Francesca, I notice you are looking at faucets that have something minimalist about them.

KWC Ono also has an invisible hose tip in the gooseneck tube, like the KWC Eve but without the tube flare: the tip is smaller and still feels substantial.

I find CR to be wishy-washy and only provide some parts of all the necessary information. The CR article read like what I remember about Reader's Digest back in the days when I was young, curious and willing to look at it often to figure out what it had... but maybe RD has improved a lot since then.

Those Starcraft guys are balanced, informative and fun. They wrote facts too. I feel reassured knowing someone else agrees that "When you pay more than mid-price ($100-300), you are generally buying the high styling or custom hand casting and finishing..." Then, I know that I can spend two to three times as much, to get a custom setup just like I want, and not feel I overspent. When a faucet that costs as much as an appliance costs, it ought to do lot too.

Functions that I require
reach handle easily (single handle)
unobtrusive, invisible, discreet, not attracting attention, not disturbing the visual field, no holes in countertop
OK to build a lit 7"d to 9"d shelving structure to hide most of the pipe and to give the handle a firm base to install into
look sleek
feel great
valve reacts smoothly to small movements adjusting temperature and flow in small increments
after moving spout or hose tip, have it remain there, stable, immobilized, in place, "fest"
range of movement lets sink side walls be rinsed down easily
move smoothly
OK if two mixer valves, as it lets two people access water simultaneously instead of bringing everything to a standstill while one person interrupts the other
OK to have both a metal spout and a flexible hose spray, or two spouts
hold hose tip easily without twisting it around to make it work (if there is to be a hose handspray tip)
stainless or a finish that can be repolished if dinged damaged or scratched

In images we see of urban condominium apartment dwellers, we often see a bicycle hanging near the door. Then, the next biggest metal thing we see is a faucet that is a large contraption with about as much metal as a lightweight bicycle. (humor, exaggeration.) I want my kitchen faucet to be _ not _ that. So, to exaggerate in the opposite direction, I want my faucet to be "unobtrusive, invisible, discreet, not attracting attention, not disturbing the visual field" insofar as this will be achievable. I think we all have a psychological need to have something more or different, and less like the basic $40 faucet one can acquire anywhere and that we see in kitchens equipped in the 60's. My goal is to think this through, thoroughly.

Notes
I notice that a gooseneck shape is required for a pulldown to have something to pull down out of.
I notice that a gooseneck is not required for one to (rarely) put large pots under.
Dornbracht has had an extendable spout for years. It's a wall mount. Search Meta.02 or Tara or other models. Newform has one too. Described often as potfillers. They are built as a tube inside a tube, with O-rings used to keep the seal.
I bought an articulated arm faucet for $100; it's knockoff of the Kohler Karbon. It holds it position well. Hm....
In plumbing supply stores I see fittings made with O-rings, which all move well and keep their position when moved. Hmm....
I've found a number of separable mixers made by well-known faucet manufacturers. Hmmm....
Using flex lines, any mixer can be connected to any spout. Hmmmm....
I've also found bendable spouts, that are not hoses in tubes. (!)

Francesca, if you wish I'll post more about my findings.I'm looking into making my own faucet.

HTH
--
David

I'm shopping for a main sink faucet, and I really want the WaterStone 3710 (3710-12 or 3710-18), but (naturally so) I just can't pull the trigger with that $1,400+ price!

David - I'm lovin' everything you're saying. I'll check out the KWC ONO. Like you, we too thought a faucet IS an appliance. And, based upon our usage and habits, it is the single MOST used appliance in the kitchen. It's our way of "touching" the house and we want pleasure every time we do. Not much love in the copper piping we put in which is behind walls. :~) You're so right about the joy of a precision valve.

Love the thought of a 'bespoke' faucet. Hmmmmm. Yes, sir, please may I have more (information)?!

canyonhome - Hey! Whatdaya say...we collect 10 more people who love and want the Waterstone 3710-12 or -18 and negotiate a volume discount? Ha!

I like to look at faucets at stores where the displays are hooked up to water. Learned this lesson after my mom bought a Grohe and didn't know until after it was installed that the spray button didn't stay on! (She had to hold it down to make it stay. Kind of tough to do when you're scrubbing pots.) This would bug me because I keep my sprayer on most of the time, and I don't understand why a pricey faucet would lack a sprayer that stays on. (Hers was a $500+ faucet and the supplier wouldn't let her return it, so she sold it to the plumber who replaced it for $50. What a disappointment.)

I agree with the OP that seeing the faucet in person is great, and I would add that testing it out with a water source is ideal.

chicagoans - great point about testing out the faucet in the showroom. But how to accomplish this when most of the store displays do not have running water? It's even more critical with the standard "no returns" policy.

Faucets: the final frontier for modern marketing.

Imagine one day we'll look back and tell younger people that none of the faucet makers had even that most basic information on their sites. Whether a spray remains on or not, and then later whether it remains in that spray pattern after you turn the tap off, or whether it reverts to a default position. I've had to send lots of emails to companies to get that information.

This, and so many other things, are all not displayed, not known, not available.

While I agree with Chicagoans advice, the reality is that unfortunately, most of the time you cannot see these faucets connected to water as a demo before you buy. It would be impossible for any retail store to have all the faucets their customers want to see connected to water.

So, you need to read faucets' specifications very carefully. For example, Chicagoans pointed out that you have to keep your finger on the spray button of some of the Grohe faucets. The Grohe Ladylux Cafe faucet functions like that, and its description says its spray trigger has a "hold and release" control, meaning once you "release" the button, it reverts back to regular flow. Conversely, the Grohe Ladylux Plus does not need you to hold the button to stay on spray, and its description specifies that the control can switch back and forth between regular flow and spray. So this language is pretty tough to interpret. The lesson here is to compare the written specifications carefully, and when you see differences, and you're not sure what they mean, call the company's customer service number and ask.

Within 24 hours, several people commented on the usefulness of the Kohler Karbon faucet being able to hold its position. You move the spout and it remains there: stable, secured "assicurato", in place "immobilisé", held fast "fest".

Most wall-mounts only move through the horizontal plane. The Karbon articulates through the vertical plane in addition to the horizontal plane, so it wins respect and admiration of millions.

The Karbon and all similar 4 or 5 joint articulating faucets are under consideration.

Some faucet manufacturers don't give any information about their handspray holding its position or not.

david- It was love at first sight. I loved the Kohler Karbon when it first came out a few years back. But DH - not so much. So it was "off the table".

In a recent road trip I saw it again. The love had not diminished with time. It had a very smooth motion and stayed where it was put - almost. And the joystick was a little loose. I think it was not well adjusted in the showroom and may have suffered from many people testing it out. Or was this indicative of how it would be in 2-3 years? I don't know. It folds away so it virtually disappears. Loved that feature since our floor plan is so open, you can see all the way through the house from the front door thru the dining room to the kitchen. It's also come down in price since its introduction from over $1000 to $660, or even $500 on Craigslist.

Alas, it won't work for us because it requires two holes - one for the faucet and one for the joystick. And the joystick requires a 2" hole rather than the standard 1 3/8". Ahhh, but it is nice.

david - Forgot to ask, what other articulating faucets are you considering?

francesca: I was able to 'test drive' faucets at a large store in our area (Abt) and also a small designer plumbing store. I realize that not all stores have the water hookup, which is unfortunate, so akchicago I agree that reading the specs is important. Since this is a sticking point for me (I know some people don't care), I'd ask for a friendly return policy if you can't test-drive it.

Francesca,

I've found alternatives to articulating faucets. Search for "Arwa Twinflex". Franke has a version of it they brought out quietly about six months ago and waited for the market to discover it. Several different colors of bendable spouts. You move it into a position and it stays there! I'd like a wallmount version of this. There are very few articulating faucets with 4 or 5 joints. So far. Kudos to Kohler for taking it this far and bring the Karbon to market. After two years I'd like more competition, lower prices, and a smaller version of it, for bathrooms and for smaller kitchens. Kohler is making a killing.

To get DH to like the Karbon, try this: sometime when you have 20 minutes or so, like at a picnic meal, go through with him the evolution of faucets over the years. Way back when, it was all two handles, and cross handles at that! Then, lever handles came into the kitchen. Wow. The spout was still a little thingie sticking up on an angle from the base plate. Draw the Ikea Lagan faucet shape on a paper napkin. The faucet had a flat metal plate on "deck". That was to stabilize it. Ugh, yucky dirty. Then, sometime around say 1970 that shape was modified to make the spout tube big and round to hold a pullout tip on a hose. A hand spray, hidden in the faucet, and not visible as a separate component on the side. Wow. And also plate could be eliminated. Steels were stronger, and manufacturers more confident, so no more plate. Wow, clean. Then, some 15 years later, swan-goosenecks were modified to be big tubes to hold hoses too, and that is how pull-downs came into being. Wow, more ergonomic: pull it down, so much easier than yanking it up and towards you. But, still not optimal. Can't position and re-position it like you would want to. Also, the longer the gooseneck the more tension is placed on the mechanical corner where the tube is attached to the base, so that is guaranteed to be a weak point and you'll see that in many showrooms. Pullouts don't have this problem as the yanking action is more aligned with a straight line coming out of the faucet base. Furthermore, hoses inside goosenecks have a few problems: the longer the gooseneck the more hose length is wasted just to get it to travel up and out the opening: the waste is double the length of the gooseneck since you need a loop (that requires doubling the hose) with a weight before the mid point. Then, it can take like forever to get the temperature change to come out of your one and only spout. OH, NO! Furthermore, if you ever get grease on your hose while it's out, you are going to get gunk inside the gooseneck tube. Bye bye hygiene, and hello smells. Now, along the way, wall-mounts have always been available, but kinda dumb looking and almost always with the two handles. Furthermore, those jointed arms (and only two joints; see Chicago Faucets site for historical references) always seemed to be fighting against you and the arms seem to "get in your way" because basically they were too long and there were only two of them. And moreover, you cannot move the water spout closer. It stays up high. It has challenges. Now, a spout that can be moved and that stays put should be available. There are various kinds. Walk him into a showroom and he'll dislike cocky pullouts and high arc pulldowns, and he'll fall for the Karbon. Or Twinflex. Or ...

Back to the gooseneck: it was always less than optimal, as heavy pots (pasta) must be lowered into, and then lifted out of the sink when filling to allow pot sides to clear the spout - then, a full heavy pot has to be brought to the stove. So, a pullout or a pulldown was a kind of answer to this. And, tradeoffs tradeoffs, if you put the high arc high enough you can get a pot under it while the pot is still on the counter, but the higher the spout the more splashing you get, and this is worse now that people are going for deep sinks to hide the stuff they leave to soak in the sink. The solution long ago was "better to have a wall-mounted, swinging fixture mounted so that it could reach either to the sink or the stove top to fill pots - then retract". This was the theory that got implemented. It works but it doesn't serve the veggie-washing person or the sink-wall cleaning person. Put parsley into a sink-suspended strainer and try to get a trickle spray positioned right above where you're working.

I just posted on another thread a lot of information about needs and solutions; which could be good to add to a prior discussion "Choosing a Faucet Type" before getting into the actual manufacturers and their quality, which was the initial focus in this thread.

I'm sure WaterStone is an excellent brand but at that price level I feel you've moved into another type of territory, which has to do with resale value vs simply a faucet you will love.

There are some interesting observations in this thread. There are a lot of very fine faucets missing from the initial list -- not faulting the list but I don't agree with several in the top range and feel there are others not mentioned that definitely belong there.

rococogurl - I totally agree that the list is incomplete. Do you feel comfortable sharing your list of excellent brands? The link below to Trendir's innovative kitchen faucets (not saying good or bad, just saying innovative). Many of these names were not on the list such as Gessi, Hego WaterDesigns, Justime, Mamoli, Teknobili,

Please share if you have had less-than-ideal experience with some of the names at the top of the list. In this way, everyone can evaluate for themselves. My motto: "Good or bad, it's all data."

david - I peeked at the Swiss Arwa Twinflex. Oooh baby! That is a good lookin' and practical faucet. But with a price tag of $882, no knowledge yet of how/where we would get servicing if needed, and no local showroom where we can see and feel it, we have pause. We will keep investigating it. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

P.S. Thank you for the amusing (and informative) history of the faucet.

Francesca, the Arwa Twinflex is remarketed also as the Franke FF5100.
Sold as a Franke, its price is way lower.

Franke only has black, blue and grey spouts. To get the more colorful ones, you order on the web or from an Arwa distributor, for about $45.

US: http://www.frankeconsumerproducts.com/productdetail.php?prodid=698&node=11&group=32&lvl=2

Canada: http://www.frankecanada.com/productdetail.php?prodid=433&node=11&group=32&lvl=2

Faucets are confusing because they are one part of a two-part relationship. A bit like having a pot with a lid that doesn't fit if you get it wrong.

What I see is that people will plunk down wads of cash for a Lacanche or a Wolf range but when it comes to faucets price rules if it looks good. I think that's because, as you say, most faucets are value, do a great job and you can get very good quality for a reasonable price -- that equation doesn't exist in many other kitchen areas.

Everyone has opinions about quality but ranking without a wide sampling of opinion gets tricky IMO. When Dornbracht and KWC are in the same category as Porcher, Jado and Graff then questions arise about who's categorizing and what it's based on.

As for Trendir, Gessi is a lovely faucet in the Dornbracht mold. Far as I can tell it's used mainly by Valcucin3 so if you're buying an 80K kitchen from them and they'll service the faucet, terrific. Otherwise, it's a novelty, like the others.

I'm very intrigued by electronic faucets and the Deltas here get really good reports. But, for the next two years electronic will be the "next new thing" and when I look at some of those designs I think of bread dough on my hands and wonder whether it's easier to clean that out of all the he little grooves on the buttons or having to push down a lever.

I don't understand why retailers don't have set ups for kitchen faucets the way they do shower heads. But I've not seen many that actually operate. Hard enough to find samples to even handle.

IME feedback here from actual users is invaluable. I took a serious look at the Karbon when I was shopping for my kitchen faucet last summer. Within 10 minutes after I asked about it a video of an owner using the Karbon had
been posted by a GWer. Ditto for MGS which is a fabulous line - just wildly expensive because it's all ss.

Then there's the sink jewelry factor, which cannot be underestimated. You fall in love and suddenly the lists and the videos don't mean much. Like an engagement ring, you get it and the yearning stops.

If there is a Pacific Sales near you, they have excellent prices on faucets (and appliances). Ask the sales person if that is their best price, they took off almost 30% for me on grohe. I searched high and low on the internet for hours. They had much lower prices than I could find anywhere, and that also includes the bosch dishwasher I ordered from them. They took 20% off of the Bosch and it was lower than any internet appliance store with free delivery. Even with paying San Francisco sales tax (a whopping 9.5%) which you don't often have to do when you order online, they were still less.

belasea - good advice! Will check out Pacific Sales.

rococogurl - thanks for sharing your knowledge about which faucets truly deserve to tbe in the "top tier".

davidro1 - thank you again, for suggesting a less expensive way to purchase the arwa faucet. You are so knowledgeable - are you "in the business"? It's been fun exploring the many faucets that could be "the one".

Here are a few more GW posts about faucets:

Apr 23 Professional vs Tall Pull Down Faucet (mentioned in an earlier post)
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0401172019720.html?20

Mar 21 Designer Faucets better quality?
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg032055159933.html?12

Mar 13, 2010 PullDown vs PullOut
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0309302313055.html?45

Jan 5, 2010 Kitchen Faucet Recommendations
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg011056411765.html?24

You're most welcome francesca and I'd really like to hear more about how your list was compiled.

About 5 years ago there was a what's your kitchen faucet thread that was huge. I have a copy somewhere. We get those here every couple of years though lately they seem to get more technical because, I suppose, the faucets are going that way.

Anyway, it was interesting to note that then, as now, the high end faucets weren't really the ones that got the votes. The overall winner were the Grohe Ladylux faucets -- affordable, mid-range and very good value. Hardly a complaint to be found.

rococogurl -As I mentioned in the original post, I didn't draw up the initial list; I saw it at this website:
http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/sources.faucets2.htm
and thought by presenting it on GW that it would stimulate discussion about how we determine criteria to select our faucets (whether form, function, budget or a combination), and which faucets best satisfy the requirements.

I had hoped knowledgeable people would add their expertise and I was not disappointed. You and davidro1 as well as others have added a lot to the discussion. Only someone inside the field could know which identical faucets are marketed under different names. Or which faucets which APPEAR to be identical differ dramatically in construction - whether all brass/all stainless vs part plastic. That's what's so great about GW! The truth will come out!

And, you are right. No doubt we all weigh function, beauty, reliability and budget in varying proportions. Grohe's LadyLux is the perfect intersection for many, hence, its popularity. It would be very interesting to see the thread, if you still have access to it, particularly for the joannie-come-lately's (like me) who may have missed it.

User Advantages
How will you use it? Form follows function.
1. use of the space around it
2. visuals; does it flatter my ego?
3. ease of use; handle
4. ease of use; spray
5. ease of cleaning
6. ease of maintenance
7. purchase-time decision: security + insurance question, i.e. ease of spotting leaks
8. A faucet need not be mounted on the far side of the sink. It can be mounted on the side next to the sink. However it becomes a physical barrier on that side. See point #1 above

I think the first three or four are the most important.

I have ordered the Waterstone 3710... but after reading clarep-dc's post here http://www.thathomesite.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg052233451464.html I'm wondering if I might cancel that and switch to the Kraus 1602.

Which faucet did you eventually end up with and how do you like it? We are currently looking.

We bought the Hans Grohe Talis S and we've been very happy with it. The company is amazing in after-sales service.

We bought the faucet on ebay for a very, very good price. When we got it, it dripped a little. I called Hans Grohe customer service, they identified the part that was required and sent it to me next day Fed Ex - FOR FREE!

And, even though we only needed one very small part, they sent the whole assembly, so we'd have extra parts, if we needed them - FOR FREE!

This was some of the best customer service - ever.

In the end - we chose this faucet because it was the best match for the Julien Classic 0401 Worktop sink which is quite a showpiece. So we needed a not so showy faucet.

Julien - by the way - is another company with unbelievable customer service. I called them to ask what cleanser they recommend, so I wouldn't scratch the exquisite stainless steel finish. During the conversation, I mentioned we had honeymooned in Quebec where they are located. A week later, I got a beautiful book of Quebec's picturesque sites with best wishes for a long and happy marriage. Can you believe it?!

This is in contrast to the horrible customer service at KWC. Nasty. Nasty.

One thing I would like to add to all the excellent advice in this thread: Make certain any faucet you buy is certified safe, reliable and lead-free.

We are starting to see more and more imported faucets -- but also at least one American faucet -- not certified for the Canada/U.S. market.

Certification is like being "UL Listed" (and UL is, in fact one, of the certifying organizations). If the faucet is not listed as certified, there is no way to tell if it is safe or free of lead and other harmful substances like arsenic, cadmium and a host of harmful chemicals, or if it is at all reliable.

Certified faucets have been through an imposing battery of tests to ensure basic reliability, including rotating the faucets through 500,000 on and off cycles, which simulates about 70 years of normal kitchen use.

For more information about the testing and regulation of faucets for the U.S. and Canadian markets, take a look at Faucet Basics:
Regulating Faucets.

Please let's refrain from making sink faucets one more thing to fear. It's a wonder some of us survived with all the perils that are said to be lurking. But I suppose this is another way to bump up an old thread.

@rococogurl

Howdy! Been a while.

Nothing to fear if you just use a little common sense. Problem is, most people don't know about faucet certification marks and to look for them.

Faucet certification. Energy Star. Building codes. So many rules.

It's difficult enough to choose a faucet that will look good and function the way you want because it's a blind purchase. Usually no chance to test them. Instead of going on about stuff nobody really cares about why not do something really useful and advocate live faucet installations in stores so they can be previewed?

Better yet, if you builder types know so much about faucets and test as many as you claim, where are the videos of all the faucet tests operating in all the different modes? That's what would be really useful to people here. And it would draw people to your site.

@rococogurl

I don't think there is a lack of pretty pictures of faucets. Faucet companies put them out by the thousands. What is lacking is hard information from which to make an intelligent decision. That's where we come in with research. You don't have to buy a faucet blind, unless you choose to. The information from which to make a rational buying decision is available.

The best information is use. One of the best faucet posts in the past ten years was the owner of a Kohler Karbon who did a video of how her faucet worked.

Faucets are blind purchases even after you see one on a display because you dont know how it will work unless its hooked uo to water.

Thats the best research. The rest is marketing IMo.

Good point, and I appreciate the suggestion. But, we're not going to get into the movie business. We can safely leave that to someone else.

Anyone with a cell phone can make a faucet video. You don't need Leonard Di Caprio. But by all means keep up the reviews with industrial information no consumer shopping for a faucet really cares about. And anyone who is selling faucets, which you are, and betting on Brizo to overtake Dornbracht really should be looking at more of those pretty pictures.

@rococogurl

We don't sell faucets, although we do buy a lot of them. As for "information no consumer shopping for a faucet really cares about", we have hundreds of comments from readers to prove that wrong.

Pleasure talking to you. You take care now.

Sure, there are a lot of folks that primarily care about pretty and price, but that's just because they are ignorant of anything about the nuts and guts. Blissful ignorance isn't so blissful when they come home to a flood, or someone in the family gets sick because of a product was countefeit and actually unsafe to use in a potable water system.

We're not talking fake Gucci handbag here that only injures someone's ego when it's discovered. We're talking plumbing, which originated under the health codes. People who spend less than 1K on a faucet deserve to have one that is safe and functional too. And they need unbiased information to erase that ignorance.

@Sophie Wheeler

Rule #1: First the function, then the style.
Rule #2: Do not ignore Rule #1.

francesca_sf and everyone else. What a great forum. You all are obviously way into kitchen faucets like we are. Thanks for the in depth comparison and including Waterstone. We agree that our prices are usually a deal breaker, but our faucets are top quality, Made in America and have a lifetime guarantee. Thanks again!

has anyone tried the axor starck 2 from hansgrohe? i haven't been able to find any reviews but love the look.

@ Waterstone faucets

Unless things have changed recently, at our last review update, Waterstone had a lifetime warranty on the mechanics, cartridges and two finishes, chrome and stainless. All other finishes except living finishes are guaranteed for 7 years.

@ agk2003

Axor Stark is one of Hangrohe's designer faucets. The collection is designed by Philipe Stark, one of the world's best known industrial designers. It's beauty, but you may need a 2nd mortgage to buy it.

That is exactly right.

Brizo has a new articulating faucet that won the Best of KBIS Kitchen Gold in Jan. It's not on the Brizo website yet, but there are photos online and a couple of short videos from the KBIS show. It looks kind of strange with the exposed hose... I'd definitely want to see one in real life before purchasing. Also someone posted here a few years ago that Brizo faucets have unusual mounting hardware that may interfere with either the sink mounting (if too close to the sink edge) or the back of the cabinet if too far back.

agk-- You talking about the Starck high arc "semi pro" faucet? It's a beauty. And mid-range in price.

No, it's a Brizo. I don't know how to post links or pics but if you google "brizo articulating faucet" you can find it. The water hose is exposed instead of being inside a spout or wrapped in coils. It looks like you can raise and lower the metal arms to diff heights, similar to the Karbon (which I LOVE but don't want to drill a larger-than-standard hole in counter). It also unhooks from the bracket so you can move it around to rinse sink etc. From the video it looks like you can lock in spray or stream instead of holding it down, but I'm not sure. Waiting for them to put it on their website.

Edit: I just checked the brizo website and they have a pic of it on the Artesso kitchen faucets page, but with no info. It says coming Spring 2015.

Oops rococogurl, I just realized your reply was to agk! Sorry!

Rococogurl. I was actually talking about this one: http://www.homeclick.com/hansgrohe-10821-axor-starck-high-arch-kitchen-faucet/p-626367.aspx

mid price but not sure if that pull down is as functional.

A few random thoughts:

Side handles: As a rightie I hold pots and pans, etc., in my left hand and use my right hand to do all the motions (turning on faucet; squirting soap from the dispenser, etc.). So I should have chosen a right-mounted handle (and should have placed my

Limitations: I wanted a faucet that had a lot of clearance under it--so, tall, right?
But I also wanted an over-sink cabinet that came down even with all the others (small kitchen; needed maximum storage space / short person; needed more space that was accessible). So, not a lot of clearance over the sink.
That eliminated all the faucets shaped like an upside-down U. I went with an L-shaped faucet.
Bonus: It reaches out farther into the sink. (I got the Kohler Avatar, which isn't made anymore.)

Daisy09, the Brizo articulating faucet is on the Brizo site. I'm there now: Brizo Artesso articulating faucet

Thanks darbuka!

I've been reading this forum studiously but have yet to ascertain which faucet lines make 2.2 gpm kitchen faucets (as opposed to 1.8 gpm). I think I need the higher gpm in my old house. Any guidance much appreciated.

@ winonelson

I'm sorry you did not get an answer, which is unusual on this forum.

California has recently declared through executive order by Jerry Brown that bathroom sink faucets sold in the Golden State after 1/1/2016 may not have a flow rate greater than 1.2 gpm and kitchen sink faucets are limited to 1.8 gpm. As goes California, so goes North America, so I suspect that getting the 2.2 gpm faucet is going to get harder, not easier.

Here's a trick, however. Almost all faucet flow limiters are built into the aerator, which can be removed and replaced with another aerator that allows for more flow. Even though the faucet you may be considering is rated at 1.8 gpm, there is a chance you can get an aerator from either the faucet company or an independent faucet parts supplier that has a higher flow limit. It will require some research and telephone work, but it can be done.

Thanks - your website is great and I've learned a ton there - do you know if Kohler's pull down kitchen faucets allow for flow regulator removal?

@ winonelson

I do not, but I'll bet the nice folks at 1 (800) 456-4537 do.