Pot fillers are one of those kitchen upgrades you either love or think are completely unnecessary.
When I’d Add a Pot Filler
If you cook with large pots, especially in a bigger kitchen, I can see the value.
Instead of carrying an empty stockpot over to the sink, filling it, and then carrying all that water back across the kitchen, you can fill it right on the stove.
It’s one of those little conveniences you may appreciate every time you make pasta, soup, stock, or anything else that starts with a big pot of water.
The farther your stove is from your kitchen sink, the more useful I think it becomes.
But… You Still Have to Empty the Pot
This is the part I think gets overlooked.
A pot filler solves the problem of getting water into the pot.
It does absolutely nothing when it’s time to get that water back out.
You’re still carrying that heavy pot from the stove to the sink when you need to drain or dump it.
So I wouldn’t add one thinking you’ll never have to carry a full pot across the kitchen again.
Think About the Backsplash
Another reason you may want to skip a traditional wall-mounted pot filler is your backsplash.
You could spend a lot of money on beautiful stone or tile, only to put a faucet and plumbing connection right through the middle of it.
That may not bother you at all.
But if you want a really clean, uninterrupted backsplash, I’d think about this before automatically adding a traditional pot filler behind the stove.
I’m Starting to Like Deck-Mounted Pot Fillers
One option I’m liking more is a deck-mounted pot filler.
Instead of coming through the wall above the range, it mounts to a horizontal surface near the cooktop.
You still get the convenience of filling pots near the stove without permanently breaking up the backsplash.
Depending on your kitchen layout, I think this can be a great compromise.
Just make sure you figure out the exact location early so your plumber, countertop installer, and cabinet company can all plan around it.
So… Keep It or Kill It?
For me, it’s pretty simple.
If you regularly cook with big pots and especially if you have a large kitchen, keep it.
If you rarely cook and you’re mostly adding one because it looks cool behind the range, get rid of it.
I’d rather put that money toward a kitchen upgrade you’ll actually use.
And if you’re trying to sort through hundreds of decisions just like this while building, that’s exactly why I created the Ultimate Home Building Checklist. It’ll help you figure out what’s worth adding while you still have the chance to plan for it.
