Quality counts when it comes to choosing the most in-demand fitting in the kitchen. For durability, look for faucets that are made of brass, and don’t ignore what’s under the hood. It’s important that the innards have ceramic parts for long-lasting, dripless functioning.
Some tips to keep cost in check: Select a chrome finish (it’s the most affordable), skip the sprayer option (you can live without it), and consider two-handled faucets?they’re often less expensive than single-handled designs. Also pay attention to warranties both for your own protection and as an indicator of manufacturer quality.
Here, our pick of 10 faucets that combine affordability with quality.

Above: Artist Alyson Fox used a Chicago Wall-Mounted Sink Faucet in her new kitchen. Photograph by Michael A. Muller, courtesy of Freunde von Freunden. See more at Steal This Look: Alyson Fox’s New Kitchen.
Above: Julie is also a fan of the Chicago Wall-Mount Kitchen Faucet. With a double-jointed spout, it’s well-priced, well-engineered, and offers a classic lab aesthetic; $261.99 at Consumer’s Plumbing.

Above: At the high end of our selections, the Kohler Purist Single-Hole Kitchen Faucet is the simplest version of Kohler’s top-rated Purist line. It has an eight-inch spout that rotates 360 degrees with a 9.7-inch clearance; $339 in a polished chrome finish at Amazon.

Above: Another affordable, single-lever faucet is the Ringskar Kitchen Faucet sho...