It's not so much who makes them, but how they're made that matters. Don't buy anything other than quarter turn taps. These are a newer design and cut out the old fashioned washer approach. I'd look on Trust Pilot at the company selling them and see what others have said. I have recently had a year long battle with Franke after purchasing a very expensive sink, which is not fit for purpose. A lot of the companies these days hide behind the 'guaranteed against manufacturing defects for 5 years' etc..............however, this means that if you can't prove it was made incorrectly in the first place, then you'll have to bin it and start again. I would encourage you to read very carefully their small print. Had I looked on Trust Pilot and seen how bad the reviews were for Franke, I would have never purchased it. Same for Bensons for Beds ( another tail ). I can however recommend Burlington, their customer service has been excellent!

Jonathan is spot on when it comes to limescale issues, however there are some great manufacturers out there that do a copper product. I came across this company at the Clerkenwell Design Week recently and loved their products - https://www.thewatermarkcollection.eu/ It should be noted that they lacquer their copper products which means that the finished is maintained with no issue relating to corrosion or oxidisation.

I would search your local area for an electroplater company. Beware it might not come out perfect and may also invalidate any warranty from the original manufacturer.

If you are definitely getting a double or 1.5-bowl sink, I agree with qudaus above about having the larger bowl at least 500mm, or even larger if you can fit it. It's so much easier to manipulate large pots and pans, baking trays and roasting tins without splashing water everywhere. On taps, I would always go with a single-lever mixer, which is easy to use even with floury, oily or dirty hands. Make sure that the neck has enough (high) clearance over the sink so that you can place high pans underneath. When I did my kitchen I saw some 'tap to turn on/off' models but I am not sure whether they work reliably and in any case, I have two cats and my poor water bill if they ever discovered that trick! Taps with a motion detector on/off feature might be worth a look, though. I also love the pull-spray; super convenient for all sorts of things, including filling a pot with water while the sink is full! Also, using the spray to rinse the sides of pots before washing saves a lot of water compared to filling them to soak. I don't have a hot-water tap and would never choose to, but those who have one swear by them. I feel like it's a waste of energy to keep water at boiling point 24/7, although the manufacturers tell us it is not... Anyway, I just boil the kettle with the volume of water I need for hot drinks, and for cooking, eg pasta, I use the induction hob, which is quick (admittedly not instant!) and extremely energy efficient. Good luck and have fun!