How to Choose a Kitchen Sink: Part III

You’re almost done outfitting your kitchen with a beautiful and functional sink! Now that you’ve chosen the type and material of your sink, it’s time to finish it off with a faucet and other fixtures. Don’t skimp here – the faucet is a most important fixture in your kitchen, and if you’re not happy with it every kitchen task will be frustrating. Choose the best faucet that you can afford. Making the decision may seem daunting (I still remember when I found out that faucets don’t come with the sink!) but follow our guide and you’re sure to find the right one for you!

Mount

First, you need to decide what kind of mount you prefer. If you are adding a faucet to an existing sink or counter, first check how many holes you have – it’s important! If you have only one hole, you’ll need to choose a single-hole faucet to fit it. Don’t worry; you can still find lots of faucets in single-hole configurations.

Barber Wilsons Regent Single-Hole Kitchen Faucet
Barber Wilsons Regent Single-Hole Kitchen Faucet
Grohe Eurostyle Prep Sink Faucet
Grohe Eurostyle Prep Sink Faucet
Hansgrohe Axor Citterio M Single Hole Tall Faucet
Hansgrohe Axor Citterio M Single Hole Tall Faucet

If you have more than one hole, you can choose a bridge faucet or widespread faucet with or without other accessories (like a soap dispenser, sidespray, or hot water faucet). Measure the spread (the distance between holes) that your current configuration can accommodate.

Mico Bridge Faucet with Spray
Mico Bridge Faucet with Spray
Aquabrass Texas Kitchen Faucet with Side Spray
Aquabrass Texas Kitchen Faucet with Side Spray
Rohl Perrin and Rowe 4-Hole Kitchen Faucet with Sidespray
Rohl Perrin and Rowe 4-Hole Kitchen Faucet with Sidespray

No holes in your sink or counter? Consider a wall-mounted faucet. These are commonly paired with apron-front farmhouse sinks for a rustic, country look. Just make sure that the faucet extends far enough over your sink.

Elkay Pursuit Two-Handle Wall-Mount Faucet
Elkay Pursuit Two-Handle Wall-Mount Faucet
LaTorre Starlight Wall Mount Kitchen Faucet with Swivel Spout
LaTorre Starlight Wall Mount Kitchen Faucet with Swivel Spout
Rohl Country Kitchen Wall Mounted Bridge Faucet with Handspray
Rohl Country Kitchen Wall Mounted Bridge Faucet with Handspray

Handle type (single lever, side-mounted handles, touch-sensitive spout)

Now think about how you want to turn on the faucet. The most popular type of handle today is a single-lever, which allows one to turn on the water without (excessively) touching the handle, keeping the kitchen cleaner and more sanitary. If your hands are full or greasy, you can use your forearm to turn on the water. Single-lever faucets are also easier to install than side-mounted handles. While a single-lever keeps the lever at the last temperature setting (handy if you like your water at a certain temperature), one positive aspect of side-mounted handles (aside from the look – some people prefer the dual-handle appearance) is that they make precise temperature setting easier.

Elkay Ella Single-Handle Kitchen Faucet
Elkay Ella Single-Handle Kitchen Faucet
Grohe Eurostyle Prep Sink Faucet
Grohe Eurostyle Prep Sink Faucet
Grohe Ladylux Pro Main Sink Dual Spray Pull-Down
Grohe Ladylux Pro Main Sink Dual Spray Pull-Down
Waterstone PLP Pulldown Kitchen Faucet with Soap Dispenser and Air Switch
Waterstone PLP Pulldown Kitchen Faucet with Soap Dispenser and Air Switch

Sprayer type

Adding a sprayer to the faucet will make washing dishes and cleaning the sink infinitely easier. Many faucets now include an integrated sprayer in the head, but you can opt for a multi-piece set with a separate sprayer if you have available holes. The best option (and preferred by professional chefs) is generally a faucet with a pull-down spray head, which allows the user to simply pull out the sprayer head and then retract it back into the main spout.

Three important points to consider when choosing an integrated spray head: 1. make sure it’s good quality; an inferior sprayer, especially a pull-down, will break easily; 2. pick one with an easily accessible spray/stream button to change flow type; and 3. ensure that the sprayer will reach all corners of the sink.

American Standard Pekoe Semi-Professional Kitchen Faucet
American Standard Pekoe Semi-Professional Kitchen Faucet
Julien Azur Pull-Down Faucet with Dual Spray Head
Julien Azur Pull-Down Faucet with Dual Spray Head
Whitehaus Domehaus Faucet with Pull Out Spray Head
Whitehaus Domehaus Faucet with Pull Out Spray Head

Faucet style

The style of your faucet is largely decided based on taste. Bridge faucets are currently trendy, and high-arc faucets are generally popular. Use caution when choosing a high-arc faucet, though: check the height! If it’s too high (and your sink is shallow), water will splash all over. If it’s too low, or you’re choosing a lower or non-arcing faucet, you may not be able to wash large bakeware or fill pots in the sink.

Hansgrohe Talis C High Arc Kitchen Faucet
Hansgrohe Talis C High Arc Kitchen Faucet
Elkay Everyday Hi-Arc Two-Handle Kitchen Faucet
Elkay Everyday Hi-Arc Two-Handle Kitchen Faucet

Pick a finish that coordinates well with the rest of your kitchen color scheme (cabinet hardware, drawer pulls, counter colors). A matte finish is typically less prone to water spots; shiny chrome helps your faucet stand out; brushed nickel will look richer and elegant; and bronze (pick one with PVD finish) or oil-rubbed finishes lend a country feel to your sink.

Graff Pesaro Kitchen Faucet in Antique Brushed Brass
Graff Pesaro Kitchen Faucet in Antique Brushed Brass

Accessories

If you have several holes to fill in your sink, consider a side spray, soap dispenser, and/or automatic hot water faucet (some faucets include these fixtures in the faucet itself for single-hole installation).

Aqua Health Everpure Commercial Instant Hot Water Tank with Dual Temp Faucet
Aqua Health Everpure Commercial Instant Hot Water Tank with Dual Temp Faucet
Mountain Plumbing The Little Gourmet Lead Free Instant Hot Water Dispenser
Mountain Plumbing The Little Gourmet Lead Free Instant Hot Water Dispenser

You may want to include a garbage disposal as well; make sure to choose one that fits your sink drain.

Insinkerator Evolution Excel Household Disposer
Insinkerator Evolution Excel Household Disposer

Some faucets also have integrated water filtration for clean drinking water; if you drink a lot of tap water, a filtering system will save you time and money.

Hansgrohe Allegro E Beverage Faucet with Water Filtration System
Hansgrohe Allegro E Beverage Faucet with Water Filtration System
Whitehaus Vintage III Single Hole Tap
Whitehaus Vintage III Single Hole Tap
Whitehaus Q-Haus Point of Use Drinking Faucet
Whitehaus Q-Haus Point of Use Drinking Faucet

If you do a lot of cooking with big pots, think about adding a pot filler above your stove – no more lugging heavy, full pots back and forth from the sink to the stove!

Grohe Ladylux3 Deck Mount Pot Filler
Grohe Ladylux3 Deck Mount Pot Filler
Waterstone Annapolis Suite Wall Mount Pot Filler
Waterstone Annapolis Suite Wall Mount Pot Filler

You did it! Now enjoy your new, complete kitchen sink. You may even find yourself wanting to wash the dishes!

yael

2 thoughts on “How to Choose a Kitchen Sink: Part III”

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