8 Best Kitchen Faucets of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Our expert round-up includes modern and traditional designs, plus a $60 pick that holds its own with far pricier models.

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8 Best Kitchen Faucets of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

The kitchen faucet is a high-touch feature in any home. Many households use it dozens of times throughout the day, which works out to thousands of handlings over the course of the year. It’s also a strong focal point, part of the jewelry of any kitchen, as designers like to say.

All that makes choosing your kitchen faucet a critical decision of any remodel — or if your current faucet is ready for replacement. At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we’ve tested more than 30 kitchen faucets in recent years, both in the Home Improvement and Outdoor Lab and in the homes of expert testers.

Our experts evaluate faucets on a range of factors, including ease of installation, durability, maintenance and features. This round-up includes the top eight picks from our latest review, plus a handful of models that just missed the cut, but that might be the perfect fit for your next project.

This elegant faucet from Brizo features all the best qualities of contemporary faucet design at a decent price point. The single-handle design saves space on the sink deck and makes it easy to adjust temperatures, while the gooseneck spout swivels 360 degrees for maximum control. The discreet pull-down sprayer with magnetic docking extends nearly 10 inches.

“It makes it easy to get at hard-to-reach spots and then snaps back into place every time,” said Good Housekeeping’s Executive Digital Content Director Lauren Matthews who has been testing and writing about home products for over 15 years. She opted for the matte black finish in keeping with current kitchen trends and said the faucet needs a regular wipe-down to keep it clean, but simple soap and water do the trick nicely.

One thing to note: With a spout height of just under 9 inches, the faucet offers less clearance underneath than other models.

Kitchen faucets under $100 tend to be no-frills, which is why our experts were eager to get hands-on with this $60-ish faucet from Forious. The single-handle faucet resembles some models costing five or six times as much, while boasting many of the same features, including a pull-down sprayer and smudge-proof PVD finish.

We installed the faucet at a sink in one of our Labs at the Good Housekeeping Institute in NYC, and found the process to be simple and straightforward. However, our experts noted how lightweight the faucet was (several pounds less than other tested faucets), which could say something about its long-term durability. So far, though, the faucet has done the job, delivering solid water pressure and toggling easily between its two spray settings.

Another possible drawback is the relatively low spout height, which could be an issue when washing pasta pots and other oversized items. While there's no magnetic retainer on the pull-down sprayer, it returned to its dock cleanly through its first 100 or so uses.

The matte black finish of our test faucet is showing a bit of water marks after cleaning, but that's a small price to pay for such a value-driven fixture.

The best kitchen faucets are fuss-free without looking too ho-hum. That’s what our experts appreciate about this elegant, high-arched faucet from Hansgrohe. “I love the slim profile and sleek design of this faucet,” said Good Housekeeping Institute's Former General Manager Laurie Jennings, who had the faucet added during her recent kitchen renovation.

Installation was foolproof, she said, and the steel optic finish that she chose “never shows any dirt, fingerprints or smudges, so it looks like it was just cleaned, whether it was wiped down a day ago or two weeks ago.” Like other positive consumer reviews, Jennings also praised the magnetic element of the pull-down hose, which helps it snap back into place every time. Jennings' only minor regret is the faucet's lack of technology, for example, an integrated light to rinse down the sink without lighting up the entire kitchen.

Moen makes quality kitchen and bath products at value-driven prices. The Arbor single-handle faucet is a prime example. It has a clean, simple design that's neutral enough for any kitchen — this is not a showpiece faucet like some of our other picks.

That said, it's feature-rich, including a pull-down sprayer with an extra-long 68-inch hose and multi-spray functionality, including power boost for cleaning. Its 1.5 gallon-per-minute flow rate is good enough for the EPA's WaterSense label. "For its price, the Arbor is surprisingly well-made, including brass construction, ceramic disc valves and a durable finish," said Rachel Rothman, former chief technologist at the Good Housekeeping Institute.

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The latest innovation in kitchen faucet design is touchless control, whereby a simple wave of the hand past a built-in sensor turns the water on and off.

The technology can be a little finicky (think: airport restrooms), but we found the motion sensor on the Kohler Crue to be highly responsive. Plus, there’s still the lever handle for those who want to turn the water on and off the old-fashioned way. The pull-down sprayer with magnetic docking switches easily between three modes: aerated stream, ring spray and power wash. The faucet is solidly built and Kohler has a stellar reputation for performance and reliability with our experts.

Looking for high-tech features in a more traditional looking faucet? Kohler's Artifacts Touchless Faucet took home a Good Housekeeping Home Renovation Award, delivering the same flawless performance as its brand mate, but with a more vintage design. As one tester said, after praising the fixture's lighting-fast response time, “this faucet is definitely a jewel piece in the kitchen, bringing a timeless, classic look.” One thing to note is that it does require access to a power outlet.

The old-world elegance and exceptional performance of this Perrin & Rowe faucet make it splurge-worthy, according to our experts. “It’s more than I planned to spend, but it’s such a solid design that I feel like it will look great in the kitchen for decades,” noted one tester who opted for a polished nickel finish.

While the faucet takes up more space on the sink deck, the bridge design's ample spout height provides plenty of clearance for oversized pots, and the faucet has all the hallmarks of quality design that our pros look for including solid brass construction, ceramic disc valves to prevent dripping and a relatively long 47-inch water supply hose on the side sprayer to ensure reach to every corner of the sink. The two-handle design allows for precise temperature control.

Faucet style: Two-handle | Sink type: Three-hole (including side spray) | Faucet height: 16.5 in. | Spout height: 10.875 in. | Flow rate: 1.8 gallons per minute | Finish options: Polished nickel (pictured), polished chrome, unlacquered brass, satin bronze, satin gold, English bronze, English gold

Sleek design meets smart controls in this single-handle faucet from Delta. It’s a huge hit with Good Housekeeping’s Home Design Director Monique Valeris, who admits she “never thought she’d describe a kitchen faucet as beautiful” before coming across the Pivotal with its clean lines and sharp finish.

Besides the fetching design, the faucet features unique technology that lets you turn the water on and off with a simple tap of the wrist or forearm anywhere on the spout or handle, nice if your fingers are covered in raw chicken. An LED light at the base of the battery-powered faucet glows blue or red depending on the water temperature to prevent any surprises. The pull-down sprayer with a magnetic dock has an extra-long 58-inch hose, handy if you need to water nearby houseplants.

A big, well-appointed chef's kitchen with a beefy gas range and built-in fridge needs an equally outstanding faucet — like this professional-grade version from Kohler. With its high-arching coiled spout, it wouldn’t be out of place at the dishwashing station in a restaurant kitchen, though it may not fit aesthetically with every kitchen.

Its industrial-sized performance is counterbalanced by an elegant design, with a sleek handle and rounded base. The touch-control pull-down sprayer has three modes, among them a patented sweep spray, which is basically a power-boosted blade of water that’s great for blasting stuck-on food from plates, cutting boards or the bottom of the sink.

Our market editors scour showroom floors and attend trade shows like the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show to see the latest models and innovations in faucet design. For this round-up, we focused on brands that have a reputation for reliability and performance through decades of kitchen product testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute. We reviewed more than 30 models in all.

Our top picks have been through months of evaluation in the Home Improvement and Outdoor Lab at the Institute or the homes of our experts, enabling a thorough technical review as well as evaluation of performance and usability in real-world conditions.

Engineers in the Lab begin by assessing the overall quality of construction, checking for loose or easily breakable plastic parts, persistent dripping or other signs that a faucet is unlikely to perform well over the long haul.

During hands-on testing, we focus foremost on how easy the faucet is to operate — turning it on and off, adjusting the temperature and switching between spray and stream modes, when applicable. We also measure how resistant the faucet finish is to stains and scratches.

If you're replacing an existing faucet, you'll need to choose one with the right configuration for your sink deck — either one, two or three holes, which might include a hole for a side sprayer or soap dispenser. From there, keep these factors in mind.

✔️ Shape: Though it’s largely about style, the shape of the spout also impacts usability. The least expensive faucets have straight spouts that don’t leave a lot of room for large pots. High-arched faucets have greater clearance, though you'll need to weigh that against a possible increase in splashing. The size and configuration of your sink can be a helpful guide; the faucet should be proportional and able to reach most of the sink, especially if it doesn’t have a sprayer.

✔️ Spray: Faucets with a pull-out or pull-down sprayer have become a popular alternative to independent side sprayers since it saves space, and many users find it more convenient to spray down dishes or clean the sink. An extra-long spray hose, say, 50 inches or more, is helpful for spraying down large sinks. Our experts also like faucets with finger-friendly buttons that make it easy to switch from spray to stream. They say to look for a pull-out sprayer with a magnetic lock that will pull the nozzle back into its dock and hold it there securely.

✔️ Finish: Our experts have seen faucet finishes become much more durable in recent years. As a result, choosing a finish mainly comes down to style preference. Stainless steel is a top choice because it blends seamlessly with appliances with the same finish. Polished chrome is nice if you want a little pop, though, like stainless steel, it shows fingerprints and smudges. More muted finishes like brushed nickel and brass have a duller shine which makes them more resistant to fingerprints and water spots. Matte black is a trending finish that brings a unique element to the kitchen, especially when paired with black appliances.

✔️ Construction: Faucets have become more reliable in recent years, but there are still some flimsy products out there. Solid brass construction and ceramic discs instead of washers are two signs of a quality faucet. A faucet made of internal solid materials such as brass will be more robust, more dependable and withstand day-to-day usage better than one made of low-grade plastic components. The most durable finishes are applied through a process called physical vapor deposition (PVD), which makes them stain- and scratch-resistant.

✔️ Flow rate: Measured in gallons per minute (GPM), this tells you how water-efficient a faucet is. The maximum flow rate allowed by law is 2.2 GPM. To earn the EPA's WaterSense label, the flow rate must be under 1.5 GPM. That 30% increase in efficiency works out to thousands of gallons over the course of a year. Construction quality impacts efficiency also since a dripping faucet can waste up to 3,000 gallons per year, according to the EPA.

You can spend $60 or less on a kitchen faucet or well over $1,000. As you move up in price point, the overall quality of construction tends to improve, thanks to features like solid brass construction and durable PVD (short for “physical vapor deposition”) coatings.

Design options are more expansive too, for example, high-arched industrial faucets with powerful pull-down sprayers or elegant bridge faucets with sophisticated finishes. Paying more for a faucet also gives you the option of smart enhancements, like touchless operation and automated temperature control.

Don't forget to weigh installation costs. While experienced DIYers should be able to install a standard kitchen faucet, others may need to hire a professional, at a going rate of around $250.

I've been testing and writing about kitchen faucets for 25 years. In that time, I've evaluated every major brand in the fixtures category. That has involved visits to showrooms around the country and annual attendance at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, where I'm always on the lookout for the hot new finish or innovations like touchless technology and improved water efficiency.

As Director of Home Improvement and Outdoor at the Good Housekeeping Institute, I oversaw the latest round of kitchen faucet testing in our Labs, as well as the continuous in-home, survey-based consumer testing that allows us to evaluate these devices in real-world conditions.

Having written thousands of product reviews and how-to articles on all aspects of home ownership, from routine maintenance to major renovations, Dan (he/him) brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role as the director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. A one-time roofer and a serial remodeler, Dan can often be found keeping house at his restored Brooklyn brownstone, where he lives with his wife and kids.

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