needanap, I have the same problem. I use a larger sink brush under as hot water as possible through the spray feature of the faucet. Probably not as good as the toothbrush method, but it seems to work pretty well. I hadn't thought about a Dobie pad, that might be even better. I think I'll try gizmonlike's suggestion for a once-in-awhile deep cleaning. Maybe an oxyclean-type product will work. It seemed much easier to keep clean when it was new--there most have been some type of clear coating on it that has worn off. And then of course the inevitable small scratches seem to attract gunk.

I've had my Whitehaus sink since March. I used the scummy rubber mats until last week when my new sink grid arrived. The one intended for my sink was $117 but I bought one elsewhere for $39 no shipping. The drain hole isn't in the same place as my sink drain hole but it's OK. I can rinse the whole sink bottom now and if I need to get more serious, it's easy to lift out. My theory was if I didn't like it, I'd have a really swell cooling rack for cookies;-) Also, someone pointed out to me - circuspeanut??- that "stuff" falls through the kind with the grid only going one direction. I bought one with cross bars. Nothing much falls through. I'd do it again and maybe even someday buy the one that goes with my sink. For now I'm very happy with the one I have. It fits my sink dimensions perfectly. Here is a link that might be useful: grids

Thanks for all the answers, folks: I'm glad to hear from other bakers! Of all the breads I hear about here, plllog's are the ones that speak to me most. But, although, if I really set about it with determination and a decent financial investment, I might be able to get the tools and supplies necessary to make bread as I see described here, I'm not willing to do that. I live in the country in Italy, and 98% of my groceries come from our small local supermarket. There is no Costco. No Whole Foods. I have no store that offers rye flour, grain berries, molasses, bran, wheat germ, reasonably priced oatmeal, or a host of other ingredients for baking standard in the U.S. I don't like to drive, I don't like to run around, I'm reluctant to add to our terrible air pollution, and gas costs about $7 a gallon. Add to this the absolutely horrible dis-service offered by our post office-affiliated package delivery company, which, after my last traumatic experience, caused me to swear that I would never again order by mail anything that would have to be delivered through them (there are other couriers, if one has a choice). So I work with what I have. This suits me, from a philosophical and practical standpoint, and while it's likely possible to make better bread, mine makes me happy. I've gotten used to the fresh yeast, which is reliable, and I have a fair variety of recipes I've worked out. The last one was potato and buckwheat (I was able to find buckwheat flour again, thank goodness!) and it turned out really tasty. That one was majority whole grain, simply because I had run out of white, and that improved it. Plllog's comments make me think, again, about how much I could learn about bread baking. The "soaker" is new to me. Who knows, this may stimulate me to some modest experimentation. Like Annie, if I want substantial nourishing bread, I have to make it myself. The Italian bread is good with a bowl of beans and broth but it just doesn't work as standalone food. Add to this that Italians don't really eat breakfast, so there's not much of an offering of sturdy food for the start of the day. I think my tolerance of grain-based foods has diminished as I've grown older, and it may be that baking with a sponge, and adding a variety of ingredients improves the digestibility of my breads. My diet is relatively low in cereals--I eat them regularly, but in much smaller amounts than when I was younger--and I mostly eat bread as the centerpiece of breakfast. It powers me up! in the most satisfactory way. Today is the potato and buckwheat bread--we're on our last loaf; I'll have to make more. There's a non-sweet almond bread in the freezer, made with milk, olive oil, and lots of almonds. If it gets cold enough I might even want to try a sweet bread. I made one last year with raisins, fennel, and orange juice and peel that I remember as being good. The basic dough of that one was similar to that of the almond bread, made with milk and oil. The loaves made with fats don't need butter. All my breads are part whole-grain, usually one third, though I may try upping that in some cases.

"If something tastes better, that assumes that the 'better' is objective" My comments were directed to things others said, not to a straw man. There's nothing to fall for. Did I say tastes better? If I did, I left out "to me and others who care about flavor". I think it's you and others advancing a straw man argument. Let's take it in steps. For taste, I'd say things like more or less rich, more or less full bodied or deeper, more or less nuanced, more coffee flavor, more or less acidic, more sharp or more mellow, etc. Funny enough, many of the same words people use to describe wine without fruit elements. These are objective among people who like or want to pay attention. Better? That's subjective, that's about preferences. You like mild, I may like a sharper flavor. Or I like a milder flavor, and you don't care. Etc. Music is the same in a lot of ways. There are people who listen superficially and don't pay attention to or care about nuances in performance, arrangements, etc., There are those who listen more deeply. Classical music fans might have 5 copies of their favorite piece, each performed by a different orchestra with a different conductor. Someone else would say - they all sound the same. Is one person right and the other wrong? They are insofar as the objective assessment is concerned because they're not the same, they are each different. But as between the people, which is preferred has to do with taste and personal preference, and to many it may not matter at all. You won't find percolated Maxwell House coffee in a coffee store. There's a reason why. If you want to think it's because coffee snobs wouldn't drink it because it's not special, then go right ahead.