Kitchen Faucet Options: What’s Right for You?

The kitchen is a hard-working and important room in your home–it’s called the heart of the home for a reason!

It’s also a complex area where many different elements must come together to work both functionally and aesthetically.

One of these features is the kitchen faucet. The faucet can serve as an eye-catching focal point, a purely utilitarian element, or anything in between.

Choosing the right one for your kitchen is important, and there’s more to it than you might think. Read on for everything you need to know to make a great decision for your kitchen.

Make Sure You Measure

Before heading to the store or a showroom, or pulling up websites on your computer, make sure you measure first. You want to know how much space you have in the countertop behind the sink, as well as the distance from the wall or window sill to the sink edge.

This ensures you’ll end up with enough clearance for handles to function properly. Measure the diameter of the pre-drilled holes in the sink, as well as the distance between their centers, so you know whatever faucet you choose will fit. (If you plan on replacing your sink too, check out this blog post for help.)

Single hole kitchen faucets like this one are very popular. They usually come with pull down sprayers in the handle. 

Understand the Basic Kitchen Faucet Types

There a lots of faucet styles (see list further down in this post) but two main types. The two main types of kitchen faucet are deck, or counter-mounted and wall-mounted.

Counter-mounted faucets are by far more common, and most of what you look at will probably fall into this category.

Wall-mounted faucets are often used in industrial settings, in small kitchens that need to save space, or for uniquely designed spaces.

You also want to know how many pre-drilled holes you’ve got to work with. Generally, sinks come with anywhere from one to four holes. But you do have some flexibility here–you can use a cover plate to hide extra, unused holes, and you can also usually have more holes drilled if you want them for a hand sprayer or soap dispenser. 

If you want a very minimalist design, for example, you can use a single-hole faucet with a cover plate for a streamlined look. On the flip side, if you use a bridge faucet, it’ll take two holes but not include a sprayer. You’ll need a third hole for that.

Wall mount faucets, like this one we used in a laundry room, can bring a unique style to your kitchen. 

Faucet Valve Mechanics

As you do research for your new faucet, you’ll probably run into some information about valve types. This is helpful to understand because it will give you information about how the how and cold water are mixed in your faucet, and what the water flow is like. There are four basic valve types you might see:

• Ball valve. This is recognizable by the single handle that sits on a rounded base. This type of faucet uses springs, rubber and steel pieces, and a ball that controls the temperature and flow of the water.
• Disk valve. This type of faucet uses two ceramic disks that control the temperature and flow of the water as you move the handles up and down or side to side. Faucets with disk valves often need fewer repairs, and when they do, the disks can be replaced fairly easily.
• Cartridge valve. These faucets often have blade-type handles and can either have one handle or two. The valve is opened or closed by turning the handles 90 degrees. Because these valves use fewer pieces than ball valves, they leak less often and are easy to repair.
• Compression valve. This type of valve is found in older or vintage-look faucets where the round handles need to be turned completely to turn the water on or off (think of the handle on a garden faucet). They aren’t common but are easy to repair–usually, they just need a new rubber washer if they begin to leak.

Pot fillers can save time and effort if you use large pots a lot. They also make nice focal points. 

On to the Fun Part: Choosing Your Kitchen Faucet Style and Finish

There are almost as many types and styles of faucets as there are styles of kitchens. You’re sure to be able to find one you love, that functions well in your space and fits your aesthetic perfectly. Read on for ten different types of faucets and what they do best.

Single Hole Faucets

Probably the most popular style in the last 10 years the single hole faucet looks good and is very practical. They usually have pull down sprayers and a single handle for hot/cold, though two handle options do exist.

Chef’s Faucet or Pro Faucet

These are single hole faucets as well but instead of pull down sprayers they have a large hose wrapped in a spring with a sprayer at the end. the advanage is they have more clearance for filling and washing large pots.

Bridge Faucets

Bridge faucets have two holes in the countertop, three if you need a separate handsprayer. They are very stylish and growing in popularity. The one small disadvantage is they are a little harder to clean around. A lot of bridge faucets are also “gooseneck” fixtures for better clearance. 

3 Hole Faucet, Straight Spout

This is your grandma’s faucet. They are all that was available 30 years ago and still common today. Many stock sinks are pre-drilled for this style faucet. Today there are improved versions that are a little more stylish as well. 

The are usually the least expensive option but they have a lower spout height than other options. 

Pot fillers

These are wall mounted faucets with dual swing-arms that can extend far off the wall. They are mounted over your range and used for filling large pots without having to carry them to the sink. 

Bridge Faucets like this one in Champagne Gold, are a great way to add style to your kitchen. 

Kitchen Faucet Features

Today’s kitchen faucets come with the option of convenient and smart features that make cooking and clean-up a breeze.

Faucets often come with a side sprayer or pull-down sprayer, and both of these make it easy to clean large objects or fill pots that are too big to easily fit into the sink.

A kitchen faucet that includes water filtration means you can fill your drinking glass or pitcher right from the sink. Faucet filters are powerful enough to remove many chemicals, contaminants, and pollutants–usually more than a water-filtering pitcher would.

Another popular feature is a drinking water dispenser that keeps your water cool and refreshing and dispenses it at a gentler rate than the main faucet.

Or you can opt for a hot water dispenser and have water always ready for a cup of tea. 

Smart Features

There are many smart features available for your faucet, just like there are for most other areas in your home.

You can install a touchless or touch-activated faucet, which is helpful when your hands are messy or to conserve water in a home with kids who like to leave it running.

You can even get a voice-activated faucet, that you can ask to measure out different amounts of water at different temperatures (“I need one cup of water at 78 degrees”).

One things about touchless faucets that’s kind of cute… cats often figure out how to use them and will turn them on to get drink!  Unfortunately they don’t usually remember to turn them off though. 

Kitchen Faucet Finishes

Kitchen faucets come in a variety of finishes and options. Some of the most popular and timeless finishes are chrome, nickel, stainless steel, black, and brass. While the silver-toned faucets look clean, modern, and classic, the black and brass ones are stunning and eye-catching.

Your next choice has to do with the amount of shine or matte the faucet has. You can choose satin, matte, brushed, polished, or even dual-tone. Satin finishes usually minimize the appearance of fingerprints and water spots. Brushed finishes look great in farmhouse or traditional-style kitchens. While satin or brushed finishes are on-trend, some people prefer the polished look. Oil-rubbed bronze is a gorgeous and unique finish that will stand out. You have a lot of options.

Making a Great Choice

Your best bet for choosing your faucet size, type, style, and finish is to look at some options and discuss your needs with a designer. As the only full-service remodeling company in Tallahassee that has its own in-house designers and showroom, McManus Kitchen and Bath can help you make a great choice. Our design-build approach is perfect for helping you meet your goals for your house. Is a new kitchen faucet the start of a whole kitchen remodel? We can help with that, too. Contact us today and let’s get started.