Instant hot water dispenser

A watched pot never boils, and neither does the water from a hot water dispenser. But the 190°F water it provides on demand is plenty hot enough to prepare an ever-widening selection of instant food and drink, like dried soup, hot cereal and hot drinks. At the touch of a lever, you get an instantaneous, though limited, supply of hot water.

This convenience is essentially a dedicated water heater for one location -- with a 1/3-1/2 gallon tank mounted inside the sink cabinet and a spigot mounted to one side of the kitchen faucet. Some models deliver up to 60 cups of hot water per hour, but all of them get the basic job done-a few cups at a time.

Cost depends on the brand, the capacity and the seller's mark up. In terms of energy consumption, manufacturers report that an average household spends under 10 cents per day-but it all depends on how much you use it. Hard water can accumulate scale in the heating tank. If you have this problem, look for a unit with a drain plug at the bottom of the tank. 

Soap Dispenser

These handy pumps banish the dish soap bottle from your countertop and serve up the suds on demand. A refillable canister hides under the counter, holding several month's supply of liquid soap. It's a little luxury, but you'll use it many times each day.

The price will vary with make and finish. Higher-priced models offer a wider range of finishes. The weak point in all of them is the pump. Eventually the head snaps off the plastic tube and you have to replace the pump, or the whole unit if parts aren't available.

Water Filters

Whether you choose to filter your tap water to protect your health or simply to improve the color, taste and odor, you need to know what you're trying to remove from the water before you choose a filter.

First, assess your need. Are you just trying to improve the taste of chlorinated water? If so, just about any activated charcoal system will do the trick -- even the popular pour-through pitchers. Inexpensive filters that attach to the faucet spout are not as effective, attractive or durable as under-counter models with a separate spigot on the countertop. If you have hard water in your area or significant sediment from well water, you may have to treat all the water to the house, not just kitchen tap water. .

All of the following types are available as under-counter units. Costs will vary depending where you buy the unit, but ballpark ranges are provided here:

• Activated carbon granules are effective against a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) like chlorine and pesticide residue.
• Reverse-osmosis (RO) ) filters remove a wide range of contaminants
• Distillers remove just about everything from water, but require lots of energy to run.