Quality brands of kitchen taps

If you use a piece of equipment every day, and in the case of a kitchen tap it's usually many times every day, only a quality product will continue to perform over the longer term.

The kitchen tap is one of many household items which are subjected to constant wear and tear without regular maintenance. When buying kitchen taps, we often tend to settle on the cheaper option and then complain when they fail. It makes good financial sense initially to select a kitchen tap that has been manufactured to a higher standard rather than paying for the ongoing replacement of inferior tap ware.

How to find quality kitchen taps

 A good rule of thumb is to look for a kitchen tap manufacturer with a recognised brand name – one that is well established in the market place.   It may be an advantage to select a supplier whose products have been developed and engineered to suit Australian conditions in terms of water pressure and water quality and which meet the appropriate Australian Standards for tap ware.

That's not to say that some of the imported kitchen taps are not high-quality - that's certainly not the case but you do have to be aware of issues such as the access to after-sales service from the manufacturer or distributor and ensure that spare parts are readily obtainable.

Most suppliers of kitchen taps will cater for a wide spectrum of purchasers and offer a budget range along with more expensive models – just remember as with all merchandise you normally have to pay a premium for higher quality.  

Some other reliable indicators of quality when you are searching for a kitchen tap include:

• the warranty offered.  This can vary from 1 to 10 years, with a 5 year parts and labour coverage being about the standard for better quality taps.   Some manufacturers provide a 15 year guarantee on ceramic cartridges.

• higher water efficiency ratings

• options such as flow regulating cartridges for locations with low water pressure and anti-scald devices to regulate water temperature

Once you start to do a bit of research into the humble kitchen tap, you will find a huge variety available, with all sorts of features and prices ranging from tens of dollars to thousands.  

Make it easy on yourself by deciding on price levels, design features and available options before you tap into the market.