#10 Easy Pieces: Best Budget Kitchen Faucets: Remodelista

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. Photo by Michael A. Muller for 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; $256 at Consumer's Plumbing.

Above: At the high end of our selections, the Kohler Purist Single-Hole Kitchen Faucet (K-7507-CP) 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; $299.95 in a polished chrome finish via Amazon.

Above: Another affordable, single-lever faucet is the Ringskar Kitchen Faucet shown in chrome-plated brass. Also available in stainless steel and white finishes, it comes with a 10-year warranty; $129 at Ikea. And the Ringskar Kitchen Faucet with Pull-Down Spout in a stainless finish is $159.

Above: The Elements of Design Concord Two-Handle Faucet is made of solid brass with a ceramic cartridge. It has a 360-degree swivel spout and fits 8-to-16-inch-wide mounting holes; $215 at Wayfair.

Above: The Tarnan Single-Lever Kitchen Faucet has a pullout spout. It's made of chrome-plated brass with ceramic disks and comes with a 10-year warranty; $79.99 at Ikea.

Above: An affordable and practical commercial-style faucet, the Danze Parma Single-Handle Pre-Rinse Faucet has a 22.75-inch-tall, 10-inch-long spout with a spring-action wand that returns it to its place. Made of brass with a stainless steel finish, it operates on spray and regular stream mode; $271 via Amazon. Actress turned designer Amanda Pays and the owners of the Ultimate Ikea Kitchen both selected this faucet: See pages 202 and 230 of the Remodelista book .

Above: The American Standard Two-Handled Wall-Mount Faucet has all-brass construction, porcelain handles, and a gooseneck swivel spout; $209 at eFaucets.

Above: The budget wall-mounted choice: Elements of Design Two-Handled Wall Mount Faucet with brass construction, ceramic cartridges, metal lever handles, and a seven-inch spout reach; $69 at eFaucets.

Above: Of our picks, the lightest on the wallet is Ikea's Edsvik dual-handle faucet. Made of chrome-plated brass, it has ceramic disks and individual temperature control handles, and it comes with a 10-year warranty; $49.99.

Above: In her newly remodeled kitchen, Izabella went for the Grohe Concetto Faucet. which has a dual-spray, pull-down faucet, solid brass body with ceramic cartridges, a single-lever handle, and a swivel spout; $270 (polished chrome) and $352 (super steel, shown here) from eFaucets.

N.B. This post is an update; the original story ran on October 30, 2013, as part of our Urban Kitchen issue.