We Tested Kitchen Faucets—These 7 Picks Are Stylish and Functional (2024)

We've spent over 210 hours testing 14 different kitchen faucets from brands like Kohler, Delta, Moen, Grohe, and BioBidet. We've not only assessed each faucet’s performance in our own kitchens, but we also have factored in its design, functionality, and features, like touchless operation and a pull-down sprayer.Our top picks come in a variety of styles, but six out of the seven have a pull-down sprayers and that's not a coincidence.

Pull-down sprayers are a trendy and super-functional addition to kitchen faucets. While it's still very important to shop for a faucet that's compatible with your sink's mounting holes, pull-down sprayers eliminate the need for a separate attachment, and discretely build a sprayer's functionality into the design of the spout. In our experience, these sprayers have really great reach as well, and are able to conveniently and consistently clear your sink (and dirty dishes!) of stuck-on food and other grime.

But beyond pull-down sprayers and mounting holes, consider smart features and different finishes when shopping for your new faucet, which we cover more in our What to Look for in a Kitchen Faucet section below. Additionally, think cost. Kitchen faucets can cost anywhere between $75 and $500, in the case of our list—but installing your kitchen faucet can be an added cost.

Countertop fabricators and plumbers often charge per hole drilled and how widespread the faucet is. The more labor and technique required to add all of the sink's components, the more expensive your final kitchen faucet bill may be.

Editor's Note: This review was revised in September 2024 to include new buying considerations for our seven favorite kitchen faucets.

What We Like

  • Touchless design

  • Water turns on when you pull down the spray head

  • Automatically turns off after three minutes

  • Two powerful sprayer options

What We Don't Like

  • Batteries require maintenance every six months

  • Professional installation recommended

The BioBidet Flow Pull-Down Sprayer Faucet is an absolute game-changer. It will have you raving about your faucet at family parties and get-togethers with friends, thanks to its flawless performance, convenient touch-free sensor, and attractive yet durable construction. Its price point sits right in the middle for kitchen faucets, too, at just under $250 at time of publish, making it a great overall value.

Throughout our months of testing, this touchless faucet stayed in pristine condition since the lack of contact makes it super easy to keep it smudge and scuff-free. You don’t have to worry about any germs lingering on it if you’re washing your hands after handling raw foods—which is a big reason why touchless kitchen faucets are becoming increasingly popular.

In our experience, the sensor is satisfyingly sensitive, and we didn't have any issues with automatically turning it on (the same can't be said for our cat, however—so if you have any pets prone to jumping on the counter, be warned that they might accidentally activate it and startle themselves!).

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We also loved how, in addition to the motion-activated hand sensor, you can pull the spray head down and the faucet will automatically turn on. This makes rinsing dishes practically a one-step process. The two spray options are powerful, too—melted cheese, for example, rinses right off of dishes.

You won’t need to hardwire this faucet since it relies on batteries (though keep in mind that you will need to replace or recharge the batteries every six months or so, which is common with any touchless option). We did, however, find that the installation process wasn’t quite as smooth as others had mentioned. We were glad to have a plumber handle it.

Material: Brass | Finish: Brushed nickel, chrome, or bronze | Number of Handles: 1 | Number of Holes: 1, 3 | Faucet Height: 15.5 inches | Spout Height: 15.5 inches | Spout Reach: 8.5 inches | Flow Rate: 1.8 GPM

What is flow rate?

A way to measure the amount of water that travels through your faucet, flow rate is measured by gallons per minute (GPM). New kitchen faucets can have flow rates as high as 2.2 GPM, but all of our picks are between 1.5 and 1.8 GPM.

What We Like

  • Attractive, modern design comes in a variety of finishes

  • Easy to switch between modes

  • Easy to change water temperature

  • Strong pressure is great for washing dishes

What We Don't Like

  • Fingerprints are noticeable, but easy to clean

  • A bit tough to pull sprayer down

If your priority is giving your kitchen an aesthetically pleasing update, and you’re not after the tech features offered by some of our other picks, look no further than the Wewe Single Handle High Arc Brushed Nickel Pull Out Kitchen Faucet. Its sleek and attractive design fits right in with most contemporary kitchen styles, and we found that it’s practical and versatile in performance.

With buttons on the nozzle to easily switch between stream, spray, and pause modes in a flash, you can zip through most kitchen chores. The stream and spray modes are great for cleaning—as evidenced by their performance on the protein powder residue in our bottles and the grease in the bottom of our pots.

The pause mode is handy if you’re trying to avoid big splashes (or if someone is trying to talk to you over the sound of running water, like they do at my house!). The temperature adjustment lever is on the right of the faucet, and you can quickly make adjustments with one hand while the water is running. This feature is pretty sensitive, we found, so it rarely takes more than a tap on the lever to change the water temperature from hot to cold.

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Installation was a breeze for an experienced kitchen installer who aided us in the process. The hose reaches up to 24 inches, which is great for filling pots (we used it with a 5-gallon jug meant for filling a cold plunge tub and had no trouble). We did feel a bit of resistance when it came to pulling the sprayer down, but not so much that chores were impeded. The sprayer additionally clicks back into place quickly and easily.

The one other note we have about this faucet is that some of the finishes, like the brushed-nickel one we have, show fingerprints pretty easily—but even after months of use, it still looked fairly new. The flip side to the finish, however, is that the faucet’s components are easy to clean with a quick wipe.Overall, we think this is a great option for households that want a simple yet chic update for their kitchen, especially given the under-$100 price point.

Material: Stainless steel | Finish: 13 options, including brushed nickel, chrome, gold, black | Number of Handles: 1 | Number of Holes: 1, 3 | Faucet Height: 15.7 inches | Spout Height: 8.5 inches | Spout Reach: 8.5 inches | Flow Rate: 1.8 GPM

What We Like

  • Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home

  • Pull-down sprayer offers boosted water pressure

  • Digital temperature reading

What We Don't Like

  • Could be too high-tech for some

  • Batteries require maintenance every two years

The Moen Arbor Smart Touchless Kitchen Faucet is one of the most high-tech faucets on the market. It features a motion-activated sensor, and it also responds to voice commands or app control, so you can turn the faucet on or off from across the room or around the corner without ever touching the handle. After months of testing, using it felt like second nature.

There’s no need to get out measuring cups when you’re baking and making breakfast, either. You can say, “Hey Google, ask Moen to dispense a half cup of cold water,” and you’ll get just that—we tested this multiple times to confirm that the measurements are indeed correct. Of course, you can also use the lever or the touchless sensor, so other members of your household and guests will be comfortable stepping in to use this faucet, too.

To avoid surprises when using the touchless feature of this kitchen faucet, an LED indicator at the base of the faucet gives you a water temperature reading. The faucet is also equipped with Moen’s Power Boost technology, which gives you the option for increased water pressure when using the sprayer, so you can power-wash the grime caked on pots and pans.

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While it was smooth to install (we handled it without calling in any pros, thanks to the detailed instructions and pictures), it’s worth noting that any time you opt for a smart appliance, you risk it being too high-tech for your needs and are susceptible to motion sensitivity or app malfunction.

Six D batteries supply this faucet with its power, but the manufacturer says you can expect up to two years of battery life, so you won’t need to recharge or replace them very often. In comparison, our top pick that’s also touchless requires battery maintenance about every six months.

Material: Zinc | Finish: Stainless steel, chrome, bronze, or matte black | Number of Handles: 1 | Number of Holes: 1, 3 | Faucet Height: 15.5 inches | Spout Height: 15.5 inches | Spout Reach: 7.88 inches | Flow Rate: 1.5 GPM

Expert Tip


Interior designer Allison Ruda notes that considering functionality and aesthetics is key. Part of that functionality is making sure your faucet is compatible with the style, size, and mounting holes of your kitchen sink. “The sink and the faucet have to ‘work’ together,” she stresses.

What We Like

  • Handy touch feature performs really well

  • Auto-off mechanism

  • Light visuals for water temperature

What We Don't Like

  • Strong water pressure may be too much

  • Batteries require maintenance every six months

The Delta Faucet Leland Touch Kitchen Faucet is equal parts form and function, and we’re fully convinced it should be the standard for all faucets going forward.

The faucet can be turned on and off in a few different ways. Like a traditional kitchen faucet, you can adjust the handle at the base, or you can touch anywhere on the handle or the neck. Do not be confused—this isn’t a touchless faucet, but it offers a lot of the same perks as one, since you can use your wrist or arm to turn the water on instead. This super convenient feature comes in handy when you're cooking, or just have messy or full hands in general, and don't want to dirty up the handle of your faucet.

Notably, the faucet isn't too sensitive or hard to trigger, either—tap it about as hard as you would your keys on your iPhone when texting, and it'll turn on. After a while, the faucet will also turn off itself if it thinks it's been running for too long—almost as if to say, "Did you leave this on by accident? Are you still watching?" This comes in handy if by chance you are distracted on the far side of the kitchen, or if (like us!) you’re someone who wonders if you left your curling iron plugged in or turned off the oven. You don’t have to worry about this faucet.

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When it’s on, you can use the handle to adjust the temperature, and a colored light at the base also signals what temperature the water is. It's blue for cold, purple for in-between, and red for hot. The handle also is really smooth, making for easy temperature adjustments. We do sometimes find ourselves wishing that the temperature could be adjusted with just a tap, but this is a minor note when we consider how much we like this faucet overall.

Like some of our other favorite pull-down options, the sprayer is just the spout detached. It’s a cinch to both detach it and move it around. On the back of the spout is a button that allows you to switch the sprayer between one of three different modes: shower, stream, and this circular-ish mode that's great for applying a lot of water pressure to a particular spot or stain. The faucet's water pressure in general is very strong, so it may be more than some households need, but you can adjust accordingly. We found the sweet spot to be a medium-low setting.

It’s worth noting that, like some of our favorite touchless faucets, there is a battery pack powering the touch feature. The brand says to replace it every 2 years (if using the included AA batteries) or 5 years (if you use your own C batteries). Our plumber even suggested that the batteries could last longer, but we ended up switching out the batteries every six months, because this faucet gets a ton of daily use. Notably, the colored indicator at the base does let you know when the battery is about to die so you can prepare.

At over $300, this pick is also pricier than others we’ve tested and loved. However, we happily recommend it as a high-performing faucet with a smooth sprayer and exceptionally handy touch feature (and have already convinced some family members to buy it, too!).

Material: Brass | Finish: Chrome, stainless steel, SpotShield stainless steel, bronze | Number of Handles: 1 | Number of Holes: 1 | Faucet Height: 15.38 inches | Spout Height: 14 inches | Spout Reach: 9.2 inches | Flow Rate: 1.8 GPM

What We Like

  • Subtle design blends in well

  • Single handle operation

  • Single button toggle between spray and stream

  • Light temperature display

What We Don't Like

  • Lacks touch or touchless features

  • Water pressure could be stronger

With a sleek low profile, the Grohe 30306DC1 Eurosmart Dual Spray Pull-Out Kitchen Faucet makes an attractive and subtle choice for contemporary kitchens. It’s the only low-arc pick on our list and, with a faucet height of 7.13 inches, it’s ideal for homes that have shelving or any window sills that prevent the installation of a taller model.

The straightforward design features a wide, flat lever that both turns the faucet on and off, as well as adjusts for water temperature, too. While we found the lever to be a bit stiff at first, it’s not overly sensitive to temperature adjustments, which we see as a perk. There’s also a light indicator (blue for cold, green for warm, and red for hot), which lowers your chance of being accidentally scalded by hot water or startled by cold.

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To use the sprayer, you simply pull the faucet out toward you, and a single button on the handle controls the water flow. You can choose between a steady stream or rinse spray for washing all your dishes, your hands, or your sink. While the water pressure wasn’t the strongest, the spray easily reached into the corners of our sink, and the hose retracts smoothly and easily, too. The brushed-steel finish was also a plus in our experience since it doesn’t show fingerprints, unlike our best value pick. The overall design of this faucet is nice and smooth, and the entire unit is easy to clean since there aren’t many nooks and crannies that collect dirt or grime.

While there could be more features with this faucet (we are big fans of touch and touchless models, if you couldn’t already tell), this is a practical and pretty choice for households that don’t need the bells and whistles that some of our other picks provide.

Material: Brass | Finish: Brushed steel, chrome | Number of Handles: 1 | Number of Holes: 1 | Faucet Height: 7.13 inches | Spout Height: 5.5 inches | Spout Reach: 8.93 inches | Flow Rate: 1.75 GPM

What We Like

  • 90-degree handle rotation

  • Adjustable flow rate

  • Silicone spray holes are easily wiped clean

  • Spot-resistant finish

What We Don't Like

  • Only single-hole installation

A matte gold kitchen faucet is an easy way to elevate your kitchen’s aesthetic. The Kraus Oletto Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet is available in an antique champagne brass finish (among other finishes), which offers a sophisticated take on the gold fixture trend. But you’ll get more than good looks when you choose this kitchen faucet. It’s completely up to the task when it comes to regular kitchen usage like filling pots, spraying into the deep corners of your sink, and lifting food from your dishes.

To start, the handle rotates forward 90 degrees, making this faucet a good choice if you have limited space between your kitchen sink and backsplash. While this is a common feature among faucets, it’s always appreciated. We also found the pull-down sprayer is easy to maneuver; for the most part, it also smoothly retracts when you’re done.

It has a toggle switch for stream or spray functions, and the lever for temperature control works just as intended; it’s intuitive and easy to adjust (“up” for cold and “down” for hot). The silicone spray holes are also easy to clean, and regular maintenance will keep mineral deposits from restricting water flow.

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Since the gold finish of this kitchen faucet is designed to attract attention, it’s worth pointing out that Kraus uses its spot-free finish for this faucet. It helps to minimize the appearance of water spots, fingerprints, and fading—preserving the luster and beauty of this gold kitchen faucet for years to come. There is no deck plate included with this kitchen faucet, though; it’s only suitable for single-hole installation.

Speaking of installation, we tried to DIY it, and ended up getting help with tightening the parts where the water was leaking out. So, we recommend having a pro help you from the start so you can skip any hassles and hiccups. Looking for a finish other than gold? The faucet does also come in stainless steel, matte black (which is what we tested), and brushed bronze, among other finishes.

Material: Brass | Finish: Antique champagne brass, brushed bronze, stainless steel, chrome, matte black, brushed gold, or two-tone | Number of Handles: 1 | Number of Holes: 1 | Faucet Height: 16.63 inches | Spout Height: 8.75 inches | Spout Reach: 8.88 inches | Flow Rate: 1.8 GPM

Mixing Finishes in Your Kitchen

You may wonder whether it’s acceptable to mix-and-match finishes in your kitchen—for example, a gold kitchen faucet with stainless steel appliances. Interior designer Allison Ruda provides this advice: “I like to do no more than two finishes in a space. Take note of the finishes of your cabinet hardware and other fixtures, and either match the finish or choose one that complements it. When in doubt, match it.”

What We Like

  • Easy to install

  • Powerful spray function, exposed spring spout

  • Sprayer head retracts reliably

What We Don't Like

  • No pause or lock feature for sprayer

  • Aerator had some debris at first

The Kohler Sous Pro-Style Sprayer Faucet is an all-around solid pick that gives you both a professional look and superior functionality. This type of faucet is known as a "pre-rinse faucet," because it features a high-arc spout with a distinct, exposed spring that gives you added flexibility as you clean.

After months of usage, the professional-style kitchen faucet proved top-notch for its performance and function. All the little adjustments we make in our day-to-day routines, like changing water temperature, rotating the spout, switching from stream to spray (and back again), and regular off-on switching, all proved to be easy and smooth. The installation process is straightforward and simple—requiring just 20 minutes and a few tools (we had no sink installation experience, and didn't hit any snags with setting up this faucet in our kitchen).

The Kohler Sous Pro-Style faucet measures 22 inches high, which is taller than other picks on our list with a pull-down style, but on par for professional-style kitchen faucets. (Be sure you have enough clearance above your sink before choosing a tall kitchen faucet like this one!) The extra height houses a hose that looks and feels heavy-duty. We found it could easily reach every corner of a large, divided kitchen sink. When released, the hose quickly and securely retracts, thanks to a strong magnetic docking station.

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The pull-down sprayer is the star of the show because it gives you a stream or sweep function with the push of a button. We were impressed by the sweep function, which dispenses a wide blade of water. We found this feature helpful for rinsing plates or "sweeping" debris from the sink. Our only complaint on the design and functionality of this faucet is that you have to hold down the trigger for the spray function. You can't use the spray mode for hands-free use—but that's just one slightly annoying quirk.

The one other hiccup we encountered was that, on two occasions during roughly six months of testing, the faucet aerator (a piece at the end of the faucet that adds air to the spray) has collected some debris, and needed to be cleaned. It took several attempts to get to the aerator because the instructions weren’t super clear, but eventually we figured it out and we're still pleased with this faucet.

Material: Zinc | Finish: Stainless steel, chrome, brass, or matte black | Number of Handles: 1 | Number of Holes: 2 (Can be fitted for 1 to 4) | Faucet Height: 22 inches | Spout Height: 7.5 inches | Spout Reach: 9 inches | Flow Rate: 1.5 GPM

Final Verdict

The best kitchen faucet is the BioBidet Flow Pull-Down Sprayer Faucet, which has a touch-free sensor, automatic on-off setting, and a practical yet attractive design. We also really like the Wewe Single Handle High Arc Brushed Nickel Pull Out Kitchen Faucet (our best value pick), a high-arc, brushed faucet with strong water pressure and a convenient pause mode.

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How We Tested the Kitchen Faucets

We've installed 14 different faucets in our kitchens, using them as our everyday faucets for months and racking up more than 210 total hours of hands-on testing. Each faucet has been assessed on a variety of traits during testing.

  • First up, we consider each faucet’s installation and setup process, noting whether a professional was required, and whether the instructions were understandable and useful.
  • An ideal faucet is one you don’t have to think about that much, so to assess each pick’s ease of use, we pay attention to how seamless the faucet goes from “off” to “on,” and how smoothly you can change temperature, spray mode, or any other mechanism. We fill pots, wash hands, and, when a motion or touch sensor is part of the faucet, we take a close look at its sensitivity.
  • To assess performance, we look at the water pressure of each faucet, noting whether or not it is sufficient for everyday tasks and, in particular, rinsing dirty dishes.
  • We keep an eye on whether or not scratches or scuffs appear on the faucet to assess durability, and we also take note of whether fingerprints show.
  • The quality of each faucet is also closely considered and we watch for drips, clogs, or squeaks, as well as any change in the angle or stability of the faucet’s neck.

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What to Look for in a Kitchen Faucet

Beyond key installation considerations like the style, size, and mounting holes of your kitchen sink, there are a few things to look out for in your new kitchen faucet.

Consider Style and Finish

When it comes to the style of the kitchen faucet you choose, there are options for just about any design preference. You can find fixtures that complement traditional, modern, farmhouse, or industrial spaces. It’s important to choose a style that fits your taste and decor since a faucet is often a focal point in the kitchen, as well as one that’s easy to maintain for your household.

"Chrome is a durable finish and easy to keep clean, so it’s a popular choice and great if your kitchen gets heavy use," says interior designer Allison Ruda. "Other finishes like gold look great, but can be prone to water spots and be harder to clean, so that’s something to keep in mind when deciding." Our best gold pick, the Kraus Oletto Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet, does promise a spot-free finish, but the reality of the gold is still important to consider.

You’ll also need to decide between low- and high-spout kitchen faucets. Ruda stresses that choosing a spout style depends on your preferred aesthetic and available space. “You might have a window sill or cabinet that a tall spout may not fit under. You also want to make sure the spout can reach the whole sink bowl so that it functions well," she says.

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Don’t overlook proportion, either. Sinks come in a wide variety of shapes and styles, so you need to determine what type of faucet will complement it. As an example, if you have a large farmhouse sink, a taller faucet with a pull-down sprayer—like a pick we still love, the Kohler Sous Pro-Style Pull-Down Sprayer Faucet—would look great and provide balance, while our pick for a low-arc kitchen faucet, the Grohe Eurosmart Dual Spray Pull-Out Kitchen Faucet, may look small compared to the basin.

Last but not least, as we mentioned earlier, always factor in the number of existing mounting holes your sink has. Anywhere from one to four might accommodate the faucet, levers, a sprayer, or even a separate soap pump. Many faucets, including six of our seven picks, come with a deck plate that allows you to cover existing holes you don’t need, so you’ll want to check your sink and plan ahead. However, in the case of our best gold pick, the Kraus Oletto Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet, single-hole installation is required and no additional deck plate is provided.

Opt for Smart Features

Additional smart features can enhance the function of your kitchen faucet. Some of the most innovative faucets are touchless, using a sensor—or even your voice—to start and stop the water flow. We found these features to be among our favorites when testing, too. If you’re especially interested in touch-free operation, look at our top pick, the BioBidet Flow Pull-Down Sprayer Faucet or our favorite touchless faucet, the Moen Arbor Smart Touchless Kitchen Faucet With Voice Control, which is compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

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Why Trust The Spruce?

Dena Ogden is an associate editor for The Spruce who specializes in appliances, home tech, cleaning, and organization topics. For this story, she utilized extensive testing data from The Lab, and thoroughly researched additional specs for each faucet selected.She has yet to make the switch to a touchless faucet in her home kitchen, but she has her eye on the BioBidet Flow Pull-Down Sprayer Faucet.

Our Experts:

  • Allison Ruda, interior designer
  • Erica Puisis, freelance writer at The Spruce
  • Marisa Viglione, senior editor at The Spruce

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