I don't understand what the problem is with brass / ceramic / plastic in a faucet? Can you explain.

Why do you boil your water? Does this have something to do with wanting a SS faucet?

Geoffrey_B: oh, boiling water is just a habit of my family's. I went thru years of drinking straight from the tap when I moved out for school, but got back into the habit once we started having babies (and had to mix infant formula etc). Boiling does give it a different taste, it's what you're used to etc. We do drink regular tap water when we're in restaurants and traveling though.

but this makes it convenient for us to narrow down what we need when it comes to investing in WHICH kitchen faucet (we have 2 sinks and a pot filler). If we're boiling all our drinking water, and most of the stock cooking will also be from the cold pot filler tap, then it makes sense to invest in the pot filler.

All the "say no to plastic" things i've recently read are best summarized on this VERY detailed blog:
http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/sources.faucets.htm

brass is an alloy, and to my understand, MAY still contain lead even this day and age. As for ceramic (in cartridge), i'm not sure if that matters - i was hoping someone from this forum can enlighten me. Does the water actually touch parts inside the cartridge? or is the cartridge separated from where the water actually passes?

"The irony is that, after all the fuss about lead in faucets, faucets are rarely the primary source of lead in household water supplies."

http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/sources.faucets.htm

There are far more likely hazards in your house.

Like stairs, and a bathtub.

Or probably even a 5 gallon bucket partially filled with water.

Ever notice the warnings about children drowning in them?

brickeyee: naah, better safe than sorry. Yes, there ARE many other hazards, things out of our collective control, but I choose to "control" the few things that I **could**. Most people wear seatbelts yet there are still fatal car crashes daily. Does that mean people should give up wearing seatbelts altogether?

I wouldn't go as far as "changing out" all the old faucets (and ?pipes) in an existing house to go "lead free" or "low lead" (plastic-free in terms of pipes), but if it's a new build (and it is for us), then why not do it "correctly" from the start? That being said, I can't afford a MGS faucet.... hence this thread and my questions!

Most household water in the US (unless from a contaminated source) is much more likely to contain chemical impurities than biological contamination. Another irony, Brickeye, is that boiling water before consuming it concentrates those chemical impurities and arguably makes it less safe to drink over the long term, rather than more.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but to me it would be better for you and your family to act thoughtfully rather than habitually. If you'd rather be safe than sorry, stop boiling your water. It's unnecessary UNLESS your water source is contaminated. If your water is contaminated, the best thing to do is move.

"brass is an alloy, and to my understand, MAY still contain lead even this day and age. As for ceramic (in cartridge), i'm not sure if that matters - i was hoping someone from this forum can enlighten me. Does the water actually touch parts inside the cartridge? or is the cartridge separated from where the water actually passes?"

Don't be a phobe. Quit boiling your water, and buy a faucet like the other 300,000,000 people in the US drink from. Ceramic - don't you eat off of dishes? Brass - probably the pumps and fittings at the water works are brass. Plastic - ever drink out of a plastic cup or bottle? Do you think manufacturers make toxic products?

Notice that people's life expectancy is constantly increasing.

The OP is paralyzed by the 'precautionary principal' and will waste huge amounts of time, money, and effort chasing after gremlins that are of no consequence.

Boiled water usually tastes pretty flat since the dissolved gasses are driven out, along with concentrating any non-volatiles with a boiling point over 212F.

"see more anecdotal evidence"

The plural of anecdote is not data.

I'm gonna guess from your comments that you're not the type of health care provider whose education and training, and whose work, requires any understanding of epidemiology.

Unless you live in a third world country or somewhere with a contaminated source, boiling drinking water is unnecessary. Absent such circumstances, to advocate same is irresponsible.

Brass without lead is going to turn green and corrode like an old penny. Our 'gubmint' is bent on protecting us from all these hazzards. AFAIK - there are no documented cases of anyone having ill effects from using a brass faucet.

Good god, people love to dump on someone and belittle their concerns, rather than contributing anything that might be useful. Read a bit about environmental toxins, and you might change your mind. Otherwise, put a sock in it. I am also concerned with reducing my exposure to environmental toxins. People live longer, yes, but they also are getting diseases linked to chemical exposure with more frequency as well. Also, there is NO SAFE LEVEL of lead, period. Lead is a neurotoxin, and particularly for people with growing brains (eg. children) this is an extremely valid and serious concern. Why do you think the government keeps lowering the allowable amount of lead? Have you read anything about the link between lead and lowered cognitive ability, or aggressive and antisocial behavior? You can keep burying your head in the sand, but those of us who care will not. And your patronizing condescension won't make an iota of difference. You can thank us later when you've been drinking from your faucets that have vastly less lead than they used to have (though I'm going for faucets that are 100% lead free).

WTF - this post is four years old.