There’s so much more to Kitchen Taps and Sinks than you may think. In this episode, Frances and her podcast guest Trisha Narde from Reece discuss kitchen taps and sinks and what to look for in each. What makes a good quality tap and sink? What material composition should you look for in standard sinks and taps, but also in black? Not all black is the same! They also chat about Billi and Zip taps and how to allow for them in your design.   SHOWNOTES

In this episode, Frances, and guest Trishla Narde, Branch Manager at Reece Bathroom Life discuss kitchen taps and sinks and what to look for in each. They cover Billi and Zip taps and how to allow for them in your design, as well as black tapwear and sinks and how to choose wisely.

Kitchen Taps Main things to consider when looking for a kitchen tap

• Think about the way you use your sinks and taps. For instance, gooseneck gives you a little bit of height so you can get larger pots and pans underneath.
• Where the taps are located - Heavy taps that sit on the sink are not recommended.
• Whether you have a window behind the tap or not
• The long or short lever that is easy to maneuver

Other features for your kitchen tap – the latest of the latest sensor taps

• Sensor taps have recently been released. It turns on and off by a sensor therefore making hand washing more hygienic, especially in households where multiple people live.
• Children can easily access it without grabbing the lever.
• The price range is between $600- $900

                Pull out the nozzle with a spray function built-in

• Great for getting pressure on stubborn stains and also getting into the corners of kitchen sinks

Quality tap wear

• When it comes to technology and manufacturing differences there is what’s called Zero technology. It’s an inlet pipe within the tap that prevents the water from touching any other parts of the tap. Another feature that comes with a higher quality tap is the silk move technology, which allows to cartridge operates smoothly and easily
•  
• Some cheaper taps on the market can lead to faster malfunction and they are made from a thinner skin of material, so less durable.

Warranty

When it comes to warranties, Sussex, Billi, and Mizu offer up to 15 years of warranty, wiht  Grohe offering 5 years on parts and labour as well.

 

Black and other coloured taps for Kitchen

Coloured taps

• These work perfectly if you want a statement in your kitchen.
• There is no requirement to have your Kitchen tap the same colour or brand as other tapwear throughout the home.

Black taps

• Black can wear off over time if you’re selecting a poor quality tap
• When choosing a black tap, you have to consider the plating process to ensure the black doesn’t wear off
  • PVD Finish (Pressure Vapor Disposition)- strongest finish – suitable for outdoors and commercial settings
  • Electroplating- plated like chrome and won’t wear off. Totally suitable for domestic purposes without the black wearing off.
  • Powder coating- least extensive to create and can come off easily with use.

Billi and Zip Taps

Generically these taps provide boiling, chilled and sparkling water all in one tap, or separately.

Zip Tap

• Has a great market presence
• Have beautiful colors and style
• They are 30% more expensive compared to Billi
• 12-month warranty
• Manufactured in US

 

Billi Tap

• Also has a lovely range of colours, but not as extensive as the Zip tap.
• Has a 2 warranty
• Is an Australian brand

 

Placement in the kitchen – WIP or main kitchen

They are placed in either the WIP or Main Kitchen, depending on the frequency of use and how the WIP and kitchen are used and where the main place for preparing food takes place.

The installation also needs to be considered, as they require a 600mm cupboard to store the water units to heat or cool the water. A vent in the cupboard is also required, and can also determine whether the tap will be placed in the WIP or main kitchen.

 

Cost

It costs between $3,000- $7000

 

Sustainability

These taps are not regarded as a particularly sustainable option due to the energy required to retain boiling and refrigerated water 24/7.

Sinks

Opting for the cheapest sink is not going to give you a product that will last. There is a distinct difference between high quality and low-quality sink.

Quality Sinks

Stainless steel

• A combination of 18% chromium and 10% nickel – 304-grade stainless steel or higher is better
• Durable- doesn’t rust and is not a thin sheet of steel that dents
• Some stainless steel has a sound deadening pad around the surround
• 16-18 gauge stainless steel – the lower the number the better the quality of the steel being used
• Polishing – higher quality sinks have a better polishing finish which means the scratching is less visible.
• Good quality also means steel is a minimum 3mm thick. Lowe quality can be as low as 1mm thick.

 

Sink Brands in Australia

• Franke- a Switzerland brand
• Clark

Types of sinks

Undermount

• Visually attractive because the rim of the sink is not showing
• Easier to clean
• It has more depth with the 20mm of stone adding to the overall sink depth
• Can’t be used with laminate
• With the under-mount sink, the stone is visible so it needs to be polished which can be an additional cost
• Can be susceptible to chipping especially if heavy-handed with saucepans etc
• The most expensive type of sink
• Can we use it with laminate or timber benchtops, as the water can affect those materials.

Flush mount

• Flush with the benchtop
• Needs precision in grinding the stone 2-3mm to allow for the sink to sit flush.
• Not as popular as other sink types

Inset

• Regarded as a more traditional style of sink
• The sink sits into the gap in the benchtop, so doesn’t require polished edges
• Most cost-effective
• The only option for timber or laminate taps

Buying Criteria when choosing for Sinks

Depth

• Depth should be considered based on the size of the cookware you use for cooking

The position of the waste

• Traditionally, the waste is always in the center of the sink but now they moved it to the back of the sink which gives more space underneath in the cabinetry.

Black Sinks

• Quality black sinks are made with 80% crushed stone or granite and 20% resin that binds the materials together (similar to a stone benchtop).
• Non-porous, so great for sanitation
• Scratch-resistant
• Colour goes all the way through
• A good quality black sink needs to made of a stone composite, and not coated with black colour.

Black Sink and Black Tap

• Easily able to have a black sink and chrome or coloured tap.
• In most instances, the black sink and black tap are likely to be too heavy.
• Taps can still be the showpiece, and need to match the sink.

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We offer kitchen design packages that include joinery design and material selections for a complete kitchen design. Click the link here to find more.

Related Resources:

Episode 47: Kitchen Design Essentials – Key Kitchen Measurements 

Episode 45: Kitchen Design Essentials - Internal Elevations & Joinery Design

Read our latest blog on Internal Elevations and Joinery Design here.

Episode 43: Kitchen Design Essentials – Flatpack Vs Custom Designed Kitchens 

Episode 41: Kitchen Design Essentials – Cabinetry Materials

Episode 39: Kitchen Design Essentials – Splashbacks

Episode 38: Kitchen Design Essentials-Benchtop Criteria and Materials – Part 2

Episode 36: Kitchen Design Essentials – Benchtops part 1 

Episode 14: Forever Home LIVE- Joinery Drawings and Why Do Them Early On

Episode 30: Kitchen Design Essentials -Kitchen Design Layouts and Location

Episode 32: Kitchen Design Essentials – The Builder’s Insight 

How to Choose the Right Bench Top

Top 5 tips for selecting benchtops