Take a moment and think about how many times a day you touch the kitchen faucet. Then think about how often your hands are messy or dirty when you do: you've got chicken juice dripping from your fingers, your hands are covered in flour from a vigorous bread kneading, or maybe your kids just came in from playing outside. If you've ever thought how convenient it would be to have a touchless faucet in the kitchen, then you should know... they do exist!
I recently heard about Sensate, Kohler's new touchless kitchen faucet, and while I haven't tried it out in person, I'm intrigued. To be honest, my associations with anything touchless have always involved a little bit of annoyance and lots of hand waving and re-positioning. (Case in point: airport bathroom faucets! I swear they only come on when I walk away.) So if that's the case with this faucet, I'm a little eh on the whole thing.
But apparently the technology on this thing is far superior to your average touchless gizmo. The sensor is built to respond in 20 milliseconds for a "truly touchless and intuitive use" that doesn't require hand waving or tapping. Just pass your hand through the activation area underneath the spout to start the water flowing.
→ See a video of Sensate in action here
As you can see in the video above, the activation area is strategically placed to make it easy to access when you want, but not so easy that you're likely to accidentally set it off. The faucet also features a pull-down spray-head, while the single lever you see is for adjusting the water temperature (which the faucet will remember the next time you turn it on).
All in all, I could see myself being convinced. (The $675 price tag, though, is another matter altogether.) What about you? Have you tried the Sensate, or another touchless faucet in the kitchen? What do you think about it?
Find It! Sensate Electronic Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet, $675 from Kohler
Related: How To Replace a Kitchen Faucet
(Images: Kohler)
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We needed a new kitchen faucet last year and put in a "magic" faucet- it cost more than my new oven, which, admittedly was one of the lower end ovens, and I LOVE it...
although the handyman I hired to install it said he would hate it. Had it for a year, and just now had to replace the AA batteries in the pack the powers it.
If we ever move, it is coming with us!
Great idea but I would have to be convinced it isn't like the faucets in public restrooms that refuse to work regardless of hand movement.
I don't understand touchless faucets at home... aren't you going to wash your hands anyway? Aren't you going to disinfect the faucet when you clean everything up anyway? It seems a waste of money. Usually when I have grimey hands, I can use my wrist to push the faucet lever up or over. At public restrooms, yes, a touchless faucet is great (when they work!)
OOH, same with touchless soap dispenser.... aren't you using your hand to dispense soap that you will then wash your hands with? hmmm gimmicky!
This makes a lot of sense to me. I'd love one in my kitchen (that is when I'm "grown-up" and have my own place and can do my house how I want..oh and unlimited money..!)
Hmm. They are $600. I like the idea, but not that much. We need a new faucet, but I think I will focus the search on one that is easy to lever on with my wrist.
Its cool, but not for that kind of price tag!
I'm with KpieS - when my hands are dirty, I use my wrist or forearm to turn on the faucet. I've never been so dirty that that didn't work.
I have one of these and I couldn't imagine life without it. It is so much more convenient than struggling to turn on a faucet with your elbow or wrist, and really, when you have chicken juices running down your wrists, it's going to get on your faucet anyway. Of all the things we bought for our kitchen and corners we cut to keep the budget down I am so happy that I didn't scrimp here. Also, for those concerned it is nothing like those stupid motion-activated faucets at the mall.
My parents recently installed one of these. It was my father's idea, and my mother curses it daily. She has a very methodical way of cleaning dishes, and she is constantly accidentally turning on the faucet when she doesn't want to. So, not for everyone.
I think that I would like foot controls better, but my kids would bankrupt us with high water bills if they had convenient water controls by the floor. Maybe in my old age!