In simple terms its a difference in manufacturing quality and materials between Kohler and Grohe. Kohler=Pontiac...Grohe=Mercedes
If you hold a Kohler faucet and one of similar size and design in Grohe, with the Grohe the first thing you will notice is weight(heavier moresubstantial), then workmanship and what you can't see extends to the mechanics of the faucets. I believe this applies to their shower fixtures and rain shower heads.

Thanks for you quick response faucetman886. My tiny bathroom remodel job, and I do mean tiny, is turning out way more intense than anticipated! I thought it was bad when we redid our kitchen. I guess while I am going to do it...do it right huh?

faucetman, do you really think so? I compared Kohler, Grohe, Hansgrohe, etc side-by-side in a showroom and I thought that the HansGrohe was significantly better, but that the higher-end Kohler, and Grohe were quite comparable. Much nicer than the Danze, American Standard, etc.

Thanks...I believe we decided to go with the Grohe Seabury collection, and also a Grohe rainshower head. When we remodeled our kitchen 5 years ago we bit the bullet and got the Grohe Ladylux in brushed stainless...I have to say that it is one of the best decisions that I made! Thanks again, Boo

faucetman - I disagree with you re: Kohler being middling or less robust than Grohe. I view Grohe more like Volkswagen. Benz would be a Dorn Bracht or perhaps KWC.

Both Kohler and Grohe make some crap and they both make some wonderful stuff too. Grohe has some really flimsy kitchen faucets in the U.S. right now ceramic disc not withstanding. Kohler has some solid body faucets and their real carbon fiber faucet is a manufacturing wonder. It's kinda hard to compare like for like with these two.

Due to the size of it's product offering you probably stand to get a lesser piece from Kohler cause their U.S. offerings dwarf Grohe's

I've had better luck with Kohler than Hans Grohe. Our Hans Grohe showerhead in the master bath leaked behind the wall... unknown to us until the kitchen ceiling started bubbling! Turns out some kind of internal fitting in the control was plastic and wore out after just a few years.

My mom ditched a Grohe kitchen faucet after just a few weeks because the spray mode didn't stay on unless you held the button. Who wants to hold down a button when you're scrubbing pots? (It was something she couldn't test in the showroom because it wasn't hooked to a water source. The dealer refused to let her return it.)

Those are just my personal experiences and for whatever they may be worth. (Maybe not much!) But I now have Kohler in the kitchen and 4 baths and am very pleased with all the products.

I do have to say that we went with all Grohe fixtures. I think we looked at Hans Grohe and didn't think it was the same quality as the Grohe fixtures. We are so pleased with our decisions.

I am renovating a master bath: dual vanity, steam shower, air jet bath. Dual heads and wall spouts along with handheld in shower, wall mount tub fill with handheld.
I am looking at Grohe Atrio and Kohle Purist. First was told Grohe didn't come in brushed nickel finish, now they are recanting. Another seller said This Grohe line doesn't come entirely in brushed nickel. What is the truth?
I am concerned with the postings regarding the quality of the Kohler, but I love the look and feel of the Purist Line. I don't want to replace them in a few years, we are planning on living here for the rest of our lives. I do not want to have to hire a plumber to come out and replace these in 5 years.

These fixtures are not cheap! so I need some advice. Thanks.

Bubblespop, I am wondering the same thing! I have a Grohe Atrio in my powder room that I placed a few years ago. It is beautiful and has functioned flawlessly, but admittedly, the powder room does not get as much wear and tear as the master bathroom. We are now in the process of building a new home and I am also debating between the Grohe Atrio and the Kohler Purist for both the master bath (levers) and powder room (cross handles). Which one did you select and are you happy with your decision? I am thinking of going with the standard Kohler basic selection that our builder includes and then switching it out after we move in because the builder charges list price plus installation, and I can get it much cheaper online plus save property taxes by having a lower priced sales price. Your thoughts? (I am planning to do that also with carpet, cabinet inserts, adding tile backsplash, etc.)

I am thinking of going with the standard Kohler basic selection that our builder includes and then switching it out after we move in

Are you talking about faucets or shower? I'd be very careful if you're talking about the shower because the valve (parts in the wall) are specific to the trim (parts you see). FWIW, we have Grohe Atrio in our stand alone shower and also in our shower-tub combo, and like it -- both looks and function (been in use 2 years - we had a different Grohe line in our previous home for 26 years -- the only thing we ever had to replace was something to do with the thermostat in the master shower, this one is not thermostatic).

I am thinking
of going with the standard Kohler basic selection that our builder
includes and then switching it out after we move in because the builder
charges list price plus installation, and I can get it much cheaper
online plus save property taxes by having a lower priced sales price.
Your thoughts?

It will be cheaper to have an upgrade, rather than paying for replacing the faucets. Here for property taxes, they're based on footprint of foundation, HVAC, "plumbing" meaning water closets/kitchen etc (not price of fixtures), permanent fireplaces, exterior if stone. Never for finishes on any eye candy including cabinets, price of fixtures, floor covering, windows, doors etc. and our land value is listed separately.

You may want to check into it, just in case you are assuming it will be cheaper.

FYI we did a complete bathroom remodel 10 years ago on two bath's and used Kohler one-handled (Forte is the model now) shower fixtures in both the rooms-- both mixing valves have failed, the last one last week. Kohler is sending a replacement for the valve, but only after two plumber visits to get the model number correct (and we're not positive it IS correct). It was suggested when we did the remodel that we use Grohe (the German version-- now I see some of their stuff at Costco is made in here) and we wish we had spent the $$$ 10 years ago-- would have saved money, assuming the Grohe would have held up.

We put in Grohe shower fixtures 13 years ago, never have had a problem. Nothing terribly fancy, pretty basic model I think, might have been their lowest end/simplest handheld shower design, but they've held up and worked well for us. Which is not true of many other things in the house!

We installed the Kohler Purist line in our ensuite, two 12" Rainheads with Purist shower trim, Purist Tub Filler, Hotel Shower Bar, and two lav faucets. I was impressed with their weight and how solid they feel. Granted I think the Purist line is one of, if not Kohlers highest line offered. We also have a Dornbracht faucet in our powder room from the that reno a year ago, and I must say the Kohler Purist faucet feels just as luxurious and as high quality as the Dornbracht.

Kohler and Grohe go head to head. It isn't fair to compare the two because both companies have their leading products. May I suggest Riobel as another helpful option! We are a high-end boutique and even though we have Grohe and Kohler's full product line, people always lean towards Riobel. The look and style of their fixtures, their high-end quality without breaking the bank, and the overall performance is incredible. Check out their products.

If this is just between Kohler and Grohe then here is how it all breaks down: Each company has a full product line. Most companies have their toilet line, faucet line, shower line, kitchen line, etc...Every company has their best selling line. Kohler's best sellers are their bathroom products such as their toilets and their faucets. Grohe however, is the leading company for their kitchen faucets- not so much their bathroom line. None of this is based on opinion, it is entirely based on what sells in the industry and what the demand is. If you want the 'porsche' for shower fixtures, Hans Grohe is one of the best! Let me know if this helped!

Do not buy Riobel, they are made of cheap materials and are of poor quality; furthermore, they do not stand by their products. My kitchen faucet failed within 3 years of my kitchen renovation and when I contacted them they didn't even bother to reply, after several attempts I just gave up. You get what you pay for.

You get what you pay for when it comes to moen, delta, pfister, and a lot of other box stores brands. Riobel is not that. I don’t know if you got a lemon, but maybe you should go to where you bought it from and get service for your product. You probably didn’t even try that before bashing a product where ALL products can be break down after years of wear and tear.