the wok clean and dumps the water overboard. And he's ready to cook the next dish. Why don't we all have these in our kitchens?

What you seem to be missing is that different people have different lifestyles and they like different things. The choice to include a pot filler is matter of preference, budget, and possibility. Some spaces don't allow for it (eg avoiding plumbing on exterior walls in cold climates), others have no use for it (perhaps they cook in the oven 90% of the time) or they just don't want to spend the money. If you do have one, because budget and possibilities allow, you clearly prefer the convenience. It doesn't change how you empty a pot, it just cuts out half the work of carrying a heavy pot by adding the water weight at the stove instead of the sink. It's also not just for large pots, it's for any pot that needs water. I didn't get one because of construction limitations, but the convenience factor seems pretty obvious to me.

itsourcasa, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

There are many times water is used in cooking - not just for cooking pasta. It is especially great if you use a canner frequently. I also use it for small amounts of water - hard boiling eggs, etc.

Daisy, that's why I keep a filled kettle on a back burner.

@User right, if you don't think it's pretty or a nice look then you don't get one for that reason.

Well, that and the fact that we don't need one. A garbage disposal falls into the same category for me.

I cook a lot of pasta and don't mind the few steps back and forth from the sink to the stove.

WOW Delson or Sherman that is very cool!

I have one... my hubby did a gut job remodel of our kitchen (even designing and building all of the cabinetry) and since he had the walls open he insisted on putting in a pot filler even though I told him I didn’t really see the point of one. I’ve had mine for about 4 years now, and truth be told, I really like it! Nobody is more surprised than me. Hahaha! I don’t see it as a necessity, it’s just a nice convenience, especially when it only cost parts for us and the wall was already open. I hadn’t understood that they fill things up so quickly, so I like it just for that. I use it to fill the pasta pot for sure, and that saves half of the work, which can be a nice help on the days when my fingers or wrists aren’t feeling their best. But I also use it to fill up my electric tea kettle, which is smack dab in he middle between my pot filler and my main kitchen sink, but I always choose the pot filler because it takes less time. (And I don’t have to work around any dirty dishes which might be in the sink.) My favorite application is using it to fill up my watering can to water my many houseplants. My pot filler easily reaches to my highest powered front burner, and to the side if I set something (like my electric tea kettle or my watering can) on the countertop. I have to be careful with my aim when I turn it on, but I haven’t missed a pot or anything yet because it’s not rocket science. It’s just a nice convenience that I didn’t expect to appreciate as much as I do. I will probably have my hubby install one in our next kitchen (which we hope is in our forever home on the little plot of land we bought and plan as our retirement location). My hubby likes to tell me that he told me so in regards to that pot filler. LOL!

Oh! I also use my pot filler (slowly, not at full force) to clean the surface of my built in griddle after I brown a large batch of homemade meatballs. It’s super convenient used that way! Just pour the water over the still hot surface, let it bubble a bit, and wipe it down into the trap with a dish towel, much like they do at those Japanese hibachi places. I suppose we could get into the practicality of a built in griddle too... but I adore my griddle. I also adore my 60” range. I do happen to have a large family and I do happen to cook in bulk quite a bit... and it does make my life easier when cooking in bulk or when multiple people are using different parts of the range at the same time... but I also just like the way it looks. (Though I don’t plan to get a 60” range in my next kitchen... for retirement I don’t plan on having two full ovens. I still really like my griddle and will likely get one again in a 48” range most likely.)

I don't understand what the fuss is about. What's wrong doing what was done years ago? When you needed to fill a large container parked on the burners, use a dipper to transfer smaller amounts to the large pot. When the time comes to empty the large container and remove it, again , use the dipper to move small amounts out of the pot until it is light enough to lift.

while I wouldn't break a wall or pay an arm and a leg to add one, we had the walls open and plumbing already there so why not.

This is a good answer. A pot filler isn't worth renovating/opening up a wall -- but if you're already there, and if you're already putting water in that wall (maybe because you're putting the refrigerator on that wall and need a line for the ice maker), then it's worthwhile. The initial question is, how big an investment would it be in your kitchen? The answer isn't the same for everyone.

I'm 5' tall, so there's no way I could hold a big pot up to fill from a faucet over the stove. And I'd probably burn my "girls" in the process.

You don't need to lift the pot up to the pot filler. They don't fill the same as a sink faucet -- they're faster and (this is oddly worded, but I can't describe it any better) very direct. Pot fillers fill pots faster than kitchen faucets.

It's still the issue of, if you can't carry the pot when it's full, then how do you empty it?

I think most of us CAN carry big, heavy pots -- but we like the idea of being excused from the trip one direction.

It's just more convenient, one less step, don't read too much into it.

Yes, this.

Consider, too, that whenever this topic comes up, it seems that no one ever uses water for anything except big pots of pasta. If you're on the fence about whether to get a pot filler, I suggest you test yourself -- 'cause, in the end, it's about whether you personally /your habits /your cooking style would be made easier with a pot filler.

The test: Place a sticky note and a pencil on the side of your hood range for a couple weeks. Every time you're doing something that would be made easier by having water "at the ready" at the stove top, make a note. At the end of a couple weeks, gauge how often it would've been useful to you. Examples (other than big pots of pasta) might include:

- Making tea

- Making soup

- Boiling eggs

- Adding water to a sauce, especially if you're stirring and don't want to walk away from the stove

- Filling a pot to soak after cooking

Final thought: A pot filler is absolutely a luxury item, not a necessity, but I think lots of people regularly spend on things a whole lot less useful.

@User I cannot live without a garbage disposal. Never had one until moving to Florida 15 years ago and will never do without one again. Not even remotely in the same category as a pot filler!

I’m with @Shannon_WI...I couldn’t handle the stress of having water with no drain. Now if they came with a drain, I might be on board! Questions: Is the water room temp or hot? Is there a hot/cold option or just on/off? Does anyone have one with a drain under? (Or is that what we call “sinks”? 😂).

I couldn’t handle the stress of having water with no drain.

If you have a connection to an ice maker or fridge water dispenser that is water with no drain. Under sink fittings can leak. Pipe joints within walls can leak. Pipes can burst anywhere. Indoor laundry closets rarely have drains. You don't have a drain under your sinks to catch leaks from broken pipes or fittings. "Water without drains" is in your entire home.

Pot fillers have a two valve system to prevent leaks. A properly installed pot filler far less likely to leak than some of the above.

Like they say, different strokes. I'd never even heard of a pot filler until I got onto Houzz, and I've yet to see one "in the wild" as it were. I suspect they're rare here in Aus. Judging by how people are using them, I don't think I'd find much functionality myself (ie my electric kettle is closer to the sink than the stove, and so is the all-important espresso machine, so I'd have to move further than I do now to fill either with a pot filler). I don't question that others might indeed find them useful, but for my lifestyle, not so much.

As for garbage disposal, I use a tumbler composter for a surprising amount of refuse.

I suppose you’re right about the whole house being one giant leak waiting to happen...great! No wonder I’m awake at 1:30 am! Lol

Well, I do have a drain under our washer, and I do have a water bug under the refrigerator and I do have shut-off valves handy under sinks and toilets and the washer. But good point...I don't know where the shut off valve is on the fridge....I should find out.

@ Hemina, you use the cold water line for a pot filler. You’re not supposed to use the hot water line if you have a water heater tank because you might get hot water tank nasty residue coming out of it and it’s not like it’s a faucet that you let run for awhile to flush all of that out each time you use it. Or something like that... I remember thinking it would be cool to have hot water coming out of the pot filler. We had water tanks when we installed the pot filler and now we have a tankless system. I don’t know if you can use the hot water line if you have a tankless though, too late for this house because I’m not opening the wall back up to change that. (In our case, we could more easily open the wall from behind in our laundry room than there in the kitchen since that kitchen wall is full of tile now.)

You are not supposed to use hot water for cooking at all as it can dissolve elements from pipes and joints and such into the water that you are better off not consuming.

https://denverwatertap.org/2017/12/13/psa-dont-drink-cook-hot-water-tap/

Also, it’s like two steps to turn the water on... two valves that have to be turned. I’m sure that’s to prevent it from turning on with accidental bumps... even though I’m not sure how it would get bumped on by accident except for maybe when you’re cleaning the backsplash area.

That has always been my question -- you need both a pot filler and a drain at the sink because all you're doing when you have one is filling the pot! Try still have to get it to the sink to empty and then it's HOT water!!! I think a pot emptier would be more useful at the stove because when you empty the pot the water is hot and much harder to deal with than fresh from the tap faucet water which is not!

I had a pot filler in my last house and I still miss it. Maybe you have to drain pasta but there are plenty of things you cook that aren’t drained -- soups, beans, stews, filling the tea kettle, etc. Saving half a step is still a convenience, especially in a 2-person kitchen. A pot filler is also handy to be able to soak a dirty pot on the stove without putting it in the sink full of dishes. I even had teenagers in the house at the time, and the lack of a drain was never an issue. My faucet had two valves to open and was jointed to swing out over all the burners and fold back against the wall.

If you feel that it’s important to fill the pot at the sink in order to drain it there, then don’t get a pot filler faucet over your stove.

My original post was not intended to elicit so much "reading" into it. Read again, if you wish

I really was, originally. asking the questions about how you use it, how often you use, what you use it for, most importantly, how do you empty it?

Sparring about it was never my intention. I didn't challenge anyone to justify their decision about adding one when it was as option.. The truth is that I don't care a rat's backend who has one or not. That is your business. It is your house. It is your decision.

Nor did I expect to be overwhelmingly backed up with negative comments and opinions about them. Obviously, some love them and some would never even consider it.

What I did intend to do was to elicit a discussion about them, how you use them, why you feel a need for them, and how to empty it. or just any aspect of having one.

Any discussion will invite all manner of opinions.

There are many legitimate questions to ask about them.

I really do want to know just how it is intended to empty something that was too heavy to carry to the stove in the first place, for starters. Also, just how big of a pot of something are you going to cook? Who has pots that big and just how many people are they cooking for?

I do have a canning pot that is too big to fill and take to the stove. I fill it as high as possible and do the rest with a pitcher. Then, after canning, I have to ladle out the water until it is light enough, and cool enough, to carry to the sink. But, that is just once a year when I can my tomatoes. Having to carry a couple of pitchers to the stove from the sink is not a problem.

It is MY opinion that it makes no sense. I own that opinion in an honest and forthright manner. It is mine. Obviously , it does make sense to some. Some may feel that it renders a high end touch to their house, and some envision filling up large pots easily. The image of a serious looking faucet projecting out from a heavy tiled wall evokes images of serious heavy duty "cheffness" going on. Americans love the look of "heavy duty" and "professional". It sells a lot of appliances and add ons. Whether or not it is really useful or appropriate to the lifestyle is largely ill relevant.

I see it as something of a one way street with a brick wall at the end. You find yourself having merrily filled up that pot with water heated it up and used it, just tootling merrily along until you find yourself standing at the end of the cooking with a large and heavy pot of hot water and no where to go but backwards to the sink, if you can. I don't get it. Why?

And, also I never did understand why some kitchen layouts have the cook top so far from the sink. You see this a lot. It is as if it is more about form than it is about function.

A good marriage of form and function is my desire. I would love to have a straight forward kitchen that was as functional as some commercial kitchens with stainless steel and, yes, water hoses to hose it down and a drain to let it all flow away. I am not one for dinky doos and frou-frous in the working areas of my house.

@chipotle I cannot live without a garbage disposal. Never had one until moving to Florida 15 years ago and will never do without one again. Not even remotely in the same category as a pot filler!

To me it's completely useless. Anything that can be composted is. What remains, like the occasional chicken bones, goes in the trash.

It is not always easy for all to compost. I composted in my back yard for almost 30 years with no problem until the year before last when we got infested with rats! I live in the burbs and do have a sizable back yard. For decades I composted into a bin. When the rats appeared I had to switch to a metal can that I had to drill holes in. It is nowhere as easy to maintain as was the other bin that emptied onto the ground.

I buy fruits and vegetables in bushels in the summer and all season I have a lot of wet peelings and choppings to deal with. Then, when I can tomatoes I have a lot of stuff to deal with. Then there are all the watermelons that we eat in season.

The garbage disposal is an answer only for polite scraps. Mine are pretty heavy duty with a lot of peach skins, apple peels, and melon rinds and the insides of peppers. I put up roasted peppers, too.

Too bad that most of that goes into the garbage.

I compost paper napkins and some cardboard packages and sometimes even cotton fabrics.

The best is when it makes contact with the ground and the worms can get in. Unfortunately , so can the rats. They chewed holes through the Rubbermaid containers that I tried to use and the will dig under to get inside the bin. They were huge and nasty rats!

dallasannie, you need a couple of high prey drive dogs! We rarely see rats now that we have the 2 big dogs. One is a natural hunter and has caught rats and even a couple of squirrels.

I used to have cats but they have all passed on. These rats were big and I would not want have wanted my cats to confront them. But it was years after the cats all died that we suddenly got rats. It seems to have been a problem all throughout the area.

I have seen no evidence of any rats is a long time now. One got into our garage and tried to chew its way out. We caught it.

I wouldn't want to be without a garbage disposal either.

Garbage disposals have never taken off here in Canada like they have in the U.S. I was in my teen when I even saw one for the first time, and that was at my aunt and uncle's winter home in Arizona. I wouldn't want one :-)

However, I did worm composting for many many years. I recently stopped doing it when our city went heavily into the green bin program. I even held a mini-workshop on it, and had 8 people attend. They all went home with worms, poop, a 3-pronged fork and an instruction booklet. :-)