Faucets: even basic models shouldn't drip, flake, or tarnish, but some are likely to look better longer. .(Buyers Guide)

Insomniacs, rejoice: Most kitchen faucets are now guaranteed for life against leaks, thanks to better valves that eliminate those infamous rubber washers and the midnight drips that occur when they fail. The lifetime warranties also cover a faucet's finish, be it chrome, epoxy, or one of the new physical-vapor-deposition finishes. Known as PVD, this higher-tech plating process can imitate everything from polished brass to copper, nickel, pewter, and even gold. Faucets with PVD finishes stood up well to our gauntlet of typical kitchen abuse, though so did most other types of finishes that cost less.

Some faucets proved easier to scratch than others, however. And if you have kids or handle lots of pots, be wary of some faucets equipped with sprayers that pull out of the spout; a Delta and a Kohler pull-out model in this report were damaged during testing.

PERFORMANCE

We tested a cross-section of single- and dual-handle faucets from American Standard, Moen, and Price Pfister, along with models from Delta and Kohler. Each of those leading brands offers a wide range of faucets: Figure on paying anywhere from about $60 to $400 or more for chrome or epoxy faucets, and $130 to $750 or more for faucets with a PVD finish.

Because there were few significant performance differences among brands and models, this report includes no Ratings. Instead, we focus on broader differences by finish type and faucet design to make choosing the right one easier. Here are the major performance areas to consider:

Stains: For most, it's a wash. A sponge and water were enough to wipe stains off most finishes. Hard-water-deposit remover left stains on our Kohler chrome models, however, while solvents softened the surface of the epoxy models. Drain cleaner also stained most of the PVD finishes, though Delta's survived unscathed.

Impacts: Watch out for the heavy stuff. Dropped knives and forks aren't likely to mar your next kitchen faucet. Our 3-ounce pointed weight didn't crack, chip, or flake any of the finishes, and created only minor dimples. But heavy pots could be a problem for the pull-out-spout Delta Signature K-470, $190 to $318, depending on finish, and the Kohler Avatar K-6352, $400 to $540. The plastic spout-hose connectors on both were broken by our 5-pound weight. And while most models have a hose connector that's screwed or glued into the spray head, Delta Signature and Waterfall models use a tab, which let go when we pulled on the head.