Finding The Best Single Handle Kitchen Faucet

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I see that your main priority is the single handle. And why wouldn’t it be? Bulky old double handle faucets eat up space, and they are expensive to maintain as well.

Whereas a single handle faucet is more elegant, compact, and convenient to use. However, single handle faucets may have some shortcomings. But you can get around those with a little time on research. And that is what I did to find the best single handle kitchen faucet.

Read the reviews before making the decision. There is also a guide to help you with the hard work.

Best Single Handle Kitchen Faucet Review

1. Kraus KPF-2620SFS Oletto Single Handle Kitchen Faucet

Top features

  • Pull-down spray
  • Hot and cold water
  • GPM flow rate
  • Ceramic valve
  • 8″ height and 8.7″ reach

It is a decent faucet with a decent price tag. It has everything you need and surely serves the purpose it was intended for. I love the sleek design. Mine had the modern stainless steel combo finish, and everyone in my family loved it.

The streamlined designed faucet also has a pull-down hose that is 14″ long. With the full 360 degrees swivel, it covers a full-size double basin kitchen sink. The hose is flexible, and you can pivot it any way you want. After use, it clicks in place at a smooth speed and manner.

The separation of hot and cold water was also neat. You can get purified hot water. It is completely brass with a plastic nozzle and a handle made of stainless steel. You have a 1.75 GPM flow rate

However, the installation was the best feature. It comes with two allen wrenches and everything else you need for installation.

Pros

  • Drop and leak-resistant
  • Spot and fingerprint-resistant finish
  • Good customer service
  • Great installation process and manual
  • Limited lifetime warranty

Cons

  • The stream/spray switch button doesn’t have a lock feature

2. KOHLER Tournant Semi-Professional Single Handle Kitchen Sink Faucet

Top features

  • Three faucet function
  • Temperature memory
  • MasterClean sprayface
  • Spout height 9.5″ and reach 10″
  • 1.5 GPM flor rate

This is the first restaurant-style faucet on this list and maybe the best single-handle pull-down sprayer kitchen faucet. Showing its professional design, the faucet has three function-

  • Stream
  • BerrySoft
  • Sweep Spray

The soft spray gently rinses the dishes without any backsplash, and I didn’t know I needed it until I used it. And to control the flow, you have the best ceramic valves.

Moreover, the spray surface doesn’t get dirty as other single handle spray faucet tend to get. Cleaning becomes even easier with the effortlessly removable spring coil. And it doesn’t get dirty much because of the exquisite spotless and stain-resistant finish.

And I have reviewed Kohler faucets before. I know how good they are with customer service.

The price might seem a little high, but if you want to invest in the best single handle pullout kitchen faucet, then this is your pick.

Pros

  • Three function faucet
  • Magnetic docking
  • Ceramic disc valves
  • Durable metal construction
  • DockNetik arm securely
  • Limited lifetime warranty

Cons

  • Although quickly resolved by Kohler, there were some reports of weak fit of the gasket

3. Derengge Single Handle Pull-Down Single Handle Kitchen Faucet

Top features

  • Two function spray
  • 1.8 GPM
  • 6.3″ high
  • Hot and cold water

This is your budget single handle faucet. However, some very interesting features make it the best rated single handle kitchen faucet for the money. You can’t deny it.

It has four variations of style with two finishes. You can also get a soap dispenser if you want. I don’t know why, but the brand doesn’t explicitly tell you that it is actually compatible with one, two, three, and even four-hole sinks and counters. Because it has a deck plate and dispenser. Maybe they don’t say that because the deck plate has to be bought separately.

You are also getting all the accessories and hoses for free for the hot and cold water. The whole thing is made of metal, including the handles and the sprayer. It even has a ceramic disc.

After a few days of use, you will feel that this is not equal to the 300$ faucets. However, you can never beat the price of this product.

Pros

  • Best single handle pull-down kitchen faucet in a budget
  • All accessories and water lines come free
  • Easy to install
  • Complies with IAPMO, NSF61-9, cUPC, and UPC standards

Cons

  • The retraction is not that smooth
  • The main stem is a little loose

4. Delta Faucet Addison Single-Handle Kitchen Sink Faucet

Top features

  • DIAMOND Seal Technology
  • ShieldSpray Technology
  • InnoFlex PEX supply lines
  • Magnetic docking
  • 1.5 GPM flow rate
  • Height 15.5″ and reach 10.3″

If you have sued Delta before, you know that Delta single handle kitchen faucets are one of the best in the market. They have all kinds of features that make you want to spend those extra dollars. But the good thing is they aren’t that expensive.

I also tested the touch version. It was good. But one of my acquaintances had it for a year, and they had some problems with the touch feature.

And that is where we come to the best thing about Delta, their consumer service. Delta’s after-sell services are the best in the market. They will help you as your personal plumbers. They have all kinds of replacement and return services.

The pull-down hose is flexible and easy to use. Both spray and stream are present. The finish and color are spotless and corrosion-resistant.

Pros

  • Less splatter
  • ADA compliant
  • Limited lifetime warranty
  • Very durable and very beautiful
  • Well-structured instruction manual and easy to install

Cons

  • I didn’t like the packaging

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5. Hansgrohe Talis S Easy Install 1-Handle Kitchen Faucet

Top features

  • Pull-out faucet
  • Magnetic spray head
  • Ceramic Cartridge
  • 16″ tall
  • Two spray function

If you want a low-arch single handle kitchen faucet, then this is your choice. They call it the lowrider. You don’t see this kind of faucet often.

I reviewed them because they looked very interesting. They can be useful as bar faucets or faucets for small kitchens. Kitchens on wheels might be a great place for them.

There are two finishes available in this style. They are-

  • Stainless steel
  • Chrome

Booth of them has a brass construction underneath. However, my guess is that the sprayer is not made of metal. It is not that heavy. Although the finish seems strong, I wouldn’t use abrasive on the sprayer part.

But surprisingly, it does have two spray functions. They call them full and needle. It is your regular spray and stream. And the hose extension is more than 12 inches.

Installation is not that hard. On top of that, all the hoses come in the package. It only rotates 150 degrees. I would have preferred a full swivel though.

Pros

  • Easy to clean
  • Connection hose included
  • Flexible connection hoses
  • Long pull out hose
  • Compact design
  • Good warranty

Cons

  • If you compare it with its previous model which is about two decades old, it lacks in material quality
  • Only 150-degree swivel

Top picks

If you are still confused about the choice, then here is a more narrowed down list-

KOHLER Tournant Semi-Professional Faucet – If you are open to professional style and don’t have any problem with the budget, then this is your pick.

Derengge Kitchen Faucet- Pick this if you are on a budget

Delta Faucet Addison Faucet- If you don’t want to take a professional one, then this your choice.

Single Handle Kitchen Faucet Buying Guide

There are five recommendations in the review section. So, it is clear that only a single handle kitchen faucet review is not enough. You need facts and reasons to choose the best pick. Read this guide to find out the priorities.

First of all, the last thing you want in your single handle faucet is to have the problems of double handles. Those are-

  • Being expensive
  • Bulky structure
  • The need for multiple holes
  • Complicated installation process

After you have got these out of the way, you need to focus on other features that make your money well spent. Here are the short descriptions and standards that make a faucet advisable.

Style

The price and everything else depends on the style. Here are some of the common style types of single-handle faucets-

  • Gooseneck faucet
  • Professional or semi-professional faucet
  • Low arch faucet
  • Hands-free/ electronic faucet

I don’t prefer low arches. And the electronic one is more of an enhancement than a different type.

So, the competition is between gooseneck and professionals faucet. I prefer professional faucets, but they are much more expensive and only useful for those who spend a good amount of time in the kitchen. Goosenecks are much more stylish and compact.

Cartridge

One of the biggest hurdles for the single handle designs is getting the cartridge to do all of the tasks that a bridge-style faucet can do without compromises. That leads to a pretty complicated cartridge design, which is also hard to change. It also tends to be more pricy. In terms of durability, ceramic cartridges are the best.

Hot and cold water separation

A lot of single handle faucets don’t do temperature control that well. Because the proximity of the separate temperatures crosses each other. Make sure the separation is good.

Looks & finish

Many buy single-handle faucets for their aesthetic looks. And that is very important for me as well.

Now, gooseneck high arches are by far the best in my eye. However, I tend to find a good looking professional with a pot filler more preferable, mainly because I can’t resist a commercial-style kitchen faucet’s functionality.

Also, try to pick a finish that matches your décor. The finish needs to be spot and stain-resistant. There shouldn’t be any corrosion or rust damage. Bad and even some good finishes will come off with abrasive chemicals. So, they should be easily cleanable without them.

Pull out feature

This is another feature that most double handle faucets miss out on. And we have shown that you can get this kind of treatment with low price faucets. The hose should be at least 10 inches long. It should be flexible as well.

The retraction should be smooth and well balanced. Magnetic docking help more and the docking should completely close the sprayer head gap.

Faucet functions

There should be two spray functions in your single handle, spray, and stream. Top brands and expensive options may include more functions like soft spray, pause, etc.

Material

Now, most of the faucets are gonna tell you that they are made of metal. But some parts might be plastic as well, such as the sprayer head and the handle. That is something I hate. I feel like cheated. So be careful about that. Brass and stainless steel is the industry standard for faucet raw material.

Other features

Many other features make a faucet convenient. First of all, your water pressure should be a minimum of 1.5 GPM. However, I like more than 1.8 GPM. 360-degree swivel and flexibility also help.

The faucet should be certified for being lead-free and economically friendly. Also, look for warranties and other money-back policies. And try to take from a reputed brand because they have the best customer service.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are a few questions that always come to mind when shopping for kitchen faucets. Here are some of them-

Q: Are bridge style faucets and double handle faucets the same thing?

A: Technically, yes. Because the bridge style is a type of double handle. It is just that this double handle is connected by a bridge.

Q: Do I have to lubricate single handle faucets?

A: Yes, you have to lubricate the cartridge with plumber’s grade faucet grease or spray.

Q: How long should a kitchen faucets last?

A: The standard has long been for 15-20 years. However, they never really lasted that long for the past two or three decades. And the faucets made nowadays seem even less durable.

Q:  How hard is it to repair and replace a single-handle faucet?

A: Working with single handle faucets are easy. Complicated parts like the cartridge are not fixable. But changing them is a piece of cake. DIYing the installation and uninstallation are very easy.

Q: What should I use for cleaning single handle faucets?

A: Nothing abrasive and no harsh scrubs. Use soft scrubs with regular soap or detergent.

Final words

Picking a worthwhile product has become increasingly difficult for hundreds of brands and thousands of knock offs. Amid this chaos, you need reliable sources to guide in the correct direction.

My job was to show you the most convenient way to the best single handle kitchen faucet. I hope I was able to deliver that.