- Delivers precise water temperatures
- Accurate measurements
- Voice control works great
- Nice design in many styles
- Battery power or AC
- Can be DIY-installed
- Versatile: Sse handle, motion or voice
- Require substantial initial set up
- Some may be intimidated by installation
The kitchen is the busiest place in any home, so it makes sense you’d want to make sure it’s working as hard for you, as you are in the space. One of the ways you can make your space smarter and more efficient is to consider a smart faucet. Why? In two words: Voice control.
I had the chance to test the U by Moen smart kitchen faucet, and this smart tap, combined with an Amazon or Google smart speaker, lets you do things like asking for precise measurements of water, specific temperatures, or a combination of each.
What is the U by Moen Smart Faucet?
The U by Moen Smart Faucet is a smart, Wi-Fi-connected faucet that offers touchless control. I can say “Hey Alexa, ask Moen to dispense one cup of hot water,” and the tap gives me precision measurements and temperature just by asking.
It’s handy for precise baking, you can easily fill the kettle, a baby bottle, or a dog dish without running the tap for too long. It reduces water waste and the amount of time you have to stand there holding the thing, waiting for the water to warm up and fill.
Installation and power
There is one very important consideration regarding this tap you need to know about: It needs power. You can use batteries (six D-cells) or there is also an optional AC adapter you can buy if you have an outlet near your sink. If you’re using the batteries as your main power source, you can expect the pack to last you up to two years.
While a DIY installation of this tap is definitely possible — and I can and have installed a smart tap like this one before — we had our contractor do this for us as part of a renovation.
Set up with the app
With the faucet installed, the next step is to set up your smarts using the Moen app. Create or log in to an account, then press the tiny pinhole button on the control box under the sink to put it into pairing mode. A small LED light on the tap will blink to acknowledge.
Move over to your phone’s Wi-Fi settings and connect to the Moen Faucet you should see in your list. Seconds later, a green light should confirm you’re linked.
Using U by Moen: Handle or motion sensor use
At its most basic, this faucet can be used with the handle. There’s also a motion detector on the top curve of the handle for hands-free use. The responsiveness of the sensor is really quick, and a small LED light will actually show you the water temperature using color (red, purple, blue), at a glance.
Setting up voice control
Voice control is the main feature in this tap, but it’s worth pointing out you will need a separate digital assistant device to use it. It helps a lot if that device is close to the tap.
U by Moen works with both Google and Alexa. I have tried it with both assistants over the 12 months I’ve had this device installed, and both work great.
What can you do with voice assistant and U by Moen?
Using your voice assistant you can ask for the tap to be turned on or off. The response time is generally quick, though there is a smidge of a lag.
You can ask the faucet to pour a set amount of water, or a particular temperature, like:
- Alexa, Ask Moen to turn water on/off
- OK, Google, ask Moen to dispense 1 gallon of water
- Ask Moen to pour 1 cup of cold water”
I double-checked U by Moen’s measurements against my own measuring cups and spoons and they were gratifyingly accurate! I also verified the temperature measurement. While this feature may be limited to some extent by how hot you allow your water heater to make the water, I found the temperatures were accurate also.
Inside the Moen app you also have the ability to control the highest temperature your faucet will pour as well; ideal to prevent young hands from being scalded.
You can easily create custom preset settings for your tap and ask Google or Alexa for a custom fill.
Creating custom presets
You can easily create custom preset settings for your tap and ask Google or Alexa for a custom fill. I created a preset to fill the dog’s water dish, another to fill up the coffee pot, one for my plant watering jug, and another to fill a specific filter pitcher.
When creating your presets you also have the ability to further customize them. With the dog’s water for example, I want it to be cold, so the faucet will run the water until it’s cool, then stop. I wave my hand over the sensor and it will dispense just the right amount.
What’s it like using U by Moen?
When I first got this tap, we were using it constantly. My husband loved using the tap to dispense the exact amount of water needed for his breakfast oatmeal, without getting out a measuring cup.
I found it super handy when I was filling a pot to make something like a brine, to be able to ask Google to, “pour 3 gallons of warm water.” It was also infinitely handy for baking; I could pour water right into a mixing bowl if I was baking some bread.
You can also say “Ask Moen to wash my hands” and it will turn on the water to wet your hands, pause for 20 seconds while you soap up, then turn on again to rinse.
Finally, you can monitor water usage with the app so you can see how much water you’re using.
After a while, the faucet integrated so seamlessly into our lives that one day when I used a friend’s tap, I actually tried to talk to it.
U by Moen is easily at the top of the pile when it comes to smart taps.
Our Take
A year after it was installed, I still love this tap. The voice control with Alexa and Google works amazingly well. I love the convenience of calling out measurements or adjusting water temperature with my voice. The U by Moen faucet is accurate in my year-long experience as well.
Is there a better alternative?
This is the first and only voice-controlled faucet I’ve reviewed, so from a hands-on perspective, I can’t draw comparisons. Even so, from my research, this tap seems to be the best execution of this kind of technology, made by a trusted brand, which puts the U by Moen easily at the top of the pile when it comes to smart taps.
How long will it last?
I’ve had this tap installed for just over a year and any problems I’ve had with it have been more related to software than hardware (i.e. voice control being temporarily offline). The all-metal construction feels durable and it has withstood nicks, pot bashing, and scratching well. Moen offers a limited lifetime warranty on any defective parts.
Should you buy it?
Yes. I’m really glad we added the U by Moen faucet to our new kitchen. It was definitely a splurge (prices vary substantially based on style and finish but start in the $400 range), and it’s not going to be for everyone, but it’s super convenient (and a fun dinner party trick if I’m being honest) and I would definitely recommend it for your evolving smart home.
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