Does Your Sink Need a New Look? We Tested the Best Kitchen Faucets (2024)

Moen's stylish Adler faucet has it all. Available in four sleek finishes, its contemporary style fits most decor schemes and can easily coordinate with almost any existing hardware. The hose has aerated-stream and power-rinse modes, and smooth automatic retraction that we especially loved. If your hands are greasy or full, the lever handle is easy to turn on and off with your wrist or elbow, and we've seen no leaks or other deterioration over 6 months of use.

During our tests, we found the Adler very easy to DIY install in about 45 minutes thanks to clear, step-by-step instructions and a snap-in connector that may not even require a wrench. Two minor quibbles are that the shiny chrome finish picks up stains easily and that the tall nozzle makes it easy to spray water onto the floor or counters if you're not careful.

Total Height: 14.6 inches | Spout Reach: 7.55 inches | Flow Rate: 1.5 gallons per minute | Sink Type: One- or three-hole

Where the Moen Adler is a basic faucet done beautifully, the Delta Leland is a more technologically advanced version, at an appropriately higher price. You can tap anywhere on the handle or neck — using a finger, wrist, forearm, whatever — to start and end the water flow. There's even a temperature-indicating LED light on the base to show you when the stream has gotten hot. (You don't have to worry about plugs or wiring: The sensor and light will run for up to 2 years on the six included AA batteries, and for up to 5 years if you replace them with six C batteries.)

We love how effortless the Leland is to use. The tap function was not just useful when hands were dirty or full; it was revolutionary for how we used our kitchen sink. The retractable head also offers traditional stream and shower modes and a special "ShieldSpray" setting with a lower-powered stream encircling high-powered jets to reduce splashing. It looks odd, but once we got used to it we found it very effective in removing scraps from dishes. The height of this faucet allows for plenty of clearance for filling a stockpot for cooking pasta, and it swiveled easily to the right or left when we wanted to move it out of the way.

Besides the relatively high price, the only problem was that the temperature control was very sensitive. There's not a lot of room to tilt the handle between full cold and full hot, so it's tough to get exactly room temperature or lukewarm water. But there aren't very many situations where you need accurately heated water directly from the sink.

Total Height: 15.38 inches | Spout Reach: 9.2 inches | Flow Rate: 1.8 gallons per minute | Sink Type: One- or three-hole

The Wewe's low price might cause pause, but even after six months of long-term testing, we're still thrilled with this faucet. It works and looks brand-new. The design is similar to other modern kitchen faucets, with a lever handle to control water and temperature. The retractable faucet head extends up to 24 inches, giving you exceptional range complemented by the unique pause button. In addition to streaming and spray modes, it lets you stop the water without needing to turn off the tap, ideal for when you're moving the head around to fill large vessels or spray down dishes and food storage containers.

The Wewe was easy to install, taking about half an hour and no tools (albeit for a fairly experienced DIY-er). It's just missing the upgrades more expensive models can provide.

Total Height: 15.7 inches | Spout Reach: 8.5 inches | Flow Rate: 1.8 gallons per minute | Sink Type: One-hole

Willing to invest in a higher-end faucet with many of the same attributes as the Delta Leland? The brand's Trinsic model is a great choice. With its sleek and modern aesthetic, it can integrate seamlessly into a full kitchen remodel or just a faucet replacement. It’s equipped with touch-sensor activation (powered by six included AA batteries), an LED temperature indicator, and a retractable hose. If your sink is on a kitchen island, the spout can also swivel a full 360 degrees for access from either side.

After testing, we have one design quibble with the Trinsic: The faucet head doesn't always snap back into the spout exactly correctly. It retracts easily, but the docking magnet that's supposed to hold it in place sometimes needs a little extra bump to settle into the right position. Over six months of long-term testing, we also noticed that it changed temperature more slowly than the previous faucet we had hooked up to the same plumbing.

On the other hand, this is a very well-built piece of hardware, with durable construction and finishes that do a great job at preventing stains and fingerprints. And it ought to be, as it's very pricy.

Total Height: 16.19 inches | Spout Reach: 9.5 inches | Flow Rate: 1.8 gallons per minute | Sink Type: One-hole (deck plate for three-hole installation sold separately)

Y'know how Captain Picard from Star Trek asks for a cup of Earl Grey, hot, and it just appears? The Moen Arbor isn't quite that advanced, but this futuristic faucet lets you use your voice to request specific amounts of water at specific temperatures, on demand.

You can use it manually, but there are three other ways to operate the faucet: motion sensor, voice control, or app. It can dispense precise amounts from a single tablespoon up to 15 gallons, with the option to create custom presets — you can ask the sink to fill up your coffee maker or water filter pitcher, and it can do so, hot, or cold.

The Arbor has a higher-than-average price for a kitchen faucet. It's expensive in general, but it's not as astronomically priced as other voice-control models. You'll also need a smart home hub or other separate device to utilize voice and app controls; the faucet can't connect to Wi-Fi on its own.

Total Height: 15.5 inches | Spout Reach: 7.88 inches | Flow Rate: 1.5 gallons per minute | Sink Type: One- or three-hole

“Ensure the faucet is relative in scale to the size of the sink,” says Dempster. A faucet that is too low will be difficult to work in certain situations, like when you want to fill a large pot with water.Faucets with pull-down heads are very common, allowing you to maneuver the sprayer to rinse down the basin or wash dishes by hand. “Some faucets come with pull-down sprayers that extend down from the end of the faucet, while others come with pull-out sprayers that pull out from a separate position, typically located to the side of the main faucet,” she says. “Weigh your preferences and consider the space and sink configuration you currently have before deciding.”

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do you replace a kitchen faucet?

  The easy answer is to hire a professional. But installing a kitchen faucet is also one of the easier home repair projects to do yourself if you have a little experience. You'll want to shut off the water and disconnect all the supply lines before you remove the old faucet, and follow the included directions to attach the new one. Be sure all the connections are firm and tight before you turn the water back on, and run it for a few minutes on both cold and hot to flush the lines before you start using the new faucet.

• What is the normal water pressure for a kitchen faucet?

  “The normal pressure for a kitchen faucet depends on the flow rate,” says Demspter. “The suggested optimum flow rate for a kitchen faucet is between 1.0 and 2.0 gallons per minute.” The maximum flow rate allowed can vary by state or municipality.

Bio Bidet Flow Motion Activated Single-Handle Kitchen Faucet

Motion-activated faucets are useful if you've been handling raw meat or have sticky hands, and this one's sensor works exactly as expected and holds up for six months with no reduction in performance. On top of that, it's one of the more accessibly priced motion-sensor models out there.

Kohler Sous Pro-Style Single Handle Pull-Down Sprayer Kitchen Faucet

This smooth-operating faucet was easy to install and looked great in the kitchen. Equipped with a detachable spring and spray head, it offered lots of reach when going to rinse dishes, the sink, or fill a pot. But it's quite expensive for a fairly basic fixture.

Forious Kitchen Faucet with Pull Down Sprayer

This low-priced faucet looks much more expensive than it is, and its spray mode has impressively strong pressure to clean dishes. Installation was an issue, though: The included connector hose wasn't long enough and we had to buy an extender, and it makes a high-pitched whine when the water's turned on that we haven't been able to troubleshoot.

Kingston Brass Heritage Bridge Kitchen Faucet

For those with a four-hole sink, this Victorian-inspired design has dual handles for temperature selection, a high-necked faucet for filling large pots and pans, and a separate dish sprayer with its retractable nozzle. It's a bit pricey, but if you have the more unusual four-hole setup, it's an ideal option.

Moen Arbor MotionSense Wave One Kitchen Faucet

This version of the Moen Arbor performs as well as the smart one above, but it lacks the voice-control functionality. It's a little cheaper but still quite expensive; if you want an Arbor, you might be better off springing for the full smart edition.