Don't have one, love the way they look, would consider buying a cheap one for show but not actually hooking it up.

Do you typically let your water run for a few seconds to get fresh, cold water into your pot? Yeah, so do I, even if it's for pyschological reasons only.

Do you ever start to fill a pot and see a "floaty" or bubbly evidence that it wasn't rinsed completely well at its last cleaning? Maybe you don't but I do, and it would be easier to deal with at the sink.

Can you imagine your wife constantly calling for your help because she filled the pot higher than she can handle? I can. If you can't carry it TO the stove, you can't carry it FROM the stove either.

Are you having a prep sink w/ a pullout faucet? My imagination deleted the pot-filler in favor of a prep sink so this comes from someone who never had one and won't have one in the new kitchen. Now if money were no object...
Ya think is right, they look cool!

we decided against one for two reasons:

1) we didn't feel they're all that practical, mostly for reasons stated above by ya_think.

2) while most people think they look "cool", I think that depends wholly on your tile work and hood, and the aesthetic you're going for. things can look quite cramped back there with a big ol' faucet hanging from your nice tile work.

I wanted one mostly for the "how cool!" factor and ultimately decided against it. Dh is a wood floor maker and had strong feelings against an faucet over his gorgeous floors (and my new range!) He typically has no opinion about any design or decorating decisions I make, so I conceded on that. OTOH, My SIL has one and loves it, and she cooks WAY more than I do.

As mentioned above, there are reasons not to have one too.

I'm thinking about getting Instant Hot Water instead, and hoping it'll come in handy to "top up" cooking pots -- often! Some cooking doesn't require a lot of water, like steaming veggies so it would also work well for that. And, with a bit of patience (measured in seconds) I could use it to fill a bigger pot too.

However a couple months ago I got voted down when I suggested using IHW as a form of alternative to pot fillers. To each his own.

dAvid

We have one and love it. Sink is close enough for yuck in the pot.

One other hidden benefit--no flow restrictor, so pots fill *a lot* faster.

(probably less of a flow restrictor that is)

Here's a picture of mine....so I can't really comment yet, but if you're doing new construction, it's not all that much money...our plumber charged us $100 to plumb it, and the fixture itself was about $350 (Danze #D205557).

{{gwi:1488938}}

We are getting ready to move into our new home and I HAD to have one! My last house had one, and, I got so used to it, that I missed it in the next one. That is one feature I can't wait to get back. While I haven't had one in the last couple of years, I never realized how much I did like it and use it.

I think it is something that if you have never had, you sure wouldn't miss it, but if you had, you would miss it.

One of the biggest reason I decided against it (other than those mentioned by breezy) is that I am on a well. Well water is not chemically treated to prevent bacteria growth (like city water is) and water lines that are not used often should be flushed before using the water for cooking or drinking. so where do you flush water from a pot filler? Fill a pot and carry it to the sink to dump. No thanks...too much work for me.

You should post this in the kitchen forum (or do a search there). You'll find it's discussed often.

I have one and will never be without one again. Some of the silly reason's people don't do them (and why they're silly):

No drain, therefore it will ruin the stove and floors.
Pot fillers are typically double valved (meaning you turn two handles to turn them on verses one). This prevents most chances of flooding. They rarely fail (search the net...you'll not find many examples).

Also, do you have drain on the Dishwasher line or your fridge ice line? No, and yet you probably have both of those installed. They will leak before a pot filler does, and the pot filler will be noticed much earlier. (Search the net...many many examples of these two appliances leaking will be found).

Ruins the Back splash
Not if it's well designed with the backsplash as to placement, or if you're like me, put it on a side wall or do a deck mounted pot filler.

Let's see what else...Oh splashing...Mine has never ever splashed.

You have a faucet already at the prep sink or main sink.
Pot fillers are installed with bigger plumbing so they fill a pot faster than a sinkfaucet can by far. Yes you still have to drain the pot most likely if you're making pasta etc, but you can drain faster than the pot can fill with a pot filler verses a faucet.

They only use cold water:
You're supposed to start with cold water when boiling water silly. But if you're really neurotic, you can get one with cold and hot water (my building inspector has one). I don't know why you'd want one, but it's possible.

The kids might accidently turn them on:
Again, the double valve prevents this, but if you have a child that is a) tall enough to turn on the pot filler
and b) turns on both valves...well bad news, you have a bad child...

Oh and on the height issue...they have standard installed heights. You don't need to adjust them every new pot you buy LOL Do you buy a new sink every time you get a bigger cookie pan???

Anyhoo, they're more than looks. OUrs is used almost daily and we don't make pasta more than once a week at most. We use it for soups, tea, steaming vegis, etc. It's a great addition to a kitchen. If you are going to take advice about a pot filler, be sure to discuss it with someone who has one. People who don't really can't logically discuss the issue because they haven't used one and don't therefore get to see the convenience involved in person.

Have one, use one, love one. It's not a perfect device, but then what is? The other day I made a huge pot of chicken stock. All I had to do was dump in my ingredients, turn on the pot filler and turn on the stove. I could add water if/when needed and didn't have to lug anything back and forth across the kitchen.

One note: I placed mine for looks (centered on the backsplash) completely not realizing that places the first turn-on handle right above one of my burners :(. I should have placed the handle in the middle spot.

Other than that, what i-chic said.

Chalk one more up for the "nay" camp. Some of the arguments against pot fillers are a reach but this one isn't: a pot filler saves a trip from the sink to the cooktop with a cold pot of water but does nothing about the return trip with the hot pot of water, arguably the more difficult task. It seems like if you can handle carrying a hot pot of water, having a separate piece of gear save carrying a cold one is pretty unnecessary. I'd say pot fillers have more to do with following kitchen "trends" than with any actual utility.

igloochick - like markw, I agree that some of the arguments here (including some of my own) are a stretch. On the other hand, so is time savings. It just took me 32 seconds to fill an 8 quart pot to overflowing, which translates to about 16-20 seconds for a typical pot of pasta. You can't shave much time off of that.

More importantly, do you have a water filter on the faucet side of any and all shut-offs, older plumbing, or other potential sources of lead? If not, you should be flushing your pipes before using that water for cooking. Many places, including EPA and other gov't agencies, recommend doing this. I for one use straight tap water in cooking ONLY for pasta, and then only because I'm too impatient to get 4-5 quarts of water from my fridge. Rice, tea, stocks, etc., always get filtered water.

Eh. My pot filler is plumbed from my R/O system (which in turn is hooked up to our whole house water filtration/conditioning system) and runs through good copper pipes. Can't get any more pure than that.

Also, there are very few things I cook that need draining yet many things that need water (stocks, sauces, etc.) - often right in the midst of things so instant access is wonderful. And then there's the fact that by the time I do need to drain, there's less water.

In my case having a prep sink was not an option at all, but I think even if I had one I'd still like the pot filler.

Different strokes, different folks and all that I guess.

Then clearly you've taken care of that concern. But I thought it worth mentioning since not everyone is set up like that.

Our water is some of the best in the country, lead is not a concern at all and we gutted the house and ensured all plumbing was in copper...and we also have a system at the source of all our water as well, so in effect, no unfiltered water comes into the house. We didn't need to do this given the quality of our water, but it was part of the package deal so we went for it.

I don't think anyone implied the reasons for having a pot filler are silly and so I think the reasons many of us decide against them are not silly either. To respond to igloochicks list of silly reasons:

No drain - I do not remember this reason (at least my observation) being only faulty valves but also absent minded users (not "bad kids"). Absent minded does not imply incompetent either. A quick turn of a valve, a minor disaster with a pet or a child (or spouse), or a phone ring, and a disaster looms. This was a MUCH bigger issue to me than the valve failure issue. However, it should be noted that not all pot fillers employ double valves. To that end, we have been in our house 1 year and have had one ice maker line fail and one sink faucet malfunction. I am glad I do not have another source of water problem. And yes, dishwashers do have a drain albeit a pump to the plumbing drains. In the end, it is a preference thing and what you can be comfortable with.

Ruin the backsplash - mine is well designed without the obstruction of a pot filler - to each their own... I did not think it looked attractive for my application; it may be just fine for someone else's. I think I limited this reason as unique to my own situation. I have often thought they are quite attractive in many applications...I just decided my situation looked better without the pot filler.

You're supposed to start with cold water when boiling water silly. - The following is from the "Interesting Thing of the Day" on Google :

OBSERVATION: Cold water boils faster than hot water. If hot water freezes faster, maybe cold water boils faster! Again, this defies common senseand again, say scientists, itÂs simply wrong. Hot water from the tap should in fact boil much faster than cold water. However, using hot water for boiling does not actually save any energy.

In short, I know of no rule stating you should or must start with cold water when boiling... Silly who?

Height issue - when spec'ing mine, I posted and read numerous inquiries here on GW (appliances and kitchens) and elsewhere asking this same question and never heard of any standard. I did hear of many suggested height ranges that, in my case at the highest, would been slightly lower than my highest stock pot. A minor point but a real concern b/c the relationship b/t a $15 cookie sheet and a $450 sink is much different than that b/t a $450 stock pot and a $300 pot filler neither of which are easily discarded or changed. LOL

Pot fillers are plumbed with bigger plumbing so they fill pots faster. - Even if you do spec bigger plumbing, you'd better check the lines personally from the water main to the pot filler to make sure it truly is bigger ALL of the way(been there done that for our master bathroom). And, even if the lines are oversized, from my comparison of the actual pot fillers themselves, they normally have no bigger orifices/supplies than regular kitchen fixtures do so it is not logical that they would deliver a higher volume of water.

In the end, for all of the reasons that make people love them, there are just as many reasons that make people leary of or dislike them, neither are silly but rather a matter of preference...expressed as objectively as asked. BTW, ALL of the reasons I decided to eliminate our pot filler were raised by others here (and the kitchens forum) some of whom had them and did not like them and others who had done extensive research on them. If I remember, the OP asked for input... not simply all of the reasons everyone should have one.

What I do think is absolutely silly is the notion that only people that have them can accurately discuss them. Simply having the convenience does not render all other advice useless.

And, as an aside, as for the lead thing mentioned in a few of the replies, while not a huge issue, but unless you paid the extreme price of silver solder when installing the copper pipes in a house, the solder used join copper is still lead based I believe so there is a source of lead at each fitting. FWIW

We have one and I love it. Do I need it? No, of course not, but I like the look and when we put it in, we measured my tallest stock pot for clearance. I really don't think about it much, but in my kitchen, when I am doing three things at once, one of those will probably be filling a pot while stirring a sauce. And no, I've never had it overflow or drip.
JO

In the event that our young ones get their curious hands on a pot filler, manage to turn it on and make a mess, I don't think that automatically makes them a "bad child" as some might suggest. OP

Once upon a time, we were working hard to move into a new home. Our 6 year old decided to make us all a snack and put a round of her favorite bagel bites into the new MW for us all. Unfortunately, she mistook 3 hours for 3 minutes and, after about 30 minutes or so, the smoke alarms went wild (as did the smoke). Not a malicious or hateful act of a bad child but rather an innocent mistake.

Come on.

Hi mojua, I really like the style of the pot filler that your getting, it's a nice size, some of them are so big a clunky looking. If I were to get the pot filler I would go with the same one.

I ditto lacombe's compliment. That is the exact one we were getting before we elected to not do the pot filler thing. It is a really great looking unit.

BTW ya_think, what's up with your "come on" response earlier?

cool, thanks! We liked it as soon as we saw it. Simple and functional...just another 6 weeks until it gets installed and I can finally start using it.

"In short, I know of no rule stating you should or must start with cold water when boiling... Silly who? "

Then you don't cook much do you? First, it's not a matter of how fast the water comes to a boil (that's rediculous) but how cooking with cold water outweighs cooking with hot water. For pasta, it probably does not matter, but for cooking vegitables, especially root vegis (potatoes) you need to start with cold water to get them cooked evenly. In addition, you never want to start a stock out with hot water, it will muddy up the stock and ruin it.

And if you want to get really nuts, then you look at the lines....if you have lead sodder or lead in your lines at all, hot water leaches more of the lead than cold water will in significant amounts. This is one of the reasons that lnes without drains are cold because they have no where to be flushed (cold water sitting in a line is safe).

I didn't mean every child was bad (just mine) :oP I one read of a silly poster who discussed a twelve year old who washed his hands under one (water running over the stove) and left it running...that's just a stupid kid and you've got more issues than a pot filler to deal with.

And would you every leave your six year old to climb over an oven and turn on two valves to start water flow??? Does your six year old feel comfy doing that???? Probably not. Even as a small child we knew we didn't play with or near the stove without a grownup present.

I will continue...it's silly for someone to give advice about something if they've never used it. I don't write long diatrades on how great porsches drive...because I don't have one. I don't answer questions about Blue Star's work because I don't have one. Valid input comes from people who experience using a product, not those who walk past it in the grocery store.

There is another reason to not use hot water. It comes from water sitting in your hot water tank which at high temps, is able to dissovle other solids into water which you don't want in your body!

For this reason, we use table-top teflon coated hot pot even though we have an insta-hot. Opps, I think I started another battle :). Sorry!

Hi mojua, I'd love to see your new pot filler, when it's up and running. Please post a picture. Thanks.Try to take a picture of it with just a small amount of water coming out of it, that should look really neat.

"I don't write long diatrades on how great porsches drive...because I don't have one."

Yes, the fact that you don't have one would keep you from writing about the way they drive, but it shouldn't preclude you from stating why you do or don't want one. I know what movies I don't want to see without seeing them. What neighborhoods I don't want to live in without living there. What president I didn't want without having him. Your point that someone who doesn't have experience with something cannot offer any valid opinions on it is simply a bad point.

Thank you very much ya_think. The reply you are referencing seems to be very typical of this poster. I think the point peach was trying to make was that a child can make a mistake and not be labled as "bad" or "stupid".

As to ic's stated practice of not answering questions on Bluestar, while maybe not actually answering questions, ic's very sharp criticisms of BS have been commonplace in past threads.

"Then you don't cook much do you." What a pretentious and pompous comment. I will remind ic that her statement was that "You're supposed to start with cold water when boiling water silly." I do not believe this was qualified by cooking stocks or veggies...simply that you always use cold which is as naive as the rest of her comments. I think the stupid kid comments say it all and personify ic's demeanor. oPPP

I installed a pot filler earlier this year when I was doing a little kitchen remodel which included a BlueStar. Anyway, we weren't sure how much we would use it, but we soon found out that we love it. It may not be necessary, but it's an inexpensive addition that is very functional and looks great.

i bought mine already. rohl, in a gleaming polished nickel.
yep, i want one. i need one. don't worry, i can carry the pot directly behind me to the island prep sink.

it's my dream house/kitchen so obviously i will have a pot filler!
easier than the sink. plus i think there's a bigger chance of your dish washer flooding your floors. at least that's been the experience of three of my closest friends with their FP dish drawers.

My friend has one and says she saves 10 seconds when filling up her pots.

I'm putting a sink in my island next to the cooktop. I want to use the faucet to fill pots. What type of a faucet works in that situation? I'm putting a new pre rinse in my regualr sink but haven't decide what to do with the island one. It's taken me over a month to decide on appliances and still aren't sure.

datura, something with a pull out hose or sprayer on a swivel might work. we have the one in the link below and use the hose to fill pots.

tommy, That's a nice looking faucet. I'm putting a pre rinse one in my regular sink. I'll keep the Franke on my list.

I stopped at my plumbing place today and he showed me a new Kohler one that has moveable joints. It's realy neat.

Kohler K-6277-CP

We had originally planned on installing a pot filler in our new kitchen.

The more we thought about it and the further we got along in the project the more we thought we would not use it. In the end we decided we would never use it and decided to put the money elsewhere.

With a pot filler you will not have to carry the heavy put over to the range but you will have to carry it from the range to the sink to drain.

datura - As food for thought, you might also look at the Moen Showhouse line.

In the remodel at our previous house, we looked at the Franke's and Rohl's and they were very nice and expensive. We went with the Rohl and it was indeed very good looking and very well made but the valve stops were not as clean as I would have expected given the price especially in the hand held sprayer (driped a bit sometimes). The hand held sprayer of the Rohl was very heavy...solid brass with a brushed nickel finish and quite impressive to hold. However, the only problem was that, when using very hot water, you had at the very most 20-30 seconds before the sprayer was too hot to hold without a hot mit. I never even considered that in my grand plan.

Anyway, in our new house, we went with the Moen Showhouse Felicity line. I do not particularly like the fixtures with the pull out spouts so I was looking for a fixture that would accomodate large/tall pots and pans etc. The Showhouse Felicity is very tall with a very broad reach. It does have a composite hand held sprayer so its not as hefty as the more expensive Rohl but you can use it as long as you like without using a hot mit. The Showhouse is not cheap but a bit less than at least than the Rohl we used. By comparison, the Rohl (can't remember the model but it was similar to the Moen in style) was about $650 while the Moen was about $550.

Also, if you want to improve the water flow and speed to fill your big pots, simply remove the water restrictor from any of the models and it will fill just as fast as most if not any pot filler.

thanks breezy,
Moen has some nice looking ones. I wrote myself a note to look at them when I go to the supply place next week.