I was thinking about that the other day and then it hit me that all of my bathroom faucets have 2 handles. It has never bothered me. Even my laundry room faucet has 2 handles. Possibly you have a faucet that has 2 handles and you have never given it any thought. I certainly didn't.
I am going with a 2 handle faucet for my kitchen, too.

I have two handled faucets in my kitchen, master bath and half bath. I did a single handle in the guest/kids bathroom. I don't prefer one over the other, I picked based on which faucet looked best in the space. My kitchen is traditional, I wanted a bridge faucet.

Michellemarie - you are probably right about just being used to something. We had one in our last house in our bathroom and it didn't bug me, but then I don't spend as much time in the bathroom as I do in the kitchen cleaning many a high chair tray.

Although - it isn't as if my single lever is so simple either. I'm always nudging - nudging left, a little right, right, left, left and then I find the temperature.

Sue36 - good point about a single one in the kids bath. I really like the look of 2 handles in the kitchen as well. Just trying to make sure I don't regret it functionally.

The difference between the kitchen and bathroom is that I am usually holding something in one of my hands when I turn on the kitchen faucet---that gives me a choice with the free hand, either straight out cold or hot with nothing in between. I've had single handle faucets for 20 years after growing up with 2 handles. Whenever I visit my mother I despise the 2 handles because I scald myself every time I try to rinse an item---so I end up rinsing with cold which really doesn't give the same result. 2 faucet handles are very pretty but even though I live in an old farmhouse and that type of faucet would be very quaint, I would never ever get one. So if you're the type that turns water off and on a lot when doing dishes or when preparing veggies, chicken or whatever, I'd really rethink the difference in functionality. Also, when hands are really gunky in the kitchen it's nice to be able to get warm water with the flick of one handle since I can usually find one finger that isn't as bad as the others.

Back when I lived with 2 handles I never gave it a thought because I had no idea what I was missing.

We have 2-handled faucets throughout the whole house. We actually did it ourselves as both DH and I prefer 2 handles, so we replace all those singele levers as soon as we move in.

It is not more conveinent, but it is not impossible to live with either. We have well water and [right or wrongly!] feel the cold water comes out REALLY cold, not warm/inbetween, when only a cold handle is turned on. Maybe new single levers are better and we are influenced by experiences with 'early models' where all one seemed to get was 'warm' in some variety.

I also happen to like the look because we have an antique-y decor. But will admit I wavered on this remodel thinking about hitting that one big lever with my elbow when my hands were full or sticky! So I did ASK DH, the answer was "2 handles".

There is no comparison in the quality of temp control between our old single faucet (that was probably picked up without any comparison shopping at the downtown hardware store where few models were on display) and our knew single handle (pull down.) The temp control is easy and crisp and accurate.

I prefer a single handle in the kitchen. I've had both and while I don't hate the 2-handle type, I prefer the single...at least in the kitchen.

Not only can you operate it w/one hand or one wrist or one elbow, but when you turn it off, it stays at the same temperature setting you had it at so the next time you can just turn it on and know it's going to be where you want it. However, that said, we usually leave it in the middle as that's where it looks best. It also takes 2-3 minutes for hot water (yes, that long *sigh*) so it doesn't matter to us temperature-wise.

Now in our PR, I put in a 2-handle faucet b/c I really liked the look of it in that room. It also gives it a classic look that a single handle in a bathroom just doesn't have. (It may also be b/c of the available models for bathroom faucets...not nearly as many or as nice in the single handle category as kitchen faucets.)

I'm a fan of the single-handle faucet, provided it's fairly intuitive as to what is hot and what is cold. But, if you have a bridge faucet, couldn't you get a tapmaster and have the mix of water you prefer when you operate the foot pedal?

I think we save a lot of water with the single handle. I am always turning it off and then on while washing dishes, etc. there is really no reason to keep the water running the whole time. If we had two handles though I probably would just leave it on.

I am also often using only one hand to turn it on, or even an elbow (when my hands have raw meat on them, for instance).

Ours is excellent--it's 10 years old and has perfect temp control--I don't even know what brand it is, but it says KWC on the top adn I think is from Germany.

I agree the bridge faucets are beautiful but I bet people will begin going back to single handles for functionality. JMHO.

We've always used two handled faucets in the baths, making it less likely that a child will turn on the hot water when not needed, reducing the risk of burns and wasted hot water. But in the kitchen, I'd sorely miss my single handle faucet for all the reasons already mentioned. I have two handles in the utility room and it is a PITA.

I went through this (with a thread to prove it!) because I think two-handle faucets are really beautiful. But I ended up with a single-handle faucet because of all the reasons mentioned. In the end, I use my kitchen a lot, to clean up after a preschooler and to cook, and adding up lots of little conveniences over a day or week or month leads to the choice for something convenient over beauty. I have a single-handle faucet in the bathroom and I can practically look at it and operate it-- it's just really easy to use, to turn on or off.

Also, I found a really pretty KWC single handle faucet!

Oh-- I also hated the idea of having a sprayer and a faucet, just in terms of the whole streamlined look of things in my tiny kitchen (and the style of my kitchen is modern). For a traditional large kitchen this might not be such a big deal.

I love the look of a bridge faucet and I often choose form over function, but the faucet is one place where the ease of turning it on was my prime concern.

I think it gets to how you cook. I can't tell you how many times I've been making meatballs and the phone rings or the kids need me and I am turning my faucet on without getting the lever all icky with raw meat. Or preparing chicken... there are lots of instances where it is really useful to be able to use your wrist to turn on the water.

For me, the decision was still about looks, but also about which lever on a single handle faucet would be easiest to turn on when I have all sort of gunk on my hands.

Best of luck.

That last brought up a thought. I prepare meals mostly from scratch and my hands are very often covered with gook. My daughter-in-law prepares mostly by opening packaging, a much tidier process. I went straight for a one-hand/elbow faucet, but I'd probably be perfect happy with both if cooking weren't such a messy business for me.

When this question was asked before, I was the lone person on the thread who said they liked a two-handle faucet! Glad to see this time I'm not alone ... :-)

We have both: a two handled faucet at the main sink and a single lever Vinnata at the prep sink. I find both equally easy to use, and have no clear preference. To the point made by mamadada, I deliberately chose handles on the two handled faucet that are easy to open with even one finger (kinda of like what you see in hospitals), so food *gunk* has never been an issue.

Eliz

My old kitchen & bathroom had two handle faucets. Now I have single handles in both - LOVE it. For all the reasons mentioned above - I only need one hand to turn it on. I can turn it on with my wrist. I can set my desired water temperature by sight. I don't get soap or food gunk on the faucet handle.

Now, it's true that my style is contemporary, and it might not look quite as good if it were traditional. Nevertheless, this is definately a function-over-form thing. I would never go back to two handle faucets.

Thanks for all of the thoughts on this. Yesterday, I had to take my daughter to the Emergency Room - and it sure does put everything in perspective. Here I am worrying about faucets...but she is fine. So I suppose I can start my deliberating again.

Anyhow, it sounds like still a general consensus is that 2 handles can be slightly awkward when trying to quickly turn off and on the water. And I do cook, and often am chasing the dog and the baby....or they are chasing me to be more specific. :)

So if I do go with 1 lever - next question: how awkward is it when the handle is attached to the faucet? I know it looks better, but is that really easy to use?

Here are my considerations for faucets - a couple Grohe and then a Moen (obviously the most affordable). Do you think these would be awkward to get on and off? In other words, could I even use the elbow with messy hands technique?? It seems like I might need a smaller elbow or at least one that angles quite well in small spaces.

What is that saying. - Once you go single (handle) you never go back!

>could I even use the elbow with messy hands technique?? It seems like I might need a smaller elbow or at least one that angles quite well in small spaces.

You might want to investigate the Delta Pilar, which turns on and off at a touch. A little pricey, but you can find it for about the same as a normal faucet if you shop around and can live with chrome.