I recently read in Fine Home Building magazine, that to be
sure to get faucet with a ceramic disc and all brass construction that you will never have a problem with leaking
faucet and will last many, many, years. I don't know the
optimum height between the tap and the sink. I think if this
is a faucet that you will be using everyday and alot, I would
definitely spend the extra money. Hope this helps.
Carolyn

anyone?

I, too, have seen ceramic disc cartridges and all brass construction described as the best. I think these construction materials just hold up better to minerals in water.

Concerning height, I have installed both a low profile faucet in my prep sink and a tall faucet in my main sink. I'm not sure there is an "optimum" height, more a matter of personal preference. My low profile faucet has about 12" clearance above my prep sink. My tall faucet has 20" clearance above the 6" deep small sink and almost 24" clearance above the 10" deep large sink.

I have found that the tall faucet splashes quite a bit when hand-washing items under the water stream, while the low profile faucet is much less messy. OTOH, my water pressure is not the best and the tall faucet produces much better water pressure with the longer drop to the sink bottom, which I LOVE! Some people report being bothered by the splashing from the tall faucets, but others, including me, don't really mind. And the tall faucet is easier to use for filling and washing tall and large pots, although with the pullout style, that's not a huge issue.