Mixer taps for the kitchen are a great way to upgrade the look and style of the kitchen, without having to spend a fortune in the process.
Not only are they fairly easy to install yourself, but they can be had for a relatively low sum of money. They’re a great way to upgrade old, leaking and worn out kitchen taps. With that in mind, I’ve listed my favourite taps that I’ve been able to try out in various kitchens to ensure that you have the best possible information to make your own choice.
Bristan Cinnamon Easy Fit Tap
The reason for the Bristan Cinnamon being the first choice on this list is due to it being excellent value for money. What I really like about it is that everything you need to install it is already included in the box, including the isolation valves which is a nice bonus since it can be expensive to buy high quality ones separately.
The tap is of a single handle design and with its chrome finish, it really does look amazing.
Since it is a single handle setup, I was initially a bit worried about how well it would handle swithing from hot to cold. It handled this flawlessly and the transition was seamless. Likewise, moving the tap itself from side to side felt extremely smooth. Sometimes with brand new taps, they can be very stiff at the beginning, but this isn’t the case with the Bristan Cinnamon.
It has now been installed for close to a year and it still feels as good as new when I first took it out the box. It’s little wonder that this has so many positive 5 star reviews on Amazon. It really is that good and therefore highly recommended!
- Easy Fit: Updated and improved (2017 onwards) unique patented top fit design, allowing for easier simple installation from the surface of the sink; suits all type of water system and pressures and connection to 15 mm pipework
Last update on 2023-04-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Hansgrohe Cento Large High Spout Tap
Hansgrohe are a well known tap company, having been in business for over 100 years. Much like the Bristan mentioned above, the Cento also has a chrome finish and it looks amazing as well. It is also a single handle design.
I’ll point out that at the time of writing, it is over double the price of the Bristan Cinnamon. However, it does also have a few additional features to justify its price.
The first is the fact that on this unit, there are two different flow modes available. The first is the usual normal flow you would get with a kitchen tap, maxing out at 10 litres per minute. The second mode is a spray function which has a maximum flow rate of 6 litres per minute. This can be of particular benefit to those on water meters where there is a high cost for the amount of water used.
I found switching between the modes to be flawless and there was never any problems when doing so. Tied to this is the fact that the water usage can be regulated even further as there is a stop function on the tap which means you can quite easily leave it in Eco mode if need be. Again, it’s better for the environment, as well as the bills you may get from the water company.
The real icing on the cake though is the fact that the bottom of the tap spout pulls out like a hose. This means that you can have greater control when rinsing your dishes. The pull out hose is of extremely high quality, but it also locks in place as well so that you can’t remove it accidentally.
Whilst I can see it being needed, there is a 5 year warranty included as well. A friend has been using this in their house for 3 years now and the hose on the tap is used every day. It is still as strong as the day it was installed. That peace of mind of the 5 year warranty though is a welcome one, especially considering the cost of it. If money is no object and you want to save water whilst using the tap, this is the option for you.
- Hansgrohe quality, design and innovation since 1901
Last update on 2023-04-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Mixer Tap FAQs
What is a mixer tap?
A mixer tap is where the hot and cold water pipes from your water supply feed into the one main unit. This is so that you don’t need to have two different tap heads. Mixer taps can have two handles (one for hot water and one for cold water), or they can have one single handle to control the water temperature.
Do I need a plumber to fit a mixer tap?
Generally speaking, no, you should be able to do this yourself. It will take time doing it on your own, but it could also take a plumber just over an hour to install a mixer tap. The cost of a plumber for an hour is now as much as £100, and can be more if you live in a highly populated city such as London.
You may not have the tools to carry this out, and this can be a small outlay. However, there is always the option of borrowing these from a friend or family member instead. Even after buying the tools, it would still be cheaper than bringing in a plumber to install the tap for you. As long as you take your time and you make sure you’ve connected everything properly, there really isn’t anything to worry about.
How much should I spend on a mixer tap?
This really does depend on your budget. I’ve seen mixer taps being sold for as low as £25. However, these are normally of poor quality and the ceramic plates and components inside them wear down a lot quicker than the more expensive variety.
This can actually cost you more in the long term if it causes a major leak, since you would need to claim on your insurance (and therefore your premium would go up). It would also mean that you would need to swap out the tap a lot sooner. By that point, you could have invested in a slightly more expnsive mixer tap and saved yourself time, money and heartache.