Taps - Brushed finish taps are less likely to become scratched

16/01/2008

Kitchen taps with a brushed finish are the most durable and least prone to picking up scratches, it has been revealed.

Reviewers from leading US consumer magazine Consumer Magazine tested 16 taps with a range of finishes including brushed nickel, polished nickel, brushed chrome and polished chrome.

According to Bernie Dietrick, a tester with the magazine, it was the brushed finishes that withstood the most punishment when put to the test with scouring pads.

He said: "In our scratch test we found that the heavy-duty scouring pads didn't scratch most of the brushed finishes."

However, taps with chrome finishes were the most resistant to rust, despite being prone to picking up scratches more than the nickel models, Mr Dietrick and his team contest.

Consumer Reports boasts around four million subscribers and with an annual testing budget of around £11 million is regarded as one of the most trustworthy sources of product information in the US.