Fav Onefour
Well-known member
I don't know if there is a one size fits everyone answer.
Shopping for kitchen faucets can be daunting with all the variations of height, center range, sprayer options, and style.
I have a lot of faucets. Seems like the gimmick filled faucets are prone to issues. You pay for the gimmicks and trade basic quality.
My general rule is that the faucet needs to be solid when you grab the handles. Sloppy play is a good indicator of build quality.
I have a few Grohe bath faucets and shower mixing valves. To be fair, I do not have any of their kitchen faucets, so I can't comment on those. The bath units have a nice defined shutoff that works clean. That seems to keep people away from "pushing" the handles. Maybe that helps extend the life? I'm not sure but the internals have held up and the finish quality has been durable.
I have some basic Gerber units in showers that mostly work great. One caveat with those is the seated rubber valve. Some people are prone to "cranking" the valve off. (The same issue would apply to kitchen faucets.) Cranking crushes the rubber washer seat pretty fast. The rest of the Gerber valve assembly and finish is good. The washers and valve seats are easy to swap.
The simple Moen units have been nice for the kitchen. I've stuck to units that use a basic cartridge. On/off, hot/cold, and a solid stem. With quite a few gimmick faucets, the fancy cartridge has been an early failure point. If the dang thing was a goofy ******, I had a hard time getting a replacement off the shelf. I've swapped out faucets just because the replacement cartridge took so long to show up. It may seem like overkill, but I've learned to check what cartridge is used and verify that it is commonly stocked.
Kitchen faucets with pullouts need to retract cleanly into a solid seat. If that process if flimsy, the faucet will not last. Try them out before buying. If you have a clean drop area under the sink, pick units that use simple gravity. Sloppy or sticky faucet swing is also a deal breaker. Those are often tough to check with flimsy store display mounts. You may need to open a box.
If the wife finds a faucet she thinks will look great, check out the build before you buy. I've learned it's easier to have a discussion than dealing with a junk faucet. It's usually possible to find a similar looking faucet that is built better.
I have a few K.I.S.S tips too. Many new faucet assemblies have the model number sticker. Stick that thing high in the back under the sink. Pound in little finish nails and hang the aerator key and plastic faucet wrench right next to the sticker.
Shopping for kitchen faucets can be daunting with all the variations of height, center range, sprayer options, and style.
I have a lot of faucets. Seems like the gimmick filled faucets are prone to issues. You pay for the gimmicks and trade basic quality.
My general rule is that the faucet needs to be solid when you grab the handles. Sloppy play is a good indicator of build quality.
I have a few Grohe bath faucets and shower mixing valves. To be fair, I do not have any of their kitchen faucets, so I can't comment on those. The bath units have a nice defined shutoff that works clean. That seems to keep people away from "pushing" the handles. Maybe that helps extend the life? I'm not sure but the internals have held up and the finish quality has been durable.
I have some basic Gerber units in showers that mostly work great. One caveat with those is the seated rubber valve. Some people are prone to "cranking" the valve off. (The same issue would apply to kitchen faucets.) Cranking crushes the rubber washer seat pretty fast. The rest of the Gerber valve assembly and finish is good. The washers and valve seats are easy to swap.
The simple Moen units have been nice for the kitchen. I've stuck to units that use a basic cartridge. On/off, hot/cold, and a solid stem. With quite a few gimmick faucets, the fancy cartridge has been an early failure point. If the dang thing was a goofy ******, I had a hard time getting a replacement off the shelf. I've swapped out faucets just because the replacement cartridge took so long to show up. It may seem like overkill, but I've learned to check what cartridge is used and verify that it is commonly stocked.
Kitchen faucets with pullouts need to retract cleanly into a solid seat. If that process if flimsy, the faucet will not last. Try them out before buying. If you have a clean drop area under the sink, pick units that use simple gravity. Sloppy or sticky faucet swing is also a deal breaker. Those are often tough to check with flimsy store display mounts. You may need to open a box.
If the wife finds a faucet she thinks will look great, check out the build before you buy. I've learned it's easier to have a discussion than dealing with a junk faucet. It's usually possible to find a similar looking faucet that is built better.
I have a few K.I.S.S tips too. Many new faucet assemblies have the model number sticker. Stick that thing high in the back under the sink. Pound in little finish nails and hang the aerator key and plastic faucet wrench right next to the sticker.
