When building or remodeling a kitchen, there are many functional choices one must make as well as many decorative. Cabinets, paint colors, appliances, lighting fixtures, backsplash tile, the list goes on and on; excitement for your new project can quickly turn to frustration as there are so many decisions to be made. However, breaking down each category further into a couple of questions will help you determine the best products for you.
One decision that is often easily overlooked, or worse, thought of as a simple choice, is the kitchen faucet. Just as much as a range can be functional and lighting fixtures can be decorative—your future kitchen faucet is pulling double or even triple duty.
It needs to be functional, reliable and have straight up satisfying visual appearance. There are many different styles out there. Today, I want to view the James Bonds of faucets. Think tailored, flashy, and practically invincible and just downright cool looking.
Waterstone 3710-12-PC – $2,738.99
Waterstone, is the leader of the pack when it comes to design and quality. It’s the Aston Martin or Rolls Royce of the faucet industry. Waterstone has many interesting designs throughout their faucet suites--both contemporary and traditional.
The perfect line to showcase their flexibility in style (as well as being a unique piece in and of itself) is the Gantry line. The Gantry line has an 18” reach articulating spout.
Inspired by commercial kitchens, this faucet is perfect for filling large pots. It is also extremely accessible when you need it, but out of the way when you don’t.
The spray arm pivots and pulls down which will allow you to reach every inch of your sink from multiple angles and complete even the toughest mission.
Rohl R7521SS – $993.99
Next up on our list is potentially one of the few household names in the faucet industry, Rohl. Rohl’s demographic in the faucet industry is unique. Rohl sources their faucets from some of the best artisans and craftsman around the world and makes them easily available to us, the consumer.
Each of Rohl’s fixture families are constructed in different factories in different countries throughout North America and Europe. The Rohl pull-down piece is all about dressing for success. It appears tough and ready for a challenge.
It is important to note that Rohl was recently purchased by a VC firm looking to further increase Rohl’s growth. With that said, and as we’ve seen in the past, quality of product is important.
So, what separates a $300-$500 faucet from those over $1,000? One word sums it all up; Quality. In the faucet world, you truly do get what you pay for. Much like a finely tuned watch constructed by Q at MI6, a faucet's quality is of the highest importance for survival in a busy kitchen. (Sorry, faucets are not yet equipped with lasers.)
Seriously, faucet leaks are a huge problem. Many of the less expensive faucets have cheaper hoses and connections, so be careful.
Nothing can beat a solid brass fitting and simply touching or holding a fixture can reveal a lot about its’ quality and construction. With this, let’s discuss a manufacturer mentioned earlier, Waterstone.
Waterstone 5300-CH – $1456.99
Waterstone, while a relatively young company, has done what many companies haven’t seen as a viable or healthy for their bottom lines.
Waterstone manufactures in California, right here in the United States. While that could translate to higher cost for the product, the quality of Waterstone’s faucets are unparalleled. Their exceptional craftsmanship cannot be duplicated and as expected, Waterstone faucets come with a limited lifetime warranty.
Kalia KF1115 – $439
Kalia, a Canadian based brand, offers contemporary and some traditional influenced options. What is there to love above Kalia? First their ease of use with single handed operation, second, every Kalia faucet comes in Satin Nickel or Chrome to help coordinate with the rest of you design and finally, Kalia’s construction quality is better than most brands in this price range.
For example, one detail that often goes unnoticed is the joint between the head of the faucet and spray hose. Many manufactures use plastic parts here—however, not Kalia.
They use a stainless steel ball, allowing the head of your faucet to be manipulated with ease and keeping the head of your faucet intact for years to come. A subtle feature with a great impact on performance and longevity--Something definitely appreciated in faucet design.
Note: Kalia’s faucets are only available in two finishes, Chrome and Stainless Steel. However, these two finishes are offered universally throughout Kalia’s faucet offerings and accessories. To back that up, Kalia faucets come with a limited lifetime warranty.
Waterstone 5100-PN – $3,900
Now, here it is, the faucet at the acme of cool and the pinnacle of innovation and beauty; The Wheel by Waterstone. If you want your faucet to show off the advancement of mankind from the invention of the pottery wheel in 3500 B.C. to the rims inspired by jet engine turbines on your brand new electric car—Look no further, the nautically influenced Wheel by Waterstone will leave you feeling like the captain of your kitchen with every use. It is also important to note that just about all of Waterstone faucets come in 33 finishes for nearly limitless personalization. (Wheel included.)
Final Thoughts
In summary, what is important? First, consider style. You want your faucet to accentuate the design of your kitchen and perhaps even be a statement piece.
If you are thinking that you will have accessories to go alongside your faucet, it may be wise to purchase these from the same manufacturer of your faucet as finishes can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Next, consider functionality. We looked at single hand pull-down faucets in this post; however, there are many other configurations available out there. Finally, consider reliability and do a little cost benefit analysis.
While Bond is great at gambling, gambling is definitely something you don’t want to do with your kitchen faucet choice. Perhaps it is wise to strategize and spend slightly more on a quality faucet and spare yourself the headache and unforeseen additional costs of having to hire a plumber down the road.
Additional Resources
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