I love our Blanco 10 inch - it is nice to have the depth as you can have dishes in the sink and still wash them or your hands. The grid is nice to let the water flow through. No issues with sound.

Thanks for the feedback on your Blanco sink, pcjs.

I have the Kindred in Black/grey. It has been great. No issues.

Do you mean the Franke ORX 110 (Orca)? If so, I love the sink.
Using the bottom grid, the depth is decreased.
Sound is not an issue with the bottom grid.
I love the finish of the sink. It's easy to clean the sink using Bon ami or Barkeeper's Friend. I spray/rinse with hot water and that eliminates spotting.
Actually, I love everything about the sink.

ashlander: thanks for your comments. The sink we're looking at is a Franke Oceania, not the Orca. Is the finish on your Orca very shiny, or is it more of a brushed or matte finish? I have to try and find a Franke on display so I can compare the finishes of the three sink lines. Lisa

stei7141,

I'm looking at the same Blanco sink. Have you (or anyone else here) seen it? When I looked at it on-line, I noticed that it has diagonal drain grooves and I was just wondering how that looked.

Thanks.

stei: Thanks so much for your response. I've attached the spec sheet below for the sink. As you will see, the picture seems to highlight these "drain grooves" that are referred to in the spec sheet but maybe in person you don't actually see them. That's what I was trying to find out. Thanks!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Blancomagnum 501-113-8 sink

tko: I stopped into yet another showroom this morning and saw a different model Blanco sink with the drain grooves. It was a much smaller sink, and the drain grooves were very apparent. I'm not sure I would have paid much attention to them, though, if I hadn't seen your post. I'll try to look at our neighbor's 501-113-8 sink today or tomorrow. However, that sink was installed in 2004 so it's possible the design has changed since then to include the grooves.

stei: Thanks so much for the info. I am hoping to get to some places on Friday to check out the sinks in person - and I'll let you know what I find out. I'm not sure if you've narrowed down your options yet but if you are still looking for a shallower sink, I noticed on fausink.com that there were some Elkay Lustertone that are only 7-1/2" deep - and 28 x 16.

Are any of these higher end stainless sinks easier to keep clean than the builder grade stuff that is put in? I love the look and functionality of stainless, but the wife can't stand the effort it takes to remove all the water spots on some of the early sinks we owned.

We have exactly that Kindred. The finish is beautiful and the soundproofing works perfectly. We also chose it because of the rear drainage, which I definitely prefer as well. Granted, this is my first SS sink (other than the cheap builder's model I use daily in the kitchen at my office!) but I can't imagine a more expensive sink performing better.

Cpanther, again, I have nothing to compare it too, but I don't get spots on my sink. I towel it down daily and use Bon Ami on it every few days, but I've never felt I had to *scrub* any water spots.

tko: Thanks for the heads up. I think I found the Elkay sink on homeclick. Is it the ELU2816? If so, it's about the same price as what I've seen for the Blanco. I guess all else being equal between the Elkay and the Blanco, we'd prefer to get the Blanco. We aren't really looking for anything shallower than 8". I was more concerned about a deeper sink and how that would work in terms of bending over, small children, etc. Our 1960's era sink is about 7" deep, but it's not an undermount. I took the deepest pot I use on a regular basis over to our neighbors' house to check our their Blanco 501-113-8 plus their KWC faucet, and there was no problem with that particular pot fitting in their sink (FYI: they do not have a grid for their sink). Part of me would prefer the rear drain of the Kindred or the Franke, but I'm concerned about the extra depth of those sinks. I still haven't found a Kindred to look at although I've seen several Franke sinks. I also wonder if our existing disposer would have a problem fitting under the cabinet if we have a rear drain. I'll have to check with our KD. Who knew sink selection would be so complicated? I just wish Galaxy Tool Supply had shallower sinks!

hest88: I'm so happy to hear from someone with that Kindred model! How long have you had your sink? Is the finish shiny or more matte? When I saw some Franke sinks recently, it struck me that they were shinier than the Blanco sinks they were next to. We don't really want a more mirrored finish. Our friends' Blanco, which they've had since 2004, has what I think is a lovely finish and is not at all shiny after 3 1/2 years of use. Also, from what I can tell, the Kindred is somewhat less expensive (at least on-line) than the other two. I just have to find a showroom where I can go look at some Kindred sinks.

stei: I know exactly what you are going through...every little item in the kitchen seems to take so much research! FYI - Our KD advised against getting the rear drain for the very reason you mentioned - needing enough room for the garbage disposal. Curious if your KD tells you the same thing...

Oh, and yes, the Elkay was the ELU2816. By the way, on fausink.com, it was $409; Blanco was $498.

tko--Honestly, I don't know anything about Elkay sinks other than that I've heard of the brand. I've seen the Blanco on eBay, especially around a holiday (Christmas, Presidents' Day, etc.), for between $435 - $455 or so (with free shipping). I also heard that a local granite yard sells them for cheap. I haven't explored that option because I don't yet know which sink we really want. Also, I've seen at least one no-name sink on eBay from what seems to be a quite reputable seller that has approximately the same dimensions, is 9" deep, is made of 16 gauge steel, and is less than $300. If you're interested, email me, and I'll send you the link. I'll also let you know what our KD says about the location of the sink drain and disposers. She just nixed a very inexpensive, new Wolf hood I found because it was 27", rather than 24", deep. Sometimes the prospect of a real bargain can cloud my judgment!

tko: This is what our KD wrote in response to my question about rear drains: "The drain in the back is rarely ever a problem. There is usually enough room to get even a large disposal in. We will check specs once you've made your selection, but chances are very good it won't be a problem."
It seems logical that manufacturers wouldn't make rear drain sinks if those sinks always created a problem with disposer installation. I was looking under our sink, gazing at our big disposer, and wondering if it would fit in the new set up. That's how my question to our KD originated. Good luck.

stei: Thanks for the update. I agree that it doesn't make sense that you couldn't use a dispoal with a rear drain sink - given how many sinks seem to have that rear drain. I think I might have to crawl around my cabinet a bit and do some measuring. Ultimately, though, I suppose I'll have to follow my KD's guidance because if there's a problem, it will be MY fault - and presumably that will mean more $$$! (He may be more concerned in my case because we are moving our sink so potentially we will have more pipes running around the cabinet.) Good luck to you too!

For weeks I checked on all the sinks out there and my two favorites (in term of quality and design) were the Franke and the Elkay. I really wanted a back drain but I worried because I had already chosen the Insinkerator Excel 1HP disposal, which is bigger than anything you have ever seen!!! But my plumber showed me how it would all fit just fine (he took the measurements from Insinkerator, didn't just guess).

So I decided on the Franke Oceania OAX100 (not the OXX110 because I didn't want that lip in the lower part of the sink, as I know I would get frustrated every time I tried to put down a heavy pan or bowl and hit it!). I love the way the Oceania installs undermount which gives it a tiny lip at top to place the strainer they sell separately. I found it at an incredible price at WSCdirect.net on sale for $358.80 (delivery incl). The picture they have really shows how it will look installed.
http://www.wscdirect.net/servlet/the-1309/FRANKE-OAX-dsh-110-OCEANIA-STAINLESS/Detail

As for the 9" depth, it is REALLY not that much deeper, especially when you think of the new sinks that are 10 and 11" deep! And if you have small children, that "extra" depth prevents them from reaching knives you may have soaking on the bottom! I saw 9"-deep sinks at HD and L's and decided it would be perfect because it would eliminate splashes from taller faucets and make it a better place to soak taller pans, etc. And I am 5ft tall! Okay, 5 + 1/2 inch!

mariel: thanks so much for your very informative post! Were you able to compare the Kindred to the Franke, and, if so, what made you choose the Franke? I still haven't been able to see any Kindred sinks although I have seen other Franke models. I found the Kindred for under $300, but the price difference between the Franke and the Kindred is relatively small. As for the Oceania, is yours actually installed? I wonder if that lip on which the colander sits would be a place for sink crud to get deposited. We have quite hard water here, and it seems we get not only food bits but also mineral deposits around our sink and faucet.

Stei, my Kindred is a brushed finish, so it's definitely more on the matte side as opposed to the shiny side. Of course, before I gave in and bought a sink grid the few scratches it developed look shinier than the finish. That's probably the case with all brushed finishes though.

That doesn't sound good. Are shiny scratches inevitable with brushed stainless sinks? Do polished finishes hold up better against visible scratches?

Probably a little late to comment, but just about rear drains and disposals - I have a big, honkin' Kitchenaid batch feed disposal; it's one of the largest disposals on the market. I also have a rear drain. There was no problem installing it. But I think it depends on each individual set-up. Perhaps Tko_in_Fl's sink is in such a position that it wouldn't fit a disposal with a rear drain, while mine would. I think her KD shouldn't have made such a broad generalization, unless he/she was just talking about Tko_in_Fl's particular set-up. It looks like Tko_in_Fl realized that, and I think it's a great idea to check out her setup and measurements herself - the KD is not always right, as we have seen reported on this Forum several times.

BTW, my sink is 9" deep, plus the countertop, and I have never felt it was too deep. Although I am a neatnik, and keep the sink pretty much empty most of the time, on those times when I have pots soaking, I am glad not to be able to see them. We have an eat-in kitchen, and I wouldn't like to see some greasy stock pot soaking in the sink while I am trying to drink my morning coffee! So the deeper sink prevents that. But I have read on this forum that taller people may find deep sinks fatigueing. No one in my family has had that problem, but I am really the only one to spend a lot of time in front of the sink, and I am 5'3", and have never found the deep sink a problem.

The only comment I have about the brands in the subject thread is that the Franke is a shinier finish than the Kindred or Blanco which are more brushed. The shinier finish is very pretty, but will show the scratches more glaringly, until it develops a "patina", which could take some months. But a lot of people prefer the shinier finish, it's personal taste.

Thanks for the information, everyone! I think my KD is being cautious because our plumbing is being moved (we are swapping the locations of our sink and dishwasher). He did agree that after the plumbing was moved, we could make a better assessment as to the depth of the sink, and then quickly get one. My only concern is that we'll probably have to use a local vendor vs. getting a good deal over the internet (although it does look like at least some of them do overnight or 2-day shipping - for a fee, of course - but it still might be worth it).

I do think I'll likely have to go with the center drain so that does cut down on our options. I haven't seen the Blancomagnum in person (did see a variety of other Blancos) but, at this point, I'm just thinking that I'll be happy with whatever the finish looks like. (pcjs - Is your Blanco a Blancomagnum? If so, glad to hear no issues with sound.)

If I can get a slightly deeper sink (KD seemed most comfortable with 8"), there's a nice looking Artisan that is 9" deep. The woman at the showroom I went to said they were a good sink and good value - and I liked the slightly more rounded shape.

Sorry, stei, still haven't seen a Kindred in person.

All this analyzing....and I think that in the end, we probably can't go wrong with whatever we choose...and that goes for so many of the other decisions we have to make!

Mine is just a regular one - no clue the name but they have one of the best reputations so you can't go wrong with it. We got ours local through our granite shop as they came out far cheaper. I ordered one online and it never came (can't remember who) can the granite shop offered it at $150 or so less (I paid $250 from them) and they had the shape I wanted.

What's the difference between the Franke OAX 110 and the OAX610 (Oceania)? Looks like the inside dimensions are identical, only the lip is larger on the 110.

Any chance of fitting the OAX610 in a 30" sink base cabinet without significant modifications?

cpanther95: I looked up those two Franke models on-line. The OAX 110 is an undermount sink, while the other is an overmount. Otherwise, I think they're the same size. As to whether or not those size sinks will fit in a 30" base cabinet, my KD said it would be no problem as long as the interior dimension (length) was about 28" which is the case for all these sinks. We have friends who have the Blanco 501-113-8 in a 30" base cabinet. I crawled around under their sink trying to see how it was installed. I couldn't really see much of anything, but it clearly was not an issue.

I just purchased the Kindred sink. I decided to go with a rear-drain configuration, and I liked the finish on the Kindred more than that on the Franke. Also, when I did a bit more research, I found out that the steel used for the Kindred was slightly better/more rust-proof than that of the Blanco. It probably doesn't make any difference. It was simply another factor to be considered. When I saw the Kindred (new) on eBay for a joke of a price, I decided to just go ahead and purchase it, thereby allowing me to cross off one other item on our "to buy" list.

My Blanco stainless steel sink (less than 2 years old) has been badly marred/scratched
by the plastic dish detergent bottle I sit on the right side (overmount). Currently renovating my kitchen (undermount) and laundry room and will not buy another Blanco! The Franke seems to be the sink of choice.