Model vs model
Franke Minerva
vs Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus
The Franke Minerva lists at £899, £3,131 less than the Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus at £4,030.
Every number below comes from the manufacturers' own specification sheets. We highlight which tap leads on each spec; what matters most for your kitchen is your call.
Zip Water
Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus
Cubed-spout flagship: boiling, chilled and sparkling filtered water
UK RRP: £4,030
Full review →The differences at a glance
- The Franke Minerva lists at £899, £3,131 less than the Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus at £4,030.
- The Franke Minerva dispenses at 100°C; the Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus tops out at 98°C.
- Declared idle draw is 12 W for the Franke Minerva against 35 W for the Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus, which compounds into the standby cost difference below.
- Tank capacity: 4.7 L on the Franke Minerva versus 3 L on the Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus. Bigger tanks serve more cups back to back; smaller tanks take less cupboard space.
- The Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus dispenses filtered drinking water; the Franke Minerva does not.
- The Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus dispenses sparkling water; the Franke Minerva does not.
- The Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus dispenses chilled water; the Franke Minerva does not.
- The Franke Minerva ships with a 3-year warranty; the Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus with a 2-year warranty.
Full specification, side by side
Sourced from manufacturer datasheets. A tick marks the better number on specs where more or less is objectively better.
| Spec | Franke Minerva | Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus |
|---|---|---|
| UK RRP | £899✓ | £4,030 |
| Boiling temperature | 100°C✓ | 98°C |
| Tank capacity | 4.7 L | 3 L |
| Idle power | 12 W✓ | 35 W |
| Peak power | 1500 W | 2400 W |
| Flow rate | - | 4 L/min |
| Filtered water | No | Yes✓ |
| Sparkling water | No | Yes✓ |
| Chilled water | No | Yes✓ |
| Filter type | - | Zip MicroPurity 0.2 micron filter |
| Finishes | 2 | 8✓ |
| Warranty | 3 years✓ | 2 years |
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
Standby energy
What the idle draw adds up to over a year.
Franke Minerva
- Idle draw
- 12 W
- Standby energy / year
- 105 kWh
- Standby cost / year
- £28
Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus
- Idle draw
- 35 W
- Standby energy / year
- 307 kWh
- Standby cost / year
- £83
Assumes the manufacturer's declared idle wattage around the clock at £0.27/kWh (UK average, mid-2026). Real usage adds the energy to heat the water you actually draw. Run your own numbers in the running cost calculator.
Strengths and trade-offs
Franke Minerva
What we like
- £899 RRP undercuts most 100°C branded competitors
- 4.7L tank capacity highest in the sub-£900 segment
- Genuine 100°C dispense matches premium models
- M-Box install system fits in under 30 minutes for a plumber
Watch out for
- Review Centre reports flow degradation within first year
- No built-in filter (scale build-up in hard-water areas)
- Customer support email-only, no engineer home visits
- Trustpilot mentions boiler failures near warranty expiry
Zip HydroTap G5 Cube Plus
What we like
- Instant boiling and chilled water from one tap
- 0.2-micron MicroPurity filter removes dirt, lead, microplastics and 99.9% of cysts
- Energy-saving sleep modes and low-impact R290 refrigerant
- Seven finishes and a 12-month filter interval
Watch out for
- Factory-set to 98°C rather than true 100°C boiling
- Under-sink command centre is 470 mm deep
- Two-year warranty