Avalon Top Loading Water Dispenser - Hot & Cold Water Temperature, Child Safety Lock, Black

The Avalon hot/cold water dispenser is very convenient for dispensing hot or cold water. The hot water heats water to approximately 185 degrees F/ 85 degrees C which is very hot and can scald. Avalon has thought of this and there is a safety feature, a child safety lock. With proper supervision and/or instruction on using this appliance safely, children 8 years old and up as well as the elderly or persons with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities can use this. The cold water is very cold, colder than the water that I get from my refrigerator door, so this will be wonderful this summer. Since it is winter now, I do not want ice-cold water and that is where the best feature of this appliance is for me. The appliance is energy star rated but even better than that, I can turn off the cooling feature that makes ice-cold water by flipping a switch. The appliance is still on as that is the great part and I can still dispense the cold water, but instead of it being really cold, it is more like room temperature which is perfect at this time of year. I can do this with the hot water as well to save energy. At night, I flip the hot water switch off so it is not heating water all night for no reason, and then first thing in the morning, I flip the hot water switch to on and within a few minutes, I have steaming hot water for hot tea or coffee or cocoa. It is fantastic. The 3 or 5 gallon bottle did not come with the appliance, so I had to go to a grocery store and buy one which I can reuse, so that was a one-time purchase. I do wish the paddles that you press your cup against were a bit longer so that I do not have to hold the cup while the water is dispensed. It is easier if you can rest your cup on the water collection tray like on my refrigerator door. Overall, this is a wonderful addition to your home or office.

I've had a few water coolers/dispensers over the years, but the Avalon dispenser is the absolute best hands down. It is slim and fits almost any place. I like that it is rated with the Energy Star. Like most, it accepts 3 or 5-gallon water bottles. Because I am a senior, I use the 3-gallon bottles since they are easier to handle. The dispenser comes with a leaflet to explaining the setting up and not to plug in until the water bottle has been added and is filling the dispenser. It also comes with a small attachment to secure the dispenser to the wall to prevent any tip-over. It has switches in the back so that you can turn off the hot water heating if you are not using it for a while, or turning off the cold water cooler for the same reason. But what really sets the Avalon dispenser apart for me was the fact that it uses paddles instead of the knobs. You just press a glass or container against the blue paddle and it dispenses the cold water, just like some of the beverage dispensers in some stores. The water comes out very cold. For hot water safety, you must press down on the red button while pressing up against the red paddle. I tried this with a cup of hot chocolate and a cup of tea and the hot water dispenses at a very hot temperature. I love this Avalon dispenser, it's just perfect in every way.