Chrome and stainless steel are the two most popular sink finishes in the world. Chrome is undoubtedly more stunning but difficult to maintain. Whereas steel is more resistant to wear and easy to maintain but can be less appealing to some people.

Here we are gonna pit those two against each other to see which is the best. However, I should clear out that we are talking about the finish of the product. Not the material itself. But due to a close relation between the finish and the material there can be some overlapping comments. Take that with a grain of salt.

What is Chrome and Stainless steel?

Chrome is a metal and one of the naturally occurring chemical elements, containing valuable properties when layered on other metals. Chrome plating is brighter and mirror-like that creates an accurate reflection compared to other finishes while Stainless steel is an alloy, containing about 10.5% chromium as well as varying amounts of Carbon, Silicon, and other metals.

Which one to choose: Chrome or Steel?

If one gravitates toward shiny things and in the market for a kitchen faucet both chrome and stainless steel finishes are good options because they are bright, durable and require relatively low maintenance .

The difference between chrome and stainless steel are subtle and choosing between them ultimately comes down to personal preference and which finish best complements your kitchen sink and appliances.

These are popular options when budget is a consideration as both of them cost less than other metallic faucets. There are many chrome and stainless steel bathroom and kitchen accessories in the market, particularly in homes, hotels and bathrooms.

Pros and cons of Chrome

A chrome faucet can be made from steel, brass, plastic or stainless steel. It is the plating that is applied on the top of the base metal by using the process of electroplating. Chrome kitchen faucets are chosen for their shine. It makes the fixture an eye-catching piece of the kitchen decor.

On one hand, the bright shine contributes to the aesthetic of the faucet but on the other hand, it makes it more challenging to keep the faucet clean. The water spots and fingerprints that are left behind on the fixture stay are very noticeable. The polished surface of chrome plating is also easily scratched. However, with regular cleaning and using non-abrasive cleaning products, the faucet can maintain its luster. Just like stainless steel, chrome also has good corrosion resistance. Almost all the faucets offer a model with a chrome finish. One may have a bigger variety of styles to choose from. Moreover, Chrome is a popular choice for other fixtures in the house, making it easy to match them with the new faucets.

Pros and cons of stainless steel

Unlike chrome, Stainless steel is an alloy of steel and at least 10.5% chromium. The material is completed with polishing and grinding which gives it a mirror like look devoid of any scratches or pinholes. It gives the faucet a nice shine and an overall pleasing appearance.

Stainless is more durable in comparison to chrome. Even with heavy use, it won’t dent easily. It can stand the impact of high speed water and remain without any wear. The service life of stainless steel faucets can be more than 10 years.

If the chromium faucets have been covered with a thick chromium oxide layer, the surface of the stainless steels also have excellent corrosion resistance. It will not rust and corrode as quickly as other metals. Stainless steel is also better at disguising water spots and finger smudges, maintaining its shiny appearance. This makes it easy to maintain. You just need to regularly wipe dry the surface of the faucet with a soft cloth

However, they are not impervious to scratching and spotting. To prevent the spots from forming, you can dry the faucet with a soft cloth every time it gets wet. If you already have spots on your kitchen faucet, you can get rid of them with the help of white vinegar.

Stainless steel faucets also tend to get scratches quite easily. One way to avoid them is to avoid any rough cleaning products and brushes. Instead, use only a soft cloth for cleaning its surface. Stainless steel faucets also have high and low temperature resistance. It resists scaling and shows exceptional toughness at very high temperature.

There’s a wide variety of kitchen and bathroom faucets available in stainless steel. Most of them are also less expensive compared to the chrome fixtures.

Precautions:

It is easy to avoid stains from stainless steel faucets just you have to let the water away for a long time from the faucet. It’s better to keep them dry just after use and wash while chrome faucets are shinier than stainless steel and there is the possibility of spots and stains over it and its sine can be reduced by using harsh kitchen cleansers from time to time.

Best Chrome Faucet Reviews

Chrome faucets are one of the major inventions in the plumbing world. This unique design faucet’s base is plating by Chrome by applying the process of ‘electroplating’. Here we will review our top 3 picks of Chrome faucet –

Delta Faucet Leland 9178-AR-DST Pull Down Kitchen Faucet

Delta faucet Leland has a powerful spray system with build-in shield spray function. Also this model comes with Diamond Seal Technology to reduce the chances of any leaks.

Magnetic Docking is one of the key features of Delta Leland faucets. This amazing magnetic system hold the faucet sprayer in its place correctly.

This shield spray technology that helps you to create strong water stream and clean your dishes with comfort. Also you can install this faucet effortlessly within a very short time.

Kraus KPF-2620SS Modern Oletto Single Lever Kitchen Faucet

If you want to create a modern style in your kitchen, Kraus Oletto faucet can be a great choice for you.

Kraus Oletto faucet is made with a strong metal body. Its finish made with spot free stainless steel and chrome that ensure maximum durability.

This faucet also has a single lever system that ensures good water flow, so you can clean any dishes with comfort. Kraus Oletto is known as ‘DIY friendly’ for its QuickDock Drop-In Base function. Using this unique system, anyone can install it very easily by following instructions.

American Standard Colony Soft Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet

This is one of the most popular models used in the USA for the kitchen. It comes with 8″ Brass Swivel Spout that helps you to easily use the faucet.

It has a pull down sprayer made with an adjustable spray pattern and it also has a water pause system. So, you can use multiple spray modes to wash veggies or clean large pans or dishes very comfortably.

Colony soft faucet has a strong metal lever single handle. This handle will extremely durable and long lasting after many time uses.

Best Stainless Steel Faucet Reviews

Stainless steel faucet is available in the market in various designs, features and styles. Here we will compile reviews of best 3 stainless steel faucet for you.

Moen 7594SRS Arbor One-Handle Pulldown Kitchen Faucet

As a reviewer, I can say, Moen 7594SRS can be an amazing faucet for your kitchen.

It’s wonderful spot proof stainless finish defend the faucet body from fingerprints or other spots and keep your faucet clean every time after usage.

Moen 7594SRS Arbor comes with boosted stream facilities that help you to finish your cleaning work within a short time.

But the great feature of this model is the attached “MotionSense” technology, which allows you to run the faucet without any touch of your hand. You just need to wave your hand in front of the faucet sensor to operate it.

Moen 7594EC Arbor MotionSense Pulldown Kitchen Faucet

Moen 7594EC Arbor has two sensors. This MotionSense feature helps you to operate the faucet very easily and allows you to on and off the water flow just by moving of your hand.

It also has a great finish style that is very reflective like a mirror. If you want to enhance the beauty of your kitchen, Moen 7594EC Arbor can be a great choice.

With its power clean sprayer technology, it provides more than 50 percent extra powerful water flow. That helps you to fill up a water pot or clean any dishes very quickly.

KOHLER K-647-VS Simplice Kitchen Sink Faucet

KOHLER K-647-VS faucet made with a great finish that is looks beautiful and also it is stain resistant. So, the body part of the faucet is durable enough for long time usage.

This model comes with a High-arch faucet spout design and offers 360-degree swivel facility. This swivel feature allows you to get full access to your sink and do various types of cleaning activities very easily.

Kohler faucet also contains a multi-function spray head with a sprayer that allows you to run regular or aerated water flows according to your need.

What is better?

In the aspect of kitchen and bathroom faucet, stainless steel is more durable than chrome because of its corrosion and scratch-resistance. Chrome is also useful but is prone to scratches.

Selection between both of them completely depends on personal choice. If one considers the easy maintenance and budget then stainless steel faucet will be preferable. So our vote goes to steel.