Your kitchen faucet has a lot riding on it. It has to perform, year after year, while complementing the look and style of your kitchen. When it comes to kitchen faucets, don't settle for anything less than the best.
The Five Best Kitchen Faucet Manufacturers
From looks to awards to manufacturing practices, these five manufacturers make a kitchen faucet that will last your lifetime.
KWC
Swiss-based company KWC specializes in faucets for the kitchen. Their products almost never get discontinued; instead, they are simply upgraded to be better than ever.
Their faucets are machined out of high grade brass and stainless steel, and have won numerous awards for innovation, including the Design Plus award in 2011 and the Good Design award in 2009. They were also nominated for the German Design Award and the DPHA Innovative Product of the Year.
Features in many of their faucets include:
- Surgical grade stainless steel levers
- Pull out lengths on faucet hoses of nearly 28-inches
- Ceramic disc cartridges that don't wear out
- Automatic diverter reset
One of the best parts about ordering a faucet from KWC is their customer service. If a faucet should break or wear out, they will replace the part, or even the faucet itself -for free- even years after purchase.
Barber Wilson
Barber Wilson is the only line of faucets made to be used by the Queen of England. In 2005, the company received the Royal Warrant, which is one of the highest awards given in the United Kingdom. They specialize in retro style kitchen mixers with modern ceramic cartridges and drip-free spouts. They are also the only producer of a bridge style kitchen faucet that has an accompanying side-spray.
Each of Barwil's faucets can be done in any of their handle styles or metal finishes, which makes matching them to your kitchen décor extremely simple. The company has also patented a non-concussive, self-closing tap which completely eliminates leaks, drips and other problems that can plague many faucets over time. Combined with their lifetime warranties, it's rare to find a Barwil faucet that doesn't outlast its owner.
Waterstone
Designed, built and machined all in California, Waterstone is the only company dedicated to producing a completely American product. With a sleek, modern line of faucets - each with a name taken from a famous submarine - Waterstone's faucets are machined out of the highest quality brass and steel.
Each of the faucets can be retro-fit to include a side spray at any time - even years after installation of the original faucet. The "Quick Snug and Lock" feature ensures that anyone can install these faucets, even the most novice do-it-yourself homeowner. Each faucet also has a line of matching bar faucets, pot fillers and gantry faucets to complete the kitchen design.
Waterstone is a favorite faucet manufacturer of many architects and kitchen designers. Faucets from Waterstone have been seen featured in Kitchen & Baths magazine and Kitchen and Bath Ideas magazine. Firms that have worked with Waterstone include:
- Kitchens by Deane
- IS Architecture
- Showcase Kitchens NY
Watermark
Brooklyn-based Watermark Designs is an innovative faucet manufacturer that specializes in style. Winner of the Kitchen and Bath Business Product Innovator Award, Watermark designs kitchen faucets that will fit into any kitchen - and into any budget.
Watermarks faucet range from traditional to contemporary in style and are relatively customizable; change the finish and handle style on any faucet to get just the look you're after.
Watermark offers each style of faucet in mono-block, three or four-hole configurations and has a budget-friendly, quick ship line for those who are crunched on time and money. All faucets are machined out of solid brass and stainless steel and come backed with a lifetime warranty.
Grohe
German faucet manufacturer Grohe is one of the top sellers in kitchen faucets worldwide. They are the winners of the 2012 iF product design award and the Red Hot Design awards, both showcasing their innovative new styles and selection.
Grohe has long been the leader in faucet technology and quality, and in recent years has made strides in style and selection as well. Their line offers a mix between sleek and contemporary faucets, to more traditional models. They also offer utilitarian faucets meant to fit into any kitchen design, while providing years of use.
Features on all faucets include:
- Swivel spouts that move completely out of the way when not in use
- Three different spout heights available for each design
- Pull-out or pull-down sprays available on most faucets
Find the Best Fit for Your Kitchen
Visit a showroom that carries the line of faucets in which you are interested. Measure the height of the spout, check the finish against the cabinet knobs and other metal finishes in the kitchen and get a feel for how the faucet functions. Each of these companies makes some of the best kitchen faucets you can buy, but only you can determine which one is right for your kitchen.
