Kitchen faucets that combine flexibility with finesse

Pullout faucets, which are ideal for rinsing dishes and spraying down the sink, have become fairly commonplace. Now we're starting to see more articulating models that offer even greater flexibility, including the Brizo Articulating Kitchen Faucet, which took home gold at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, part of Design and Construction Week in Las Vegas.

Brizo's update on the pullout faucet features a spray wand that can be docked and undocked for maximum flexibility. It's available in Brizo's Solna and Artesso collections in a variety of finishes. Both are single handle faucets, which are generally easier to install than two-handled faucets, since you're dealing with just one sink hole. But remember that it's always easier to replace a faucet and a sink at the same time. Fittings that can be tightened with a screwdriver also streamline installation, while long water-supply hoses let you make connections lower in the sink cabinet where tools are easier to manipulate.

Here's a full list of the award winners from the Best of KBIS.

• Best of Show: LG Hausys TechTop Wireless Charging Surface
  
• Best of Bath Gold: Walker Zanger Sterling Row flooring
  
• Best of Bath Silver: ROHL Michael Berman Graceline C-Spout Widespread Lavatory Faucet
  
• Best of Kitchen Gold: Brizo Articulating Faucet
  
• Best of Kitchen Silver: Brondell Integrated Faucets
  

How Consumer Reports tests faucets

Tough finishes and top-notch valves are now common on all but the cheapest faucets. Most also have lifetime warranties that cover defects and even finishes. In Consumer Reports faucet tests, we found few performance differences between brands and that's why our advice is based on finish and not individual faucet models. We tested single-handle pullout faucets, the fastest growing style. They combine spray head and spout for added convenience and flexibility, but our findings are applicable to other faucet styles too.

The exterior of some faucets are bombarded with charged metal atoms that chemically bond to the surface of the base metal in a process called physical vapor deposition or PVD. PVD finishes resisted our best attempts at scratching them, but corrosives such as drain cleaner can stain them slightly. Here are some findings from our tests.

• Chrome remains a popular finish and is pretty durable, but a heavy-duty scouring pad can scratch it.
• Brushed stainless didn't show scratches or stains as easily as chrome.
• Bronze offers a rustic look and we tested two bronze faucets. The one without a PVD finish was the least resistant in our abrasion tests. The faucet with a PVD finish was fine.

—Daniel DiClerico  (@dandiclerico on Twitter)