Drain location is a small tradeoff. Get the 36" Elkay Quartz Luxe please.

I hate composite sinks IMO stainless the best you can but will always be my choice . I run a catering biz from my home I have 2 back to back really inexpensive Ikea sinks with built in darinboard they are 18 yrs old and honestly look new with a quick stainless polish maybe every 3 months . I do not understand off set drains and BTW hate the grids all they do is get gross and one more thing to clean.

Stainless is used in the restaurant industry for a reason. It can meet NSF cleaning and sanitizing regulations. It blends to a beautiful patina with use. As any remodeler will attest, it's not uncommon to pull out perfectly reusable 50-70 year old stainless sinks out of time capsule houses. I have one of those myself as a garden sink, and it's 70 years old, with a drain board. It's the perfect sink for someone with back issues, unlike the too deep sinks that are so popular today. Have you ever seen an aged composite sink? The abrasions are not sanitizable. And they have to be oiled to look good and not full of scratches and rough plastic.

Oh, those are really awful looking. I'd get the largest one-bowl stainless sink I could fit.

Thank you all for your expertise!

Those composite sinks look very neglected!

https://www.kraususa.com/kraus-kwu110-36-workstation-36-undermount-16-gauge-stainless-steel-single-

Or get the 33" Elkay. When I replaced a 60/40 Kohler cast iron sink with a 32" single bowl Kraus, I was amazed with how big the sink was. I got a 32" because of the existing hole in the counter but immediately realized that stepping down to a 30" wouldn't have been a big compromise.

The rear corner drain was a must have for me so I would compromise a bit on the size of the sink rather than compromise on the drain placement.

Have to agree with the others. Stainless is both functional and timeless. You won't regret it, even 10 years from now.

Same here. But after having a grate, I am another convert. I can set the dog water bowl on the grate to fill and not have to worry about the bottom of the bowl being wet when I return it to the floor.

I have the Elkay Quartz Lux Workstation Apron in Ricotta and I love it. Before this I had the Shaws Fireclay Apron. And while I loved that sink, I felt like I had to baby it. The Elkay sink looks great with no babying. Yes, it does get a little dirty and I have to scrub it with Bar Keepers Friend every week or so. But the same was true with my Shaws Fireclay. And, the Eklay is actually easier to clean. Stainless Steel was never a consideration for me mostly for aesthetic reasons. The only trade off I have with my Elkay sink is the offset drain. But now that I a center drain with the Eklay, I can see the benefits of both.

Sinks are workhorses, not show ponies. Go with stainless and a grate and make sure it's big enough to fit your most-used bakeware in it to soak.

Just get the 33" model. The bowl is 30" wide - that is a huge sink. Not sure you need to try to find one bigger. Then you can get the offset drain.

I had stainless steel with a grate in my old house and installed one in this house during a remodel. I rinse it off but put my grate, along with the strainer, through the dishwasher when it needs a thorough clean. So easy to maintain and looks fine 10 years later.

I'm not a fan of SS or composite. I prefer cast iron with a grate in the bottom to protect the finish.

I will never understand a composite sink. Like dumping a laundry tub in a new kitchen , not to mention the egg residue that clings to them, and zero shine or luster. Sorry: )

I've had a Blanco for 20 years, and it looks like the day I bought it. Gleaming softly.

.I've had a stainless sink with a grate since 2004 and it looks as good as the day it was installed, except the finish has worn off the drain fitting, partially exposing the brass underneath...which doen't bother me in the least.

My grate probably protects the sink, but its primary function is as a storage rack for sponges, scrub brushes, dawn soap, etc. They never leave the confines of the sink to sully my countertop, and dry out between uses. LOL...what can I say, I'm lazy

I love the corner drain. It makes it much easier to push bits into the drain with the sprayer. It also makes the cabinet space nicer, but the easy-rinse feature is what I appreciate most.

So many good points to consider - I appreciate them all. Definitely pros and cons to everything!

@shasta I'm another fan of grates, but how do you put it in the DW? mine is 30" like the sink, and I don't think that fits in any way in my dishwasher. I scrub it with a brush from time to time and would love a better way...

same acm. It should have hinges so it can go in the DW. I like a corner drain because it allows me to have an under sink trash pullout.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC, do you have a fave 30" sink with a top right corner drain?

Is Blanco Silgranite considered a composite sink?

:@Joseph Corlett, LLC, do you have a fave 30" sink with a top right corner drain?"

I don't have a favorite, but I'd look at Kraus and Blanco stainless.

"Is Blanco Silgranite considered a composite sink?"

Yes, unfortunately, I can't recommend them.

One thing to keep in mind is 16 vs. 18 gauge sinks. I have really hard water, so that may affect my experience. I have a blanco 18 gauge that I use to empty my birds’ water bowls. They love to dip their food in the water and food gets stuck on the sink. It also look bad because of the hard water we have. The sink also sounds hollow and thin. I have an 18 gauge sink in the island that I aso hate.

My kitchen sink is a julien 16 gauge. I love it. It stays clean longer. It replaced a kohler stages sink and I can notice the difference.

For my new white porcelain island, I am going to make the sink out of the same porcelain counter top material. Same for the bird/laundry area, which has the same porcelain counter. I just can’t take the two 18 gaurge sinks anymore and I frankly hate them.

From my experience, I’d go with 16 guage stainless sinks all around, if you can afford it. I know they have gone up in price. :(

rocky, sounds gorgeous! Did I miss a kitchen thread? I love seeing what you're up to in that beautiful house!

@gardener123 Thanks!!! It’s been delayed, but I’’m replacing the cabinet fronts in white and the island will be all white also. I think this will be nice in that I want the architecture and landscaping to be the focus. It also gives me a chance to replace these sinks!

Can't wait to see it! I'm unable to follow you, please post when you're ready, I'll keep a lookout.

If you have hard water, DO NOT get a Blanco Silgranit! I have two in the Cinder color.

Aren’t they so lovely??? 😡 The white staining started really getting ugly after approximately one year. And you’ll notice my granite countertop is ruined as well.

Here is after I do my 24 hour long ”restoration” process that only last two days. 😫

Here is my other sink. The second photo is when I angled the camera to get the true hideousness.

After my temporary ”fix”. Lasts 2 days before it starts looking gross again.

These sinks make me mad every single day. Never again!

ETA: I should clarify. I know I should not blame the manufacturer in my case. I have read how many have had zero problems with theirs. I think my real problem is the hard water. I just got a whole house water softener, so hopefully someday it might look slightly better?

I recommend 16 gauge stainless steel without zero radius corners. A real pain to clean with a toothpick and toothbrush if any food scraps get stuck in the corner.

Hey rebunky, if I had to go through all that to clean my kitchen sink, it would have been replaced long ago. Why are you still putting up with that?

That would make me CRAZY insane.......!!

What about Rain X ? Could be worth a try?

I hope the water softener helps!!! I agree that would drive me nuts.

I've definitely read mixed reviews on the Blanco Silganit too. In a previous home we had a black stone sink (not sure exactly what it was) and I really liked the overall look and feel of the sink which is why the Elkay quartz is so tempting! It definitely had those white water marks but nothing that drastic! It was maybe a 12 year old sink when we got the house so who knows how long those marks had been there.

I've never lived with a stainless steel sink so we've done lots of research on them and I agree, a 16 gauge with rounded corners sounds like a must for that type of sink. Those zero radius corners sound like more hassle than I'm willing to do in life right now. Nervous to try something so new (and permanent!) though.

It sounds like it all just boils down to preference in the end and what you can/can not live with!

A sink is not permanent. It can be changed out fairly easily.

Out of curiosity I checked what mine is, and it's 18 gauge. I don't have any issues with it. I don't have experience with a lower gauge so not sure how much of a difference it would make! I have the Kohler K-3943NA sink. The corners don't really bother me either. I wish it were deeper than 9" especially with the apron front but that's my only real gripe about it. Had to learn how not to get myself wet.

@rebunky Do you have a filter on your water? Softeners help with the hardness but does nothing for all the minerals and it adds salt. I was told a whole house filter helps with all of that.

Actually hard water is water that contains minerals, so how can softeners help with hardness but do nothing for minerals?

Jan,

Rain X is one I never tried. Thanks! I have tried BKF that is especially for mineral deposits. I have tried Lime Away and a ton others. I figured I have nothing to lose by trying the harshest chemicals, since it is not like it is going to ruin it anymore then it is.

Diana,

I am refreshing my kitchen as soon as I save up enough $. We are wrapping up a total gut on my son’s house (on our property), so now I can focus on my house that never was completely finished. I want to repaint the cabinets, replace the range hood, and I would love to replace the sink at that time. If nothing helps get the stains off, it is going Bye Bye! If I could get the deposits off, I thought maybe the water softener would keep it from returning.

Debbi,

No filter. I did a ton of research on both systems and decided to go with the hard water softener first. It does use salt, but I only drink water and make ice through my fridge which has a fiIter. I saw the exact one I wanted on Craigslist brand new in the box. Normally it is over $700, but I got it for $150. We just hooked it up and I can tell a difference in my hair already.

Kim,

Sorry, I didn’t mean to hijack your thread! I have heard that the Elkay composite sink is better then Blanco. Joe Corlett is a pro on here that changes out sink all the time. He recomends it. But like I said, if you have hard water, I might be nervous to try it. I will probably get a 16 gauge SS sink if I ever replace mine, I would love a porcelain farm sink, but I read mixed reviews on those too. Plus, my husband is not on board. Whenever I bring it up, he says, ”You want a laundry sink in the kitchen?“. He does not get it. 😔

Beverly,

I love that Kohler apron sink you posted! Is a “farmhouse” sink the same thing as an “apron” sink? I need to lookthat up now! 😂

Rain X makes water skid right off a windshield, without even a wiper blade. Folks rave about it working on porcelain. Try it as a protector after on of your mega marathon clean events, and it may cause the hard water to slide right past? What could it hurt?

: ) Go sound off on the bold, cool palette thread ? .......

No rainx on possible food surfaces please. It also contains acetone which could damage countertops over time.