The “Magical” Upgrade I Completely Underestimated When I Redid My Kitchen (It Makes Cooking and Cleaning So Much Easier!)

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When my husband and I were setting out on our kitchen renovation, I lit up whenever the conversation centered around true aesthetics: “What shade of greige should we paint the cabinets?” “Should the tile backsplash be neutral or add a pop of color?” “Which fabric cushion for the breakfast nook?” Whenever we needed to make decisions about the less “exciting” stuff — the appliances, the sink, the hood — it was hard for me to care too much.

When it came to the sink, I knew I wanted a big farmhouse one (so I literally looked up the top-rated option within our budget on Wayfair and ordered it in 7 minutes — check!). I had heard some buzz around touchless faucets and was intrigued to go that route. We ordered the Kohler Crue in brushed brass after spending, oh, another 20 minutes reading reviews, and moved on to the next decision. Again, I was way more invested in that greige cabinet shade than wanting to spend too much of my time on something as functional as a faucet.

Kohler

$524.74

Buy Now

Well, life can surprise you, because after being in our newly renovated kitchen for a solid 4 months — and cooking many meals — my favorite feature hands down is not the brass drawer knobs I had the hardest time deciding on, or the pull-out garbage cabinet I insisted we prioritize (although that one is up there!). It’s my faucet, which is perhaps the least-sexy thing to wax poetically about, but here we are. I’m a convert.

Turns out, I’m not the only one! The smart faucet market across the globe is exploding, expected to grow 6% every year, bringing its 2032 value to a whopping $3 billion. The main reasons people are choosing them: “a growing consumer demand for convenience and the rising adoption of smart home technology,” according to Global Market Insights. So, are they worth the hype? Let’s explore.

The touch-free capability was the biggest sell for me. I assumed it would be helpful, especially when dealing with raw meat while cooking, but I use it all the time.

The touchless technology ensures you don’t get gross raw chicken hands on your faucet handle (a safety issue!).

I have a toddler — my hands are often messy in the kitchen — and being able to run over to the faucet and turn on water with a quick wave of my hand feels magical every time.

It helps me save more water while I wash dishes. I try to be good about turning off the water while I scrub a dish or pan, but the touchless faucet makes it too easy not to. I’m not getting sudsy hands on my faucet or even leaving the dishwashing vicinity — I’m just giving a quick wave.

Some smart faucets are so smart, they have voice assistance. That kind of freaks me out to be honest (I always felt like my Alexa held a grudge against me). Our Kohler model is “smart” because it has a motion sensor built into the nozzle that immediately responds to movement. It will turn on and off from any object it senses, whether that’s my hand or a cereal bowl. A small white LED light right next to the faucet signals to me that the touchless technology is indeed activated.

The one flag — which isn’t even really a flag but I think it’s worth flagging — is that the faucet requires a power source. If you have a garbage disposal, you can use that same one, which is convenient. What this means is that if the power goes out, your water supply is cut off until you switch the mode on the faucet, which we haven’t had to do yet, and apparently takes 2 seconds, so not hard, but something to note.My lesson learned? Don’t underestimate the power of the kitchen features you use multiple times a day, every single day. Yes, decor is more fun to brainstorm, but a functional kitchen that makes your life easier is what really matters most.

Buy: Kohler Crue, $524.74

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