Kitchen Taps: So Much More than a Water Dispenser

Kitchen Taps: So Much More than a Water Dispenser

Statement accessories can take a kitchen from impressive to stunning. Simply by adding some carefully thought out finishing touches, you can create an extra special feature kitchen. The most used item in any kitchen is the humble tap. There are so many options available that you don’t need to settle for something that’s utilitarian and unattractive.

Tap materials and finishes

Kitchen taps come in every type of metal. Polished chrome has long been the mainstay of the kitchen tap, setting off a stainless steel sink, but you can now easily match your tap to your other kitchen accessories, such as cupboard and drawer handles. Brushed chrome, copper, antique, satin and polished brass, nickel, pewter and even gold. No doubt there are solid gold kitchen taps available if your price is right. Some taps have ceramic insets, marking hot and cold, which can add a lovely finishing touch to a Belfast or butler sink.

Visit some kitchen showrooms to look at the different types of finish. They are incredibly tactile and look very different in situ than on a web page. Ruach has a stunning Perrin and Rowe brass tap in the showroom which demands the attention of all our visitors.

Coloured taps

Along with the wide range of metal finish, it is possible to have coloured taps – stainless steel coated in a highly durable finish (PVD coating). A neutral colour might be the most cost-effective choice, just in case you change your mind about a statement pink or lime green. Also bear in mind that while the coloured coating is durable, it’s not invincible and may get chipped or scratched, which may prove costly to repair.

Multi-functional taps

Long gone are the days when taps had the sole job of dispensing hot and cold water. Of course, that is still their main purpose, but the mixer tap has enabled multiple functions. Your kitchen tap can now serve filtered water – either from a separate tap or from the main spout – and sparkling water. Quooker has an extensive range of boiling water taps, whereby boiling water is always available direct from the tap, doing away with the need for a kettle.

Some taps have pull down or extendable hose fittings, such as those in professional kitchens, allowing an extendable spray to be used for cleaning food as well as washing up. And the handles are widely different too, from traditional crosshead handles to upright and hospital lever handles to infrared sensors and no handles at all.

Traditional vs modern taps

Retro style has seen the return of all kinds of tap shapes – separate bib taps, sleek curving spouts, swan neck taps – and technology has enabled modern features to fit into any style of tap.

Not only do kitchen taps come in all shapes, finishes and functions, but they come in a wide range of prices too from budget (under £50) to luxury (£1000+). We would be delighted to talk through some tap options with you. We are offering remote design services and online appointments at the moment, please contact us to arrange a consultation. We look forward to welcoming you back to our showroom before too long where you can browse through our collections of kitchen taps, kitchen layouts and more.