Best pull-down/pull-out faucets?

16 years ago

What are some of the better kitchen faucets with a pull-down or pull-out sprayer? I looked at several last weekend and just can't make up my mind--I can't even decide if I want the kind that goes up and then down, or that just arches out gently. Can anybody recommend any? What are some of the better brands? Are there any we should avoid? What should we be looking for in the first place, besides pure looks? We're looking for something with a modern, streamlined look. We DON'T want a separate sprayer off to the side--but do the pull-down/out sprayers work well?

BTW our allowance for a kitchen faucet is $400. Is that reasonable for a decent faucet? Is there any hope we could get a good faucet for less? (We're trying really, really hard not to go broke from this renovation!)

How on earth do people make all these decisions without going nuts???

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Comments (12)

alanandnancy
16 years ago
We're in the midst of deciding about plans, faucets, sinks, cabs, counters - everything! As far as I can tell, going nuts is a requirement... Last night my dh dreamt something about Barack Obama's choice of faucets was under scrutiny as part of his electability!

As for faucets I would start with doing a search on this site first rather than the broader question, and you'll get better answers. The amount of collective knowledge is at your fingertips! Grohe seems to be the most popular due to good construction among other things, and online vendors make them more affordable. Narrow down the look and the parts you really want (pullout/down sprayer, handle location & style etc.) Once you do that there will be far fewer styles and brands that you like, and you can do a more specific search on this list.

Also, go to a couple plumbing stores and handle everything. I found that just as revealing as other people's comments.

I'm still narrowing down my own choices. Good luck.
divamum
16 years ago
Yes, the pulldown/outs work well.

Yes, $400 is more than a reasonable budget - you can probably bring it in for less than that.

Yes, do a search and read the many faucet threads that are in here (it seems to be the choice that makes everybody crazy - it certainly did me! There's a hilarious set of faucet posts by a gal called pinktoes - don't know if they've scrolled off, but they had me literally laughing out loud).

High end brands include Perrin and Rowe, Rohl Grohe, Blanco, and a few others that charge more than I could ever have believed a tap could cost. Kohler, Moen, Delta and American Standard are the workhorse brands. Danze is a popular newcomer with unusual designs, moderate prices and an increasingly good reputation. Price Pfister has nice designs but some people say they're not so reliable. Ikea does some interesting faucets with slightly fewer bells and whistles, but reasonable quality.

GWers have had good luck with faucetdepot.com online, and some have found bargains of branded items on ebay.

Er, how's that? I'm sure I've forgotten a few things, but that's a start for you (I had NO idea I knew this much about faucets, but I guess I've learned my lessons well!)
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I like a pulldown. Sidespray is too fiddly and pullouts aren't as massive, meaning I don't get the spout length my shortness requires. :) I have a Kohler Simplice right now as a temporary faucet. It's okay but the spray button doesn't work right. I shoulda exchanged it but I was lazy--Kohler makes a good faucet and I just got a dud. Previously I had a huuuuge Hansgrohe Allegro Pro, selected purely by size (I was having back issues with the faucet spout length in my unremodeled kitchen). It looked like an alien space craft from the original War of the Worlds movie. Great faucet BUT! Like others, I found that the HG spray button wasn't a simple on/off mechanism. You could turn it on, you could turn it off, but if you turned off the water, it would revert to stream. Not a big deal unless you are a Tapmaster user trying to conserve water while washing veggies with the sprayer. I'll probably get another one when I remodel anyway. :) So whatever you get, make sure the spray/stream mechanism works the way you want. What we think is an obvious function may not have occurred to the faucet designers. (The Simplice--if the button acts like it should--is the way it should be. On or off, until you change it.)
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lindybarts
16 years ago
Well the Kohler Vinnata has been discussed to death on here but I do love mine. It's quite a large faucet though and your room/sink needs to be able to handle it. There is also a smaller prep sink size that some have used as their main faucet.
mamadadapaige
16 years ago
I just bought a Rohl pull down faucet from Home and Stone. I thought their price was really good. I also bought an Elkay sink (which arrived 2 days after I placed the order) which saved $100's over buying locally.
pbrisjar
16 years ago
We've got a Danze pull-down. It's pretty nice and works fine. Personally, I wouldn't go with the pull-down as it's too fussy. You have to twist it to release the sprayer and to get it set all the way back in. Hubby insisted, though, as he was concerned about water running down/through the opening from a regular style sprayer.

This is the one we got:
http://www.needplumbingsupplies.com/Danze-Kitchen-Sink-Faucets.asp?id=14052

Definitely shop around. We found *much* better prices and selection online and much varied prices.
nodirthere
16 years ago
I bought the Hansgrohe (Grohe's brother spin-off co. I was told)-from Expo under $400-(Home Depot off shoot)- I love it but the first 2 faucet heads were faulty- their customer service was awesome- I just called the 800# and they sent out a new one right away- They did say they had a bad batch and the third time was a charm. It was HighArc KM 2-spra in steel optik (brushed)-I chose this because it didn't have a rubber coated spray button -I found it hard to find one w/out this-(2 previous have worn out and broken through-this one is a hard plastic toggle)- good luck!
rgillman
16 years ago
Don't forget KWC, which has some terrific and well-designed pull-out faucets.
mariel1951
16 years ago
I just made my choice of faucets. I am going to go with the Grohe pull down for 2 reasons:

Pull down vs pull out: since I purchased this house recently, the pull-out faucet has constantly loosened and water has been leaking all over the sink under-cabinet! But as I had planned on doing a complete remodel (watch out cabinets, took me 2 hrs with a good hammer and built-in frustration to gut everything out!) On top of that, the pull-out ball front of the faucet kept hitting my tall pans and frustrating me even more! And forget trying to clean the sink all the way around! So a pull-down was an easy decision (got to be a nice improvement to the old pull-out!)

2. I chose Grohe after reading the hundreds of blogs on this incredible website and because Grohe is a german company who has been making incredibly strong and dependable faucets for so long! Check out their groheamerica website (http://www.groheamerica.com/t/25_4021.html) one of these days, you will be impressed with the number of medals they have won!

Now I have to decide which Grohe: Ladylux or Bridgeford. Irawoods.com has them starting at $312 with free shipping and taxes and I know I am going to find it even cheaper on other internet sites.
strong_guam_net
13 years ago
I have had two GROHE Alira pull-out faucets from my German kitchen designer for both my sinks for 8 years. Both need to be replaced. I am wondering whether I should change brands? My friend had to replace the ceramic cartridge and it was difficult to locate and expensive. I LOVE the design (aluminum finish matches my cabinetry) but am questioning the quality of this famous brand.
mnilachati_yahoo_com
13 years ago
I have the Grohe Ladylux and it needs to be replaced also. I think the Delta brands are great because of the magnetic docking that keeps the spray in place and doesn't just hang there like most brands.
Aprilnovember
12 years ago
"Last night my dh dreamt something about Barack Obama's choice of faucets was under scrutiny as part of his electability!"

That's funny. If you don't laugh at this man, you may cry. Faucets might be next.
danielle2006
12 years ago
I'm shopping around for a new faucet and really like the "commercial" look of the pull-down spiral styles. Though I've heard that sometimes the hose isn't really long enough to get into the corners of the sink to rinse. Is this true and what brands can you recommend? Thanks!

Best pull-down/pull-out faucets?

Comments (12)

alanandnancy

divamum

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