Without a sufficient water heater, it can take up to several minutes for the water in your shower or sink to heat up. Not only does it waste time, but those precious few minutes can wreak havoc on your water bill too. One solution to eliminating the wait time is buying a mini or under sink water heater.
As convenient as they can be, finding the right water heater can still feel overwhelming. With an excess number of options, choosing one that’s durable, efficient, portable, and even easy to install can feel like playing a guessing game.
Luckily, there’s no reason for you to take a guess—we’ve reviewed and compiled a list of the best under sink water heaters for you below:
1. Best Overall: Stiebel Eltron Mini Water Heater
When it comes to finding a heater that can easily fit into tight spaces or mount on the wall, the Stiebel Eltron Mini Water Heater has the best of both worlds. Not only is it convenient to install, but it also has a wide range of features that make it a well-rounded product.
There are multiple ways that you can use this heater. While some homeowners might use it as a stand-alone hot water supply to tap into when they need it, others use it with a remote tank that helps minimize the delay for getting hot water.
Regardless of how you choose to use it, installing this heater into your home shouldn’t be too much of an issue. All you need to do is plug it into a 120V outlet and mount it on your bathroom wall or inside of a cabinet.
Pros:
- Versatile
- Easy to install
- Portable
- Includes convenient temperature adjustment
Cons:
- Doesn’t have as much storage capacity as some options
- Recovery time takes eighteen minutes
2. Best Value: Ariston Andris 2.5 Gallon Mini-Tank Water Heater
Even if they’re generally more affordable than some other heaters on the market, purchasing a mini-tank heater doesn’t necessarily guarantee quality. The good news is that the Ariston Andris 2.5 Gallon Mini-Tank Water is all about value—while it still has plenty of the same features that you can expect from a more expensive model, the price tag won’t break the bank.
Another perk of this heater is that you probably won’t need the expertise of a professional to install it. Instead of hours, installing this fixture into your bathroom or kitchen should only take a few minutes. Not to mention, not having to hire a professional can save you even more money in the long run.
Although it only holds less than three gallons of water at once, the benefit of having limited storage capacity is that you can fit this heater almost anywhere.
Pros:
- Easy to store
- Easy to install
- Offers a better value
- Probably won’t need a professional for the installation process
Cons:
- Limited storage capacity
- Not as lightweight
3. Best Portable Option: Bosch Mini-Tank Water Heater
One of the major advantages that come with purchasing a mini-tank water heater is portability. These heaters are usually easy to transport and can fit inside the tight spaces that a regular heater can’t. Unfortunately, not all heaters might be as portable as they seem at first glance. Some of them are surprisingly heavy or have an awkward design that makes storage difficult.
With a compact design, one of the best reasons to purchase the Bosch Mini-Tank Water Heater is its portability. While the tank still holds less than three gallons of water, larger heaters might not be able to fit under your cabinet or sink as easily.
Since it has glass-lined material, this fixture might also have a longer lifespan. Unlike some choices, this water heater shouldn’t begin to corrode or break too easily.
Pros:
- More portable than a lot of other choices
- Easy to fit into tight spaces
- More durable
- Easy to install in your home
Cons:
- Limited tank capacity
- Can only supply up to two sinks at a time
4. Best Energy-Efficient Option: ECO MINI 2.5-Gallon Electric Mini-Tank Water Heater
Many people assume that a water heater will automatically help them save more water, but an inefficient fixture could end up costing you the same or even more gallons of water. This issue is exactly what the energy-efficient design of the ECO MINI 2.5-Gallon Electric Mini-Tank Water Heater seeks to avoid.
This mini-tank water heater has an efficiency rate of almost a hundred percent and can deliver hot water to your faucet in less than a second. If they want to, buyers can also easily adjust the temperature or the flow rate of the water. Some people might want their water to feel scalding hot, while others might also need lukewarm water.
Even if the tank is less than three gallons, most people find that this energy-efficient model can fit under a wide variety of different sinks or cabinets.
Pros:
- Energy-efficient
- Delivers hot water in under a second
- Easy to install
- Includes temperature control
Cons:
- Tall design might make it challenging to fit under some sinks
- Instructions might be difficult to follow while installing
5. Best User-Friendly Option: Camplux Mini Tank Electric Water Heater
Whether you’ve ever used a water heater before, finding a model with a user-friendly design is crucial. Even if you’re an expert, a heater that’s difficult to operate can quickly begin to feel like a waste of money. If there’s one thing the Camplux Mini Tank Electric Water Heater excels at, it’s being easy to operate.
The tank holds around 2 ½ gallons of water at once, and while that might not compare well to some heaters, it can fit easily under your sink. As far as durability goes, this model has a glass-lined tank that helps it remain resistant to damage as well as corrosion that might happen over time.
Many owners find that, long before their heater begins to malfunction, it starts to corrode. Purchasing a heater that takes specific measures to avoid this issue can make a lot of difference.
Pros:
- Fits easily into tight spaces
- Takes measures to avoid corrosion or other wear and tear that might happen
- Easy to use design
- Can go on a shelf, wall, or under a sink
Cons:
- Doesn’t have the largest capacity for storing water
- Not as lightweight
6. Best Eco-Friendly Option: Eccotemp EM-2.5 Gallon Mini Water Heater
Although most homeowners want to find a water heater that’s energy-efficient and can positively impact their water bill, finding one that also protects the environment is a major perk as well. With its eco-friendly design and construction, this is exactly what the Eccotemp EM Mini Water Heater seeks to accomplish.
Along with a compact that you can fit on a shelf, mount on a wall, or store under a sink, this model has plenty of features to help buyers control the temperature of their water. Not only is there a knob to adjust the degree of temperature, but there’s also a pressure relief valve as well.
Keep in mind that if you plan on using lots of hot water continuously, this heater does have a recovery time that ranges from 25 to 40 minutes. If you plan to mount the heater on your wall or even the side of a cabinet, there’s no reason to purchase a separate bracket—it comes with the heater when you purchase it.
Pros:
- Comes with a bracket for easy mounting
- Easy to control the temperature of your water
- Eco-friendly
- Compact design
Cons:
- Longer recovery time
- Not as lightweight
7. Best Durable Option: ECOTOUCH Tankless Mini Electric Water Heater
Some of the best under sink water heaters might have all the features you want, but lack the durability and construction to last more than a few months. If you have to replace your heater on a semi-regular basis, you might be wasting more money than you save. With the ECOTOUCH Tankless Mini Electric Water Heater, this model is unique in the fact that it’s tankless.
Although it will usually hook up the same way that any other heater would, this product uses an electric system to instantly supply your hot water. Since it has an upgraded heating system, there’s less of a concern for inconsistent temperatures.
The touchscreen surface on the front of the heater makes it easy to operate, and even easier to control the temperature of your water. Rather than dealing with scalding hot water every time you turn the faucet, you can ensure that it always stays at a comfortable temperature. With its slim design, fitting this heater into a tight space or under a sink shouldn’t be a problem.
Pros:
- Tankless and runs off an electric system
- Slim design makes it easy to fit where you need it to
- Touchscreen design is easy to use
- Can easily control the temperature and flow rate of water
Cons:
- Touchscreen might break if you drop the heater
- You’ll probably need to have a professional install it
