Choosing the right kitchen faucet can be stressful, particularly if you know you have hard water that can cause issues with certain faucets and make your life difficult. To help with that, we’ve put together this buying guide to help you find the perfect faucet for your kitchen.
We’re going to go over everything you need to know about hard water and how to choose a faucet that can stand up to it, and then we’ll dive into some specific faucet recommendations.
Our Best Kitchen Faucets For Hard Water
- Delta Faucet 4197-DST Cassidy Single Handle Faucet With Pull-Out Sprayer And Magnetic Docking Spray Head (Our Top Pick)
- WEWE Single Handle High Arc Pull Out Kitchen Faucet (Best Budget)
- Kohler K-99259-VS Artifacts Single-Hole Kitchen Sink Faucet With Pull-Down Spout And Turned Lever Handle (Best High End)
- Kraus KPF-1650 Nola Commercial Style Kitchen Faucet
- Moen Arbor Spot Resistant One-Handle High Arc MotionSense Pulldown Kitchen Faucet
What Are Kitchen Faucets For Hard Water?
In order to understand what makes a good faucet for hard tap water, we’ve got to first talk about what exactly we mean by “hard” water.
Simply put, hard water is water that contains a high mineral content, specifically high amounts of calcium and magnesium. These aren’t toxic, and are actually nutrients that your body needs, so there’s no need to worry about a filter for it, unless you find that you just don’t like the taste of your tap water.
What these minerals can do however, is leave behind deposits that can form water spots on dishes, glassware, and cutlery, and they can also wear out the valves in your faucets, leading to a leaky sink.
Faucets designed specifically to withstand hard water are designed to be extra-durable, and to have more robust valves and internal gearing in order to resist the extra wear from this mineral build up. Many hard water faucets will have more durable valves that are ceramic instead of plastic, for example.
What Are The Different Types Of Kitchen Faucets For Hard Water?
Hard water faucets come in as many different designs and styles as more traditional faucets. The main things you want to keep in mind are the sprayer design (if any), handle configuration, and how it mounts to your countertop.
Sprayer Style
Having a sprayer nozzle can be a huge help for washing dishes, particularly when dealing with large pots, so if that’s something you’re interested in you’ll need to decide what style you’re after.
There are options that mount on the side through a different hole in the countertop, or you can get options that pull out or pull down from the faucet head itself, giving you just one single hole to deal with in the countertop.
Handle Configuration
Here you have two standard options, a single-handle or two-handle sink. These options are mostly down to preference and come down to how you want to control your water temperature.
Generally, a single-handle faucet is a little bit more convenient to use while you’re cooking, but a two-handle design is a little more precise since it lets you control cold and hot water independently.
Mounting Setup
Finally, there’s the mounting setup to consider. If you’re building out a new kitchen, it’s not really a big deal, but if you’re replacing an older faucet (which is likely if you have hard water) then you’ll want to get one that mounts in the same way as your older one if possible.
This means matching the single hole or three-hole mount you already have.
You also want to make sure that your deck plate matches as well.
How Do Kitchen Faucets For Hard Water Work?
The basic idea behind a kitchen faucet for hard water is you want something with internal valves that won’t wear out in the presence of the mineral buildup from your hard water. Inside your faucet, you have cartridge valves that can wear out due to magnesium and calcium buildup, so a faucet designed specifically for hard water will address this by strengthening the valves.
This is usually done by making the valves out of ceramic and including additional rubber gaskets to prevent leaks.
What Do You Look For In The Best Kitchen Faucet For Hard Water?
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing any kitchen faucet, and a few specifics to look at when choosing a high-quality kitchen faucet for hard water.
Durable Construction
First and foremost, we need something that offers excellent durability and won’t wear out, even after dealing with mineral buildup for many years. It’s no good spending a lot of money on a sink if you just have to replace it the next year. Get something that has ceramic valves and durable materials throughout.
Faucet Features
Next, you have to look at faucet features. This can include things like additional taps for on-demand boiling water, sprayer hoses, and touch-activation, which add additional layers of functionality.
This will also include things like what type of water pressure the faucet works best with, as well as the max flow rate. The flow of water is typically measured in gallon per minute or GPM, and you’ll want to check to make sure yours complies with any local regulations.
Installation
You’ll also want to look into the level of experience you’ll need in order to install your faucet. Some are very DIY-friendly, and some can only really be installed by a plumber or someone with a good bit of experience.
Spout Height
Finally, spout height and reach are important. You will want something that’s going to sit high enough above your sink basin that you can easily wash those large pots and pans, and you’ll want something with enough arc to cover most of the basin easily.
Best Kitchen Faucets For Hard Water Reviewed
Now let’s move on to the faucet recommendations!
1. Delta Faucet 4197-DST Cassidy Single Handle Faucet With Pull-Out Sprayer And Magnetic Docking Spray Head (Our Top Pick)
Our top pick overall is the Delta Faucet 4197-DST. This brass faucet uses a single-handle design coupled with a pull-out sprayer with a magnetic docking spray head.
It is ADA compliant and certified lead-free with durable brass construction.
It also uses Delta’s Diamond Seal technology, which incorporates a diamond-embedded ceramic cartridge to prevent wear from the mineral deposits left by hard tap water. Finally, it has a 360-degree swivel spout and a limited lifetime warranty.
This faucet is available in Arctic Stainless, Venetian Bronze, Champagne Bronze, Polished Nickel, and Chrome finishes.
Pros
- Matching soap dispenser, escutcheon, bar/prep faucet, beverage faucet, and pot filler sold separately
- InnoFlex PEX supply lines are integrated into the faucet to prevent leaks
- Diamond-embedded ceramic cartridges are extremely resistant to damage from hard water, virtually eliminating leaks.
Cons
- No dual-handle option
2. WEWE Single Handle High Arc Pull Out Kitchen Faucet (Best Budget)
WEWE offers a number of great budget faucets, and this single-handle high arc design is a great choice if you don’t want to spend a lot of money. You get a three-function spray head and a 360-degree swivel spout.
It also has a rust and corrosion-resistant finish and the sprayer and water supply hoses are both pre-installed for a very quick and easy installation, which is great if you’re a homeowner looking to install this sink yourself.
Pros
- Very Affordable
- Easy to install for the average homeowner
- Brushed Nickel, Matte Black, Polished Chrome, Chrome and Black, and Oil-Rubbed Bronze finishes
Cons
- Not as durable as some other options
Buy The WEWE Single Handle High Arc Pull out Kitchen Faucet On Amazon
3. Kohler K-99259-VS Artifacts Single-Hole Kitchen Sink Faucet With Pull-Down Spout And Turned Lever Handle (Best High End)
This Kohler Artifacts series faucet is our #1 high-end option because of its expansive feature set has everything you could want in a modern sink.
The three-function pull-down spray head has three settings (Sweep Spray, BerrySoft, and aerated spray) for everything from quickly filling pots to gently rinsing delicate fruit, and the DockNetik magnetic docking system is easy and intuitive to use. It also has Kohler’s MasterClean spray face, and is ADA compliant.
Pros
- Available in traditional, touchless, and smart versions
- Oil-Rubbed Bronze, Vibrant Stainless, Vibrant Polished Nickel, and Polished Chrome finishes
- Ceramic disc valves exceed the industry standard for longevity
Cons
- Expensive
4. Kraus KPF-1650 Nola Commercial Style Kitchen Faucet
The Kraus KPF-1650 is a commercial faucet designed for hard water taps. It features magnetic docking and rubber nozzles that prevent hard water buildup around the spray holes.
It also features a neoperl aerator and the pull-down head allows you to choose between an aerated stream for filling and a powerful spray for rinsing.
This heavy-duty Kraus faucet also features a 360-degree swivel spout, an ADA-compliant single-handle design, and a corrosion-resistant stainless steel finish, coupled with a ceramic cartridge to prevent leakage.
Pros
- Includes escutcheon plate
- Certified lead-free
- Drip-free ceramic cartridge prevents leaky faucets
Cons
- Only one finish option frequently available (others are difficult to find in stock)
Buy The Kraus KPF-1650 Nola Commercial Style Kitchen Faucet On Amazon
5. Moen Arbor Spot Resistant One-Handle High Arc MotionSense Pulldown Kitchen Faucet
Moen’s Arbor series Spot Resistant Faucet is an excellent option if you are looking for a high-end option with smart faucet features. A smart faucet may seem a bit overkill, but the next time you have your hands covered in chicken and need to turn your faucet on, think about how easy it would be to just say “faucet on” to your smart-home device.
Beyond the touchless option and the pull-down sprayer, you have a lifetime warranty on the trim and a five-year warranty on the electronic components. You also have four different finish options
Pros
- Power Clean spray for a more powerful spray than most other Moen faucets.
- Matches the Moen Single Lever Bar Faucet, as well as the Moen Sip Transitional Beverage Faucet
- Available as a standard or smart faucet
Cons
- A bit on the expensive side, especially if you don’t care about the smart faucet features
Buy The Moen Arbor Spot Resistant One-Handle High Arc MotionSense Pulldown Kitchen Faucet On Amazon
Final Thoughts On Kitchen Faucets For Hard Water
Hard tap water can destroy a cheap or poorly-made faucet relatively quickly, so it’s important that you choose something that can stand up to those mineral deposits and still work well for years and years to come. You should now be armed with everything you need to decide which of these faucets will work best for you.