When you design a luxury kitchen, the faucet isn’t just a tool. It is the centerpiece. Few brands understand this better than Waterstone. Known for “jewelry for the kitchen,” Waterstone combines heavy-duty American brass with artisan craftsmanship.
Waterstone faucets are distinct. They feel heavy, look polished, and the sprayer locks back into the spout instead of sagging. The catalog is large, though, spanning tall “Gantry” styles, traditional bridge designs, and razor-thin modern profiles, so it is easy to feel lost.
We checked the brand’s history, its manufacturing, and the models you can actually buy today. Here is what matters about Waterstone, plus our top three picks for 2026.
- Solid Eco Brass
- Positive Lock Pulldown
- 8.5-inch reach
- Razor-thin profile
- Anti-rocking spout
- 316 stainless option
- Hot & cold filtered water
- Matches the suite
- Solid brass or 316 stainless
Our Review Criteria: Build material separates a true luxury faucet from a dressed-up standard one, so we started with what Waterstone machines its bodies from: solid, lead-free Eco Brass that meets NSF 14, not zinc or plastic. We weighed where the work happens, design and machining in Murrieta, California, alongside the breadth of available finishes and whether a faucet can be suited with matching accessories. Cartridge design and long-term serviceability counted next, then the warranty terms, since at this level value is the real question. Our assessments combined manufacturer specifications with independent reviews and documented owner feedback. We confirm every recommended model is currently available to buy and replace any pick that has been discontinued.
Why Should You Buy Waterstone Faucets?
Waterstone Faucets has made a massive impact on the high-end plumbing industry since its founding in 1999. While huge conglomerates dominate the market, Waterstone remains a boutique manufacturer focused on perfection rather than volume.
Founder Chris Kuran, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, started the company to solve a specific problem: low-quality parts in water filtration systems. Initially, the company only made high-end filtration hardware (1).
Customers loved the quality but hated that their main kitchen faucets didn’t match the filtration taps. Kuran saw the gap and pivoted. In 2002, Waterstone launched its first line of decorative kitchen faucets.
Today, the company is a powerhouse in the luxury sector. They are famous for their “Suite” concept, where every piece of hardware, from the faucet to the soap dispenser, matches perfectly.
Here are the specific reasons homeowners and designers choose Waterstone:
1. Made in America
It is rare to find plumbing fixtures actually manufactured in the United States. Most brands design here but manufacture overseas. Waterstone is different.
They design, engineer, and manufacture everything in their factory in Murrieta, California. When you buy Waterstone, you support American craftsmanship and materials (2).
2. True Craftsmanship
Machines do not churn out these faucets by the thousands. A skilled team builds each unit. The company uses solid brass construction rather than plastic or zinc alloys found in big-box store brands.
This “artisan” approach means your faucet feels substantial. The handles move with precision, and the finish is applied by hand. It creates a level of tactile luxury that mass-produced items cannot replicate.
3. A Huge Finish Range
This is the brand’s biggest selling point. Waterstone offers roughly 32 finishes, from everyday Polished Chrome and Satin Nickel to “Living Finishes” like Weathered Copper or Unlacquered Brass.
Living finishes are meant to age and patina over time for an old-world look. One trade-off to know going in: many decorative finishes are a coating rather than a solid metallic plating, so they can mark or wear with hard use, and living finishes are not warranted against color change because changing is the point. If you want the most forgiving everyday option, a satin finish hides water spots and fingerprints far better than a high-polish one.
Before You Buy a Waterstone Faucet
These faucets are exceptional, but they are not for everyone. Here are three critical factors to consider before you order.
The Price Tag Is High
Luxury costs money. Waterstone faucets are significantly more expensive than standard brands like Delta or Moen. You are paying for solid brass, American labor, and custom finishes. If you are on a tight renovation budget, this might consume too much of your funds.
Installation Requires a Pro
These are complex, heavy units. Waterstone explicitly warns against using in-line water chillers with their standard faucets, as it can cause sweating and damage. You should hire a licensed plumber familiar with high-end fixtures to ensure the warranty remains valid.
Lead Times Can Be Long
Because these are handcrafted and often made-to-order (especially specialized finishes), you cannot always get them overnight. You might wait several weeks for your specific faucet to be built and shipped. Plan your renovation timeline accordingly.
Pro Tip
Product Reviews
We focused on the Waterstone models you can actually buy and live with: the two flagship pulldown platforms plus the brand’s filtration faucet, in the finishes that make the most sense for a real kitchen. One traditional pulldown, one modern pulldown, and the Parche hot-and-cold filtration tap, so you can match the faucet to your style and to how you use water.
Waterstone 5600 Traditional Standard Reach PLP Pulldown Faucet (Polished Chrome)
Best Traditional Waterstone Faucet
The 5600 is the faucet most people picture when they think of a Waterstone. It is the brand’s standard-reach Traditional PLP pulldown, with the gentle curved spout that suits a classic or transitional kitchen. “PLP” means Positive Lock Pulldown: the spray head clicks up into the spout instead of drooping on a weight the way many pulldowns do after a year of use.
The spout reaches 8.5 inches and swivels a full 360 degrees, and the spray head pulls out 18 inches to reach the far corners of a deep sink. It is machined from solid Eco Brass, the same lead-free alloy across the line, so it carries real heft rather than the hollow feel of a zinc big-box faucet.
This is the pick if you want the heritage Waterstone look and plan to suit it later with a matching soap dispenser or air switch. If your kitchen leans modern, the 9850 below is the better shape.
What We Like
The Lock Actually Holds
The sprayer does not just rely on gravity and a weight; it seats into the spout and stays put. The wide-spray toggle latches on too, so you are not pinning a button down while you rinse a stack of dishes.
Tunable Handle Tension
A ring under the handle lets you set how much resistance the lever has, which stops the slow droop that makes a cheap single-handle faucet creep open on its own. It is a small mechanical detail you only appreciate after living with a faucet that lacks it.
Built to Be Repaired
This is a fix-it-forever faucet, not a throwaway. The ceramic disk cartridge and braided supply hoses are serviceable parts, and the lifetime functional warranty backs the mechanism, so a worn cartridge is a cheap repair rather than a reason to replace the whole unit.
What We Don't Like
You Pay a Real Premium
This faucet runs into four figures, many times the price of a capable Delta or Moen pulldown. You are buying American-made solid brass, the finish range, and the warranty, not extra water performance. If the budget is tight, the money is better spent elsewhere.
Plan the Install Around a Pro
It is a heavy unit with a stout mounting nut that is awkward in a tight cabinet, so a licensed plumber with a proper basin wrench is the safe route, and using the recommended installer also protects the warranty. Confirm your sink or counter hole diameter before it ships.
Product Specs
| Model | 5600 Traditional PLP |
| Style | Traditional C-Spout / Pulldown |
| Finish (this listing) | Polished Chrome (32 finishes offered) |
| Reach / Flow | 8.5-inch spout, 1.75 gpm aerated |
| Material | Solid lead-free Eco Brass, made in USA |
| Features | 360-degree swivel, Positive Lock Pulldown, 18-inch pulldown, adjustable handle tension |
Our Ratings
Waterstone 9850 Contemporary PLP Pulldown Faucet (Polished Nickel)
Best Contemporary Waterstone Faucet
If the traditional curve feels too ornate, the 9850 is the Waterstone for a modern kitchen. Waterstone trims the body down to a razor-thin profile and a clean angled spout, so it reads as minimalist hardware rather than a statement piece, yet it keeps the same solid Eco Brass core as the traditional models.
The C-spout reaches 8.625 inches with a 360-degree swivel, and the lever sprayer pulls out 18 inches. It uses the same Positive Lock Pulldown sprayer as the rest of the line, and an anti-rocking spout assembly keeps the swivel tight so the tall thin neck does not wobble over time. A 25mm ceramic disk cartridge holds the flow to 1.75 gpm.
This is the right pick for flat-panel cabinetry and quartz counters where a slim, understated faucet fits the room. You can also order it in marine-grade 316 stainless steel if you want maximum corrosion resistance.
What We Like
A Genuinely Slim Profile
Many “modern” luxury faucets are still bulky. The 9850 is one of the thinnest solid-brass pulldowns Waterstone makes, which is what lets it disappear into a minimalist kitchen instead of dominating it.
No Wobble in the Swivel
A tall thin spout is the kind that develops a loose, rocking swivel on lesser faucets. The anti-rocking spout assembly here is specifically built to prevent that, so the motion stays smooth as the faucet ages.
316 Stainless Option
Beyond the brass build, you can spec marine-grade 316 stainless steel, the grade chosen for its corrosion resistance. That is a meaningful upgrade if you have hard water or a coastal home.
What We Don't Like
Single Sprayer Mode of Operation
The wide spray engages only while you hold the lever, then drops back to a stream when you let go. Plenty of people prefer that to a button you have to toggle, but if you want a spray that stays on hands-free, this is not it.
Premium Price, Modest Flow
This is a four-figure faucet, and like the rest of the line it is capped at 1.75 gpm. You are paying for the build, the made-in-USA finish range, and the warranty, not for a faster fill. Buy it for the look and longevity, not raw performance.
Product Specs
| Model | 9850 Contemporary PLP |
| Style | Modern thin-profile / Pulldown |
| Finish (this listing) | Polished Nickel (32 finishes offered) |
| Reach / Flow | 8.625-inch spout, 1.75 gpm, 25mm cartridge |
| Material | Solid Eco Brass or 316 stainless, made in USA |
| Features | 360-degree swivel, Positive Lock Pulldown, anti-rocking spout, 18-inch pulldown |
Our Ratings
Waterstone 1400HC Parche Hot and Cold Filtration Faucet (Satin Nickel)
Best Filtration Waterstone Faucet
The Parche is the faucet Waterstone was founded to make. Before the company built decorative kitchen taps, it built filtration hardware, and the 1400HC is the modern version: a slim companion faucet that mounts beside your main one and dispenses filtered hot and cold water on demand. It is not a pulldown and not a substitute for the 5600 or 9850. It is a second tap for drinking water, and it is the pick if you want that water to come from a Waterstone rather than a plastic dispenser.
The design is a clean contemporary C-spout with two lever handles, reaching 4 inches and swiveling 360 degrees, standing 9.75 inches tall. Like the rest of the line it is solid brass (or 316 stainless) with quarter-turn ceramic disc valves, made in California, and backed by the lifetime functional warranty. Flow is held to 1.1 gpm, which is normal for a filtered-water tap and lower than the pulldowns above by design.
One thing to be clear about before you buy: the faucet is the dispenser, not the filter. It is built to pair with an under-sink filtration or reverse-osmosis system (Waterstone sells its own), so you are buying into a small plumbing project, not a drop-in upgrade. Pick it if you want filtered water that matches your Waterstone suite; skip it if a simple inline filter on your existing faucet is all you need.
What We Like
Hot and Cold From One Tap
The 1400HC handles both filtered cold and, when paired with an instant-hot tank, near-boiling water from a single fixture. That covers drinking water and a fast cup of tea without crowding the sink with a second gadget.
It Matches the Suite
This is the real reason to choose it over a generic dispenser. It comes in the same finish range as the kitchen faucets, so your filtration tap, main faucet, and soap dispenser read as one set instead of a luxury faucet next to a builder-grade afterthought.
Built Like the Rest of the Line
Solid brass or 316 stainless, quarter-turn ceramic disc valves, made in the USA, and the same lifetime functional warranty as the pulldowns. It is engineered to be serviced and kept, not replaced when a cheap dispenser starts to drip.
What We Don't Like
You Also Need a Filter System
The price buys the faucet only. To get filtered water you add an under-sink filter or reverse-osmosis unit and the lines to feed it, and an instant-hot tank if you want the hot side. Budget for that system and the plumbing, not just the tap.
A Four-Figure-Class Dispenser, Installed by a Pro
This is luxury-priced for what it is, commonly in the high hundreds and into four figures depending on finish, many times what a basic filtered-water faucet costs. With a separate filter line and a possible hot-water tank to connect, it is a job for a licensed plumber, not a quick DIY.
Low Flow and Slow to Arrive
At 1.1 gpm it is a deliberate trickle for filling glasses and pots, not a fast tap, and like the rest of the line specialized finishes are often made to order, so plan for a wait.
Product Specs
| Model | 1400HC Parche Hot & Cold Filtration |
| Style | Two-handle filtration / water dispenser faucet |
| Finish (this listing) | Satin Nickel (32 finishes offered) |
| Reach / Height | 4-inch spout reach, 9.75-inch height, 360-degree swivel |
| Flow / Valve | 1.1 gpm, quarter-turn ceramic disc valves |
| Material | Solid brass or 316 stainless, made in USA |
| Use With | Under-sink filtration / reverse-osmosis system (sold separately) |
Our Ratings
| Product | Award | Style | Finish | Reach / Flow | Material | Features |
| Waterstone 5600 Traditional PLP | Best Traditional | Traditional C-Spout | Polished Chrome | 8.5 in / 1.75 gpm | Solid Eco Brass | 360° swivel, Positive Lock Pulldown, adjustable handle tension |
| Waterstone 9850 Modern PLP | Best Contemporary | Modern thin-profile | Polished Nickel | 8.625 in / 1.75 gpm | Eco Brass or 316 stainless | 360° swivel, anti-rocking spout, Positive Lock Pulldown |
| Waterstone 1400HC Parche Filtration | Best Filtration | Filtration dispenser | Satin Nickel | 4 in / 1.1 gpm | Brass or 316 stainless | Hot & cold filtered water, ceramic disc valves, suite-matched |
FAQs
Is Waterstone a Good Faucet Brand?
Yes, Waterstone is widely considered one of the top luxury faucet brands. The faucets are built from solid, lead-free Eco Brass, use serviceable ceramic disk cartridges, and carry a lifetime functional warranty for residential use. They cost far more than a Delta or Moen, but the payoff is durability and repairability that throwaway brands cannot match.
Are Waterstone Faucets Large?
Yes, many models are quite substantial. For example, their famous “Gantry” faucets can reach nearly 30 inches in height. However, standard PLP models are usually around 18 inches tall. Always check the “Specs” sheet on the Waterstone website before ordering to ensure it fits under your cabinets.
Does Waterstone Ship Internationally?
No, Waterstone does not ship internationally from its factory; it primarily distributes in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. If you are outside North America, you will need to find a specialized third-party dealer or freight forwarder, but warranty coverage may be limited.
What Do Customers Say About Waterstone?
Owners consistently praise the weight, the fit, and the quality of the finish, and an independent faucet review found Waterstone scored among the highest of any brand for build quality. The common complaints are predictable: the high price, long lead times on custom finishes, and the need for professional installation.
Where Can I Buy a Waterstone Faucet?
You can buy them through authorized online retailers (like Amazon or high-end plumbing sites) or local kitchen and bath showrooms. We recommend buying from an authorized dealer to ensure your lifetime warranty is honored.
How Do I Contact Waterstone?
You can contact Waterstone support directly at 1-888-304-0660 or through the contact form on their website (3). They are known for having a helpful, US-based support team that can assist with technical specs and parts.
What Finishes Does Waterstone Offer?
Waterstone offers roughly 32 different finishes. These include standard solid colors (Chrome, Nickel), “Living Finishes” that patina over time (Weathered Copper, Unlacquered Brass), and split finishes that combine two different metals. This variety allows for total customization.
Are Waterstone Faucets Sold on Amazon?
Yes. The brand sells mainly through plumbing showrooms and dealers, but several Waterstone lines do list on Amazon, including the 5600 Traditional and 9850 Contemporary pulldowns and the Parche hot-and-cold filtration faucet, each across a range of finishes. Prices run high and individual listings come and go, so if you find your exact model and finish in stock, buy it; if it is not there that week, an authorized showroom is the reliable route and protects your warranty.
Which Waterstone Finish Is Easiest to Maintain?
A brushed or satin finish, such as Satin Nickel, is the most forgiving for daily use. Its textured surface scatters light, so it hides fingerprints and hard-water spots far better than a polished finish that mirrors every smudge. Living finishes are the highest-maintenance choice because they are designed to change color over time.
In Summary
A Waterstone is a long-term purchase: solid American-made brass, a lifetime functional warranty, and a finish range nothing at the big-box store can match. The trade-offs are equally real, a four-figure price, a 1.75 gpm flow that is about code-standard rather than fast, and lead times that can stretch on custom finishes.
For the main faucet the choice comes down to shape: pick the 5600 if you want the traditional curved spout, or the 9850 if your kitchen is modern and you want the thin profile, then choose a finish for how you live, polished for maximum shine or satin to hide the daily fingerprints. If filtered water matters to you, add the Parche to dispense hot and cold filtered water in a finish that matches the suite. Order finish samples and budget for a professional install, and the faucet will likely outlast the kitchen around it.
