Kitchen Faucet Buying Guide
Your kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in your home, and whether you are an expert chef or novice cook, you will use your kitchen faucet every day and night. At Vintage Tub & Bath you’ll be able to find numerous categories of kitchen faucets to find the faucet that benefits your kitchen’s style and needs. From mounting, installation, and functionality to the type of handle you prefer, there are many things to consider when shopping for a kitchen faucet.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
HOW DO YOU USE YOUR SINK?
Are you washing a lot of dishes or just rinsing? Are you cleaning food? These are factors you should consider since the way you use your sink will determine which style faucet you need.
NUMBER OF HOLES
Faucet mounting holes range from one to four. Be sure to check your current or new sink to see which hole mount it will accommodate.
WATERLINE INFO
Faucets usually come with one of three different types of water lines: flexible braided hoses, copper supply lines, or threaded shanks.
SPOUT STYLES
The style of spout you choose, again, has a lot to do with what you use your kitchen sink for. Here are the various kitchen faucet spout styles to choose from:
Straight
Think traditional faucets with a flat low profile and long reach.
Gooseneck
Tall and arched like its namesake, this style adds more space between the sink and the faucet spout, resulting in more room for pots and pans.
Shepherd’s Crook
Curved like the stick it is named after, this spout offers more clearance than others.
Articulating
This spout type is jointed in a few locations so you can maneuver the spout to wherever it's needed.
Pull-Down
Magnetized or locking to keep from falling out, these are generally found at the end of gooseneck faucets in place of an additional sprayer.
Pull-Out
Unlike pull-down spouts, this type is kept in place by gravity since the hose and sprayer are attached at the best center of gravity point on the faucet.
FINISH
Popular finishes range from chrome, brass, copper, oil rubbed bronze and nickel. Check out some of them below:
SIDE SPRAY
Do you use a side sprayer often? Or would you want it already as part of the faucet? Or do you not use one at all?
HANDLE STYLE/TYPE
Choose from cross, knob, or lever handles
One last note before we get into faucet styles, make sure there’s enough room around and behind the faucet handles to allow full range of motion!
STYLES
BRIDGE FAUCETS
Bridge faucets mount to kitchen countertops or a wall. They feature two handles and a “bridge” that connects the hot and cold water supplies, which makes mixing the flow and water temperature simple. Bridge faucets pair well with top mount, under-mount and farmhouse kitchen sinks.
SINGLE HOLE FAUCETS
Single hole faucets are installed through one hole in the countertop. These kitchen faucets mostly feature only one handle, making them easy to operate when busy. Many single hole faucets come with a decorative mounting plate, used to cover up unneeded pre-drilled faucet holes.
WALL MOUNT FAUCETS
Wall mount faucets are hung on the wall above the sink. These faucets allow for easy cleanup and make filling up large pots and pans stress-free. They’re available in a variety of finishes, 8-inch or single hole faucet centers. Wall mount faucets pair best with under-mount and farmhouse sinks.
WIDESPREAD FAUCETS
Widespread faucets typically fit sinks with one to four faucet holes. This faucet has three separate pieces, two handles, and a spout ranging in spacing in-between for your satisfaction.
POT FILLERS
Pot fillers are a “must-have” for an avid cook. These cold water faucets are located above the range for easy and quick filling of pots, and above bar sink faucets for pouring drinks. The faucet neck swivels and lengthens to reach the pots and retracts back to remain out of the way when not in use.
WATER DISPENSERS
Water dispensers allow for freshly filtered water right out of your kitchen sink. These dispensers are generally cold water only and are a great way to enjoy fresh cold filtered water while saving money. Water dispensers are available in the same styles and finishes as standard kitchen faucets to match your elegant kitchen design. Help save hard-earned money and the planet with this great addition to your new kitchen.
BAR FAUCETS
Bar faucets are smaller scale kitchen faucets that are intended for use on bar/prep sinks that dispense hot and cold water. Bar faucets are usually placed on smaller sinks located in another part of the kitchen or bar to hold the overflow of the main kitchen sink. These faucets come in a variety of styles and designs and are a great addition to a busy kitchen or bar.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
SHOULD I BUY MY SINK OR FAUCET FIRST?
Choose your sink first, trust us. Picking the sink first gives you the number of faucet mounting holes and their location, how much space you’ll need, and what plumbing you’ll need underneath.
I’M REPLACING MY KITCHEN FAUCET AND MY SINK HAS 3 HOLES, BUT I DON’T NEED THAT MANY FOR MY NEW FAUCET. WILL THIS FAUCET WORK WITH MY SINK?
Typically, no. We always recommend matching the number of mounting holes to the number of holes necessary for the faucet mount. But you can always plug a hole if, say, you have those 3 holes and buy a 2-hole faucet, just be sure to measure and double-check if it will work!
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