A water cooler has a vertically elongate housing (1) with a dispensing recess (8) and a vertically elongate opening (10) located below the dispensing recess to receive a bottle of water (11). The bottle is supported on a fixed platform (18) which projects forward beyond the sides (15 and 16) of the opening for ease of loading. Liquid is removed from the bottle through an inclined dip tube which is raised and lowered by a lead screw and follower. The dip tube may be inserted through a probe which operates a bottle opening mechanism.
