There is also Cristadur, I believe the rumor is they invented Silgranit for Blanco and now are making Cristadur sinks.

We are having a Cristadur sink installed in our new kitchen, we really loved our Silgranite sinks and are trying the Cristadur for something different and the smooth finish.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cristadur Sinks

This post was edited by xc60 on Mon, Jan 13, 14 at 14:33

Houzer and Swan also make composite sinks. I have a collection of samples from several companies, which I now can't find. But while the texture of all is very similar, the colors are very different. Some are very solid, some have speckles, and some have a metallic quality to them. Order samples of ones you are considering.

Thanks for the responses--I know there are alternative brands--but how do we judge the quality? Does anybody have any experience with any of the alternatives?

I have the same questions. Does anyone know if there's a difference between granite composite and quartz composite?
Anyone have any experience with dealing with Elkay?

I have the sink pictured above and really like it. It is huge and so versatile. The grate keeps everything off the bottom and fits perfectly. I have, and would say that you probably need, a large pulldown faucet to spray it down properly.

The plumbing supply store I visited recently told me that Elkay sinks contain 85% granite, while Blanco sinks contain only 80%. In the salesperson's opinion, this makes the Blanco sinks superior because the higher percentage of resin (20% vs. 15%) makes the sink less likely to crack or chip.

Although I don't know the difference in quality, I have a swanstone sink in black and it's fantastic. It is a large single bowl with a ledge. I did have the issue with white spits from drying water that most every brand seems to get. A quick GW tip I found was to rub a light coating of oil on. Worked like a charm. A little olive oil on a paper towel, wipe down a voila. Like new. Anyway, this is my sink right after install.

I hope you all know that these "granite" sinks are Corian sinks (acrylic) with granite as filler instead of aluminum tryhydrate.

So, Trebruchet, what does that mean for the usability and durability of the granite sinks versus the Corian?

According to the Blanco website, Silgranit is "80 percent granite and 20 percent acrylic resin (with ceramic components) making it the easiest to clean, most scratch resistant sink available on the market today and a popular alternative to stainless steel. Blanco owns seven patents on the virtually unbreakable, unstainable Silgranit II formulation that is resistant to stains--even overnight red wine spills, grape juice rings, metal abrasions and more. Silgranit II is heat resistant to over 536 degrees Fahrenheit and stands up to acid, chips and impact from dropped plates, pots and more."

I don't know about the other brands' granite composite sinks.

"So, Trebruchet, what does that mean for the usability and durability of the granite sinks versus the Corian?"

I haven't met an abused Corian or solid surface sink that I haven't been able to whip into shape. While these are apparently fine and durable sinks, I'm skeptical of being able to remove scratches cost-effectively.

Well, I've never had a case of a Blanco Silgranite sink have any real issues other than the one that the lady's husband shot a hole in it with a supposedly empty gun. Yes, a scratch or two has happened to most people after time. But, a scotchbrite scrubby and some mineral oil and it's not visible at all. And the whole thing didn't need to be resurfaced, ala Corian. Sorry, Treb, I'm just not a fan of Corian sinks at all. The counters, sure. Sinks, no.

lwo-glad to hear no blanco sink issues as that is what i got based on the awesome reviews here. also for anyone looking for silgranite, i went to a local plumbing supply store and it was less expensive than HD or a lot of online sites and it was an approved vendor from the blanco site.

chrissyb2411- we have a 1yr old swan sink that looks just like that and are thinking of reusing it - today it's installed as a drop-in But will be undermount with the new quartz counter- any probs with the faucet install or undermounting it?

This post was edited by marcojohnson on Wed, Apr 23, 14 at 0:51