Hey folks,
We ordered this faucet thinking it would be a great fit for our modern loft. It arrived and after partial installation my wife gave me "the look" indicating it didn't have the functionality or "cool" factor necessary for our place. Here are a few bulleted items I had issues with:
1. The nozzle is made of plastic and not stainless-steel as described. Forgive me for sounding like an ignorant consumer but when the website said everything was made of stainless steel, I actually believed them.
2. The articulation of the spring is very, very, minimal and would not reach the bottom of our sink. Essentially, the spring adds no functionality only visual effects.
3. It's made in China. Again, maybe I'm sounding like an uneducated consumer but I seriously thought some of the high-end faucets were still made in Europe and the U.S.
We are returning it on Monday and plan on ordering a Grohe Minta faucet. Who knows, maybe we'll like it, it'll work, and it'll come out of the box as described...novel concept, I know.
Rosco the Dog Danze D455158SS Parma Single Handle Pre-Rinse Faucet, Stainless Steel
The other San Franciscan worried me as my partner is a designer and I thought for sure this faucet would be summarily rejected for our new laundry room sink. I wanted to order the whole thing from Amazon to save sales tax and save time (I really hate going to showrooms... bay area traffic and all). Here's the set I put together on Amazon: Danze D495958SS Parma Deck Mount Soap and Lotion Dispenser, Stainless Steel and Houzer CTG-3200 Contempo 32-by-18-Inch Single Bowl Undermount Stainless Steel Sink plus this faucet. I held my breath as he examined the various parts... I pointed out the plastic nozzle on the sink and offered to return the whole thing saying that some other cool SF design types had dispatched it from their glamour loft no doubt in south of market with haste and gee Amazon offers easy returns.... I stammered... "I love it!" was the response and days later the whole set was installed, undermount, drilled Caesar Stone, boom presto and it looks like a million bucks.
Now I don't like the fact this thing is made in China either, but I do like the price....and if you go to the orange big box home improvement place that rhymes with "cheapo" you will find on their website that the price is much higher than here. As far as the plastic nozzle, I thought this would be a deal breaker for both of us, but it's actually acceptable. Yes, I'd prefer it be metal, but frankly I'd rather spend this price and update it in 5-10 years than keep this thing around decades and have someone say "Oh, I remember when those pre-rinse faucets were in style." Seriously, you really have to look closely to see that it's plastic and even if the outer "bell" were metal, the inside (aerator, spray) would have to be plastic anyway. It's not cheapy and it matches the rest of the faucet perfectly. And speaking of the rest, the thing is built like a tank, very solid...the control for the water has a great "glide" to it and feels very solid in your hand. The nozzle looks like a mini-shower head with a row of small holes around a large hole (for spray mode or normal faucet mode).
I'm going to go try the spring action to see what I can reach...be right back....
OK the other reviewer is right, the faucet head doesn't reach down into the sink....the spring action just lets you move from side to side. If you're wanting to reach way down, a sprayer on a hose might be more appropriate. I don't see that as a disadvantage personally. I don't need to reach down to the bottom of the sink - I just need a good aim, and this spring / hose thing provides great maneuverability.
I cannot attest to how this will wear, and I must confess I am a little worried about the aforementioned plastic (will it scratch? will it flake?). I'll return to edit this review in a few months after some use and update you, dear reader, but again for this price I'm very happy.
Hope this helps you find your dream faucet, one way or another!
Update 12/31/10: This faucet is holding up nicely... there was one problem. The faucet head began leaking from the handle. I suspect the plumber may have gotten some pipe "dope" in there or some other debris. I tried to see if there was anything causing the problem and could not. I then emailed the company and within 7 days had a brand new nozzle from them, free, via UPS. Excellent customer service! I am very happy with both the company and with this faucet.
We purchased this faucet and loved the way it fit in our modern kitchen. We've gotten lots of compliments and it looks very impressive. However, after having it about a year, we realized that the sprayer is made of plastic with a cheap chrome coating. After two years of use, the sprayer, because it is constantly handled, is dull, scratched, and the chrome coating is bubbled and flaking off. Not what I expected. All the other parts seem to be made of metal, but the most handled part! I think it's unacceptable that a faucet that costs almost $300 is done after two years of service. And, we are just two people, not a family, and only cook at home about 2-3 times a week. I think most families would find this faucet falling apart after about 6-8 months!
I haven't installed this faucet yet, but I will comment on the finish and build quality. The finish looks great and the fixture is quite heavy and sturdy. One concern is that the spray head is plastic and another thing to keep in mind is that this fixture is going to be a little harder to clean because of the coil spring.
I got this faucet at a really good price and didn't have much expectations for it. It was priced around the same range as most mid line faucets you find at Home Depot and Lowes. I expected the finish product to be light weight and flimsy but when I got in, it was heavy duty stainless steel. It was even more beautiful once we had it installed on our new granite countertop. The lever to turn on the faucet is a great design because I can tunn on the water with ease even if my hands are dirty. The faucet itself is a work of art and finishes any new kitchen design. I have had this faucet in my kitchen for about a year now and it still works beautifully. I am very impressed with this faucet and highly recommend it. - Single-handle Faucets - Pull Down Faucets - Kitchen Sink Faucets'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
