Most kitchen mixer mistakes show up in the first week. The stockpot won't fit under the spout. The water lands on the back edge of the sink instead of in the bowl. Or the tap you loved in the showroom touches the window sill when it swings. None of these are about the tap's quality. They're about three measurements nobody checked: spout height, reach and clearance.
This guide walks through how to choose a kitchen mixer the way a designer would, measurement first, then style. It uses the real dimensions of our two kitchen mixers, the fixed Como and the Porto pull-out, so you can compare them with your own sink and benchtop before you order.
Updated 14 October 2026. Every dimension and rating comes from the specification table on our product pages.
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Quick Answer
Choose a kitchen mixer by three numbers: the height under the spout, the reach to the middle of your sink bowl, and the room above it to any window sill or shelf.
- Fixed or pull-out: a fixed spout is simpler and lower. A pull-out brings the water to big pots and a second bowl.
- Clearance: the Como gives 190 mm under the spout, the Porto 237 mm, both measured from the benchtop. Your sink's depth adds to that.
- Reach: 220 mm on the Como and 226 mm on the Porto. Measure from the centre of the tap hole to the middle of your bowl.
- Height: the Como stands 340 mm and the Porto 436 mm. Check that against a window sill or overhead shelf.
- Hole: 35 to 38 mm in the benchtop or sink. Give it to your stonemason before the top is cut.
Como vs Porto at a Glance
Here are both mixers side by side. Heights and clearance are measured from the top of the benchtop. Reach runs from the centre of the tap body to the outlet.
| Como (fixed) | Porto (pull-out) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall height | 340 mm | 436 mm |
| Clearance under the spout | 190 mm | 237 mm |
| Spout reach | 220 mm | 226 mm |
| Spout | Fixed gooseneck, swivels 360° | Pull-out spray head, 2 spray modes, resets to stream |
| Tap hole | Ø35 mm (cut 35–38 mm) | Ø35 mm (cut 35–38 mm) |
| WELS | 5 Star · 6.0 L/min (T28127) | 4 Star · 6.5 L/min (T42469) |
| Working pressure | 0.5–8 bar (50–800 kPa) | Ask us for your situation |
| Finishes | All six | All six |
Source: the specification tables on our Como and Porto product pages, read 14 October 2026. Body: DZR brass. Cartridge: Spanish Citec ceramic.
Fixed vs Pull-Out: Which Kitchen Mixer Suits You?
Pick a pull-out if you cook with big pots or have a double sink. Pick a fixed spout if you want the simplest tap and the lowest profile. That covers most kitchens.
A pull-out's advantage is reach on demand. On the Porto, the spray head draws out of the spout on its hose, so you can fill a stockpot sitting beside the sink, rinse the far corner of the bowl, or hose down the second bowl without moving anything. It has two spray modes and goes back to a plain stream on its own, so nobody gets a face full of spray from the setting the last person left.
A fixed spout's advantage is simplicity. There's no hose under the sink and no spray head to dock, and the Como stands almost 100 mm lower than the Porto, which matters under a window. Its spout swivels a full 360°, so it still covers a double bowl.
Designer Insight: if you're torn, think about the biggest thing you fill each week. If it's a pasta pot or a baby bath, the pull-out earns its place. If it's the kettle, it probably doesn't.
Kitchen Mixer Spout Height and Clearance
The number to check is the clearance under the spout, not the overall height. It's the gap between the benchtop and the bottom of the outlet: 190 mm on the Como and 237 mm on the Porto.
Your real working room is bigger than that, because a pot sits in the sink bowl, not on the benchtop. Add the depth of the bowl to the clearance and you have the tallest thing you can fill without tilting it. Measure your tallest pot, or the bucket you fill for the floors, and compare.
Then look up. The overall height is the figure that matters for anything above the tap: 340 mm for the Como and 436 mm for the Porto, measured from the benchtop to the top of the spout. If your sink sits under a window, measure from the benchtop to the sill. If the window opens inwards or has a winder, check the sash and handle clear the spout when it swings. The same goes for an overhead shelf or a rangehood that comes forward.
Window sill check: measure from the top of the benchtop to the underside of the sill or shelf. The tap's overall height must be less than that, with room to spare for your hand at the top of the spout.
Reach: Getting the Water to the Middle of the Bowl
Aim for the water to land near the middle of the bowl. Measure from the centre of the tap hole to the centre of the bowl, and choose a reach close to that figure.
The Como reaches 220 mm and the Porto 226 mm, so on reach alone they're almost the same. Where they differ is height. A taller spout drops water from higher up, so it splashes more if it lands near the edge or on a flat plate. If your tap hole sits well back from the bowl, which happens with wide stone benchtops and a deep back edge, a short reach will put the water on the back wall of the sink. That's the thing to check.
With a pull-out, reach matters a little less, because you can draw the head forward when you need to. It still matters for everyday filling, though, because most of the time the head stays docked.
Matching the Mixer to Your Sink
Your sink decides more than the tap does. Here's what to check for the common types.
| Sink type | What to check | Usually suits |
|---|---|---|
| Undermount, single bowl | Distance from the tap hole to the bowl centre | Either. Porto if you fill big pots |
| Undermount, double bowl | Can the water reach both bowls? | Como (360° swivel) or Porto (pull-out head) |
| Inset (top-mount) with a tap landing | The sink's own tap hole must be 35–38 mm | Either, if the hole fits |
| Deep butler or farmhouse sink | Reach to the middle of a wide, deep bowl | Measure first; the pull-out helps in a big bowl |
| Under a window | Benchtop to sill, and any opening sash | Como, at 340 mm overall |
| Under a shelf or overhead cabinet | Benchtop to the underside of the shelf | Measure; the Porto needs 436 mm plus hand room |
Hole Size and Benchtop Thickness
Both of our kitchen mixers need a hole of 35 to 38 mm in the benchtop or sink. On a stone top, that hole is drilled by your stonemason, usually when the top is templated or cut. So the tap has to be chosen before the stone is, not after.
Give the stonemason three things: the hole size, where the tap sits relative to the bowl, and which side the lever is on, so there's room for your hand beside a splashback or wall. Both mixers have the lever on the side of the body.
Benchtop thickness is the question we get most often, and it's one where we'd rather check than guess. We don't publish a maximum benchtop thickness for the Como or Porto. If your top is thick stone, or the tap goes through a thickened or mitred edge, send us the thickness before you order and we'll check it for you.
Designer Insight: the most expensive mistake we hear about in kitchens is a hole drilled in the wrong place in a new stone top. Tape the tap's position on the template, and get the stonemason to confirm it before cutting.
Flow (WELS) and Water Pressure
A kitchen tap fills things, so a little more flow is useful. The Como is rated WELS 5 Star at 6.0 L/min and the Porto 4 Star at 6.5 L/min. The WELS scheme's own guidance notes that a 3 or 4 Star tap gives enough flow to fill a pot or sink in the kitchen. Our WELS and WaterMark guide explains what the stars mean.
The Como is rated for a working pressure of 0.5 to 8 bar (50 to 800 kPa). For the Porto, we'd rather talk through your supply than quote a single figure here, so if your water pressure is unusually low or high, ask us before you buy. Both are rated for 5 to 80 °C and connect with ½″ BSP fittings.
Both mixers must be installed by a licensed plumber in compliance with AS/NZS 3500. Ask them to test the tap fully before the splashback is tiled. Our Porto installation guide (PDF) covers the hose connections.
Choosing a Finish for a Kitchen
Both mixers come in all six of our finishes: Antique Brass, Brushed Brass, Brushed Gunmetal, Matte Black, Brushed Nickel and Chrome. In a kitchen the finish gets more handling and more cleaning spray than it would in a bathroom, so care matters more than colour.
Clean it with warm soapy water and a soft cloth, and nothing else. Keep hydrochloric, formic and acetic acid, caustic soda, chlorine bleach and abrasive powders, brushes or scourers off the tap. That includes the bench spray that drifts onto it. Acid or abrasive cleaners damage the finish and void the finish warranty. Our tapware care guide goes through each finish.
Chrome is the safe, easy-to-match choice and the one people search for most. The brushed and darker finishes hide water spots better. If you want to compare them in daylight, our finishes guide shows each one.
Our Picks
- For under a window or a simple everyday tap: the Como in Chrome or Antique Brass. 340 mm high, 190 mm under the spout, 360° swivel.
- For big pots and double sinks: the Porto pull-out in Antique Brass or Matte Black. 237 mm under the spout and a two-mode spray head.
- For a darker, low-glare kitchen: the Porto in Brushed Gunmetal or the Como in Brushed Gunmetal.
- See both in every finish in our kitchen mixers range.
Common Mistakes
- Checking overall height but not the clearance under the spout. The pot goes under the outlet, so that's the number that decides whether it fits.
- Forgetting the window. A tall spout in front of an inward-opening window or a winder handle is a daily annoyance. Measure to the sill first.
- Cutting the stone before choosing the tap. The hole size and position are set when the top is cut. Choose the tap first.
- Ignoring the bowl centre. Water that lands on the back edge of the sink splashes everywhere. Measure from the tap hole to the middle of the bowl.
- Using bench spray or a scourer on the tap. Acids, bleach and abrasives damage the finish and void the finish warranty.
- Tiling the splashback before the tap is tested. Get the plumber to run it fully first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size hole do I need for a kitchen mixer?
For our Como and Porto mixers, the hole in the benchtop or sink should be 35 to 38 mm across. The tap body itself is listed as Ø35 mm. If you have stone, give the size to your stonemason before the top is cut, along with where the tap sits, so the hole is drilled once and in the right place.
How high should a kitchen mixer spout be?
High enough that your tallest pot fits under it, and low enough to clear any window sill or shelf above. Our Como stands 340 mm with 190 mm under the spout. The Porto pull-out stands 436 mm with 237 mm under the spout. Both are measured from the benchtop, and the depth of your sink bowl adds to the working room.
Are pull-out kitchen mixers worth it?
If you fill big pots, rinse a double sink or wash vegetables a lot, yes. The spray head comes to the job instead of the job going to the tap. Our Porto has two spray modes and resets to a plain stream. If you mostly fill glasses and kettles, a fixed spout like the Como is simpler and stands lower.
What is the best WELS rating for a kitchen tap?
There isn't one best rating, because kitchen taps fill things. The WELS scheme's own guidance notes that a 3 or 4 Star tap gives enough flow to fill a pot or sink. Our Como is 5 Star at 6.0 L/min and our Porto is 4 Star at 6.5 L/min, so the Porto fills a little faster.
Will a kitchen mixer fit a thick stone benchtop?
It depends on the thickness and on the tap's fixing kit, and we don't publish a maximum benchtop thickness for the Como or Porto. If your benchtop is thick stone, or has a thickened edge where the tap goes, send us the thickness before you order and we'll check it for you.
Can I install a kitchen mixer myself?
No. Our kitchen mixers must be installed by a licensed plumber in compliance with AS/NZS 3500. That's also a condition our installation guides set out, and the plumber should test the tap fully before the splashback is tiled.
Designer's Cheat Sheet
Designer's Cheat Sheet
- ✔ Fixed or pull-out? → Pull-out for big pots and double sinks, fixed for simplicity
- ✔ Under the spout? → Como 190 mm, Porto 237 mm, from the benchtop
- ✔ Overall height? → Como 340 mm, Porto 436 mm. Check the window sill
- ✔ Reach? → Como 220 mm, Porto 226 mm. Measure tap hole to bowl centre
- ✔ Hole? → 35–38 mm. Thick stone: ask us first
- ✔ Install? → A licensed plumber, tested before the splashback is tiled
Conclusion
Measure the sink, the bowl and the space above it before you look at finishes. Once you know your clearance, your reach and your window sill height, the choice between a fixed Como and a Porto pull-out usually makes itself. If anything doesn't add up, send us a photo of the sink and we'll tell you which one fits.
Where To Next?
- Related guides: How to Clean and Care for Tapware Finishes, WELS and WaterMark Explained, The Tapware Buying Guide and Leaking Tap or Weak Flow?
- Kitchen mixers: the Como and Porto, or the full Kitchen Mixers range
- Doing the bathroom too? Use Which tap fits my basin? to match a basin mixer to your basin, and see Matching Your Mirror Frame to Your Tapware
Need help? Ask us with a photo.
Send a photo of your wall, vanity or plans and we will tell you what fits, or call 1300 221 495.
