How to Choose a Faucet

A well-made, well-designed kitchen or bath faucet combines function and style, and makes life easier. Better valve mechanisms and tougher finishes boost durability and looks. See what's on tap these days.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Get a handle--or two--on design. Two-handle models (from as little as $50) let you adjust water temperature more precisely with independent hot and cold controls. Large wing levers and cross-shaped handles are popular styles. Single-handle faucets, also called post-mount or center-set (generally $75 to $200), operate from a top- or side-mount lever or knob. Most models with pullout spouts are single-handle. One of today's trends is the modular approach: choose from different handles for the same faucet body. Mix and match for a custom look.

2. Start with the finish if style is important. Chrome-finish faucets are the least expensive (from $60) and often carry long warranties against scratches. Colorful enamel or epoxy coatings (add $20 to $200) are vulnerable to chips, scratches and damage from solvents. Stainless steel costs 25 to 40 percent more than coated faucets.

3. Check out physical vapor deposition (PVD) finishes, made by vaporizing pure metals and glazes into a nontarnishing, scratch-resistant film. These outperform conventional plated finishes, but cost $150 to $750 or more. Explore finishes such as brushed chrome, satin nickel and oil-rubbed bronze for vintage appeal. Brushed or satin finishes disguise scratches, too.

4. Choose a spout. Beyond the standard, straight-spout faucets, you'll find high-arching goosenecks, handy for filling tall pots. A splurge-worthy pull-out faucet reaches anywhere in a three-bowl sink, fills pots outside the sink and replaces a separate sprayer. Switch from stream to spray at a fingertip's touch. Restaurant-style models boast the longest hoses.

5. Remember that the simpler the works, the less there is to break or wear out. There are four types of faucets. Compression valves using rubber washers may eventually drip, but are easy to fix. Ball valves, which regulate flow and temperature via a steel ball, are washerless, require less maintenance and are inexpensive to replace. Ceramic-disk and cartridge faucets are nearly maintenance free and are generally guaranteed not to wear out, but carry higher price tags. Whichever you choose, look for a lifetime warranty on the valve as well as the finish.

6. Deliver purified water on demand with filtering faucets ($200 and up). Some filters are housed under the sink; others fit inside the spout. Antiscald faucets let you set the maximum water temperature. Electronic faucets use infrared sensors to turn the water off, which results in cleaner faucet handles and less water wasted.

Tips & Warnings

• You don't have to pay top money for good quality. Many faucets share the same basic parts--and even finishes--across several price lines.
• For a streamlined, modern look, choose a wall-mounted faucet, often used with above-counter vanity bowls.
• Make sure your faucet connections match your sink holes; if they don't, you'll have to drill more holes or cover unused holes with an escutcheon plate.