YAMATARO 3in1 Mirror Polished

Is the YAMATARO 3in1 Mirror Polished worth buying?

The YAMATARO 3in1 Mirror Polished at £289 is worth buying if the size of the tank is what matters to you: 2.5 litres is the largest boiler in this price band, and the box also holds a carbon filter and a spare. It is not worth buying if you want water that genuinely boils, because this tap stops at 98°C.

Nineteen buyers have rated it 3.7, which is the thinnest and lowest record among the boiling taps it competes with, so you are buying early rather than buying proven. Cover runs to 6 years on the tap and 2 years on the boiling unit, and the filter is a consumable you will replace every three to six months. Buyers who want a longer track record before spending £289 should look at the older YAMATARO kits first.

What does the 2.5-litre boiler actually give you?

The 2.5-litre tank is the biggest one on this rung of the market, quoted for 7 to 10 cups in a single draw before the boiler recovers. A large digital touchscreen on the unit lets you set the temperature anywhere between 75°C and 98°C, so green tea, instant coffee and a pan of pasta water do not all have to come out at the same heat.

Divide the £289 by the water you actually get and the arithmetic holds up: 2.5 litres works out at £115.60 per litre of boiler. A 2-litre QETTLE 3-in-1 at £400 comes to £200 per litre, so the YAMATARO gives you half a litre more for £111 less. The only thing stopping that being a straight win is the 2°C it leaves on the table.

What comes in the box and how does it fit?

The YAMATARO 3in1 Mirror Polished arrives as a complete kit: the tap, the boiling unit, a carbon water filter and a replacement cartridge. The tap drops into a single 35 mm worktop hole on a deck mount, the spout stands 255 mm tall and reaches 210 mm across the sink, and an 80 cm hose links the body to the tank below. Two levers can be set to work from the left or the right, which helps when the sink sits against a wall.

The tap weighs 8.96 kg and measures 21 cm wide by 36 cm high, so it is a two-person job to hold it upright while the tails are tightened underneath. It is WRAS approved and finished in mirror-polished stainless steel over a high-arch gooseneck. If you would rather not fit it yourself, YAMATARO can point you to an installer near London.

Where does the YAMATARO 3in1 Mirror Polished fall short?

The YAMATARO 3in1 Mirror Polished pours at 98°C, never 100°C, which is the compromise every tap in this family makes. The mirror finish is the second daily thing: polished stainless shows water spots and fingerprints far faster than a brushed body, so a cloth lives near the sink.

At 8.96 kg the tap is heavy enough that one person fitting it alone is a bad idea, and the levers need to be set on the correct side before the body goes down. The carbon filter is a cost that comes round every three to six months, and the spare in the box only covers the first change.

How does the YAMATARO 3in1 Mirror Polished compare with the QETTLE and the Ellsi?

Against the QETTLE 3-in-1 at £400, the YAMATARO 3in1 Mirror Polished is £111 cheaper and carries half a litre more water, 2.5 litres against 2. The QETTLE answers with a true 100°C at the spout and 49 owners rating it 4.6. If the boil itself is the point of the purchase, pay the £111; if you want the bigger tank and the spare filter, stay here.

Against the Ellsi matte black at £194.98, the YAMATARO costs £94.02 more and offers a 2.5-litre tank against 2.4 litres, plus the polished finish instead of matte black. The Ellsi brings 124 ratings at 3.9 and pours the same 98°C water. On capacity alone £94.02 is a lot for 0.1 litre, so this tap earns its price only when the mirror look is what you actually came for.