What's the deal with pot fillers?
October 30, 2024 1:38 PM Subscribe
So, fancy kitchens these days have an additional faucet located directly above the cooktop. The alleged purpose is that a stockpot full of water is very heavy, and it sucks to carry that stockpot to the stove. That sounds handy!
But.
There is only a faucet. There is not a drain. Once I have filled this very heavy pot of water, I can cook my pasta or whatever, and then...what? Don't I still have to carry a very large pot of water to dump it in the sink? And worse, I may now be in a situation where I have filled a pot of water with so much water that I can't lift it? And I don't find that out until there is a pot of very heavy, possibly very hot, very cooked-in water some number of feet away from my sink, where I can dispose of it?
Is the only point here to get me trapped in a situation where I can't dispose of pasta water? Is there some secret I'm missing?
There is only a faucet. There is not a drain. Once I have filled this very heavy pot of water, I can cook my pasta or whatever, and then...what? Don't I still have to carry a very large pot of water to dump it in the sink? And worse, I may now be in a situation where I have filled a pot of water with so much water that I can't lift it? And I don't find that out until there is a pot of very heavy, possibly very hot, very cooked-in water some number of feet away from my sink, where I can dispose of it?
Is the only point here to get me trapped in a situation where I can't dispose of pasta water? Is there some secret I'm missing?
Best answer: I think it imagines soup (or other large volume pot needing water) which will be ladled from the pot into bowls.
Pasta, for a box, barely takes a few quarts of water.
I'm not saying its useful for you, but I....kind of want one when we remodel the kitchen, depending on how far from the plumbing the stove goes (bc $$$ if too far).
posted by atomicstone at 1:50 PM on October 30 [1 favorite]
Pasta, for a box, barely takes a few quarts of water.
I'm not saying its useful for you, but I....kind of want one when we remodel the kitchen, depending on how far from the plumbing the stove goes (bc $$$ if too far).
posted by atomicstone at 1:50 PM on October 30 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Pot fillers, like many higher-end kitchen design trends, come from restaurant kitchens. In a restaurant kitchen, a pot filler to fill a large pot with water to make stock or soup can make sense (you'll either be using the stock or soup in smaller portions by ladling it out or draining it out of a drain valve in the bottom of the vessel). In other cases, pot fillers would be used to fill a large stationary vessel with integrated heating, called a kettle, that is used to make stock or soup — because the kettle cannot be moved at all. Similar devices are also used by bakers to add water directly into dough mixers (in some cases, with built in metering of the water).
In the home kitchen, a pot filler doesn't make a lot of sense, unless you are regularly filling pots that are too large to fit under your kitchen faucet.
posted by ssg at 1:52 PM on October 30 [8 favorites]
In the home kitchen, a pot filler doesn't make a lot of sense, unless you are regularly filling pots that are too large to fit under your kitchen faucet.
posted by ssg at 1:52 PM on October 30 [8 favorites]
Best answer: I don't think there's a secret. You'd be carrying the pot back to the sink at the end either way but with the filler you don't have to clear out the sink to fill the pot at the start of things. So instead of spending a couple of minutes washing the dishes in the sink or moving them to the dishwasher, then filling the pot and boiling the water you could start the boil on the stove and while that's going on clear out the sink because that'll have to be done anyway if you're emptying the pot into a colander.
We would have put one in in our kitchen, if you're getting the plumbing done already it isn't much of an additional expense, but there's a window that goes right across our countertop so there wasn't a good place to put one and the sink isn't too far from the stove anyway.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:54 PM on October 30 [3 favorites]
We would have put one in in our kitchen, if you're getting the plumbing done already it isn't much of an additional expense, but there's a window that goes right across our countertop so there wasn't a good place to put one and the sink isn't too far from the stove anyway.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:54 PM on October 30 [3 favorites]
Another thing to consider: If there's no drain, you'll end up filling your pot with water that has been in the pipe since the last time you used the pot filler. No way to clear it without taking a heavy pot of stale water to the sink...which sort of defeats the purpose of having a pot filler in the first place.
posted by yellowcandy at 2:22 PM on October 30 [10 favorites]
posted by yellowcandy at 2:22 PM on October 30 [10 favorites]
Yeah, I thought it might be nice for stock or soup or whatever, or all the times when I think "oop, need a bit of water". My sink is actually very far from my stove due to the odd layout that resulted from renovations before we bought the place, so if something's about to start sticking or burning I figured it would be great to just be able to use the pot filler. (Maybe it's the ADHD, but this happens to me a lot.)
However, in real life, adding water pipes to a wall that did not previously have them is to be avoided whenever possible! If you try to use it, it drips! So now it's just there taking up space.
posted by wintersweet at 2:26 PM on October 30 [2 favorites]
However, in real life, adding water pipes to a wall that did not previously have them is to be avoided whenever possible! If you try to use it, it drips! So now it's just there taking up space.
posted by wintersweet at 2:26 PM on October 30 [2 favorites]
I'm paranoid about flooding, and pot-fillers seem like a flooding accident waiting to happen - a faucet without a drain.
It's bad enough that kitchen faucets can rotate all the way around so they are over the counter instead of the sink (like on kitchen islands).
Also, before induction stovetops the quickest way to boil a large pot of water was to use an electric kettle to bring the water to boil and then pour that in the pot, repeating until full. In EU, this is takes about 2min with 220V, but in the US it's about 6min with our 120V. So even with a pot-filler, you don't want to use that because boiling a large pot of water directly on the stove is the slowest approach.
posted by jpeacock at 2:28 PM on October 30 [5 favorites]
It's bad enough that kitchen faucets can rotate all the way around so they are over the counter instead of the sink (like on kitchen islands).
Also, before induction stovetops the quickest way to boil a large pot of water was to use an electric kettle to bring the water to boil and then pour that in the pot, repeating until full. In EU, this is takes about 2min with 220V, but in the US it's about 6min with our 120V. So even with a pot-filler, you don't want to use that because boiling a large pot of water directly on the stove is the slowest approach.
posted by jpeacock at 2:28 PM on October 30 [5 favorites]
Best answer: I think it really is just a fun thing you can add to a kitchen if you want, like integrated garbage disposals and intercoms and central vacuums before it. I think there are generally two kinds of snootiness associated with this—"look at the fancy new thing I have" and "look at this stupid thing a rube with more money than sense installed"—and they're both half-right (if all this stuff was as useful as you imagine it would become common) and half-wrong (people think they're neat! there are dumber reasons for putting stuff in your house).
We don't have one and I'm not planning to add one any time soon, but my parents do; it's honestly kind of nice when I'm... well, making macaroni and cheese out of a box usually. The thing along these lines that I most miss from a previous house is a refrigerator water dispenser that told me how many ounces/cups I had dispensed so far. Loved that thing.
posted by Polycarp at 2:59 PM on October 30
We don't have one and I'm not planning to add one any time soon, but my parents do; it's honestly kind of nice when I'm... well, making macaroni and cheese out of a box usually. The thing along these lines that I most miss from a previous house is a refrigerator water dispenser that told me how many ounces/cups I had dispensed so far. Loved that thing.
posted by Polycarp at 2:59 PM on October 30
We don't have one near the stovetop, but we do have one in the coffee/tea area which is convenient for filling the coffee maker or electric kettle. Since you end up drinking the contents of the vessel, it's not a problem to not have a drain there. At the same time... would it be THAT big a hassle to fill the kettle at the sink instead? Not really. But hey, it's there, so we use it.
posted by slenderloris at 3:12 PM on October 30
posted by slenderloris at 3:12 PM on October 30
Best answer: I know fancy people who have these, who love to cook. It only gets used, as far as I can tell, during big holiday occasions when vast crocks of soup and stock and whatnot need to be made.
Like, I helped with someone’s Passover and it was used to fill the pot after all the chicken and aromatics were in there for chicken soup, and also a second pot when making the matzoh balls. When the matzoh balls were cooked, they were ladled into the soup pot, and then the leftover pot of starchy water was left to cool and dumped into the sink. It was good that the pot filler was there because the sink had been full of dirty things when it was time to make the matzoh balls, but we could have almost as easily used a kettle or pitcher.
I was also able to come over when someone’s nonna was making sauce, an all day affair, and the pot filler was used to cover the tomatoes to clean them as she inspected the bushels and dropped them in as they passed muster, and then it was used to refill that pot and bring to a boil to blanch the tomatoes for peeling, and then later when the sauce was being canned, she used the pot filler again for that. Each time mostly the pot was full of stuff that was removed before the water needed to be dumped, so there was less volume than you would expect. But also she could have easily used a kettle or another smaller pot and of course her copious grandchildren (and me) to lift those.
I’ve done plenty of fantasizing about my own dream kitchen remodel and I briefly contemplated a pot filler, because I do love me a big cauldron of soup. But unless I go full commercial and install a drain by the cooktop I don’t think it’s worth the hassle. I do definitely want two separate sinks though, one kept very clean for food prep and one for washing dishes and general grossness. None of this split sink thing either, two sinks, one near a dishwasher and one near a fridge. And presumably at least one of these will be close to the cooktop and serve as my pot filling sink, too. Ah, kitchen daydreams, I really am middle aged now!
posted by Mizu at 3:37 PM on October 30 [1 favorite]
Like, I helped with someone’s Passover and it was used to fill the pot after all the chicken and aromatics were in there for chicken soup, and also a second pot when making the matzoh balls. When the matzoh balls were cooked, they were ladled into the soup pot, and then the leftover pot of starchy water was left to cool and dumped into the sink. It was good that the pot filler was there because the sink had been full of dirty things when it was time to make the matzoh balls, but we could have almost as easily used a kettle or pitcher.
I was also able to come over when someone’s nonna was making sauce, an all day affair, and the pot filler was used to cover the tomatoes to clean them as she inspected the bushels and dropped them in as they passed muster, and then it was used to refill that pot and bring to a boil to blanch the tomatoes for peeling, and then later when the sauce was being canned, she used the pot filler again for that. Each time mostly the pot was full of stuff that was removed before the water needed to be dumped, so there was less volume than you would expect. But also she could have easily used a kettle or another smaller pot and of course her copious grandchildren (and me) to lift those.
I’ve done plenty of fantasizing about my own dream kitchen remodel and I briefly contemplated a pot filler, because I do love me a big cauldron of soup. But unless I go full commercial and install a drain by the cooktop I don’t think it’s worth the hassle. I do definitely want two separate sinks though, one kept very clean for food prep and one for washing dishes and general grossness. None of this split sink thing either, two sinks, one near a dishwasher and one near a fridge. And presumably at least one of these will be close to the cooktop and serve as my pot filling sink, too. Ah, kitchen daydreams, I really am middle aged now!
posted by Mizu at 3:37 PM on October 30 [1 favorite]
We recently moved into a house with a pot filler and I think it’s so dumb.
The stovetop that came with the house doesn’t work super well, so the first (last) time I used it, I filled a heavy pot while it sat on a burner, then realized that particular burner just would not flipping stay lit. So I had to heave it up over the grill plate in the middle to the other burner. So dumb. It saves no work whatsoever.
I happen to know the person I purchased the house from, and she installed it and has specifically called it out to me as one of her favorite features. Ugh.
posted by samthemander at 4:09 PM on October 30
The stovetop that came with the house doesn’t work super well, so the first (last) time I used it, I filled a heavy pot while it sat on a burner, then realized that particular burner just would not flipping stay lit. So I had to heave it up over the grill plate in the middle to the other burner. So dumb. It saves no work whatsoever.
I happen to know the person I purchased the house from, and she installed it and has specifically called it out to me as one of her favorite features. Ugh.
posted by samthemander at 4:09 PM on October 30
Best answer: I am cooking a big pot of soup right now. It is simmering nicely, but needed a bit more water; pot filler to the rescue! No need to get a container for the additional water or anything. Not a huge advantage but definitely convenient. It is also nice when cooking pasta or anything else that needs a lot of water. Yes you do have to pour it out eventually, but cutting the work of lugging water across the kitchen in half is still nice. Not essential, but a nice luxury if you are building or doing a serious remodel and can easily ad it in.
posted by TedW at 4:09 PM on October 30
posted by TedW at 4:09 PM on October 30
Architect here, with a spouse who's a cooking instructor. How often do you make soup, or massive amounts of boiled things? A couple of times a year? If so, the faucet valve will likely age quickly due to underuse. And just picture a faucet dripping on your cooktop. If you must, a better solution would be a small wash basin with a tall gooseneck faucet, adjacent to the stove. Then, you can ignore the leak for months ;-).
I've used one of these faucets before, and let's just say that it wasn't the problem solver I'd hoped. It was basically on/off, and splashed all over the place. Moderating the flow was a skill, and the skill didn't come before making a mess.
posted by Carmody'sPrize at 4:33 PM on October 30 [5 favorites]
I've used one of these faucets before, and let's just say that it wasn't the problem solver I'd hoped. It was basically on/off, and splashed all over the place. Moderating the flow was a skill, and the skill didn't come before making a mess.
posted by Carmody'sPrize at 4:33 PM on October 30 [5 favorites]
The other way I’ve seen people in commercial kitchens use one is to quickly clean out a vessel between dishes - e.g. swishing out a wok between batches of stir frys (and dumping the waste water in a drain or bucket). Handy for efficiently managing high volumes of small batches of stove cooked stuff, if that’s a thing you might do.
posted by threecheesetrees at 5:47 PM on October 30
posted by threecheesetrees at 5:47 PM on October 30
It sounds to me like another thing to maintain. I am old but able to carry a 4 qt. pot of water to and from the stove.
posted by theora55 at 5:50 PM on October 30
posted by theora55 at 5:50 PM on October 30
If it's attached to a on demand water heater cranked to the maximum, it can help with the time it takes to bring water to a boil. If not, it's not nearly as useful.
posted by donpardo at 6:29 PM on October 30
posted by donpardo at 6:29 PM on October 30
Seems like a pitcher and a couple of trips to the sink would do the same thing unless you're making giant pots of soup very often.
posted by ctmf at 7:06 PM on October 30
posted by ctmf at 7:06 PM on October 30
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone.
Polycarp, are you from SDMB?
posted by bowbeacon at 7:08 PM on October 30 [1 favorite]
Polycarp, are you from SDMB?
posted by bowbeacon at 7:08 PM on October 30 [1 favorite]
Just to add a data point about commercial use, wok stations are often plumbed so the whole surface leads to a drain, and the tap is left constantly on as a source of fresh water and allowed to overflow across the stove to help cool it.
posted by lucidium at 7:53 AM on October 31 [1 favorite]
posted by lucidium at 7:53 AM on October 31 [1 favorite]
(I'm not, but SDMB Google results are always a pleasure when I run into them while searching for a question—like when you Google a band and there's a nice 20-page Steve Hoffman Forum post to read through.)
posted by Polycarp at 2:17 PM on October 31
posted by Polycarp at 2:17 PM on October 31
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posted by box at 1:47 PM on October 30 [50 favorites]