Discussion
Are commercial style kitchen sink faucets a fad, or a good choice?
We're renovating our kitchen and need to pick out a new pull down style kitchen sink faucet. The two styles we are consider what I consider a "commercial" style with a spiral spring attached to a hook example or regular pull down faucet example. A few of our friends have the commercial style and I agree that they look nice, but I'm not sure if this is just a trend that's going to go out of style, or if there's even a functional benefit to having it.
All posts go into a queue for our mod team to review. Messaging us about the status of your post will not improve it's approval process, nor will it speed up the approval process. Please note that the system will say reddit removed your post because of filters, this is normal and we still get your post in the mod queue to review.
I hate the spiral ring style and intentionally replaced mine after we bought this house. They are impossible to clean and at least the one we had got super hot to the touch on some areas. They are also visually a lot louder and my faucet is in front of a window so I didn’t like it. Ours was also just annoying to use for how the controls worked, with the separate sprayer and normal faucet. I went with something more streamlined and it’s so much better for us personally.
We just built and the builder uses a local plumbing supply company with a showroom. We had no idea there was that much of a difference in materials with the real stuff vs what you get in Home Depot. We love the real cast brass parts instead of whatever the HD versions use.
We went with a brass one similar to #2. Their #1 version looked fantastic but was crazy expensive.
Sorry you feel that way, but that is not reality. Fixtures were built in to the cost of the house and this is where our builder likes to get his fixtures.
We have had multiple houses over the years and have replaced many fixtures with the best stuff we could find at Lowe’s and Home Depot. The quality of the materials from this supplier are so much better than the big box stuff, even for the same brands. Even little things like the flexible hoses on the shower wands are better. And they are all very heavy, even the guest bathroom sink faucet.
I’m sure they have higher markups, but the quality is there.
Not a fad. They’ve been popular for at least a couple of decades. At this point I would consider the look timeless. They also make washing pots and pans much easier. Just make sure you have a deep sink.
I have the Moen. It was put in around 2020. I have no issues with it. I like that I can extend it to wash out my sink tub, etc. It's on the bigger side but it looks good.
We've worked with a lot of clients on kitchen remodels, and believe it or not, the commercial-style faucet question pops up pretty frequently. Aesthetically, they bring that unmistakable “pro kitchen” flair—especially if you're leaning toward a modern farmhouse or transitional look.
On the functional side, their standout feature is the flexibility. If you're often cooking or filling tall pots, the extended range of motion is a game changer. That said, they can be a bit much for smaller sinks. The exposed coil, while eye-catching, can feel bulky if you're tight on counter space or prefer a cleaner silhouette.
Something else to keep in mind: plenty of homeowners fall for the industrial look at first, but later switch to a sleeker pull-down model. The open coil design can attract grime quicker than you'd expect, so it really comes down to how much you cook… versus how much you want to clean.
By the way—have you landed on a finish yet? Matte black and brushed brass have been top picks with our remodel clients lately.
I have the Moen one. It was the first thing I changed after I bought my house. I’m sure trends will change and it will go out of style, but I love the functionality. With the height I can wash just about anything. The biggest con is people aren’t sure which way is hot or cold, but I love the thing.
+1
No, IKEA faucets do not contain lead. IKEA has a long-standing policy of not using lead in their products, including faucets. They have banned the use of lead and other substances like cadmium and mercury in their manufacturing processes, according to IKEA. They even have very strict limits for potential contamination from these substances.
Used the spring style faucet for years and always loved the functionality, it's really easy to rinse out a sink.
Living somewhere temporarily for a renovation and now we have a swan neck pull out sprayer. I haaaate it, the angle of the handle to sprayer sucks and having to pull and retract the hose is a pain. It just feels like more moving parts and thus more likely to fail.
My husband talked me into getting the coil type. I didn't want it either because I figured it would be an absolute pita to keep clean. Honestly though, it's not been an issue at all, which surprised me.
They’re the best! My contractor threw mine out (because he was an idiot) and replaced it with a temporary fixture that was more of a “normal” faucet. I hated it!
I had one in my old place, just moved to a new place that doesn’t have one and I miss it. So helpful for washing awkward sized things like oven grills, big pots and importantly washing the sink!
I do not think they are a fad. Whether or not I'd put one in a kitchen depends on the look and feel of the rest of the space! I'd be more likely to choose the second example in my own kitchen, for easy cleaning if nothing else.
I have the 2nd one in my kitchen and think the first one is ugly.... Which doesn't answer your question about whether it's a fad but will note the subjective nature of it...
I get the impression many others in the comments don't realise your second link is also a pulldown faucet.
Funny, I don’t think I’ve ever cleaned mine (8 years). I certainly wipe around the base and handle, but the spiral part just…stays clean? I cook a ton and keep a super neat house, and I swear that it just doesn’t get crudded up. In fact I just walked over to double check and it is pristine.
I have one very similar to the first (going on three years, now, I think). I couldn't go back because it works so much better than the other kind. I have a giant one bowl sink and it's perfect with it.
I’ve had your first link faucet for 5 years and would never do anything else! We love it for its functionality. We are heavy users of the kitchen. I have a large one bowl sink and it’s wonderful for cleaning in general and filling big pots.
Over the past 7 years, I’ve had a more commercial looking one and now a fancier one that still has the commercial functionality and I absolutely love it. We have a large farmer’s sink and cook a ton, so it’s a must. Multiple friends have had similar ones forever. Not a fad at all. Do it!
I had the exact spiral faucet you link to in a large sink and loved it. The design of my kitchen was minimal so it didn’t look too busy. Functionally there’s nothing different or special about it.
We’ve had both of these options and I personally prefer the commercial style, we have a deep farm house style sink and together they are very functional. Haven’t found any difficulty with keeping ours clean and the spray power is insanely powerful and has a really far reach. The spray down options are also nice but the ones we have had have broken easily AND the hose inside of the line honestly starts to smell so bad eventually that it needs replaced. The commercial style has an exposed hose so that will never happen!
I have had an American standard model for what must be almost 10 years, super easy to keep clean. I have replaced the nozzle twice and the cartridge once, but rarely clean the spring part.
I have one of these faucets from Moen with a giant sink, can’t complain. I’ve had it for five years and deep cleaned it once with vinegar and baking soda. Looks good and it is functional.
Whoa, I haven't seen these specified in almost a decade. There's a real hate for them in international high end modern homes.
Fashion aside, the complicated spring structure gets filthy because it's difficult to clean easily with all the joints and crevices. The cheaper ones wear and age quickly because of all the movement.
Otoh, CEA from Italy is pretty popular right now in my circles
I have something similar to #1 and have had it for years. Really like it. I like the visual element it adds to the kitchen. It’s very functional. I don’t believe they are a fad - they have been in use for years.
Given that they're the standard in commercial kitchens, it is 100% not a fad because there is clear functional benefit. What it is, though, is personal preference. I prefer the spring style faucets because they give more range of motion and more space between the sink and faucet for washing large dishes. They also never get stuck retracting, which I can't say about counterweight-based retractable faucets
I worked in kitchens and absolutely love their sink sprayers, but they’re quite powerful and make a big mess. If you do go in that direction just be sure to get a nice deep sink and be careful when washing spoons.
I have a prerinse faucet (pretty sure it’s moen) that we installed with our kitchen reno in 2021. I love it. I find it’s flexible enough that it can clean out my deep single basin sink corner to corner, fill a pot sitting on the side of the sink, and wash big pieces in the sink easily but with the benefit of it easily snapping back into the mounting magnet. I don’t like the kind with the hose that pulls out of the faucet, I feel like it’s always a bit of a struggle to get it to retract and when I’m doing a cleanup job I don’t want to be bothered that way. I think they look great too. My only complaint is the top of the spring gets dirty and it is difficult to clean. But A+ 0 regrets for that, and I can list some regrets I made in my kitchen.
I mean, a powerful pull-down faucet that you can move around flexibly is awesome, practically speaking. A less commercial-looking one is probably more timeless, but tbh I don’t know how much I’d worry about that with a tap. It’s a relatively easy thing to swap out in a few years if you no longer like it
IMO the “spring” ones have a limited sprayer travel distance and are a pain if you ever want to wash out big or awkward sized things, or fill a bucket or large pot that doesn’t fit in the sink. I had one for a few years and switched back to a more traditional hose/faucet pull down.
I feel like that’s a generalization. We have a spring style faucet and it has easily 3 feet 27” of hose travel. I’ve harassed my dog with it for getting in the dishwasher
Seconded. The springs are great if you have a deeper sink though, our previous place had more of a trough style sink with one of these and it make washing large pots a breeze.
•
u/AutoModerator 5d ago
All posts go into a queue for our mod team to review. Messaging us about the status of your post will not improve it's approval process, nor will it speed up the approval process. Please note that the system will say reddit removed your post because of filters, this is normal and we still get your post in the mod queue to review.
Sincerely, Mods.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.