When you’re adding new fittings and fixtures in your home, it’s not hard to get carried away in the process. In the past I’ve had far too many customers that knew exactly what they were looking for in a kitchen faucet, but later realized that it just didn’t work well with the rest of their kitchen.
Before you dive into these reviews and start falling in love with some of these designs, I’m hoping that you’ll remember to stay grounded. If you get all excited about a stunning design or a special feature, you might end up being disappointed when the faucet you purchase ends up being impractical or just looks wrong once it’s installed.
Features
Your first job should be to think carefully about this. What features are you really in need of? For example, let’s say your kitchen is in use all the time. In your case, a kitchen faucet that offers a lot of extra features might be a good investment that makes your life easier. Here are a few examples.
- Several faucets that I’ve reviewed here let you pause the water flow as you are working at the sink. If you tend to fill lots of pots and pans on the countertop instead of in your sink, this is a great feature. But if you mostly fill vessels in the sink, you might end up never using the “pause” feature.
These same considerations apply to choosing between a pull-down or pull-out kitchen faucet. If you require a more flexible hose, a pull-out is best. If, however, you only need the hose to clean the sink itself or rinse dishes and vegetables inside the sink, you should look at a pull-down model.- The highest-end products that I’ve reviewed here include some designs that make use of “touchless” or MotionSense technology. If you spend a lot of time cooking and often need to wash your hands, these are a good option. They also let you keep your kitchen extra-clean and hygienic – no unhealthy germs on your faucet. This is great if you’ve got kids coming in to get a drink of water from time to time. But if you don’t spend a lot of time in your kitchen cooking, this feature would end up being more for show than for serving a practical purpose.
Design
It’s not my job to tell you what color to choose, but I don’t mind advising you to give some thought to your kitchen faucet’s general layout. It’s easy to get lost in all of the options that are out there. Once again I’ll give you a few examples.
If you’re looking for a model that includes a spray, you’ve got a choice of integrated designs (the ones I talked about above) or side spray designs. Just bear in mind that side sprays are less flexible than pull-out faucets. Also, you will require another hole when you install your faucet.- What kind of overall finish do you prefer? Color isn’t the only factor. You may want a finish that can resist fingerprints and water spots. What role should ergonomics play in the design? If bending your fingers is difficult, for example, some levers on faucets that are reviewed here may be difficult to use even though they look good.
- Just about all spouts will swivel, but you should consider how far you need yours to swivel. If the sink is in the center of the kitchen, a 360-degree swiveling spout might cause problems for you.
Overall
I think this information should give you a better idea of where to start if you’re trying to make a choice of kitchen faucets that you won’t regret later! Don’t just think about the features, remember to think about how easy it is to use, and take the time to find a kitchen faucet that fits your décor and your lifestyle to a T!