If you've looked at kitchen faucets lately, you know the selection is almost endless.

Among the selections are:

Metal Finishes -- chrome, stainless steel and nickel finishes will help blend the faucet with popular stainless steel appliances. Also consider aged copper or forged iron.

Unique Styles -- High arcs or thick spouts are just an example

Mix and Match -- Try combining finishes, such as brushed nickel and porcelain.

Sprayers -- If you wash a lot of vegetables, look for a spout that doubles as a pull-out sprayer. Some also filter water with the touch of a button.

Filters --  If you like to filter water, look for a filter that is built into the faucet.

"The sink is the focal point of the kitchen," said Robert Lando, a vice president of Community Home Supply Co., a plumbing supply and kitchen design company in Chicago. "With all the emphasis on granite countertops and nice cabinetry, a nice faucet will set it off."

How to Decide

Think about the style you want -- the charm of an old farmhouse? a more formal traditional style? a sleek contemporary feel? -- then factor in the type of appliances.

The size of the spout will help define the style. For a traditional style kitchen -- with granite countertops and cherry cabinets -- use a low or no arc faucet, or one with porcelain. For a contemporary kitchen -- with white cabinets and flat panel doors -- use large, rounded or arced spouts.

Not just one

When selecting more than one faucet for the room, make sure they coordinate. A faucet in an island sink or a "pot filler" faucet -- with a spout that extend from the wall over a stove -- should coordinate with the main faucet.

Pot fillers are handy, as they can be positioned over a pot to make filling it more convenient. "If you take a 12 to 30 quart stock pot and tried to carry it over to the sink to fill it, it probably would weigh 60 pounds," Lando said.

Pricing

Faucets are priced from under $100 at hardware and home improvement stores to $300 to $800 for those sold through remodeling contractors, plumbing supply stores, and kitchen and bathroom retailers.

In a $300 to $400 faucet, you could have a faucet in white, almond or biscuit, but black, stainless steel or brushed copper typically are priced higher.

One handle or two?

Most consumers select kitchen faucets with one handle, as its very functional and easier to grab.