The Complete Buyer’s Guide To Kitchen Faucets

kitchen faucet buying guide

The kitchen faucet is the center of activity in your kitchen and by virtue of this you will probably spend hundreds of dollars changing, repairing, replacing and cleaning the faucet over decades. If you live in a rented apartment then why bother with the faucet design, durability or functionality. However, for homeowners, the kitchen faucet is unlike any other plumbing accessory. It is the lifeline of the kitchen and investing into top quality, top brand functional yet elegant faucets is a lifelong solution.

In this buying guide we will look at some of the most critical aspects of selecting the right kitchen faucet but won’t delve deep into the details. If you feel comfortable with any portion then skip ahead, if not then read more about each aspect in depth by clicking on the links. And for those who are thinking their kitchen sink needs no new member, take a look and find out what else your sink can enjoy.

Trifecta of Deciding Factors

Be it necessity or by choice, a new kitchen faucet must be better than what you already had and if its by necessity for a new house then you are in luck as you can select whatever style, design, functionality you want. These are the three things that differentiate faucets from each other.

  • Mounting Mechanism
  • Functions And Features
  • Finishing

At the end of this guide you will also be introduced into a few additional features, which top brands provide and some of which are actually great for the long run.

Let’s get started then……

  • Your Sink holes decide alongwith accessories such as deckplates the mounting mechanism.

If you are currently constructing your kitchen then don’t bother reading through this section. Just pick something that you like a lot and read the other two tabs for whatever will suit you best. For others though the mounting mechanism is a definite source of worry and concern. You have a choice among Deckplate faucets that come as a single piece, Non-deckplates with individual units to be mounted, wall mounts that need no sink holes at all since they use plumbing through the wall.

Usually, countertops range between 1 to 5 holes that let you fit many accessories other than just the center spout. Also number of handles on a faucet decide how many holes are required. Thankfully, you can cut corners by using sink hole covers if you decide to use less than that provided on the sink.

  • After understanding the holes in your sink and mounting mechanism you can decide on the features.

Handles usually come attached to the faucet base but some are also available as stand-alones. It can be a single handle or double handle faucet, which you can decide based on whether you plan to use hot and cold water separately. Cutting edge faucets of today use a single handle and depending on the direction, angle you bend it at, it mixes together hot and cold water.

Next up is the sprayers. Decide if you actually need one and if so then what type. There are pull-out sprayers, pull-down sprayers and side sprayers. Each operate in a similar manner and the only difference is in their orientation with respect to the faucet.

Finally, you have to decide on the spout of the faucet. Spouts are where you will find the most creativity. Nevertheless, you can classify spouts into standard 3 to 5 inch high spouts and high-arc spouts that rise nearly 8 inches high.

  • The faucet’s finishing will complement your kitchen, so take care in coordinating the two together.

Forget the construction, warranty or even the brand name. At the end of the day, no one really cares how much you paid for a faucet if it blends well into your kitchen. In fact, if the kitchen faucet stands out as the gem then you have achieved a good mix of design, styling with functionality (Do not forget the first two of the trifecta).

Most manufacturers actually provide long guarantees on the finishing, taking extra care to make them resistant to discoloration, abrasion or even rusting. Chrome, matte, stainless steel, bronze, nickel are just a few of the finishings you can get your hands on.

Additional Features Found Mostly In Top Brands

These are a few of the extra features usually available in brands such as Danze, Kohler, Kraus, Grohe and others. Not that you won’t find the same features elsewhere but these are commonplace with top brands. Pot-Filler Faucets, these are like extra accessories to the already existing kitchen faucet, not something that you will always want to use. But there are also a few additional features which are definitely worth investing into such as the scraper, spray and brush combo, adjustable flow rate restrictor, filters, touch-free operation and more.

Just remember to select a few kitchen faucets based on mounting mechanism, functions and finishing before actually looking into additional things – after all, they are additional because one really doesn’t require them.

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