FWIW.....

My opinion: I use my kitchen faucet many times a day every day, as most people do. I require it to look nice, be easy to use, and to last without giving trouble. Price is secondary to those personal requirements.

My experience: The link below is to a particular Grohe faucet. It is the latest version of the one I've had in continuous service for 18 years. I recommend it to you without hesitation.

I am a retail customer/user of this product. No other interest or association.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Grohe kitchen faucet

I have 3 Grohe faucets in my home. The oldest is from 1995. They have given great service

IMO, they are a vastly superior product - but you are going to pay a superior price.

Don't waste you time on that Monen / Price Pfister / etc junk. It's all junk. If the faucet costs less than $250 it's probably junk.

And don't let the plumbers lie to you - Grohe is a global company and parts are readily acessible here in the US, they have an 800 number and a service center in Illinois.

Grohe will reaplace all parts for free - as long as you are the original owner.

However - they are detailed in design - and you have to read and reread the installation instructions. They are not a product where you rip open the box and install.

It's sad that the american stuff has so many problems: Cartridges leak, leaks around the stem, leaks around the spout, spout to stiff to swing, handles that continually come lose, trim that won't stay put. I've had none of these problems with the Grohe fauctes I've installed.

Hansgrohe Allegro from Costco. They had $50 off coupon a little while ago, bringing it down to $199 instead of $250. Check the Kitchen forums, too. There's a huge amount of info devoted to faucets.