In our recent kitchen reno we opted for a single hole faucet with pulldown sprayer and a soap dispenser.

Here's a shot.

The more fixtures you have mounted on the countertop the more places you need to clean around and the more places there are to collect crud. So to our way of thinking the fewer holes the better. Also the pull down sprayer is no more apt to break than is the separate sprayer.

Separate side spray are a pain to use b/c you have to hold down the lever to keep it working. Most pulldown and pullout faucets, OTOH, lock in either stream or spray mode...you don't have to keep pushing the lever.

Because separate side sprays are so small, you have to reach pretty far back to get to them. Not an issue if you're tall, but if you're short (or have short arms), it's an extra reach. Pulldown/pullout faucets, OTOH, are much closer b/c the spray is on the faucet head and easy to reach.

I've used all four options:

1. No spray - hated that, never go back

Side spray - disliked but better than no spray; will never do if I can help it
Pullout (on my prep sink) - I really like this type for filling pots sitting on the counter, just hook the head on and let it fill by itself (but keep an eye on it so it doesn't overflow!)

If you need a low-profile faucet (e.g., if the faucet is under upper cabinets), pullouts are lower than a pulldown.

Pulldown (on my cleanup sink) - I really like this type b/c it gives you more room under the faucet. You don't keep hitting the faucet w/pots, etc. when working in the sink b/c the faucet is so low.

Pulldowns are also supposed to be the most ergonomically-friendly type b/c it's a more natural motion to grasp the faucet head and pull it down to use it (if you need to pull it out, you don't always have to).

I can also "lock" the direction of the water flow by mounting the head of my pulldown faucet at various angles in the "seat".

To clarify the difference b/w a pullout & a pulldown...

A pull down is usually a high-arc faucet and you pull the head down towards the bottom of the sink.

Pulldown:

A pullout is usually a low-profile faucet and you pull it out toward you.

Pullout:

thank you! My sink is under a window so it can be as tall as I want... thanks again...
Willty, I love your kitchen!

Pull Down
A faucet in which the faucet head pulls straight down toward the bottom of the sink. For example, Kohler Vinnata, Kohler Simplice

• Pros

  • Supposed to be better "ergonomically." The movement of grabbing the faucet head and pulling down is a more natural movement than grabbing it and pulling it out. It has to do with how you have to grab a hold of the head.

  • Can fit taller pots, pitchers, etc. under them b/c of the high arc

  • Look cool! :-)

Cons

• Not easy to do "hands free" pot filling when a pot is on the counter next to the sink (as opposed to in the sink)

• If not careful, more splashing than a pullout or non-pull faucet

• Some here have noticed water pressure problems w/high arc faucets. If you have low water pressure to begin with, the fact that the water has to travel an additional 8 to 10 inches (depending on the height of the faucet) further reduces the pressure

• Some posters on this forum have reported that they don't like that the pull-down faucet is so close to the rear side of the sink. It means they have to reach their arm farther into the sink to get it, and that distance, combined with 4-5" of granite in front of an undermounted sink, can be hard on the back (side sprays are even worse, though)

• Some posters say they have more splashing behind their sinks.

Pull Out
A faucet in which the faucet head pulls out toward you. For example, Kohler Fairfax

• Pros

  • Easier to fill pots on the counter next to the sink. You just pull the faucet head out, hook it on the side of the pot, and go! Then when full, just move/slide it over, no lifting it out of the sink.

  • Less splashing than a pull down

  • Lower profile, especially useful if you have a faucet in a small area (where a high arc would overwhelm) or if you have limited height to work with (like under a cabinet)

Cons

• Unless you have a very deep sink, cannot fit a tall pot or pitcher under it

Side Spray
Pros

• May be less expensive to buy a non-spray faucet + side spray (it's all I could think of, sorry!)

Cons

• Spray cannot be "locked" on, you must always hold down the lever to not only stay in spray but to keep the water flowing at all

• Sit very far back on the counter

Personally, I have both a pullout & a pulldown...a pulldown at the main/cleanup sink and a pullout at the prep sink. The original reason I got a pullout at the prep sink is that it's in the corner close to the cabinets above and I wanted a lower profile faucet. But now I'm glad I got it as it's easier to fill pots on the side. The other thing it's easier to fill is the bucket for clean water for the fish tank! When it has 5 gallons in it it's too heavy to easily lift out of the deep sinks we have and then take it out...it's much easier to fill it on the counter and take it off w/o additional lifting up.

Oh, and don't be "fooled" by display faucets. The heads will either be dangling or fixed. Some places lock them down so people [kids] can't play with them. Most, though,...

thank you very much!

How about the idea of drilling a couple of extra holes and cover them with metal plugs just in case, for the future?

We wanted a professional "pre-rinse" faucet. They are very tall, and are derived from the true commercial faucets you might see in a restaurant or other commercial kitchen, or at a butcher's, or behind the counter at a supermarket meat or deli section. Many high-end brands make them, like KWC, Blanco, Franke, Dornbracht, Hansgrohe, and others. However, our budget was limited. We couldn't afford those, so instead chose a Kraus brand. We were inspired by Robinst's photos of the faucet, and other reports that the Kraus gives the most bang for the buck. Here's the thing - it has BOTH a powerful spray and a regular flow faucet at the same time! It's like the best of both worlds. Plus, no need to pull on a hose, or worry about dangling, or have the hose get caught on something below the sink. The water pressure is great. The price is amazing too. We've had it installed for about 8 months and love it more now than even when we installed it. It also adds wow factor to our kitchen.

As to holes in your granite. If I were you, I'd make up my mind now whether you want a single-hole faucet (SO much easier to clean around), or a faucet with side spray. Also, decide NOW whether you want your filter at the sink or not while the contractor is there (will you be having water-in-the-door in your fridge? If not, and you don't like the taste of your water, get the filter at your sink). The reality is, once everything is installed, it is unlikely you will change out anything later, unless what you installed is unworkable. Honestly, it's best just to make a decision now. I advise you to make up your mind, based on your needs and the wise advise of this forum.

Kraus KPF-1602 Pre-rinse faucet

Robinst's pics of her kitchen with faucet

if you're not sure what you want, an option could be to have your fabricators *template* the extra holes, or keep the template that came with your sink, but not cut any extra holes at this time. then later you could drill the holes if you decide to. that's what I did in my previous kitchen when I couldn't decide

it's waaay harder to un-drill holes in granite.

Thank you all for all the great information! I am printing this to show to my DH.
mntfever, great idea about keeping the template... but I thought that once the granite is installed you run the risk of cracking if you drill any extra holes, is that true?
thanks!

Glancing through I didn't see this, but I want to say that pretty much any pull-out / pull-down sprayer is better made and more robust that any side sprayer I've seen.

Measurement-wise, you need to keep in mind the spacing from the back of the sink and the backsplash/wall. Several people have run into problems with side-handled faucets where there was not enough room to push the handle back to full cold without striking the wall. You will need to check the installation notes beforehand to see how far the handle swings. I know that some faucets have less rearward swing than others.

weedmeister, thanks, we will make sure we measure...

is it true that you run the risk of cracking the granite if you try drill holes after installation?

There was recently another thread on this topic which I've linked to below. It includes photos of my Delta pull-down faucet which I like very much, in my Silgranit sink. Now that I have it I think I made the right (budget-dictated) choice even though I was enamored of a Brizo pull-out model.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pull-out vs. pull-down

the fabricator told me he could come back any time to drill more holes (for an additional fee, since it would be after installation was complete) and didn't act like it was anything out of the ordinary. I never did have any more faucet/dispenser holes drilled, though, as we ended up selling the house way faster than we thought.

More recently, a DIY Network TV tip showed a homeowner drilling a hole in installed granite with the help of the Sweat Equity host and the granite and homeowner looked happy and not screaming (or maybe that's just what I would do) so I assume that the granite was fine.

I'm sorry that I can't report on actual personal experience though!