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Need opinions on kitchen faucet brands

ChrisJ
ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,584
Its almost time to put the sink and stuff together and we are down to picking out a faucet and a basket.



Any opinions on what brands of faucets are preferred?  Last I knew Delta was the way to go and to avoid Pfister at all costs but for all I know everything has changed.



All comments welcome!
Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment

Comments

  • vaporvac
    vaporvac Member Posts: 1,520
    basket?

    So I have to ask: what's a basket?

     Regarding the sink, does it have one hole or two? I'm obviously NOT a plumber, but I have a kitchen and have had the same faucets in multiple kitchens without one problem for over twenty years.I mean I've only had to do minor things to the same faucets. They are Grohe...German made. Don't know if they're keeping the same standards today. I've bought others for rental properties and they generally didn't last. I think Delta is good, although Moen seems to have followers. What's the look of your kitchen...I ask because the retrorenovaton site has a reference to a wonderful American made faucet still manufactured as before. It is super well made, but has an old-fashinied feeling of solidity about it.  I plan to use it next in my kitchen when the Grohe finally gives out as they don't make some of the parts anymore for my model. I'll look it up and post it in a bit.

    P.s. be sure to get one with a sprayer if you have a large sink. Alsom the soap dispensers from Ikea last as long as the more expensive ones. I couldn't function as well without one.
    Two-pipe Trane vaporvacuum system; 1466 edr
    Twinned, staged Slantfin TR50s piped into 4" header with Riello G400 burners; 240K lead, 200K lag Btus. Controlled by Taco Relay and Honeywell RTH6580WF
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,584
    Basket

    The basket is what I think the drain piece in the sink is called. It seems to actually be called a strainer. http://www.amazon.com/KOHLER-K-8799-CP-Duostrainer-Strainer-Polished/dp/B0015BZAH6





    The sink we are installing has 3 holes but the faucet can only have one or two of those depending. If we use a soap dispenser then the faucet only gets one. If no soap dispenser then it can have two.



    The look of the kitchen? I don't know, all stainless appliances bought in 2011 but nothing real fancy.



    The exact sink the wife wanted to go with is this one. The faucet will of course go in the left hole. I wanted a large Kohler sink but you know what they say, happy wife happy life. :)



    http://www.frankeusa.com/product/index/productId/171
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • RobG
    RobG Member Posts: 1,850
    Moen

    I would go with a Moen faucet with a pull out sprayer.You could go with a single hole mount and use a soap dispenser and instant hot water dispenser or a filtered water dispenser, or you could just go with a three hole mount pull out sprayer faucet. I am a Moen fan because of the simple cartridge design that has not changed in 50? years.

    Rob
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    Basket strainers for kitchen sinks

    are worth the time to get right.  Can't count the number of bad designs I've seen over the years.  Not sure who makes them, but the ones with three legs and notches (so a 60º rotation either way will change from sealing to straining) work well.  Many designs don't strain worth a darn, and most lose their ability to seal at some point.  The (Kohler?) screw-in ones work, but replacement baskets are spendy.
  • vaporvac
    vaporvac Member Posts: 1,520
    Dishmaster faucet

    What luck!  retrorenovation.com just posedt about NOS coverplates for these.



    http://www.dishmaster-faucet.com/index.html

    This is really one of the coolest faucets ever and it's still being made right here in the US of A.  Spare parts available.
    Two-pipe Trane vaporvacuum system; 1466 edr
    Twinned, staged Slantfin TR50s piped into 4" header with Riello G400 burners; 240K lead, 200K lag Btus. Controlled by Taco Relay and Honeywell RTH6580WF
  • heatpro02920
    heatpro02920 Member Posts: 991
    edited May 2013
    Swei, you and I are so alike

    I too over think most mundane details . I found these to work super... http://www.plumbingsupply.com/deluxebasketstrainers.html



    I have that same design in my home..



    Now as for Kitchen sink faucets.. There are so many companies and layouts.. I tend to like the side spray singlehole double lever, so you end up with 2 holes one for the faucet and one for the sprayer, but I dont like sprayers, I went with one before and the kids would always lay it in the kitchen , they wear out fast and 'just not a fan...



    So for brand I like the quality of Danze {we have a deck mount pot filler and our buffet sink( a 40" long sink built into counter top, you fill it with ice when entertaining) has a cold only faucet by them, both in oil rubbed bronze, very nice fit and finish, VERY heavy pieces... }



    Another brand is Kingston Brass, they are very competitively priced where Danze can be more expensive than others, Kingston makes a quality product, all brass, no plastic valve assemblies like others like to push out....



    I like two handle faucets for a few reasons, 1- it stops people from using the hot to rinse something fast where hot water would never have time to come out, and introduces cold water into your tank, or fires your tankless for no reason...

    2- they seem to last longer and be much easier to repair, its just 2 valves nothing crazy in there...

    3-with small kids you can lock out the hot more easily than with a mixer...



    one more note, I wouldn't buy anything from the big box stores when it comes to faucets, I once bought a faucet by a well know manufacture that lasted 3 months, so I brought it back to my supply house who also sells the brand he showed me an identical faucet {appearance wise} that cost almost double but had brass assemblies vs the Home depot faucets plastic... I was amazed, but this is common practice, they also do this with vehicle tires, stores like Town fair tire, get a different part number tire so they can sell them cheaper but the quality is lesser. But anyway, buyer beware...



    Check amazon and ebay once you pick a faucet, I am addicted to doing this now, since I was in the market for a ceiling fan {the fanimation with the monkey on it http://common4.csnimages.com/lf/49/hash/604/1785599/1/Palisade+Ceiling+Fan+Monkey+Accessory.jpg } my local distributor couldn't get it for 3 months and was charging me $2690 for it plus tax, where I found it on ebay from an authorized distributor on clearance for $1100 buy it now!!!! That's a big difference... One of the best purchases I have ever made, that fan is amazing, more people notice that when entering my formal living room than any other item in my house, and I have a jukebox from the 40's in there as well as a 90" tall grandfather clock... but that fan gets all the attention.. anyway good luck with what you choose let us know what you go with....
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    edited May 2013
    When I have to deal with the consequences of a bad design

    several times a day, it bugs me.  Little stuff like that makes more of a difference than most people even realize.



    Nice design on those extra deep models -- I think I'll try one out.  Know who makes them?  I hate to ship stuff from the other side of the country if I can get it dropped at my office with a regular order from a supplier.



    Edit: Might be Kraus http://www.amazon.com/Kraus-BST-1-Basket-Strainer-Stainless/dp/B0042D5F0G

    http://www.kraususa.com/bst-1-st-1-stainless-steel-basket-strainer-and-strainer-set.html
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    Dishmaster Faucet

    wow, a blast from the past!  I remember that M76 at a couple of neighbors' houses when I was a kid.
  • heatpro02920
    heatpro02920 Member Posts: 991
    made by a few companies

    I bought the Whitehaus model, very quality orientated, costly but honestly all stainless weighs about 4 lbs, lol.... it is one of them things you buy and know it is forever... No one local could get them, I seen them at a home show in Navada I sent to, and ended up getting them on Amazon { http://www.amazon.com/Whitehaus-NRNW35A-SS-Strainer-Removable-Stainless/dp/B003OA7Y5W } I paid more than that, amazon prices move up and down...



    My wife wasn't crazy about them at first, because we have oil rubbed faucets, BUT the sink is stainless so, they look great... and work really good, a normal strainer fills to fast, I put my cutting board at the edge of the sink and slide the waste from what I am cutting rite into the sink, tomato ends, pepper seeds, stalks, ect and you really have to put a lot in there to jam these things up, with the normal ones they get clogged, water rises then you end up letting everything go down the drain when you try to clear it out, these have a little handle you just grab it and dump it in the trash.... I will never install a garbage disposal again, i went through this, they are terrible machines invented by the devil to clog pipes, vibrate back splashes loose and make watching tv in the next room impossible... Plus they are always broken, these strainers are the next best thing....



    By the way Im sure this one does the same exact thing, may even be made by the same company, but the one I seen at the trade show was whitehaus so I bought that exact one, but this is half the price http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Premium-Kitchen-Strainer-Standard/dp/B004Z8VKO8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_8 your choice, just make sure the one you get has the strainer basket like this, they have others that are just deep with a normal strainer...
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    Garbage disposals

    agreed - strongly.  Learned to live without one when we moved to a place with an old 750 gallon septic.  Got used to it (and the lack of leaks, clogs, and maintenance) and never looked back.



    Thanks for the pointer - I'll be installing one next weekend!
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,584
    Homedepot and Lowes

    I know exactly what you mean.



    I spent a lot of time hunting down a garbage disposal for this project and was amazed that Insinkerator actually makes custom models for Lowes and Home depot. Whats so custom? The fact they don't have stainless grind chambers like the normal version and instead include other stuff that doesn't matter. I ended up buying a Insinkerator evolution essentials pro from Amazon. Stainless grind chamber and auto reverse for the same price homer and lowes wanted for one without the stainless chamber. It also has an 8 year inhome warranty which who knows if thats worth anything or not. More and more I learn the big box stores do not have good prices compared to mom and pop shops. They sell you a cheapened crap version for a slightly lower price that appears to be a good deal.



    Once we find a faucet I plan on buying it from Amazon or equivalent. Looking at the Danze stuff now. Honestly I assumed they were some no-name company and ignored them until now.



    Just like the Franke sink. The wife wanted it and I had never heard of them. Was very surprised to see it was made in Canada and not China.



    The deep strainers have me curious now. I've never seen anything like that?
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • bill_105
    bill_105 Member Posts: 429
    edited May 2013
    Kitchen faucets??

    It must be Mother's day. While you are out and about, in addition to the new faucet, pick her up a new chain saw :)!! Sounds like a Hallmark moment!
  • heatpro02920
    heatpro02920 Member Posts: 991
    edited May 2013
    I love them strainers

    Franke sinks are very nice, I have one, the double bowl 1 small bowl 1 large and deep, ss undermount. they have sound padding, are 18 gauge and clean up like new with a scotch pad....



    The Danze pot filler we have was expensive {under 800} but all others I looked at could not compare, it has to weigh 10lbs, very well made, the valves are very smooth with a short positive shut off...



    check out the kingston brass stuff too, they are a decent unit for the price.. I hate changing faucets so when I buy one I look them over, that kingston is as good as any I ever checked out.. and very inexpensive... obviously not as inexpensive as depot or lowes stuff ,but affordable..

    http://www.kingstonbrass.com/



    heres one of their cartridges, they are stainless and some are brass, with ceramic discshttp://www.kingstonbrass.com/cartridge_p/ksrplc3000cc.htm



    when you pick a faucet look up what the replacement cartridge looks like, if it is plastic pass on it, kingston shows you the cartridge under replacement parts when you open the faucet on their site..



    also they have a black inyx style that is really nice looking if it fits your kitchen its like black nickel...





    Also Im not sure wht style you are looking for but this is an insane price on a $700 faucet, even amazon sells it for around 500 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Single-Lever-Kitchen-Pull-Out-Faucet-KS8988DKL-Nickel-/270745755197?pt=US_Faucets&hash=item3f09b45e3d
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    FruFru

    Just stay away from the designer, and or European crap when it comes to faucets. Stick to the major manufacturers, and you'll have no problems with parts. Don't buy something like Pegasus, from a big box store, and expect to be able to get parts. They do a lowsy job of backing up the products they sell.
  • fixitguy
    fixitguy Member Posts: 91
    Faucet

    Delta 300 series, best faucet ever made. parts are pennies, everyone has them, easy to work on. buy it online. f Home Defect & B lows
  • heatpro02920
    heatpro02920 Member Posts: 991
    I have delta 3's in all my rental proeprties

    I have at least 4 of them on the shelf in my shop and a enough parts to build a few lol, but they are by far the most boring faucet on the planet, although they are workhorses and the parts will fix most any faucet that looks like it, I've used parts from them to fix a few other brands... Trick is to fix them as soon as they start to fail, dont wait a while because then they are harder to fix, when I had one that was leaking when you pulled the lever up from under the handle, I waited about 6 months to go fix it {my cousin was renting the apartment, so no hurry} and when I got to it I ended up changing it was all corroded and crapped up...



    With all the faucets out there, in your own house you want something fancy... that you wont see in anyone elses house... thats another reason to stay out of home depot and lowes, I buy tile and stuff there when rehabbing properties, and then I go in customers houses and they have the same exact colors and materials rite down to the grout color...
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
    Heavy duty faucet

    Have a look at Chicago Faucets for real domestic quality.

    I used them first for our wall mount sink faucet replacements, and was impressed with their quality of construction. I am sure they must heve deck mount models as well.--NBC
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,021
    two handle?

    I like the Chicago or T&S Brass commercial faucets with smooth ceramic cartridges. I have them in my shop, kitchen and on a lav sinks as a wall mount.



    Wolverine Brass had a nice solid brass basket strainer that I liked a lot.
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Condoman
    Condoman Member Posts: 90
    Forget the faucet!

    I always tell folks to stick to brands that the parts are carried in the local hardware store.  If you can't get the parts the faucet does not matter.  That has been my experience in the 20 years I fixed faucets.
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