New on the market: Mini on-demand water heater

Where is it written that hot water must be heated and then stored 24/7 in a big tank that needs a whole closet to itself? Those days are fast fading.

Whole-house on-demand systems, about the size of a breadbox (remember breadboxes?), use electric or gas to heat water at the moment you need it and are increasingly replacing tank-storage systems.

Now, German manufacturer Stiebel Eltron has taken the concept one step further with its new mini on-demand electric water heater, which is pretty cute at about 7 inches square and 3 inches deep.

Though not big enough to fill Kohler's new 84-inch overflowing bath for two with any efficiency, the new mini could provide hot water for a guest-bath sink or a wash-up area you've been considering for the garden shed. Or a pool house? How about on a boat, small cabin or RV?

Stiebel Eltron's whole-house electric on-demand heaters are available online for about $400 with free shipping; the mini costs less than $200.

For more information, go to the Stiebel Eltron's website, or call (800) 582-8423.

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