Think about how many times a day you use that faucet...a lot!!! I would pay extra and not worry about a leak etc.

I would be most concerned about the warranty. Which one will have customer service that will be easy to reach on the phone, and which one will have parts available.

Always be wary of Amazon reviews. Some are paid to be positive, some are one hit wonders and some are just plain fraud. Try https://reviewmeta.com using the URLs of each product.

Then take each product and find them multiple times on different websites with reviews to see how they fare. I've never bought something without looking at it from various review sites.

Assuming all faucets are non-toxic and have the flow rates I want/need, part of the choice depends on how comfortable you are with changing out (or having someone else do it) faucets. I'm capable of doing it myself so I don't consider a faucet to be a permanent unchangeable stuck-with-it kitchen feature.

I've had garbage Moens before, so I wouldn't assume years of great performance from one. :)

I would want a brand I recognize, though.

(I have 2 faucets in my kitchen right now: an expensive HansGrohe and a cheap American Standard from my pre-remodel kitchen that I bought off the rack at my local hardware store due to lack of interesting options and a failed Kohler faucet. Emergency purchase! They look similar enough that nobody notices they don't match...ten years and 2 kitchens later, the AS is outperforming the newer HG...)

So, as others know, I'm not a huge advocate of very expensive faucets. A nice SS dishwasher that will actually WASH the dishes can be had for ~$500 or so.

A moderately priced faucet will last as long a person is likely to own a home or until the next remodel, whichever is first. Replacing a faucet to update it isn't a terrible task either.

That said: $80 isn't a moderately priced faucet for that unit.

There are likely to be durability issues - or worse. Some of the low -priced faucets sold online are imported without meeting US standards for materials including lead-free brass and such.

A moderately priced faucet from a major brand is typically going to provide long service, readily available parts, and meet US standards for drinking water.

At $332, the Moen unit (for that design) is within the higher range of moderately priced - but still reasonable. You may get more exclusive style, but you aren't going to get better "insides" by paying more.

I just went through this. After years of frustration with $100 hardware store faucets, I finally splurged on a good one for our kitchen remodel. Mine was especially spendy because of the style I wanted, but the difference is black & white! I was able to get mine for much less than retail, so that helped. Of all my expenses it was relatively the biggest splurge, but I use it so much every day it has been worth every penny. Aside from style and function, the difference is in the construction. It is far more substantial than cheap models. All metal and really sturdy. My former spring covered sprayer barely flexed and had no reach - basically an imposter. This new one reaches around the whole sink.

In our old house, I purchased an expensive faucet (relative to our budget at the time) with a lifetime warranty. That faucet paid for itself over the 17 years of ownership as I never had any problems getting replacements parts. I think I only needed to contact them 2 or 3 times, but normally I would have had to replace the faucet each of those times.

My parents purchased a new (but relatively inexpensive) model from Home Depot about the same time. I know they replaced that faucet at least 5 times during the same time span. In my mind, their $1000 in faucets (5 x $200) was more over the lifespan than my $650 faucet purchased 17 years earlier. Plus the faucet looked really nice and functioned well.

Just my 2 cents, but I've found that products with solid warranties can be a better investment over the long term, but these usually come at a higher price tag.

Thank you all, I've never considered the "insides" of the faucets not meeting standards for drinking water and such. I always thought we were paying for the style, fancy features and name. I've just assumed they all used about the same materials. But now, I think I'm going to be doing more homework and cross referencing reviews and avoiding big box and/or online purchases that can be replicas or knock off's of better quality faucets.

I would never buy a gimmicky expensive faucet. Not my thing. That said, I consider $80 about as bare bones cheap as you can possibly get and would assume that one will probably fall apart in a year. $300 is pretty run of the mill for a "good" quality faucet, without venturing into expensive. Not guaranteed it will last, but a decent chance plus decent warranty. I'd buy from a better source than amazon though. In the last few years, most of what you get from amazon is knock-offs, even when you think you're buying the real thing.

Look at warranties and customer service. I have a Brizo (Delta product) and have used the warranty with just shipping time inconvenience.

Load the fakespot app. It analyzes the pattern of reviews on Amazon and lets you know when a product's reviews are suspicious.

A kitchen sink is a workhouse. The best quality faucets are made of noncorrosive solid brass, not inferior zinc alloy. Also look for ceramic disc valves.

Starcraft Custom Builders has a wonderful Guide to Faucets as well as brand reviews. An excellent resource.

Starcraft Custom Builders Faucet Reviews

I would go with the better faucet. I am the “research queen”. I read all kinds of reviews on faucets. I chose a Kohler faucet when I had my kitchen redone. I love it. Faucets get a lot of use.

I have 2 of that exact Moen faucet and no issues whatsoever. The oldest is 14 years old and replaced a more expensive Blanco in my kitchen which turned out to be nothing but problematic. When we remodeled, I repurposed it to my laundry room where it is still going strong. In my new kitchen, we used the same faucet again (3 years now). Moen (like Kohler, etc) carries a lifetime warranty and honestly, $80 is rental grade which won’t last.

Okay, I've taken everyone's comments into consideration, and they have been super helpful. I've been researching all the major faucet brands and lists of best faucets for this year. Now I'm convinced that I NEED a touchless faucet. haha That being said, I can't afford the upper price range of the $700-1000 faucets that I've fallen in love with. I did find a couple I can live with, the Delta Leland and the Moen Arbor in the mid to upper $300s (still pricey for me, but doable). Does anyone have either of these or experience using them, if so, do you have any feedback? I've also looked at Kingston's (the only brand I can find that specifically states solid brass construction with ceramic valves) pull-down faucets, while they're reasonably priced and beautiful they don't have anything available with the touchless feature that I can find. Is the touchless feature something that will cause a lot of hassle in the future?

People like this Peerless P7923LF (Build, Home Depot $188). Peerless is a Delta company and its faucets have the Delta warranty. In chrome it's only$106 at Lowes.