Kitchen Faucet Buying Guide

• Start by checking how many holes your sink has (one or three holes). This will help narrow down your faucet options.
• When choosing your kitchen faucet, decide between single-handle (streamlined, modern, often touch-activated) or two-handle (precise temperature control).
• Pull-out and pull-down spouts offer flexibility for washing and rinsing, with features like MagnaTite® Docking keeping your kitchen faucet wand securely in place.
• Style is personal. Match your existing kitchen fixtures or let your new faucet set the tone for a fresh look.
• Your faucet finish doesn't need to match your other fixtures, as mixing metals can be a popular, stylish choice.
   

Whether it’s weeknight meals, filling that post-workout water bottle, or bathing a baby, nothing embodies the balance of form and function quite like the kitchen faucet. Because we depend on faucets day in and day out, it’s important to know what to look for when choosing the right fit for your kitchen.

With so many types of kitchen faucets and all sorts of functions and features to consider - style, technologies, and finish options - the choice can feel overwhelming. But with a little insight and inspiration from our kitchen faucet buying guide, you’re sure to find the perfect faucet to enhance both your kitchen and daily life.

Browse even a small selection and you’ll quickly get the feeling that there are as many kitchen faucet mounting types as there are types of kitchen faucets. 

Once you remove an old faucet, your sink and counter can become a blank canvas. See the holes it left behind? They are your starting guides. Knowing whether you have three holes or just one will help narrow down your options without limiting your range of styles. 

The next thing to consider is ease-of-installation. For those of us without plumbing experience or handy family and friends, there are options like EZ Anchor® Mounting to help you secure your new faucet to the counter without spending the day under the sink. 

When looking at types of faucet handles, consider your day-to-day activities and ask yourself: “How often will I use this faucet? What tasks will it be used for?” With answers in hand, you have two options: single-handle or two-handle.

For more precise control of water temperature and flow, a two-handle faucet may be just what you’re looking for. However, if you want more handy features and a sleek look, single-handle kitchen faucets might be more your speed. 

Single-handle faucets bring a streamlined and modern design into your space, and special options like Delta’s Touch₂O^® Technology help keep your faucet clean, even when your hands aren’t. A simple touch anywhere on the spout or handle with your wrist or forearm activates the flow of water at the temperature where your handle is set.
 

Single-Handle vs. Two-Handle Kitchen Faucets

Faucet spouts vary in style and functionality so it’s important to pick one that works best for you. While the classic spout with side sprayer is always a good option, the latest faucets feature space-saving pull-out or pull-down spouts with large ranges of motion that allow flexibility in washing, rinsing and other kitchen tasks. They make cleaning those dirty dishes, dare we say, enjoyable?

Innovation on Tap: Faucet Features to Make Life Easier

Worried that a pull-out or pull-down spout will lose its tension? Technology features like Delta’s MagnaTite^® Docking use magnets to keep pull-down wands in place and ensure that your new helping hand will last. 

Dishes on the to-do list? Reach next-level convenience with Delta’s ShieldSpray^® Technology, which uses a powerful spray within a protective sphere of water to clear away mess with an average of 90% less splatter than a standard spray. 

If you’re already replacing the faucet, why not consider improving your water quality too? Water filtration can be integrated under your sink in a compact design, giving you as much on-demand filtered drinking water throughout the day. No more waiting for a pitcher to filter or realizing it's empty when you're ready for a drink. Just filtered water, ready when you are.

For those who want a set-it-and-forget-it faucet, Diamond Seal^® Technology kitchen faucets deliver added peace of mind. This patented design helps minimize the risk of leaks while delivering durability that can last up to twice as long as the industry standard .

Kitchen faucet styles come in all shapes, sizes, and finishes, with designs that can range from classical to contemporary, farmhouse to futuristic, and simple to showy.

Style is personal. This is important to keep in mind, because the faucet style you select will have an effect that extends beyond the sink and into the rest of the kitchen. 

People typically approach style in one of two ways: either they choose a faucet style that suits their existing fixtures and appliances, or they use their faucet as their inspiration to introduce a brand new style into the kitchen. Now that could be fun!

The kitchen faucet finish you choose will help set the tone for the rest of your aesthetic. There are a range of finishes to choose from, and you may be surprised to learn that your faucet doesn’t have to match other fixture finishes in your kitchen. Today, mixing metals is a bold and fun way to bring style and personality into your kitchen. Matte black, chrome and Champagne Bronze^® are just a few of the finish options available for the faucet of your dreams.

For a vibrant low-maintenance option, Lumicoat^™ Finishes help keep your kitchen looking cleaner, longer with an ultra-sleek surface guaranteed to resist mineral buildup and hard water stains. Plus, they wipe clean without the need for cleaners or chemicals, providing a simply beautiful style that lasts.  

Now that you’ve crossed the finish line, it’s time to stop daydreaming about that home renovation and get back to making that dream a reality. Once you've found the faucet that fits your kitchen and your life, the next step is putting it in place. Check out our step-by-step kitchen faucet installation guide to get your new faucet up and running. 
 

What should I look for when choosing and buying a kitchen faucet?
Start with the basics: how many holes your sink has, whether you want a single-handle or two-handle design, and what spout style fits your daily routine. From there, style and finish let you bring your own personality to your kitchen aesthetic.

There's no wrong answer, just the right fit for how you use your kitchen.
 

How do I choose between a single-handle and two-handle kitchen faucet?
It comes down to how you use your sink. Two-handle faucets give you more precise control over water temperature and flow, while single-handle faucets offer a streamlined, modern look.
 

What's the difference between a pull-down and pull-out kitchen faucet?
Pull-down faucets have a spray wand that pulls straight down into the sink, making them a great match for deeper basins. Pull-out faucets pull toward you instead, offering more reach for filling pots or cleaning wider or shallower sinks.

Either way, features like Delta's MagnaTite^® Docking keep your kitchen faucet's wand securely in place when you're done.
 

Does my faucet finish need to match my other kitchen fixtures?
Not at all. Mixing metals is a popular way to bring personality into your kitchen. Your faucet doesn't have to match your cabinet hardware or other fixtures to look intentional and stylish.
 

How many holes do I need for my kitchen faucet?
If you're replacing an existing faucet, the holes left behind are your guide. Most kitchen sinks have either one or three. If you're starting from scratch, you can choose your faucet first and select a sink to match or use an escutcheon plate to adapt a one-hole faucet to a three-hole sink.
 

Did you know? Escutcheons, also called base plates or deck plates, are ornamental plates that cover additional holes and allow the installation of a one-hole faucet on a three-hole sink