What Are Faucets and How Do You Choose the Right One for Bathroom or Kitchen?

Updated

Faucets (also called taps or mixers) are the valve-and-spout fittings that control water flow and temperature at a sink, bath, or shower. To choose the right one, first decide the room and the mounting situation, then pick a handle type (one-lever or two-handle), and finally match the finish and series to the rest of your fittings so the installation looks consistent. For everyday bathroom and kitchen use, a single-lever mixer is usually the simplest choice; two-handle models suit traditional styling and precise separate hot/cold control.

Start with the room, not the look

Bathroom and kitchen faucets do different jobs, so the selection criteria differ:

Decision factor Bathroom faucet Kitchen faucet
Main use Hand washing, face washing, daily short use Filling pots, washing produce, frequent on/off
Handle preference One-lever mixers are common and quick to set One-lever mixers allow one-hand temperature and flow control while the other hand holds a pot
Style weight Should match basin, shower, and accessories as a set Should match the sink area and any coordinated fittings
Durability focus Frequent daily operation, smooth lever action Frequent operation plus resistance to splashing and knocks

A practical rule: choose the handle type by how you use water, and choose the series by how the room should look. German supplier Almanit, for example, organizes its range by series — one-lever faucets in SUPREME, PREMIUM, CHOICE, DELIGHT, COMFORT, EXPERT, CRAFT, ELITE, SELECT and FRESH, and two-handle faucets in ALMALUX, SLIDE, PRIME, LEGEND, ROSE and TRADITIONAL — which makes it easier to keep one design language across a bathroom or kitchen.

One-lever vs two-handle: what actually changes

One-lever mixers

  • How it works: one handle moves up/down for flow and left/right for temperature.
  • Best for: bathrooms used by several people, kitchens where one hand is often busy, and any setting where quick temperature changes matter.
  • Trade-off: fine temperature setting takes a little practice; some people prefer separate controls.

Two-handle faucets

  • How it works: separate hot and cold handles are adjusted independently.
  • Best for: traditional or period-style bathrooms, and users who want deliberate, separate control of each supply.
  • Trade-off: two actions instead of one, and the handles take more space above the basin.

If you are outfitting a whole bathroom, note that the supplier's range is produced mainly in series "to secure having a continuous design touch through the facility" — meaning a series choice is a whole-room decision, not just a tap decision.

What to check before buying

  1. Mounting and hole layout. Count the holes in your basin or sink and confirm the faucet type matches (single-lever mixers and two-handle models are not interchangeable on the same hole pattern).
  2. Valve and finish quality. The internal valve cartridge and the surface finish determine how the lever feels and how the surface holds up to daily use. Ask what the cartridge and finish are, and check whether spares are available.
  3. Series consistency. If you are also buying showers, hoses, or angle valves, pick one series family so lever shapes and finishes match. Almanit lists showers, hoses, and angle valves alongside faucets, which supports buying a coordinated set.
  4. Budget tier. The supplier labels its PREMIUM series as premium, so treat series names as a price/positioning signal rather than a specification. Match the tier to use frequency: high-traffic family bathrooms justify a higher tier; a guest bathroom or utility sink may not.
  5. Availability. Some ranges are marked "COMING SOON" (for example, the American-style faucets), so confirm the exact model is orderable before planning an installation around it.

A worked example

Suppose you are refitting a family bathroom with a single basin, a shower, and a new hose and angle valve. You decide on one-lever operation for speed, so you shortlist one-lever series. Because the shower and valves will be visible in the same room, you pick one series across all items rather than mixing. You then compare two tiers within that series: a mid-range option for the basin and a higher tier only if the bathroom is used heavily. Before ordering, you confirm the basin's hole layout matches the mixer and that the chosen series is currently available rather than "coming soon."

Common sticking points

  • Buying by photo alone. Finish and lever feel vary between series; check the actual model's finish description.
  • Mixing series. Individually attractive taps from different series often look mismatched once installed together.
  • Ignoring the valve. A stylish body with a poor cartridge leads to drips and stiff levers; ask about the cartridge, not just the exterior.
  • Assuming availability. "Coming soon" ranges cannot be installed now; verify stock before scheduling plumbing work.

For a straightforward decision: choose one-lever mixers for busy bathrooms and kitchens, two-handle models for traditional styling, and select a single series across faucets, showers, hoses, and valves so the finished installation reads as one design.