Customer Reviews

KOHLER K-690-VS Vinnata Kitchen Sink Faucet, Vibrant Stainless

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I really liked the looks and functionality of this faucet but the honeymoon was short. The swivel at the head of the pulldown started leaking after just a few months. I repaired it (it was due to a worn o-ring) but it started leaking again. I called Kohler and they sent me a new head and hose. The support was great (the faucet has a lifetime warranty), unfortunately the faucet started leaking again after the second repair.

My sister-in-law just remodeled her kitchen and installed the same faucet. We were visiting and I asked how she likes it. She said, "I love it but it is leaking". I took a look and her's is leaking in the same place as mine. I think the problem is due to improper plating of the ball swivel. It is partially chrome plated but because they did not plate the whole ball, the edge of the chrome (between where there is chrome and no chrome) catches on the o-ring and the unplated part is not smooth. These two combine to cause premature wear to the o-ring, causing it to leak. This is unacceptable in a faucet that costs over $500. Also, when the faucet leaks, the water backs up the neck and drips into your base cabinet, ruining the wood. I am forced to leave the head pulled down an inch, so the water drips into the sink rather than backing up into the cabinet. The head looks terrible hanging down that way. A lifetime warranty does no good if you have to repair the darn thing every 3 months. If they fixed this problem, I'd give the faucet a 5 but with it only lasting 3 mo. between repairs, it gets a 1.

From various sources I gathered that Kohler produces high quality products. I bought the Vinnata believing that for the premium I am paying I will get an outstanding faucet with impeccable workmanship. Unfortunately the Vinnata turned out to be a disappointment. Within weeks of installation the half dome-shaped cap that sits between the handle and the body of the faucet came loose. It didn't leak, but it annoying moved loosely every time I turned on the water or adjusted the temperature. At first I thought it was faulty installation, but after the plumber returned to inspect it he declared that "it's just the way it was designed." Apparently all he had to do to remedy this was to force the cap to snap into place. He then advised me to avoid touching/moving the cap to minimize recurrence. I've followed his advise, but I have no doubt that at some future time the cap will snap off just as easily as it snapped back on.
For such a "high-end" product with an ultra price premium, one would reasonably expect PERFECT workmanship. That the Vinnata failed to meet basic quality standards renders this faucet sub-par and over-priced (I would have given it three stars if it weren't priced so richly). I most definitely would not pay up for Kohler ever again.

Wow, glad to see I paid over $500 for a faucet that just leaks the first time it is connected. I could almost tolerate this if it was a $80 faucet, however the fact that this is a "premium" faucet and cost more than some major appliances is ridiculous. I am now waiting for Kohler to respond after contacting them tonight, unfortunately I bought this over 30-days ago and the project got delayed...so I am stuck dealing with the manufacturer rather than trying my luck with a replacement from Amazon.

It's awesome that I bet my kitchen on this, we now have no faucet as the previous faucet is not compatible (wall mount) with the new plumbing. Go Kohler, explains why my toilet is a Toto.

*edit*
I wanted to provide some update, apparently Kohler will not warranty products purchased through Amazon even though Amazon features the "Lifetime Warranty" on the product page. I was able to talk to Amazon and they are shipping me a free replacement, I will update as if that faucet works or not.

** follow up **
I wanted to provide some follow up on this. Amazon immediately shipped us a replacement faucet, it worked perfectly without leaks. We've now been using this faucet for several months and love the faucet, however I am removing 2-stars due to Kohler's stance on their "lifetime warranty" not applying if its purchased from the largest retailer, Amazon.

Our Kohler K-690 Faucet works great in the kitchen. Installed September 2008.

The "high neck" design has worked very well for everyday use (drinking water, rinsing items, etc.). We like the single-handle side-operation; took a little getting used to but it's a great design that is easily moved to the "correct" position with one hand. I like the spray feature to rinse but it irks my wife because it tends to leave a mist of water outside the sink (good water pressure). I added a second weight to the hose below the sink so that the sprayhead goes back into the neck more readily.

After 2 years daily use (with kids):

1) The handle and spout move very smoothly.
2) The sprayhead slides back readily into the neck.
3) The sprayhead fits snugly into the neck.
4) The faucet has never leaked
5) Chrome looks new
6) Hot & Cold stopped working properly after 2 years**

** faucet stopped working properly after 23 months use. It started delivering only cool to luke warm water (instead of cold or hot). I went to Kohler's Answer Center at their website, emailed my problem, they responded within 24 hours via email apologizing for the problem and mailed me a replacement valve free of charge. I received shipping confirmation within 72 hours and the valve arrived a few days later via USPS. I replaced the valve myself with a hex wrench, philips screwdriver and plyers in 15 minutes and it works great once again.

Four stars, instead of five, because the valve that adjusts the hot/cold water mix started to fail within 2 years but Kohler sure made it easy to resolve the problem.

Specs are available at Kohler's website: [...]

We bought a new home that already had this facuet installed. I did not like it from the start and my wife loved it. I was right! I am having the same problem as Lexy. The hub that covers the handle comes off and when you put it back on it keeps repeating. The house is under warranty and they sent a plumber to check it and he said there is nothing wrong. Right! Save your money and buy some other facuet. You can find better quality for a lot less money. Hope this helps someone. Bob

I did not purchase this faucet through Amazon, but I did have one installed in our mega kitchen remod nearly four years ago. This faucet for the premium is a piece of junk. First it started leaking around the push button for the spray adjustment within the first year. In the last year or so it has started to leak around the pivot connection on the faucet head.

Finally I tried to fix it the other night. And bam I over tightened the faucet head and CRACK. The head of the faucet despite the nice Brushed Nickel finish is nothing but cheap-@ss plastic internally.

Kohler is living off their name. JUNK!

Kohler parts direct wants over $300 just for a replacement head. If thing had any real quality I might consider it, but for that price I think I am going to try a different faucet.

This is a beautiful kitchen faucet. It's really large and goes perfect with our very large/deep undermount sink. It works great and is perfect for a high-end kitchen. It truly makes a bold statement. I absolutely love it!!

I've had this faucet for almost five years and have never had any problems with it. It's powerful, sturdy and feels good in my hand. I did purchase mine through a plumbing store (was told at the time faucets from plumbing stores are of better quality, but I can't confirm) at what I thought was a hefty price (they seem to have gone up considerably over the last several years) though not near what they are selling for now. I've recently purchased a new house and will install this faucet in both of my kitchen sinks!!

This faucet is a beautiful mix of classic line with contemporary heft, and the thoughtful design makes it quite serviceable.

-The single-lever water-flow and temperature control makes it so much easier to hold a dish in one hand and adjust the water flow with the other or to clean off contaminated hands without contaminating the whole faucet.
-The gooseneck makes it really easy to slip even quite tall pots or vases underneath with sufficient clearance.
-The faucet adjusts easily from side to side.
-The pull-out sprayer is a wonderful feature, allowing me to keep heavy pots on the adjacent counter top and stretch the water flow over to it instead of steadying an increasingly heavy pot underneath the stationary water flow; that it's attached to the faucet also means I didn't have to have another hole cut in my granite counter top, which is visually cleaner and easier, in fact, to keep the whole area clean and dry . The spray adjusts from a steady single stream to a shower-like spray and back again at a quick touch of a button. And the hose retracts and the head reattaches easily and snugly every time, even, at this point, after two-plus years of heavy daily usage.

I have two smaller complaints:
-Water pools around the base of the faucet, which doesn't appear to be drip down but an actual small leak at the base; I can't say whether this is from faulty installation or faulty design.
-The temperature lever must be pushed full back to get hot water, which is counterintuitive and took a bit of getting used to at first.

Overall, I have been enormously pleased with this faucet and would buy it again for another kitchen remodel in a heartbeat.

When I saw this faucet online, I knew I had to have it. I was very apprehensive about paying so much for a faucet. So I continued to shop around and nothing caught my eye. Once I finally saw this faucet in person, it was definitely the one. So I sucked it up and purchased it. I could not be happier. I love how it looks in my new kitchen. It is definitely the center piece. The functionally is great. All parts work smoothly. If you are willing to spend this type of money on a faucet, you will not be disappointed with the Kohler Vinnata faucet.