Model vs model
Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square
vs Zip HydroTap Classic
The Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square lists at £499, £3,866 less than the Zip HydroTap Classic at £4,365.
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.
H4
Hanstrom
Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square
Square touch-screen tap with filtered cold and boiling water
UK RRP: £499
Full review →
The differences at a glance
- The Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square lists at £499, £3,866 less than the Zip HydroTap Classic at £4,365.
- The Zip HydroTap Classic dispenses at 99°C; the Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square tops out at 98°C.
- Declared idle draw is 12 W for the Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square against 35 W for the Zip HydroTap Classic, which compounds into the standby cost difference below.
- Tank capacity: 4 L on the Zip HydroTap Classic versus 2.4 L on the Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square. Bigger tanks serve more cups back to back; smaller tanks take less cupboard space.
- The Zip HydroTap Classic dispenses sparkling water; the Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square does not.
- The Zip HydroTap Classic dispenses chilled water; the Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square does not.
- The Zip HydroTap Classic ships with a 3-year warranty; the Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square 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 | Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square | Zip HydroTap Classic |
|---|---|---|
| UK RRP | £499✓ | £4,365 |
| Boiling temperature | 98°C | 99°C✓ |
| Tank capacity | 2.4 L | 4 L |
| Idle power | 12 W✓ | 35 W |
| Peak power | 1500 W | 2000 W |
| Flow rate | - | - |
| Filtered water | Yes | Yes |
| Sparkling water | No | Yes✓ |
| Chilled water | No | Yes✓ |
| Filter type | - | Zip GlobalPlus 0.2 micron filter |
| Finishes | 5 | 5 |
| Warranty | 2 years | 3 years✓ |
| Released | 2022 | 2021 |
Standby energy
What the idle draw adds up to over a year.
Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square
- Idle draw
- 12 W
- Standby energy / year
- 105 kWh
- Standby cost / year
- £28
Zip HydroTap Classic
- 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
Hanstrom 4-in-1 Square
Zip HydroTap Classic
What we like
- Filtered boiling, chilled and sparkling from one tap
- Touchscreen with PIN protection and energy-saving sleep modes
- 0.2 micron NSF-certified filter included as standard
- Largest UK engineer network for service and maintenance
Watch out for
- £4,365 RRP is several times rival 4-in-1 prices
- Installation around £520 extra on top of hardware
- Ongoing CO2 canister costs for sparkling function
- Designed primarily for commercial use, residential overkill