Kitchen Taps

After a standard deck-mounted mixer for a single-hole sink? Head straight to our kitchen mixer taps collection. This page is for everything else.

Kitchen tapware covers a lot more than the one tap sitting on the sink. You'll find pull-out and pull-down mixers here, gooseneck spouts with the clearance for a stockpot, wall-mounted taps, filtered water taps, boiling and chilled units like the Zip HydroTap, pot fillers over the cooktop, and exposed sink sets in the classic shepherd's crook shape.

Brands across these styles include Caroma, Phoenix Tapware, Methven, Nero, Parisi and Zip. Different look, different price, same compliance requirements in Australia. We'll get to that.

Types of kitchen taps and when each one earns its place

1. Pull-out and pull-down mixers. The retractable spray handles big pots, the far corner of a double bowl, and rinsing veg without splashing the bench. The most popular style for a reason.
2. Gooseneck taps. A tall arched spout that clears tall jugs and stockpots. Pair with a deeper sink so it doesn't splash.
3. Wall-mounted taps. Clean look, easy to wipe under. The rough-in (the in-wall plumbing point) must be set before tiling. Measure twice. Once it's tiled, you're stuck with it.
4. Filtered water taps. A separate cartridge under the sink feeds a dedicated spout, or a 3-in-1 unit runs hot, cold and filtered through one body.
5. Boiling and chilled taps. Zip HydroTap and similar. Filtered boiling and chilled water on demand, with the command unit sitting in the cupboard below.
6. Pot fillers. Mounted on the wall behind the cooktop, folds away when not in use. Saves carrying a full pot across the kitchen.
7. Exposed sink sets. Two-handle, exposed pipework, often a shepherd's crook spout. Classic country kitchen look.

Filtered kitchen taps, what's actually involved

Three options. A dedicated filter tap with its own spout (purest setup, second tap on the bench). A 3-in-1 that runs hot, cold and filtered through one mixer (tidier, slightly more cost). Or a boiling/filtered combo like the Zip HydroTap.

All of them need undersink space for a filter housing and a cold-water tee off the existing line. Check the cupboard has clearance to swap the cartridge, not just fit it. Cartridges typically need replacing every 6 to 12 months depending on model and water quality. They generally reduce chlorine, sediment and taste. Ongoing cost worth factoring in.

Kitchen tap comparison at a glance

Finishes, what looks good and what stays looking good

Chrome is the workhorse. Forgiving, easy to wipe, matches almost anything. Brushed nickel and brushed brass hide fingerprints and water spots well, which is why they keep showing up in busy family kitchens.

Matte black looks sharp but shows hard-water marks and toothpaste-style smears more than people expect. A quick wipe after use keeps it right. Gunmetal and gold are statement finishes, usually PVD coated (a hard-wearing colour layer bonded to the brass). Treat them gently. Soft cloth, no abrasive cleaners, no scourers, ever.

Installation and what the standards actually mean

Two things to know. WELS (the Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme, the star rating on the box) tells you how much water the tap uses. Higher stars, lower flow, lower bills. Watermark certification (mandatory plumbing product approval in Australia) means the product is approved for connection to mains water. Both are non-negotiable on a legitimate kitchen tap.

Wall-mounted taps need the rough-in plumbed and set at the right height before the splashback goes on. Filtered taps need undersink space for the filter housing and a cold-water tee. In Australia, a licensed plumber must do the connection.

Keeping a kitchen tap working

Unscrew the aerator (the mesh tip on the spout) every few months, rinse the grit out, screw it back on. Pressure restored. Wipe finishes with a soft damp cloth, never a scourer, especially on matte black and brushed finishes. If your tap drips when you turn it off, it's usually the ceramic disc cartridge, not the whole mixer. Replacement cartridges are cheap and most brands stock spares for years.

Why buy kitchen taps from Blue Leaf

We're not a marketplace. The lineup is chosen, not listed. Phoenix tapware, Caroma, Methven, Nero, Parisi and Zip sit alongside each other because they each earn their place at their price point. Every tap is WELS rated and Watermark certified for Australian connection.

The team knows what rough-in distance a wall-mounted tap needs, which models have ceramic disc cartridges with easy spare parts, and which finish wears best in a busy kitchen. Ask before you order. Ships Australia-wide.

Pair your kitchen tap with the right sink

A tall gooseneck over a shallow sink splashes. Worth matching the two. Browse our stainless steel sinks for the right bowl depth, or the kitchen mixer taps collection if a standard deck mixer is actually what you need. To match finishes across the home, our bathroom tapware range carries the same brushed brass, matte black and brushed nickel families. The Caroma kitchen taps collection is worth a look if you want one brand running through the whole house.

Kitchen taps FAQs