In fairness to this product it is really something that may be perfect for your small office's employee break room but not so much for your average home kitchen. I say in fairness because some will judge it harshly for an application that it's just not that suitable for. I'll explain here why and why not.

WHAT IS IT

Think of it as the office water cooler, you know, the kind with that big plastic tank of filtered water on it that's so heavy everyone dreads the task of changing it when it's empty. Those machines have taps for chilled water, heated water and usually one for room temperature. This thing is the same idea except that instead of subscribing to a service to supply the water tanks it has its own sophisticated user replaceable filtration system. The size, shape, design and ergonomics of the product are appropriate for commercial installation on an appropriate (not included) stand and is intended to be permanently installed near a fresh water supply.

CAN YOU USE IT AT HOME

You can probably use anything at home but before you do, consider the dimensions and the strictly commercial look. Start by realizing that you have to locate this near a water supply. That could be in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or maybe a dedicated playroom with a wet bar (which may be the best location I can think of). Unless you have a very big house with a much larger than average kitchen you are not going to be able to just plop this on your countertop, plug it in, and be good to go. There will be drilling for the pipes and almost certainly extensive plumbing (not included) and being resigned to having something take up as much of your counter space as one of those small apartment size refrigerators. The look of front of the cabinet may work for most tastes (except for the oversized and garish logo) but the big exposed filtration tanks hanging off the back probably won't pass muster in most decors.

FUNCTIONALITY

If your refrigerator has a cold water dispenser and you have a teakettle this thing may be a extravagant overkill unless you entertain a lot. It isn't at all as versatile as far as where you can place it a a simple water cooler. But as far as function, and I'm seeing it more in an office break room, it does a really nice job without the hassle and expense of a subscription water cooler service. The water is as cool as my refrigerator's dispenser and the hot water is okay for tea.

YES OR NO

Usually I either recommend a product or not but in this instance the reality is that the product itself works and is entirely functional but it's not something that worked out for me in my typical ordinary kitchen. I could sugar coat it and say that it's not that bad but I can't, it's just way too big and unattractive for my home use. I took it to the office where we have a large stainless steel countertop next to the sink and no low-hanging cabinets above and we all love it. So how to rate something like that - I hope I've give you enough information to make your own decision based on the space you have available to put something like this and maybe we all agree that there are some things that other peoples' opinions just aren't that helpful for.

Cold water.. Tastes good.. Perfect size for counter top

Easy to install. Instructions are a little light on detail and unit comes with many extra tubes and fittings I didn't need. Water is hot and chilled water is just right.

Beutifull

I had not heard of this brand prior to receiving this unit. My initial impression upon unboxing the unit was that it was well made and asthetically pleasing. It's pretty heavy for it's size. Although I wish the blue "Brio" logo that's predominately displayed smack in the middle of the face plate was not there. In any event, it's easy to hook up to your water supply although each installation will have it's specific. challenges. The cooled water was about the same tempature as that come from the water dispenser in my fridge and the hot water is adequate for tea & hot chocolate. My issue is where to put the unit. At 19 1/2" tall, it's too tall to fit on the countertop under the upper wall cabinets, That space is typically 18" so it has to sit on an open countertop. I would really like it to sit against a back wall and under the cabinet, but it just doesn't fit. So I will have to find a suitable location. Overall I really like the unit, but it's height is an issue so plan ahead.