The Ultimate Kitchen Tap Guide

It might seem like a trivial detail, but failing to choose the right taps for your newly-designed kitchen could have disastrous aesthetic results.

As ever, the particulars are crucial. In the same way you wouldn’t want to finish an exquisite oil painting with a splurge of fluorescent green poster paint, there’s no reason to ruin the visual harmony of your kitchen with a mismatched tap. You’ll forever regret it.

As well as the numerous styles and finishes to choose from—to suit both modern and traditional tastes—there’s also a myriad of practical elements to consider to ensure your taps perform according to your needs. 

Equally, with the increasing technological advancement of the humble faucet, from instant boiling water taps, to smart infra-red mixer taps that detect movement in the sink and switch off once your hands have been removed, there’s plenty of scope for innovative and functional design. 

But don’t panic if that all sounds far too complicated! Hugo & Blake are here to help. Take a look through this handy guide for finding the ultimate tap for your dream kitchen. It’s a big decision, so let’s make the right one!

Choosing a style

Before making that all-important tap selection, it’s vital to take into account the overall style of your kitchen. Have you opted for a contemporary design, or have you leaned more towards the traditional with a Quaker or country kitchen? A farmhouse-style aesthetic, for example, will favour vintage, rustic taps that harmonise with the materials used throughout your space.

In contrast, for sleek contemporary minimalism, you’ll perhaps want to think about stainless steel or chrome to synchronise with your modern style choices.

Meanwhile, to create a consistent visual throughline with your tap choice, take a look at the rest of the fixtures and fittings in your plan. Find a tap that coordinates with the metal elements of your kitchen—hinges, the handles for your freestanding kitchen cabinets, appliances—and stay true to the theme!

Modern alternatives

There’s a wide range of modern speciality taps that can cater for the practical demands of a busy lifestyle. If you want boiling water literally on tap—useful for cooking, cleaning, sterilising, making hot drinks—there’s a solution available. When every second counts in your daily routine, a boiling water tap is the perfect addition. 

This can be a great worktop space-saver, too, as it eliminates the need for a kettle. That’s without factoring in the superior energy efficiency of a boiling water tap compared to a standard electric kettle.

For additional convenience, there’s also the option to install a sparkling/filtered water tap. Not only do you then have access to a cold refreshing drink whenever the need arises, you’re also not clogging up the fridge shelves with bottled water or filter jugs.

Under pressure!

Imagine the scenario. You’ve found the perfect tap for your kitchen. It ticks all the boxes in terms of style and practicality, but for some reason it’s just not delivering the performance you’d hope for. There’s either a meek dribble from the nozzle, or it’s gushing like a fire hose. What’s the problem?

Before making your kitchen tap decision, it’s crucial that you establish what water pressure system you’re using in your home. The type of system will have a great bearing on the functionality of your tap. Whether it’s a low pressure or gravity-fed system, a high pressure vented system or a high-pressure unvented system, you’ll need to choose a tap that’s designed to work with the relevant set-up.

Save energy!

In an age where environmental impact is a key feature of modern kitchen design,  keeping tabs on the water flow from your kitchen tap is a super method of saving water and doing your bit to reduce your carbon footprint. 

There are numerous ways you can do this. Whether it’s simply checking the seals and valves on your system to avoid leaks and water wastage, or installing resource-efficient kitchen taps that track water usage and the lifespan of filters.  

There’s also the option of thermostatic mixing valves. The average flow of water from your kitchen tap is around 12 litres per minute. To reduce this output, a thermostatic mixing valve can quickly find the perfect temperature—in less time than your standard mixer—and thus reduce cold water waste.

Finding the right tap for your kitchen is a crucial decision for the overall design of your dream kitchen. As with all important choices, Hugo & Blake are on hand to help. Whether it’s discussing the options available to you, offering expert advice, or simply acting as a soundboard for your own ideas, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.