If you've never experienced the convenience of an instant hot-water dispenser mounted at the kitchen sink, you're missing something. These point-of-use water heaters consist essentially of a miniature electric water heater and storage tank mounted beneath the sink and connected to a small sink-top spout.

They allow you to quickly brew hot tea, drip a cup of coffee, mix up soups, thaw juices, warm baby bottles, and much more. Because they produce steaming hot water immediately upon flipping a valve, they take the lag time and the hassle out of many different tasks that would otherwise require boiling water on the stove.

Instant hot water dispensers are often connected to under-sink water filters and some models deliver both hot and cold water at the sink.

This section of HomeTips will show you how to buy, install, and care for an instant hot-water dispenser.