Tosca 5-Minute Faucet Review

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The Tosca 5-Minute Faucet truly can be installed in about 300 seconds, but Tosca isn't making promises about removing the old kitchen faucet. Only after struggling to take out the old unit will you appreciate the value of a 5-minute kitchen faucet installation job with no extra tools

Detaching a kitchen faucet can be messy and difficult. After shutting off the water and unscrewing your water lines, move the supplies and other debris from under the sink. Then slide on your back under the kitchen sink and enjoy the lip of the cabinet digging into your back. The only way to remove most faucets is to loosen a pair of small nuts in a tight spot between water lines and sink basins. It may also require a specialized $15 basin wrench, which is otherwise of limited use.

Even the right tools may fail. I tried to remove my kitchen faucet and gave up after about an hour of fighting corroded threads with vise grips, hammers and WD40. I then took the Tosca unit to the in-laws' house and earned some brownie points by replacing their faucet. After climbing back above the sink and pulling out the faucet and water lines, you'll see why top-mounted installation is advantageous. Install the Tosca 5-Minute Faucet with just the two supplied Allen wrenches and an adjustable pipe wrench, all while standing on your feet. It truly installs in less than five minutes if you organize your parts, follow directions and work quickly.

First, twist the base onto the countertop. You need to simultaneously hold the base straight, keep the anchor in place and turn the larger Allen wrench. The next step is pushing the water lines through the base without twisting them. The faucet body attaches to the base with a small hex screw that tightens with the smaller Allen wrench.

You only need to reach under the sink in the final minute to attach the water lines and turn on the shutoff valves. Before starting, make sure the water lines are long enough to reach the shutoff valves. The lines are designed to be just long enough for average length pipes, but were a few inches short of the shutoff valves for my project. Finally, attach the counterweight to the spray head line.

The Tosca 5-Minute Faucet is sturdy and easy to operate. The sprayer head fits well and pulls in and out smoothly. The sprayer button on top of the head is convenient and easy, but sometimes has trouble staying locked in the spray position. It pays to keep your instructions to remember how to repair or remove the faucet using the small hex screw.

You can install the new Italian Tosca kitchen faucet in five minutes with fewer tools and less hassle than standard kitchen faucets. It also gets top marks for quality and ease of use.

Do you have chosen the right kitchen faucet?

Choosing a kitchen faucet is mostly about looks and performance, but there are a few other considerations to take into account before you buy. Faucets range from $50 to over $1,000, depending on the style, finish, faucet type and features. The best advice for faucet shopping is to choose the most durable faucet type in a style you like with a finish that works in your kitchen or in your kitchen plans. If you are building new or doing a complete remodel, your choices are limited only to budget. If you're replacing your current faucet you'll be limited to the hole-configuration of your sink and may have to add adapters to the water lines. Faucets in all but the lowest of price points are available in different styles. No matter what style you choose, take the following elements into consideration while shopping.

Mechanics
While to the average buyer mechanics might not be the most interesting part of faucet shopping, it is quite important. The mechanics will affect the durability and the maintenance of the faucet. Kitchen faucets generally come in three types: ball, cartridge and ceramic disc. All three of these types of faucets are washerless, meaning there is no rubber seal that will wear out and cause a leak.

A ball faucet is common in the kitchen. It has a single handle and the component that controls the water flow and temperature is a metal or plastic ball with slots that align with the hot and cold water. It has the most parts of all the washerless faucets and is most susceptible to leaks.

Cartridge and ceramic disc faucets rarely leak or need maintenance. Both faucet types come in single or double handles. All the parts that are subject to wear in the cartridge faucet are contained in a replaceable cartridge, though they rarely need attention. Ceramic disc faucets are the latest technology and most dependable. They often have a lifetime warranty. Two ceramic discs control both the temperature of the water and the flow.

Mount
As mentioned above, you will have to be sure that a new faucet matches up with the hole configuration in the sink or the counter. Base plates can be installed to cover holes in sinks and counters that are no longer needed, though you may not like the look. It isn't recommended to drill new holes into existing sinks and counters. If you are remodeling or building new, you might decide to get a wall-mounted faucet for a fresh look.

Handles
Kitchen faucets are available with one or two handles to control water flow and temperature. The single handle is often part of a unit, but some are mounted separately to the side of the faucet for a custom look. Because a lot of multitasking goes on in the kitchen, single handles are popular. Double handles are available and offer more precise water and temperature control, but they aren't as convenient if your hands are dirty or full.

Spout
When you are choosing a faucet, be sure that the spout reach will cover most of the sink. Many spouts also double as pull-out sprayers, making rinsing food, filling pots and cleaning the sink easy. The neck height of the spout also is important. Gooseneck spouts offer a tall clearance in the sink which is great for washing large pots and pans, but some may not cover the entire area of a sink - particularly if the sink has multiple bowls. Also, if you have a shallow sink, keep in mind that a high neck will create a larger splash.

Finish
Chrome is the standard in faucets. It's the least expensive and most durable. It has, however, fallen out of fashion in the past few years as consumers opt for the softer look of brushed chrome, oiled bronze, copper and satin nickel finishes. An added physical vapor deposition (PVD) finish will make these finishes scratch resistant. Higher-end faucets are available in many enamel colors, but the enamel can chip.


The kitchen faucet adds style and functionality to the room. Choose something you love that is durable so that it lasts a lifetime - or at least until you want to update your kitchen!

Pretty Kitchen Picture for Sharing

Instant Messaging
If your household schedules need as much organizing as your dry goods, consider turning the pantry into a full-scale message center with pads of paper for lists, a bulletin board, and a daily calendar.

A chalkboard makes it easy to keep notes visible. Simpson Door has a Chalkboard Panel Interior Door (simspondoor.com), or spray paint it with products from manufacturers like Krylon (krylon.com).

Really Cool Innovative Kitchen Ideas

Italian kitchens are on the forefront of custom kitchen designs, with their sleek shapes, plentiful spaces and modern kitchens look and feel. Italian kitchens are meant for more than just a place to prepare a meal but a place to feel bliss at the end of the day.

When it comes to deciding which style of contemporary kitchens you want to go with, knowing what is out there might help. You can find sleek metals to rustic woods and soft pastels when choosing the final look to your kitchen's exterior. There are tons of kitchens remodel manufactures' available for you, such as 'ALNO' a German Manufacture, 'Pedini Italian Kitchens', 'GeD Cucine-SoHo' and of course best selling manufacturers like 'Scavolini', SCIC Amnienti Cucina and Poliform. There are more available but this is only to refer to a few of the choices you have no matter your location for your Italian kitchen.

Kitchen design sketches can now come in different shapes, if you have a limited width space you might want to use the linear arrangement, which focuses the working area of the kitchen along one wall. You can also go with the 'Railroad or Galley' design where you have two parallel working areas one on each wall, this style can help you fill that wide kitchen even if you don't have a lot of length.

If you like to have an area for snacking or a quick cup of coffee while keeping with the linear style then a 'Peninsula' with an attached island is the choice for you. It can add additional space for food prep while keeping those moving about out from under each other's feet.

Maybe you want an island in the center of the room but also want your cabinets along the walls? Well the 'Corner' arrangement is one definite way to go. The main work of the 'Corner' arrangement is located along the walls of a corner while the center of the room has an island for additional space or even another range.

Another stylish design to Italian kitchens with modern kitchen flair is the 'Horseshoe' which is perfect for those that do not have to worry about the specific width or length of the room. You can be surrounded by the sights and smells of your scrumptious meal with the table in the center of it.

Getting Right Doors for Kitchen Cabinet

The door might be considered to be the most important part of the cabinet, seeing as how without it all of the items stored inside the cabinetry will be left out in the open without any protection. Doors for cabinets are available for a separate purchase, and come in a variety of different styles, colors, designs and materials. Various cabinetry manufacturers tend to release all types of cabinets, and so it is imperative for you to make sure that you've decided to purchase is of high quality and made to last.

When it comes to types of woods, most manufacturers make use of different types of wood, such as maple, oak, and mahogany. Except for natural woods, medium-density fiberboard is also a very popular cabinet construction material, and it is considered to be the perfect replacement for a natural solid wood, seeing as how it shares it's characteristics of being durable, resilient, smooth, elegant, long-lasting, and deprived of grain patterns. Cabinetry made from artificial woods usually have no joints, and respond very well to paint, seldom cracking from it.

If you want to get that natural wood look on your cabinet doors but simply can't afford it, you can always get doors made out of rigid thermo-foil. It looks nearly identical to natural wood, and someone who doesn't know his way around this domain wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Other common materials used in cabinetry construction also include stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, laminate, veneer, chrome, glass, crystal, copper, brass, and many, many more materials.

Once you've chosen your door, then you can begin accessorizing it by painting it, perhaps even with some interesting art, and installing new matching knobs or pulls, which are basically this bar shaped in the form of the letter "c", attached to the door by it's extremities.