Stainless Steel Kitchen Faucet
Stainless steel has certainly found a home in the kitchen and stainless steel kitchen faucets are no exception.
Why stainless steel?
For starters, they are scratch resistant and durable. They stand up well to the abuse they receive. (Unintentional of course.)
For kitchen faucets, the heavier gauges work well. Faucets made from 18 gauge stainless steel are very strong and not likely to scratch. Other gauges, like 22 gauge, is thinner and scratches will show, but overall stainless steel is much more resistant than other faucet metals.
Besides adding a modern look, many homeowners choose stainless steel for their kitchen faucets because it’s easy to clean. This type of metal makes it tough on bacteria and grime to gain a foothold. By design, stainless steel is a good choice for your next faucet.
The name itself, stainless steel, means it won’t rust or corrode in the presence of water. That is a must as far as faucets go. And they just make a clean and bright statement to the kitchen, especially when accompanied by the many stainless steel appliances found in the modern home.
Stainless steel kitchen faucets come in two ‘flavors’: Single Lever and Two Handled.
Many are opting for the single level for the ease-of-use they allow. A single lever makes it easy to adjust the hot and cold water selection. With one hand, temperature and water volume can be quickly adjusted.
The draw for two-handle faucets is that they offer a greater range of design options. There’s so many to choose from! You can literally create a custom look for your faucet but you do lose the quick, one-handed convenience of a single lever model.
Many models are also equipped with a spray/stream selector. Buttons on the side of the spray head let you switch easily from spray to stream. You can select the right water stream for whatever water-task you have at hand.
Stainless steel by its nature is stain and scratch resistant. But due to advances in modern technology, faucets made of nickel, copper, pewter, bronze, gold, and polished brass can also share in stainless steel’s attributes. All thanks to. physical vapor deposition (PVD).
The PVD manufacturing process integrates the finish into the faucets base metal. This is not just a coating of the outer layer; PVD incorporates the finish as a part of the faucet. PVD makes the faucet resistant to tarnishing, corrosion and scratches.
If you are choosing stainless steel for your kitchen sink because of problems you’ve heard with other metals, now you have a choice. Although stainless steel is still a favorite!
One of the latest innovations in faucets is the pull-out spout. This handy device combines a spout and a spray head. It’s mounted with a swivel to increase the hose’s flexibility.
Speaking of spouts, each style has function limitations. Faucets with a straight-spout are smaller and usually cheaper, but can you fit a large pan or pot under it?
The looping gooseneck faucets permit working with the bigger utensils, but if you have a shallow sink, splashing can occur.
Whether you opt for the straight model or the high-arcing gooseneck, double check to see if the faucet head swings wide enough to reach the entire sink. This is doubly important if your kitchen has an extra wide or double-bowl sink. And for aesthetic reasons, if your sink is small, a big ol faucet is going to look silly. As will a dinky faucet on a large sink.
If you’re upgrading to stainless steel kitchen faucet, be sure to select the right size. This is especially true if you’re not replacing the sink as well. It’s important to make sure that your new faucet is compatible with the water connection type of your kitchen.
Your sink most likely has pre-drilled mounting holes drilled for faucets. So be sure to match the water setup you have. That or get a large base plate to cover the extra holes.
A stainless steel kitchen faucet will provide your kitchen a modern and clean look. It’s a favorite in many homes around the world.