are you replacing the prep s*ink faucet or the sink by the windows?

I have read on here that brushed nickel is harder to keep clean ... maybe someone with it will post.

how about stainless?

We are replacing the sink faucet by the window. I am fine with either stainless or bn. Wondering if stainless would scratch? Also, my husband has heard the the pull down faucets do not stay "up" in the faucet. Is the style I am looking at called a gooseneck?

Delta makes several faucets that have magnetic docking. Perhaps those might be worth a look given your husband's concern. We've only had ours in for a week but no complaints so far.

Sorry, but I've never heard of brushed or satin nickel being difficult to keep clean, nor is that my experience.

We have brushed nickel faucets and they're very easy to keep clean...so much easier than the old chrome faucet we had in our original kitchen and the chrome faucets in the upstairs bathrooms! Nothing shows on brushed nickel faucets, I have to look closely to see if they need to be wiped down. Our soap dispensers are also brushed nickel and are easy to keep clean.

The only thing you have to be careful of, and this might be what desertsteph has read about, is to not use harsh cleaners on them...things like bleach and Barkeeper's Friend will damage the finish...which is why you should not put in nickel strainers. However, you don't need to use those cleaners or bleach to clean faucets, so there's no problem.

Here is our pull down faucet. I suspect it's too traditional for you...but it will give you an idea of what a tall faucet will look like in front of your windows.

Oh, and most faucets come with a deck plate, including mine, but you don't have to use it (or you can use it now and not use it later).

Our faucet is stainless and has been in since Oct. 09. No scratches. Just wipe it dry with dish towel or micro fiber cloth. And, like beuhl said, our faucet came with the deck plate but we chose not to use it.

buehl- I actually like your faucet a lot. What make/model is it? Thanks for the tips on base plates. I did not realize most come with them. Now I need to figure out how many holes we have. It is hard to tell by looking under our sink. Can you tell from the pics I posted?

I love our Delta pull down faucet with the magnetic docking- to the left is the soap dispenser and the on- off is to the right. The spray feature in the pull down is wonderful!

I have a PF pulldown spray model. It stays seated with no issues. It has a weight on the hose that pull the spray heat back into place. Many have this feature. Some of the Delta's have magnets. Others have orings or somesuch that snap the head back into place.

Mine's a 3-hole where there is a soap dispenser and a separate water control from the spout, like above.

You might search around on FaucetDirect.com and see if there are any you like in your price range. I suspect there are. I would suggest something with a fairly long reach since you have a triple sink.

Thanks! I thought it would be too traditional b/c your other choices were more streamlined & with few curves. It's a Kohler Vinnata (K-690) in vibrant brushed nickel (-BN).

I suspect your sink has 3 holes under the deck plate...to accommodate faucets that have separate spout & handles. Your side spray is probably using one of them.

Normally, the side spray would be in one of the holes on the outside (where your instant hot or filtered water faucet and air gap are). B/c the outside holes are already in use, it appears the previous owners drilled a hole in the deck plate to include the sprayer.

Deck plates are used to cover the "extra" holes to accommodate single-hole faucets, so they only come with one hole in them. The deck plate that came w/my faucet had only one hole.

A word of warning, though...it's more than $300. [I bought mine at FaucetDirect...FaucetDirect - Kohler Vinnata K-690 Single Handle Pullout Spray]

Here's a side-view closeup:

Here is a link that might be useful:

hokie80- I like your faucet too. Which model is it?

Thanks- we are very happy with it! It's the Delta Victorian- we also liked the Delta Leland, which is slightly differently shaped. My husband also wanted the sprayer- and he loves this. The magnetic piece was a big part of it for us- we wanted to make sure it stayed in place and it does. We got ours at Lowes.

We are now leaning towards the Delta Leland with the magnetic feature. I read tons of 5 star reviews on it. Seems everyone who has it loves it. Is yours stainless?

It is- and it's basically identical to the leland, a slightly different shape. I think it's a little bit shorter, and that was why we did that one. We've had it for 6 months- it cleans up great and I love everything about it. a friend just saw it and got the exact same one.The plumber from the granite shop said you can't go wrong with the pull down Deltas with the magnets!

I am drawn to the positive reviews of the Delta Leland but also like this Moen I saw at Home Depot today. Both are about the same price. What do you know about Moen? I like how the lever is on the faucet. It has cleaner lines which I like, but I really like how Delta has the magnetic head. Help!!

Delta Leland
{{!gwi}}

Moen Lindley
{{!gwi}}

poorowner and timber.j have the Hansgrohe Metro which you can get at Costco right now. It has a brushed stainless finish, but the price is right - under $200.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hansgrohe thread

I just looked at the Delta Allora and like it a lot. I feel a bit paralized about this decision. I can't seem to find as many reviews for the Moen as I saw for the Delta.

Hokie80 I was looking at your pictures and am wondering if that is a swanstone sink in your kitchen? If so how are you liking it and what color is it?? Sorry if I'm posting wrong as this is my first time to post anything. But what a great site this is :)

I have a Moen Kleo from Home Depot. Really like it, it's a little more modern than some of the others pictured, and it's a little smaller in reach and height than some others I looked at (but it's still full sized). It's $188 and on display at my local Home Depots, so you should be able to find it at yours. I have it installed without the deckplate:

Here is a link that might be useful: link to home depot site

buehl - i like the colors in your kitchen. can you post a picture so i can see your backsplash? Also, what color is your granite and what color did you paint your walls?

hi, lovetoshop, you sound just like me when I was in the faucet phase - i just could not decide! I looked and looked and posted. I visited kitchen design centers and measured and took photos, i agonized. I finally ordered one, Kohler Simplice - then was afraid it was too tall so posted again.. then the night before our soapstone was to be templated, i ran off to HD and bought 3 other faucets. then, when the templater was here (he was so kind and patient), and put the new sink in, i tried all of them ----and , yep, you guessed it, picked the first one, which we installed - and we love it. its simple, elegant, one handle and no soap dispenser --

so good luck with whatever you choose. as my DH kept saying, its only a faucet.. but somehow for me, it became so much more!

L

Hi lovetoshop, I have a Grohe Ladylux Cafe (it is more than $300) but I just want to caution you abt these high faucets.

Not sure if the others with similar faucets have the same problem, but mine splashes a lot. I don't know if it's the way it's hitting the sink (I have a single 10" deep Silgranit sink) or it's just the faucet.

My friend has a Kohler Simplice (also with a composite granite sink) and she has the same problem with splashing.

Btw, I am thinking of painting my kitchen cabinets, can you tell me what color is yours? Thanks!

sclee, I wondered if the backward curve of the Grohe facilitates the splashing, but the Simplice doesn't seem to curve that way. However, I have had a gooseneck (not pulldown so the head is much smaller) for 15 years and never had an issue with splashing, so I don't think it's a given.

I think the Leland is a good choice for what you describe as wanting. It has a 3-holed black plastic plate that must go under the counter, but as far as I can tell (still in the box), there is no matching BN base plate.

About HD or Lowe's, I had heard (don't know if it's true) that there is a difference between the quality of products there and the ones you would get through distributors like faucetdirect, etc. I don't want to repeat baseless stories, so I'd check into it to be sure. However, I've had a good experience with two online companies, HomePerfect (for Blanco Silgranit sinks; they didn't have the Leland in the BN finish available), and DesignerPlumbingOutlet for the faucets. Both were delivered very quickly, no shipping because of the total of my order, and I was able to track them while they were being shipped. I can't tell you about the quality because they are not installed yet (this week!), but maybe others can give hints about good places to order from, or experience with purchasing from big box stores.

To clarify the "quality" partial-myth....
If the item has the exact same product # at both HD/Lowes and a plumbing supply store (online or brick & mortar), then it's the exact same item with the exact same quality.

If the product # differs in any way (by even one letter/number), then it's a different item. However, that does not mean the quality is less, it might be, but it's not a definite.

Sometimes "special" versions of items are made for large customers (like HD, Lowes, Sears, etc.) with different options than on the "regular" versions. Sometimes there's also a quality difference...better or worse...but not always.

Research is your best option...find out what the item's made of (ceramic disks? all brass? etc.), read reviews, possibly call the manufacturer (they're not always upfront about the differences, though), etc. Once you have all the info you can gather, then make your decision. Yes, it can be a lot of work & time, but if it's a large $$ amount purchase and/or something that cannot easily be replaced, it's worth it. Small $$ amounts and/or easily replaced...maybe not as much...it's up to you!

Good luck!

renayy- sorry, I just saw this! It's a Blanco silgranit sink in biscuit- we are very happy with it!

Hi Lovetoshop,

I love the Delta Allora. The nice part about your sink is
that it is huge so you can have a large faucet or
something elegant and the sink can with stand the look.
Whatever faucet you do decide you are going to enjoy
having a new one.

Before you decide on the deck plate,
You might find that you can clean under the deck plate
I had a similar sink and I am amazed how a little
scrubbing used to keep it looking pristine white. Just a
thought.

Here is a site that I found talking about Moen.
http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22404

Tell me about your favorite kitchen faucet !!!

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0711051129135.html

Best of luck,
~boxer

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen faucet recommendations, please!

buehl, thanks for clarifying that. I hate to spread misinformation but knew I had seen something along those lines before.

I too have been debating on faucets. I like the funcional pull down sprayers, but they are so tall..Have looked at the Delta Allora, the Delta Pilar (touch faucet) and Premier Sonama 120111 (salesman at Galaxy rec'm this one). Are there any quality pull downs that are not 16" tall? Any thoughts?

Take a look at the the Kohler Vinnata faucet - I think this would look great! Comes in different sizes and I believe you have the base plate option also.