Have Cold or Hot Water in an Instant With the Best Water Dispensers (2024)

Convenient access to clean drinking water is a major part of keeping up with your hydration goals, as well as hosting guests, cooking meals, and daily routines. That’s why we researched dozens of water dispensers from brands like Avalon, Glacier Bay, Igloo, Primo, Yeti, and more—considering their ease of installation and use, safety features, and energy efficiency to find the best for your home.

We looked at both top-loading and bottom-loading water dispensers. Top-loading models tend to cost under $200, while bottom-loaders tend to cost about $200 and up. There are also bottleless options, which provide an endless supply of water. These need to be connected to your water line, and are the most complicated to install. However, they can save you from having to refill a jug.

Our Top Picks

The Avalon A1 Top-Loading Water Cooler Dispenser features a classic design that just gets everything right. It’s reliable and efficient, and provides easy access to cold and hot water at consistently ideal temperatures. While it lacks advanced features, such as variable water temperature or a night light that you'd see on other picks, it doesn’t have any annoying quirks, and there’s not a lot that could go wrong or break down.

The biggest problem with top-loading dispensers is trying to maneuver the bottle into place without spilling, which this unit solves by including a built-in puncture rod for non-spill bottle caps. As long as you stick to jugs that use non-spill caps, you’ll never spill a drop when reloading this dispenser. You can even buy reusable food-grade silicone caps if your provider doesn’t already use them (they pop right on and seal tight, you just need to remove the original cap) to really take advantage of this feature.

With a 5-gallon jug securely in place, this dispenser provides instant access to ice-cold and piping-hot water via touchless paddles. There’s no noisy pump, and the hot dispenser is secured by a child safety lock. It does make some noise when the compressor is running, which will happen after you have dispensed enough water, and also from time to time so the dispenser can provide instant hot and cold water whenever you ask it to. It’s quiet enough for use in a kitchen or home office, but the noise may be disruptive in an area where people are trying to sleep.

Water dispenses quickly and easily from this cooler, with a fast rate of flow, but the pocket isn’t deep enough to accommodate larger containers, like a 20-ounce Yeti tumbler or taller water bottle. That can make it difficult to achieve a fully, topped-off fill without spilling anything, but a drip tray pops out for easy cleaning and can catch any excess.

All in all, as we mentioned above, the Avalon dispenser doesn’t include any option to adjust the temperature, but the cold setting is cool and refreshing, and the hot setting is warm enough to steep tea, prepare instant coffee, or make yourself an instant noodle lunch. This pick is also Energy Star rated, which means it uses less electricity than other models that don’t have that rating, such as the Igloo Top Load Water Dispenser (our best budget pick, which we dive into next).

^{Dimensions: 14.3 x 14.5 x 46.5 inches | Capacity: 3 or 5 gallons | Number of Temperatures: 2 | Loading Type: Top | Energy Star Certified: Yes | Self-Cleaning: No}

The Igloo Top-Loading Hot and Colder Water Dispenser is a no-frills option that includes some nice features and design choices that enhance safety and usability. This top-loading water dispenser accepts both 3 and 5-gallon water jugs, and the slim form factor (it’s 13 inches wide) makes it easy to slip into locations where other freestanding models won’t fit, like smaller kitchens, apartments, home offices, and basem*nt bars.

We especially like the unique push-button design, because the buttons are higher up and harder for children and pets to accidentally activate. The hot water button is also further secured by a child safety lock to prevent accidental activation. That being said, in the event that water is dispensed accidentally, this unit includes a removable drip tray for easy cleaning.

This water dispenser can get a little loud when the hot water coils are active, and the condenser also makes some noise when it kicks on, but it’s fairly quiet other than that. The only real downside in comparison to more expensive options is that the water dispenses slower. Our best overall pick, the Avalon A1, is priced only about $10 more than the Igloo, though, so it may be worth the upgrade if you need fast dispensing and don’t mind a bulkier unit.

^{Dimensions: 38.75 x 12.5 x 13 inches | Capacity: 3 or 5 gallons | Number of Temperatures: 2 | Loading Type: Top | Energy Star Certified: No | Self-Cleaning: No}

Bottom-loading water dispensers provide a cleaner look because the water jug isn’t in view. They’re easier to set up than top-loaders, because the water jug doesn’t need to be lifted either; but they’re also typically more difficult to clean because the components can be tucked away or hidden. This Glacier Bay model is our favorite bottom-loader because it has all the benefits of one, but maintenance is simplified by a highly effective, built-in UV light sterilization system that uses ultraviolet light to destroy microorganisms inside the system, saving you the trouble of frequently disassembling and cleaning the internal components.

This dispenser works with both 3 and 5-gallon jugs, so you’re free to use whichever works best for your home. (To compare, 5-gallon jugs are heavier and take up more space, but the trade-off is you don’t need to change them as often.) The dispenser is also energy-efficient, backed by an Energy Star certification like our first two picks, and provides water in your choice of either ice-cold, steaming-hot, or room temperatures at the push of a button—the room temperature setting being one you don’t always find.

There’s only one spout, so you do have to wait a bit between dispensing cold water and hot water, but push-button controls are easy to use and placed all the way on top of the unit where they’re unlikely to be activated by accident. The hot water button is further secured by a child safety lock for additional protection.

^{Dimensions: 41.3 x 12.2 x 13.8 inches | Capacity: 3 or 5 gallons | Number of Temperatures: 3 | Loading Type: Bottom | Energy Star Certified: Yes | Self-Cleaning: Yes}

The Brio Moderna Bottleless Water Cooler makes a huge splash with highly adjustable water temperatures, an advanced multi-stage filtration system, and a high-end look and feel. With a classic stainless steel housing and bottleless design that taps into your home's water supply, this dispenser fits well into any environment, but its placement is limited by the fact that it needs to be installed in close proximity to a water line.

Aside from specific placement needs, this dispenser features digital touchscreen controls—a rare feature that makes this dispenser quite easy to operate. The controls include an option to adjust for hot and cold water—the hot water range is 174 to 194 degrees Fahrenheit, and the cold water range is 39 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit, so you have the freedom to go either hotter or colder than most other dispensers. The controls are a bit difficult to see at night when they aren’t in use, due to the design of the flat control panel, but there is a night light to help you place your glass directly under the dispenser.

This dispenser is quite large, despite being bottleless. It’s physically larger than our best bottom-loading pick, the Glacier Bay Bottom Load Water Dispenser, because all that internal space is given over to a multi-stage filtration system instead of a big water jug. The filtration system is comprehensive, starting with a sediment filter that catches large particles, carbon pre-filter to capture smaller particles, reverse osmosis membrane to trap virtually all contaminants, and finally carbon post-filter to polish and enhance the taste of your water.

This premium water dispenser and filtration system also includes a self-cleaning function with UV sterilization, and handy indicators to let you know when it’s time to change the filters. It’s priced at almost twice the typical price range of dispensers on this list, but under-sink reverse osmosis systems are in the same price range and without the option to dispense hot and cold water on demand.

^{Dimensions: 44 x 14 x 17.5 inches | Capacity: Not applicable | Number of Temperatures: 40 (39-59 degrees, 174-194 degrees Fahrenheit) | Loading Type: Bottleless | Energy Star Certified: Yes | Self-Cleaning: Yes}

The Avalon A1 Countertop Bottled Water Cooler provides the same capacity of a large freestanding unit without taking up valuable floor space, which is why it’s our favorite countertop dispenser. This is essentially a compact version of the Avalon A1 that we recommend as the best overall water dispenser, featuring the same efficient, touch-free operation. The hot and cold dispensers are both touch-free just like the bigger A1, and they feature the same child safety lock to prevent accidental hot water activation. The lock is essential since this dispenser features 420 watts of heating power and 100 watts of cooling power; this power both delivers instant hot water without any waiting, and helps the dispenser switch to cold water without a delay.

Lots of countertop dispensers are limited to 1 or 2-gallon jugs, which is less than ideal for large families, or even smaller households that go through a lot of water. This model accepts standard 3 and 5-gallon jugs, so it has a much larger capacity. It’s very compact for what it is, but it is pretty tall with a 5-gallon jug installed, so you will need some counter space that doesn’t have a low cabinet or other obstructions immediately overhead. About 38 inches of clearance will do.

^{Dimensions: 19 x 12 x 14.75 inches | Capacity: 3 or 5 gallons | Number of Temperatures: 2 | Loading Type: Top | Energy Star Certified: Yes | Self-Cleaning: No}

Fill this Yeti Silo cooler with fresh water, drop in ice, and you’re ready to stay hydrated on your next adventure. With robust polyethylene construction, the cooler is built to withstand constant sunlight exposure, frost, and even drops on rough terrain. Permafrost insulation and a ColdLock gasket ensure that all 6 gallons of water on the inside stay icy cold for at least two days, and the cooler can also keep hot liquids like coffee nice and warm all day long. There aren’t any temperature controls, but you essentially set the temperature when you load it up with cold water or a hot liquid, like coffee.

This dispenser is different from others in that it’s essentially a Yeti cooler that was slightly redesigned to be watertight, with a purpose-built water dispensing spigot in place of Yeti’s standard vortex drain system. It’s just as rugged as other Yeti coolers, and just as good at keeping things cold or hot when you’re outdoors and away from power. The non-slip feet and handles also make it easy enough to carry around. There is no carry strap though, and it weighs almost 70 pounds when full, so it’s important to keep that in mind if you’re going to be carrying it long distances.

^{Dimensions: 17.9 x 15.8 x 15.6 inches | Capacity: 6 gallons | Number of Temperatures: Not applicable | Loading Type: Not applicable | Energy Star Certified: Not applicable | Self-Cleaning: Not applicable}

Our pets need access to clean, fresh drinking water just as much as we do, which is why we love the Primo Water Dispenser + Pet Station for pet owners. This top-load dispenser includes a dishwasher-safe pet bowl that snaps into the base; this keeps it in place regardless of how enthusiastically your pet laps up their water. The dispensing isn’t automatic, so you do need to push a button to provide fresh water, but the system is so much easier than bending over to pick up the bowl every time. The bowl snaps securely into your choice of three positions, on the front of the dispenser or either side, and the cooler is designed to only dispense water when the bowl is securely snapped in place, so you don’t need to worry about water pouring out on the floor.

In addition to the pet station, this dispenser also includes hot and cold spouts for all of your beverage needs, with a drip tray that pops out for easy cleaning. It accepts standard, 5-gallon water jugs to provide plenty of water for your pets and everyone else in the house, and features an LED night light for easy operation after dark and a child safety lock that prevents small hands, or paws, from accidentally activating the hot water. It doesn’t include any temperature adjustments, and there’s no option for room temperature water, but the cold spigot does dispense ice-cold water and the hot side comes out piping-hot.

^{Dimensions: 41.1 x 11.8 x 11.8 inches | Capacity: 3 or 5 gallons | Number of Temperatures: 2 | Loading Type: Top | Energy Star Certified: No | Self-Cleaning: No}

The Primo Multipurpose Beverage Dispenser is the ideal hot-cold combo unit for home and home office use. It features both ice-cold and piping-hot water dispensing, and you can also opt to dispense room temperature water instead by flipping off the cold water power switch. It’s an especially good option for coffee lovers, too. It includes a built-in, single-serve coffee brewer that accepts both standard K-cups and a reusable filter that lets you use your own coffee grounds. (If you’re not a fan of coffee, K-cups can also make single-serving mugs of cider, tea, hot chocolate, and a variety of other hot drinks.) Getting the K-cups inserted right can be a bit tricky, but it just takes a little getting used to before you’re prepping drinks with ease.

This bottom-loading dispenser conceals a standard, 5-gallon water jug behind a high-end stainless steel panel that’s set in a glossy black cabinet. Setup is quick and easy, doesn’t require any special tools, and only takes a couple minutes due to the bottom-loading configuration and Primo’s snap-on lid system.

The dispenser includes an indicator light to let you know when it’s time for a new jug, and a built-in night light so you can see what you’re doing when you’re dispensing a glass of water late at night. It’s definitely better for home office use opposed to higher-volume situations like an actual office with more than a few people though, since the hot water reservoir only holds enough to make two or three cups of piping hot coffee before it needs some time to heat up again.

^{Dimensions: 43.5 x 12.2 14.2 inches | Capacity: 3 or 5 gallons | Number of Temperatures: 2 | Loading Type: Bottom | Energy Star Certified: No | Self-Cleaning: No}

Final Verdict

The Avalon A1 is the best overall water dispenser because it’s relatively easy to load, with an anti-spill design, touchless controls, and energy-efficient operation. It provides quick and easy access to both cold and hot water on demand, with no waiting, and it’s slimmer than average so it’s easier to fit into smaller spaces in your kitchen or home office. If you’re after the ultimate in convenience, the Brio Moderna (our best splurge pick) is a bottleless model that provides endless access to water in your choice of temperature.

Refilling Your Water Dispenser

If you opt for a water dispenser that requires water jugs, you may find it convenient to have bottles of water delivered to your home by a contracted water bottle distributor. Water bottle distributors also rent and sell their own water dispensing machines, but we recommend buying your own from a third-party retailer like Amazon, Home Depot, or Lowes since they provide the most options.

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