Beverage Equipment Kitchen Equipment News & Information

Best Auto Fill Water Boiler: Review of the Top Water Boilers

by : Tim Taylor - Eco Catering Equipment 5 years ago

Autofill Water boilers are found in a huge number of hospitality environments, and it’s easy to understand why. Sites need instant hot water for their beverages. You haven’t got time to wait for the kettle to boil.

Which is why commercial water boilers sell in their thousands every year. But, as with every popular item, there are a number of manufacturers designing and building models to fill that gap and this creates an enourmous amount of information and choice. Trying to buy the best boiler for your requirements is no easy task. Which is why we’ve put this list together for you. Giving you a run through on the water boilers we supply and a better insight into the models available.

Only 4, why not the top 5? As always with these reviews we only write about the products we supply or have a good knowledge of. We’re not in the practice of writing reviews on products we have no experience with. As we currently supply four brands of autofill water boiler, we are only going to review four products. Our reviews are based on our views, feedback and customer experiences with the products we sell.

For this review we decided to select the popular single tap water boiler with in-built water filtration configuration and kept specifications as similar as possible to make the comparison fair. We tend to find that the core values of one model carry across an entire manufacturers range. However different models do have different features so always do your research if your requirements vary from the models in our review. Better still, contact us and we’ll be more than happy to advise.

1. Marco – Mix T8

Absolute accuracy for the perfect brew

Capacity: 8 (Litres) Hourly Output: 28 (Litres) 156 (Cups) Rapid Draw Off: 8 (Litres) 44 (Cups) Heat Up Time: Not Supplied Warranty: 2 Years Parts & Labour

+ Accurate Temperature Control

+ Efficiency through clever boiler design

– Limited model options with filtration

– Smaller capacity

Marco, not quite as prolific as brands such as Lincat but a boiler that’s being requested more and more often. Marco only manufacture water boilers and coffee brewers and they have been very particular about the models they make.

Very much developed with accuracy and consistency in mind, Marco know a thing or two about making water boilers that tick all the boxes. The incredibly accurate temperature control means Marco boilers are a must for those looking for precision when making the perfect cup of tea or coffee. A number of our customers will only buy Marco because of this accuracy. Couple this with a vacuum insulated tank, saving up to 70% in energy costs and a cleverly thought out design to make maintenance quick and simple and you can see why this Marco water boiler takes the top slot.

2. Instanta – CTS11F Superflow

British built reliability

Capacity: 11 (Litres) Hourly Output: 27 (Litres) 162 (Cups) Rapid Draw Off: 11 (Litres) 60 (Cups) Heat Up Time: 32 mins Warranty: 2 Years Parts & Labour

+ Reliability

+ British Made

– 2 Year Warranty when the Premium Range has 3 Years

– Eco Features only Found on Premium Models

Instanta are another manufacturer who concentrate their expertise on boiling water, specialising in wall mounted, counter top and undercounter water boilers, whilst also developing a range of hot taps and water baths. This expertise shows as they consistently produce a range of well specified, reliable water boilers. The CTS11F is no exception and has proven to be a reliable, popular boiler with our customers. It may not be as feature packed as their CTSP10 but it utilises the same fundamental technology whilst keeping things easy to use and maintain. That is the only real draw back, if you want improved efficiency and a longer warranty period you have to look to their premium models which incur a price premium.

3. Lincat – EB3FX

The market all rounder

Capacity: 15 (Litres) Hourly Output: 31 (Litres) 205 (Cups) Rapid Draw Off: 11 (Litres) 60 (Cups) Heat Up Time: 31 mins Warranty: 2 Years Parts & Labour

+ Capacity Production

+ Intelligent Eco Mode

– Not as accurate as the Marco

– A little too popular?

It really is a close-run thing between the Lincat and Instanta boiler for the number 2 and 3 slot and there would be a strong argument for them both being number 2, but there has to be a number 3 and our experience with both brands nudges the Lincat into 3rd position. There is no denying Lincat water boilers have a big share of the water boiler market and it’s easy to see why. A good price point, decent specification and output, UK made and good warranty support, it’s easy to understand why Lincat boilers are everywhere. With this EB3FX offering inbuilt filtration and a good production capacity it makes a strong case for being the water boiler of choice. However, what it offers for general water boiling requirements it lacks in the finer details. In our minds Marco offer leading efficiency and accuracy and Instanta pips it for the general finish.

4. Burco – AFF10CT

High capacity at the cheapest price

+ High Output

+ Cost

– Durability in comparison

– Design not to everybody’s liking

Capacity: 10 (Litres) Hourly Output: 36 (Litres) 206 (Cups) Rapid Draw Off: 11.5 (Litres) 76 (Cups) Heat Up Time: 35 mins Warranty: 2 Years Parts & Labour

The Burco AFF10CT water boiler, not the catchiest model number, wins on two counts, being the cheapest model in this line up whilst offering the highest output. Okay, in comparison to the Lincat it is only marginally cheaper and only offers slightly more output but it’s still a win on both counts. When compared to the Marco it does outstrip on capacity. And that is really Burco’s key selling point. The Burco boiler offers the same filter system, easy to use controller and ‘Eco’ mode generally found within the various water boiler ranges. At Eco Catering Equipment we tend to find Burco models are a little lacking on the final build. Whilst the level of spec offered is good it just doesn’t seem quite as well executed. Having said that, if capacity and cost are your main focus this Burco water boiler shouldn’t be ignored.