4 Things to Consider when Choosing your Kitchen Tap or Sink Mixer

Your kitchen tap is a one of the most-used components in your kitchen so you want to select a tap that suits the size of the sink, has the functional requirements you need and matches the style of your hardware, kitchen and home.

EOS Pull-Out Tap in Stainless Steel Finish

The four key steps to choosing your kitchen mixer or tap are:

1) Choose a style that suits the kitchen and home
2) Functional Requirements: Consider the size, and swivel, pull-out or spray taps
3) Match the finish with your hardware or sink
4) Pressure: Mains Pressure versus All Pressure taps?

1. Choose a style that suits the kitchen and home

The tap is a visual and somewhat protruding part of your kitchen island or bench, so it's important that the style matches with the style of the home and your overall kitchen.

With many mixer and tap styles available, it can be tricky to understand which one will work best in your space.

Below are the four key styles to match with your kitchen.

Minimalist Taps

The minimal style is popular in modern designer kitchens. The focus is on creating a minimal and overly-simplistic design by using inconspicuous and seamless products. Often architectural lines are used as opposed to curves so a sink mixer that matches these strong linear design themes will be harmonizing.

Contemporary Taps

While contemporary and minimalist design is similar, contemporary designed kitchens will tend to be more softened with elegant curves or rounded lines nodding to its art deco roots.

So, using curved lighting or goose-neck tap in a contemporary kitchen can help create contrast to the clean and almost boxy lines.

Industrial Taps

The industrial style is synonymous with exposed structural elements, using both metal and wood and bringing industrialized or urban aspects into our living spaces.

Large commercial taps are common in industrial kitchens for their functionality and stately aesthetic.
Or, choosing a matte metallic black finish is a good choice to pair with any metal framing.

Traditional Classic Taps

The classic Heritage style is style a popular design-choice for many kitchens. This style features luxurious finishes and design features.

The Perino sink mixer is an excellent option for the Traditional style with its intricate detailing and chrome finish.

2. Functional Requirements: Consider Pullout, Spray or Swivel?

Your tap is a highly used element of the kitchen so its important to think about what you’ll be using your tap for. For some that do very litte cooking in their kitchen, a simple swivel tap will be perfect. However, the added feature of a pullout spout and even a spray mechanism is extremely helpful for rinsing down the entire sink or targeting specific parts of the dishes.

If you have a large sink, a pull-out tap is very convenient as it allows you to reach every portion of the sink (or the dishes in the sink) with the tap. For double bowls, this is even more important to allow you to rinse food waste down your waste disposal and still reach the other bowl for cleaning.

In the laundry, many find the spray function popular. This is a button on the side of the tap which creates a jet of pressurised water. This is especially helpful when scrubbing clothing or washing. Or, if a spray function isn’t necessary, consider having a pull-out tap in your laundry to allow you to easily fill buckets or pots that sit on the bench beside the sink.

Below are some recommendations of kitchen taps that are available in both Swivel or Pullout Spout features.

3. Match the finish with your hardware or sink

Then for designers wanting to create a real feature with the hardware and taps, there are a number of statement finishes such as Gunmetal, Copper or granite looking taps.

When matched throughout your home, the result can be especially outstanding. Choose a granite mixer to match the granite finish on your sink. Or, choose a Copper Sink Mixer, Copper Basketwaste and Overflow and Copper handles for an eclectic and modernist style.

4. Pressure: Mains versus All Pressure?

There are a lot of older New Zealand homes that were built with what is called 'low pressure hot water systems'. You can tell if you have low (or sometimes referred to as unequal pressure) if your hot water flows out of your taps at a lower pressure than cold water. Typically, in low pressure water systems, the cold water pressure will be around 500kPa while the hot water pressure can be as low as 35kPa which is a very noticeable difference.

Luckily, there is a range of New Zealand tapware that is especially developed for our low water pressure systems. These are classed as 'All Pressure' taps and can be effectively used in both Mains Pressure (where the hot and cold pressure is equal) or Low/Unequal Pressure water systems. So, if you have Low/Unequal water pressure, you can purchase an All Pressures tap, and discuss with your plumber who will be able to make a small adjustment so the mixer can be used in your pressure system.

Below are some All Pressure tap options

Cape, Chrome

Uno Gooseneck, Black