Confessions of a gadget queen

By Liz Atkins

I'm sure I could squeeze another machine in there...

‘Ha! We were just debating what new gadget Liz would be showing off,’ smirked my teenage niece the minute she set foot in my kitchen. She was eyeing the Virgin Pure T7 WaterBar with slight disapproval. OK, I am partial to a shiny innovation and I do like to browse those you-need-one-of-these! brochures that come free with the Radio Times.

But I have a feeling my worktop water dispenser, with its rather pleasing retro design, is more than a passing whim. It’s the kind of non-essential acquisition that soon becomes hard to imagine doing without. Basically, it dispenses perfectly chilled purified water at the touch of a button. But also – novelty! – it dispenses hot purified water at the touch of a second button. Sticklers for tea made with boiling water will want to press button number three. It’s connected to the mains, so no need to refill – ever. My poor exhausted kettle (itself a shiny new gadget not so long ago) is now in the back of a cupboard.

So why pay for something you get for free from the tap (or kettle)? For one thing, the water tastes lovely, and it’s hard to go back to eau de tap afterwards. For another, if you don’t have one of those fancy fridges with a water dispenser, it’s just divine on a warm day to sip chilled water without grappling with the ice-cube tray. And it does nudge you towards your recommended 1.2 litres a day. Inexplicably, everyone loves using it – while we chatted, my niece kept offering to replenish people’s glasses, I noticed. And I don’t think we can discount the benefits of not having to boil a kettle from scratch every time you fancy a hot drink.

Not everyone will want to shell out for their water, however pure. But if you often buy yours bottled, or share a house where the kettle is permanently on, you might just find it a cost-effective option. Gadget lovers, be warned – try it and it may become a permanent fixture in your kitchen.

The Virgin Pure T7 WaterBar comes in five colours, and costs £19.96 a month (including installation and service charges), or less if you make a one-off payment for the WaterBar. Find out more at www.virgin-pure.com