The faucet in your kitchen can actually say more than you think about the space. Some may just glance over a faucet but if you really pay close attention to detail when purchasing one you'll notice just how the quality can vary from model to model. Paying what may seem like a hefty penny for just a faucet can be daunting, but if you choose carefully, that sucker can last you years and years.
• Danze Parma Single Handle Pre-Rinse Faucet, $303.00 at Amazon: Single hole installment makes this a top choice. It's a modern twist on a traditional yet industrial faucet. Stainless steel coated brass, this Danze faucet will not only make a statement but it'll stand the test of time.
• KOHLER Simplice Single-Hole Pull-down Kitchen Faucet, $218.63 at Amazon: The selling point on this Kohler faucet is the pull-down feature. With this, there's no longer a reason to install a separate sprayer because it's built into the faucet. It's made from stainless steel.
• Grohe Concetto Dual Spray Pull-Out Kitchen Faucet, $251.40 at Amazon: This faucet is a combination of the previous two. A modern and attractive shape combined with ease and convenience.
• MOEN Camerist Faucet, $273.05 at MOEN: Comes in four different finishes ranging from chrome to oil rubbed bronze; this is the most traditional faucet. It features a traditional shape with modern conveniences due to the fact that it has a built in pull-out sprayer.
• Delta Kate Single-Handle Pull-Down Sprayer Kitchen Faucet, $178.00 at Home Depot: Featuring a single handle, soap dispenser and pull-down sprayer this isn't just a one hole job but that's ok! It comes in two finishes; chrome and stainless steel. The price is certainly a huge selling point.
Images: as linked above
Find Your Style: 20 Classic to Contemporary Kitchens to Add to Your Inspiration Board
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
10 Ways to Put a Muffin Pan to Good Use (Other Than Making Muffins!)
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
We installed the MOEN Camerist Faucet about 2 yrs ago, upgrading from the builder's grade one that we tolerated for 7 yrs. Love it! Funny how a faucet can decorate a kitchen but it does! We also have our sink directly across from the front door with an open floor plan so we see it allllll the time!
We considered the Danze but decided to spend a few extra bucks and go for the American Standard instead. I agree that it's something that is better to spend a little extra on. We saved in so many other areas that I figured it was justified.
We're in the midst of a total gut remodel, and I have to admit that the faucet decision has me completely stumped. I need something that bridges a craftsman esthetic with a bit of modernism. And I fear I'm going to choose the wrong thing. Maybe we'll just continue to run a garden hose up from the basement and call it "rustic chic."
I'm obsessed with the touch feature of the Delta Pilar Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet with Touch2O® Technology. Has anyone purchased it? If so, what are your thoughts?
Studioren, I saw the touch faucets at the kitchen and bath show and they were pretty cool.
We installed the Kohler Simplice faucet (option 2) about two weeks ago - it is quite great.
The only iffy thing is that the "spray" function sprays with a lot of force...can spray onto the counters a bit.
A nice extra is the "pause" function that stop water while the button is being pressed.
We've slowly been upgrading our kitchen with new products (refrigerator swap, new cabinet hardare, etc.) Last year, we invested in a new GROHE kitchen faucet. The pull out style is much easier to use compared to the [leaky and stiff] faucet with a side spray we replaced.
I splurged on my faucet and I really love it. Its very functional and beautiful. My kitchen is a classic/traditional style (white shaker cabinets/soapstone counters) but this faucet gives it sleek urban edge which fits with my modern apartment in the city. I got this grohe model from faucetsdirect.com:
http://www.faucetdirect.com/grohe-32-319-single-handle-pullout-kitchen-faucet-from-the-minta-series/p1594075
It's been a year since I bought it and I must have kitchen reno-amnesia. Holy cow! Did I really spend that much on a faucet?!...Ah, it was worth it.
We bought a Danze Parma bathroom faucet a few years ago and I can't say enough about the quality. It is very sleek and modern.....VERY heavy (most cheap kitchen faucets are so lightweight--hate) and just feels like a faucet that costs much more than it did. When we finally save up enough for some kitchen updates, I will definitely be ordering the Danze.
the first one with the spring wire..I really love it but is it hard to clean??
We invested in the Blanco 'Diva' and LOVE it. It was a little (or a lot) more than the Danza above, but it's so beautiful above our apron sink, and came with a great warranty.
HouseOnClintonAve, I've never found it difficult to clean.
i just got the grohe concetto in my newly renovated kitchen and i love it!
What do people think about pull-down sprayers? They are ubiquitous in all the showrooms, but whenever I try one, it seems clunky and doesn't return neatly back into the faucet. I love the Grohe Concetto but it seems to only come in pull-down. Even though side sprays have a more traditional feel, I'm currently thinking I'll play it safe with a side spray.
kaygi-
Some models (Moen? PricePfister?) have a new magnetic feature that "grabs and pulls" the pull-down sprayer back into its seated position. It's pretty cool.
@kaygi - we have a Delta Leland pull down sprayer that has a magnetic lock to go back to the faucet and it works great. I was worried it would end up hanging out an inch below the faucet all the time, but it's really easy to put it back. Before we decided, I tried pulling them out to test at Home Depot but the way they have the hoses tied behind the display makes it really awkward.
Kaygi - we have the Kohler Simplice, the pull-down works great, and quite convenient. I think at the stores people yank at them so much and with such force (and may be it's not installed right either) that the pull-down and snap back feature breaks.
I have the Grohe, although in stainless and not chrome. I absolutely love it! We were looking for a single hole pull down faucet that didn't break the bank (there are surprisingly few that aren't hideous) and ended up with this one. Ours doesn't have the magnetic feature to put the sprayer back into position, but it really hasn't been a problem at all.