As a reviewer, it isn’t every day that I get a chance to praise a faucet both for its style and how well it functions. You almost always have to sacrifice a bit of one for the other. But with the BFN110 01 bridge kitchen faucet from Belle Foret, you don’t need to choose between practicality and style. This faucet is a great combination of both.
Two Handle Bridge Faucet
There is plenty to admire about the BFN110 01. The bridge design with two handles is an old idea that’s new again. Bridge faucets have been on the market for a hundred years or more, but they had fallen out of favor as other styles took over in popularity. After all, faucet styles respond to the changing tastes of fashion just as everything does.
The bridge concept has never completely gone away though. The same components – cold and hot inlets that feed into the faucet’s central pipe – are present with all designs, but we’ve gotten used to them being hidden away under the sink. With this model, all of this is visible above the level of the sink. This results in a classic style that will always look good.
Some finishes work better with this look than others. I have to admit that the chrome finish (BFN110 01CP) doesn’t really work for me, and neither does the stainless steel (BFN110 01SS), though not to the same degree. Both of these finishes have a contemporary look that doesn’t sit well with the traditional bridge design. Chrome has been with us for more than 7 decades, but this faucet’s design takes us back to Edwardian times, well before the 40s.
For my taste, the bronze finish works best with this design. The best part is that there are two different bronze finishes available with this model: tumbled (BFN110 01 TB) or oil rubbed (BFN110 01 ORB). Both of these suit the style of the faucet perfectly.
>>Check out Amazon for more discounts<<
Dimensions
The size of this faucet is a bit smaller than what you might expect with this style. The height of the spout is only 12 1/8 inches, with an aerator clearance of just 9 5/16 inches. The total reach of the spout is 8 inches. I tend to picture a faucet like this in a big Edwardian or Victorian sink, occupying a lot of space. But given the more modest dimensions of most modern sinks, this faucet might be just right.
State-of-the-art technology is also featured in this faucet whose style is so rooted in the past. You’ll be glad to hear that this model contains a ceramic disk cartridge, which is so durable that it may even outlast the rest of the faucet. Only the diamond sealed cartridges in some competitors’ faucets are more durable than ceramic, and they generally come at a much higher price.
If you lift this faucet, you may be a bit surprised by how heavy it feels. At about 9 pounds it’s not super-heavy, but it almost feels like you’re lifting a piece of lead at first. But you don’t need to worry about lead in this faucet – it’s made of solid brass plus its finishing material. But the faucet does have a good, solid feel both if you lift it and if you turn the spout or the handles while using it. It moves very smoothly.
This faucet will provide you with a generous water flow rate too, something you’ll appreciate while you’re cooking and washing dishes. The 2.2 gallon-per-minute flow rate allows you to fill pots quickly. The 60 PSI water pressure rinses your dishes in no time, making cleaning up a breeze.
This faucet model needs 4 holes for installation. The faucet uses three holes, and the fourth one is for the side sprayer. If you choose, you can also include the soap dispenser in a matching finish.
Side Sprayer
This feature is the weak link in this Belle Foret faucet’s design. It looks nice enough and works reasonably well, but the small size is a nightmare for someone like me with big hands. The thumb control is also nothing special.
More importantly, I get the feeling that this sprayer isn’t as well made as the rest of the faucet. It’s prone to dripping, often for quite a few seconds at a time, meaning that you’ll always be cleaning up and wiping the sink after you use it. This is not what I look for in a good sprayer.
My other pet peeve is the dull grayish-white color of the sprayer’s center. Dark brown or black would have blended so much more pleasingly with both of the bronze finishes. However this is simply a matter of taste, and you might not be bothered by this detail at all.
All in all, the spray wand is a bit disappointing given how high-quality and stylish the rest of the fixture is. The faucet parts are precision-engineered to fit together exactly with highly accurate tolerances. The faucet itself is never going to leak. The spout will never leak at the swivel point, but it turns smoothly without requiring any undue force to move.
Overall
This Belle Foret BFN11001CP Bridge Faucet is an attractive bridge faucet and will fit in perfectly if you want a classic or vintage style in your kitchen. If you’re trying to create a turn-of-the-century vibe, or even if you just like the faucet’s style, it looks great. And other than the spray wand, this model’s function is equal to its look (and even the sprayer isn’t a total write-off). This faucet works reliably and smoothly, thanks to good manufacturing and high quality materials.