Are pull out spray taps worth buying?
Despite how much we use them, kitchen taps remained remarkably unchanged for decades until recent years. Nowadays, it is not unusual to see a modern take on the kitchen tap like a Quooker or a pull out spray tap in place of a normal tap. Most people seem to be agreed that Quookers are a great piece of technology, but there still seems to be a lot of debate about pull out spray taps. So, is having a standard pull out and spray tap actually worth it? We wanted to answer that question once and for all, let's get into it:
What does a pull out spray tap actually do?
If you aren't familiar with what a pull out spray tap can do, the name basically explains everything - the spray end of the tap can be pulled out and moved around like a hose, meaning that instead of moving your plates closer to the tap to rinse them, you can move the spray end of the tap closer to the plates.
A pull out spray tap can be really useful for cleaning your plates and other kitchen items, but the real benefit of these taps is that you can use them to clean every corner of your sink once you've finished the washing up. With a standard tap, you have to splash the water around. But with a pull out spray tap you can use the hose to reach every area of the sink.
Other things to consider
Aside from the benefit of the actual function of the tap, another beneficial element of pull out spray taps that is often overlooked is that they can look quite cool, and for many people, this absolutely makes them a worthwhile addition to their kitchen.
There are lots of different designs of pull out spray taps, but they all perform the same essential function. We quite like the look of the taps with the coils like this black one we've included a photo of here, but some people prefer the design of the pull out spray taps which look like normal taps. Either way, there are plenty of designs you can choose from, and we certainly think they're more interesting than a normal kitchen tap.
Price
The last factor to consider before deciding if a pull out spray tap is worth buying is the price - there is no getting around the fact that a pull out spray tap can be quite expensive. In fact, we struggled to find one for less than £100. Plus, you'll have to add on top of that the price to have it properly installed if you don't feel confident doing it yourself.
The best price we could find for a decent pull out spray tap was £135 from Homebase for their Rona Pull and Spray Kitchen Tap (pictured). As you can see, it has the coil design and definitely looks the part. if you factor in the price of installation, you'd be looking at about £200 all-in for this pull out spray tap, so if that price sounds reasonably to you and you can see the benefits of a tap like this, then it is probably worth buying.
On the higher end of the scale, you could opt for something like the Auxerre Pro BN by Roux Kitchens, the brand set up by Michel Roux Jnr. This sort of pull out spray tap will set you back more than £400 though, which would definitely be on the higher end and wouldn't be worth it for people who are just looking for a simple pull out spray tap.
So as you can see, whether or not a pull out spray is worth buying will come down to your personal requirements and how much you're willing to spend. But if you're looking to clean your plates and your sink more effectively, then we'd definitely recommend a pull out spray tap!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.