If you walk into a kitchen and bath showroom, you will be surprised at the wide selection of kitchen faucets today. But, with such a variety, also comes confusion. How do you choose just one? Here are some ideas to help you make your selection.
1. Choose the style: match the style of your house to keep it cohesive. There are usually three categories to this:
a. Traditional
b. Transitional
c. Contemporary
Now if you don’t know what style your house is, it’s always safe to choose b. transitional.
2. Choose a finish: Common faucet finishes today are:
a. Polished chrome
b. Stainless steel
c. Brushed nickel
d. White
However, there are some new finishes today
e. Polished nickel
f. Matte black
g. Brushed bronze
h. Gold
My take on this for the kitchens is brushed and matte are good. Why? Because they do not show finger prints. The kitchen is usually in a very visible area and is used throughout the day; meaning little maintenance is very desirable. Who wants to spend time polishing their faucet?
3. Pull-out spray or side spray.
a. This is a personal preference. It’s definitely a pull-out spray for me as I like to wash my veggies and dishes under a spray. This means the faucet must be able to be in spray mode with my hands free. Although this may sound trivial, actually you will be surprised at how many faucets that do not have this function.
b. If you are replacing a faucet, check how many holes you have in your sink. If you want to install a pull-out spray instead of a side spray, why not install a soap pump in the spare hole? Be flexible and creative.
4. Goose-neck, industrial style faucets, pot filler, sensors, etc.
a. What is the advantage of a goose-neck faucet? Well, it allows for larger pots to fit under the faucet. If you need or want that function, it’s a good design.
b. There are industrial style faucets for the home that have a spiral cord and are powerful. Personally I really don’t think that it is necessary to have such a large and powerful faucet in a residential kitchen setting. My problem is always maintenance. How do you clean that faucet if you get peanut butter stuck between the coils?
c. As for pot fillers, if you have a large kitchen and have difficulty lifting a big pot of water then it may be something you may want to have. However, sometimes more faucets can also mean more to maintain.
d. Sensor faucets are a new item. They work hands free and that’s great when you have greasy fingers. I saw one from Delta that looks good and is reasonably priced.
5. Last but not least is pricing. Faucets can run from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand. Usually, the higher priced faucets have better mechanisms, design and finish. Use your own good judgment on what you can afford. If it makes you happy get the one with the features you love. The following photos are from Faucetdirect.com
