I've spent a few days looking into sinks and faucets, including a field trip to a kitchen and bath specialist and a big box store.
The frustrating thing for me is that once you learn what to look for, it is not always easy to find the information. For example, with faucets, there are four different mechanisms (compression [washers], balls, ceramic discs, cartridges). But in the store, or even on the website, it is not always easy to find out what mechanism they have. I didn't really talk to any sales people but I expect they don't know either.
I did find a good website:
http://www.home-style-choices.com/ . For example, in the kitchen sink section, he explains not only the gauge of stainless steel (smaller numbers are thicker, and they range from 16 to 20 in most sinks), but the alloys used and how to decipher the codes for them (proportions of chromium and nickel). The alloy fractions are seldom reported, and you may have to go deep into the specifications to find out anything about the type of steel used.
SinksI'm quite partial to stainless steel sinks: they are recyclable, extremely long lasting and tough (if they are thick enough!), and pretty easy to keep clean. So that's what I will likely get.
But I'll mention the other choices:
The integral ones (made of the same material as the countertop, like Corian, and completely seamless) are attractive for their lack of places where crud can accumulate, but they don't tolerate high heat. We frequently transfer a large pot of boiling pasta water to the sink, so that would be out.
Iron, copper and bronze sinks don't appeal. The only other material under consideration is composite. This is a fabricated material that mixes stone (granite or quartz) with resin. This mix tolerates high heat and comes in a range of colours. It is dent resistant, but can get scratched and sometimes you have to try different things to find cleaners that work well (so I gather). A few people have had tragic episodes where the sinks crack (heat vs. cold together) -- something that's not going to happen with stainless!
Undermount sinks, that attach below the countertop, are thought of as cleaner (you can sweep crumbs right into them without catching on the lip), but I imagine the same crud would accumulate in the little gap below the countertop, and would be more difficult to clean out. So I prefer topmount sinks.
For the bathroom, the sink does not have to be so tough and heat resistant, so more options (including porcelain) are possible. I'm not sure if I will go for a topmounting sink on a concrete top, or one of those integral (easy to clean!) composite ones that seems to be mostly resin. "Cultured marble" means that marble dust is mixed in with the glue.
FaucetsThere's a huge range of prices in faucets, and endless permutations and combinations of materials, sizes, mechanisms, and features. Clearly, the mechanism and materials are important, but as I said, that may not be reported in the store. I looked at the boxes, and all they would say is the finish (chrome, nickel, etc) and how many holes they need! You really need to do some research beforehand.
Try to decide what's important for you -- a single handle? the style? the finish? to narrow down the possibilities. Then try to narrow it further by finding out what they are made of and what kind of mechanism they have. If you are looking online only, one thing that is really hard to assess is the size. Some of the kitchen faucets are monstrous! but everything looks about the same size on a quick glance at an internet image.
Another thing to notice is that some are ADA compliant -- meaning that there is a low maximum force that needs to be applied and you don't have to tighten the grip to set them -- something everyone can appreciate. Again, this might not be labeled in the store, so try to find out ahead of time.
Finally, there is a green label for faucets: "
Watersense" indicates that it saves water and energy (if water is hot). They are tested to ensure that the maximum flow rate is 1.5 gallons per minute. THis is more common in bathroom faucets but I have also seen some kitchen faucets with the label.
