I have a 36" Shaw's fire clay sink. I purchased the grid about 6 mo after moving into our home, when I found that the sink is Not as tough as I thought it would be and had several small chips in the bottom. So, I use it for protection. And yes, the grid is a pain. My grid is 6 yrs old and is looking rough. And if I remember right, it was over $100. Not thrilled about replacing it.

About once a month, I let it soak in a small amount of sudsy bleach water. The bottom surface of the grid can get disgusting. I definitely would not let veggies touch it. I always use a large colander. Also wish I had a prep sink for that purpose.

Same here, new single bowl ss sink with grid, high arc faucet. I think it'll take getting used to. So far, the only thing the grid seems to be doing is protecting the surface of the sink. And when you take it out to clean the sink, you get water all over the countertop. But I'm going to leave it for now. I am liking my large sink and faucet though, but still adapting. I have learned that it takes me a while to adjust to new ways of doing my usual. I have to give changes a trial period :)

The biggest negative of my grid is it is difficult to clean the sink. It does get in the way! I throw my grid in the DW about once a week (or, I intend to that often.)

I took it out for a couple months, but missed the grid's positives enough to bring it back out... (I clean things and let them dry there, let pasta strain, etc.)

Interesting comments, I'm ordering my coutertops tomorrow and still haven't figured out which sink to get, the D or the rectangle, but for sure I thought the gird was necessary, till reading this.

Lake_Girl, I'm still in adaptive mode. Had negative reactions to everything new in my kitchen except the cab door pulls. I hated how big the faucet was. I can see that the grid protects the bottom of the sink and that could be important to some people. In my case, I have no illusions about my sink bottom remaining pristine. I'll certainly keep using it for a while (mine was less than $100). But I think as soon as I discover gunk colonies clinging to the bottom, it's coming out.

I have a big Silgranit single with grid. With Silgranit, I'm not worried about chips and scratches, I wanted the grid for the drain feature. I have a big garden and I LOVE the grid during gardening season, LOVE LOVE LOVE. I do find it a bit annoying to chase things around to rinse out the sink, but like lolauren, when I took it out, I missed it. It is so useful for so many things.

My only regret is that my grid doesn't fit in the DW, sigh. So once a week I fill the bottom of the sink and give the sink and the grid a thorough cleaning. I use a small stiff brush and it comes out looking like new.

We've got a 30" Blanco Super Single 9" deep undermount sink.
I like our grid primarily for 2 reasons.
First, if you include the thickness of the countertop, the sink is actually 10 1/4" deep.
Since the grid is about an inch high, the bottom of the sink is effectively raised to something like 9" which is much more comfortable to work with.
Secondly, and less important, it does protect the bottom of the sink which, I know, over the course of time will eventually get scratched anyway.
Also, as mentioned in a previous post, it's handy for draining fruits, veggies, etc. after rinsing.
While some things, potato peels, shrimp shells, etc. do get caught in it, I've never put it in the dishwaser.
My position is that it gets cleaned everytime I wash a pot or pan.
I'd rather use it then not.

linelle - truth be known, I was in something like love then shock when I got the soapstone a couple of weeks ago (and of course the sink and faucet went in). When they first came out with the stone, it was Gorgeous (capital G)! Then they oiled it, and it scratched very quickly and the doubt crept in (in a big way). Up until then I loved the changes DH made to our existing cabinets (extra trim, etc.), cute little furniture details at the bottom, and I loved the new bronze knobs. However, the recessed lights and pendants lights 'bout pushed my to the edge, but I recovered, and am now very happy with them. Then I had an epiphany I guess you might say - I (almost) always have to e-a-s-e into change. I think I build this idea or vision of what I want, and then when I get it, I am sometimes taken by surprise, good or bad. I know this about myself, yet it takes me by surprise everytime. Anyway, I have enjoyed the large single bowl sink (except washing chicken), and I'm enjoying the soapstone more and more everyday. It really is beautiful. Thanks for listening!

Linelle you are so funny, I was just thinking the same thing. I just told my sister who was here visiting that I didn't "think" I liked the sink grid. She wanted to know why. Well, I don't like that you can't see the bottom of my sink as well. It's all new and shiny and I really love my new sink, I'm in the minority here with a cast iron white Kohler Lakefield 70/30 split. It's so pretty and white and shiny. I love how it doesn't make me nuts when drops show on it like my stainless sink and I could not find a Silgranite that was configured to my plumbing needs. So here I am with a cast iron. Surprisingly it's my favorite thing in the kitchen. I wasn't expecting to like it since it's not trendy or cool (like me, haha). So anyway, the sink grid just gets in the way. I would take it out but I'm still worried about scratches since it's only been in about a month. Not to mention it cost over $50 on super duper sale. Same here, you have to worry about spraying after every use to get to those little escaping bits. Not a fan of it but still giving it a chance to knock my socks off!

They are annoying to clean but I love how it makes the bottom of the sink flat so things don't fall over. I too tried taking them out but it drove me crazy so i put them back in!

Sorry to hijack, don't have a grid yet. Wondering if I should get one.

willtv, since I ordered the same sink as you, just wondered where you got the grid and how much it was (if you don't mind saying). Mine didn't come with the grid so now wondering if I should get it. I'm still a few months away from installation.

dabrak, I got my grid from the same place I got the sink.
If I remember correctly it's the place I'm linking below.
It's somewhere around $80.
Expensive but worth it IMHO.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plumbers Surplus

linelle, thanks for this thread! i was just contemplating whether to shell out the extra bucks to buy a sink grid. they certainly aren;t cheap! i think it will be something i skip and use the funds towards a colander or cutting board instead.

My sink came with a grid, and I took it out after about a week. Like others have mentioned, it's the difficulty in cleaning the sink that drives me nuts.

Gr8day--too funny, I used almost exactly the same language about "thinking" I didn't like the grid. I tried to like it, but I don't think it's ever going back in the sink. I'm too happy without it.

I never got one. To me, it only looks like a place to trap gunk and let silverware fall in and get stuck. I had never seen a sink grid or even heard of them until I got here anyway. I'd muuuuuuuch rather have my Tapmaster than a sink grid so that's where I sent my money. To each his own though. I'm glad some people love 'em!

i have a 30" shaw and got it to protect the sink. i have never had one but have come to like it. it does require cleaning as mentioned above. if i did not have a sink i felt i needed to protect would i still use one? not sure...

Gr8day, so glad to hear you love the kohler lakefield 70/30! I am considering it but had not seen anything written about it. At this point I think I will go without the grid.

I hadn't thought about the slope and tendency for things to slide toward the drain. So that's one thing in the grid's favor. Another thing is raising the bottom an inch or so. Even though I'm relatively short, the bottom still feels like a reach.

Probably the best thing is it's a slight deterrent to keep my naughty kittens out of the sink. It doesn't stop them completely--nothing does--but it's not as pleasant an experience for them.

I took mine out after getting heartily sick of having to fish round underneath it to retrieve the silverware that was constantly falling through and under it. My lesson: if you do get one, get one with very small square grid spaces and not the kind with long open horizontal lines like mine.

To illustrate, here's my grid. Avoid this design if possible:

I love my sink grids (for a Kohler iron/tones smart divide sink)
for all the reasons listed above,
even if it takes a bit of extra work to keep the grid clean.
I will not be getting rid of them -- glad I got them.

dreamingnh Here's a picture of the Lakefield in my kitchen. It's big and each bowl is a good size with with the 70/30 split. It's plenty big on the big side to do most anything you can think of. It's deep at 11 inches with the granite counter included. I really like the extra depth. I don't stand at the sink for prolonged periods of time as the DW is right next to the sink. She's a beautiful big girl, the Big Bertha of sinks! (There's more photos of it if you click on the pictures). Good hunting!

Slope? I don't have enough slope to cause anything to fall over in my Blanco silgranit supersingle. The sink drains very nicely, but nothing tips over.

gr8day, that's one beautiful sink. How wide is each bowl?

We bought grids along with both of our sinks. I stopped using them after a couple of months.

About a year later, I decided to give it another try. This time I decided I liked the benefits more than the faults with the grid in the large sink. There can be several tasks going on at the same time and I like having the water from pots or from rinsing vegetables flow under items in colanders or under the pan I have some dishes soaking in. A sprayer is necessary to nudge scraps under the grid toward the drain. Five+ years later I'm still using the grid.

Our grid has small squares and nothing falls through. I clean it with a plastic scrubbie every so often. I used to use a sink brush on it, but the scrubbie does the job much more efficiently.

The grid in the small sink didn't last the second time around either. Most of the food prep gets done in the large sink. The small sink is used for rinsing recyclables, rinsing plates when necessary for the dw, and washing hands and getting pitchers of water. A grid doesn't help out with these tasks and the negatives end up being greater than the positives.

Linelle, it's "approximately" 31 x 17.5 inside dimension overall
small basin 9 wide and 17 depth and 6 inches deep
large basin 21 wide 17 depth 9.5 deep. Undermount, add another 1 3/4 inches to sink depth for granite.

It's about the same size as my old Corian integrated sink of the same configuration except that the Lakefield is a bit bigger and is definitely deeper. It weighs 122 pounds and they had to build a cradle to keep it from possibly falling away in the future if the epoxy or rail system should fail. It's simple, they just nail in some wood to your cabinet so as to give it more support. The installers did a bad job of it so my husband went back and reinforced it. He's an engineer so he's always "making sure"... : ) He was not impressed, he said one of the wood supports wasn't even touching the bottom of the sink. Ok sorry to ramble and hijack.. : /

gr8day,

Sorry if I am hijacking, but wanted to say how beautiful your sink is and that I am pea green with envy that you got your counter fabricators to install it with a positive reveal.

I begged my fabricator to do a positive reveal on my Kohler cast iron sink and they refused.
They said I would come to hate them because the clear silicone caulk would be so visible.

Can I ask, how visible is your caulk that runs between the sink edge and counter?

Oh I'm so sorry I didn't answer your question about the silicone. I cannot see it at all but right now it is new and clear. I'm hoping it will always be that way. Maybe it is enough negative that it is hidden. It's not as fully revealed as the black sink in the photo above which is what I had hoped for.

Dear gr8day -- thanks so much for your update and answer to my question.
Enjoy your beautiful sink!

They are coming back to remove my island and repolish it.

gr8day, I was wondering how that was going. Are your perimeter counters okay? I never thought mine would stop feeling rough and gritty, but they're finally nice and smooth.

franco here is another shot of a lighter sink I don't see any caulk or silicone visible. I think I know what they mean about it, but have they had lots of problems with it going bad? Something else to worry about...yikes!

Linelle, the outer perimeter seems acceptable and good thing there isn't much that can be done about that. It's the island that seems so pitted and it's getting worse so they are going to refinish it in the shop. This should be interesting. Having a huge luncheon here on Tuesday so they are coming after that to take it away! I sure hope it helps. You are sweet to remember that! I'm glad yours are doing better, too. : )

I love the sink grid and would never be without one again. I never had one until now. I have a very large single bowl and I love that everything is elevated off the bottom. Any water flowsunderneath and the left side of the sink doesn't impact the right. It's also great when things are dropped into the sink. The grid protects the object and the sink.

As for cleaning, I think it's easier. Because everything flows toward the drain unencumbered, nothing really settles so the bottom never gets that dirty. When there are bit on the bottom, I usually don't chase it with a sprayer. What I do is spray down the wall of the sink behind the bits. The natural flow of the water creates a current toward to drain and just carries the bits to the drain. When there are larger bit that don't get carried toward the drain, I just follow the current with the sprayer to the bit and it usually does the trick.

When I had a smallish 50/50 sink, and I put the Kitchen Aid bowl in the sink to wash, it always tipped over and was a pain. Other pots & pans had this issue, but not as much. In the new 32" single bowl rectangle I have a grid and love it that everything doesn't reach for the drain! As for cleaning, the grid doesn't fit in the DW. Every now and then I tip up the grid to wash out the sink, no problem. To wash the grid itself I use the scrubby side of the sponge to get all the wires heading one direction, and then flip the grid up to get all the wires heading the other direction. No problem. I do wish this sink had just a bit more slope to the drain because I do have to use more water than I like to chase bits down the drain (we're in a chronic water shortage area). I do love being able to set things on the grid and still have water flow to the drain without all the bits getting dammed up behind whatever is sitting in the sink.

I have a Blanco Silgranit super single, with a grid that covers the entire base. It's indispensible; I set washed pots on it to dry, it keeps the colander level and away from the sink base when draining pasta, and it protects the sink base from dings.

I'm not afraid to put vegetables on it, because I keep it clean top and bottom. Every few days I turn it over, brush and spray it, then turn in back upright and do the uppper surface. Takes three minutes. It's practically my favorite thing in the kitchen. Once a week I do a submerged cleaning, in the same session as the thorough cleaning of the sink itself (spray out the rest of the week).

In this kitchen, the open single sink with level grid had the effect of doubling the previously available amount of prep workspace. The grid makes it easy to do different kinds of work in the sink at the same time (wash veg or drain pasta while pots are drying in other side, e.g.).

Straining and chilling a big batch of chicken stock, something I do every two or three weeks, can be done entirely in the sink. Much easier, much less mess.

Does anyone have a half grid? I am getting a 33" Silgranit diamond super single with the offset drain, too. We don't have a prep sink, so we'd be peeling potatoes, putting garlic skins and onion skins, etc. right into the sink. I imagine they'd catch extremely easily on the grid, and you won't see either of us aiming peels directly at the drain just so it will go down the disposal.

On the other hand, I see the value of the grid's flattening capabilities and its raising the depth of the sink (not well put but you know what I mean). I would think something that covered half the sink - the half without the drain - would be perfect, and be able to go in the dishwasher if necessary. DH and I really detest cleaning, and would never scrub both sides of a full grid the way so many of you others do!

Anyone, anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Thank you for this thread. I am ordering my ss sinks today. I think I'll skip the grid. DH doesn't want it anyway because its just another thing to clean.

I bought one, used it for about three months, and then decided I really didn't like it. My sink has a flat bottom, and I was sick of chasing food particles around the grid. I also felt like I was constantly cleaning the grid, and it was too large to fit in my dishwasher.

On top of all that, my sink was gleaming white, and the grid is stainless. It looked like a mouth with a set of braces, and I was already through that stage. ;)

I still have it, so if the need arises, I am good to go.

Half a grid sounds like it might work. It would be better, IMO, than no grid and might give you the "best of both worlds" - a raised surface for draining pasta as well as a clear space for peeling potatoes, etc. so the peels do not get caught in the grid.

However, you would still have the issue of having things on the non-grid side getting in the way when trying to rinse the sink...chasing scraps, etc. around the dishes sitting on the bottom of the sink. At least it will only be half the sink!

I suggest giving it a try to see how it works. Let us know how you make out with it!

It's a bit of a love/hate situation for me.

Like: Leveling and raising the level of the deep sink. Letting items drain out of sight. Standing things up to drain supported by the cross bars. Catching food scraps before they end up in the drain (more later on this).

Dislike: Chasing things down the drain. Please God make it stop! Getting bits of stuck-on gunk off the grid. Scrubbing both sides of the grid. Drbeanie, if you plan to never scrub your grid, do NOT get one or you will have a crap-fest hovering over your sink.

Mine doesn't fit in my dishwasher. I spend more time (and water) at the sink chasing bits of food (mine and the cats') down the drain than any other activity.

Catching food in the grid is both a blessing and a curse. I don't put a lot of food down the disposal, only little bits of stuff (e.g., oatmeal, catfood residue). The rest I dispose of offsite. The grid lets me toss stuff into the sink, but traps it. By the same token, food gets stuck on the grid and ultimately need to be scrubbed off.

Sheyalne that is what I am worried about. The gird for my sink is stainless. I wish it were white to match the fireclay. I have not bough it yet as are not close to being in. In my current kitchen I forked out the money for a grid for my stainless sink as it scratched and I freaked. It does not fit in the dishwasher and collects junk on the underside but it does protect the sink. I was hoping the fireclays were less prone to scratching.

I was even considering using a white rubber mat as it can then fit in the dishwasher and they are less expensive but I know I would have to replace as they discolor and I have not found one big enough.

What's the biggest size sink grid that will fit in a typical dishwasher? Would it make sense to try and use two smaller ones instead? I just started looking at sinks and their available accessories. Food pieces stuck on a grid gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it. Eww.

There are a few small and inexpensive items in my new kitchen that I am in love with: the first is the double trash pull out for under my sink. Love. The second is the sink grid. I have the kohler bakersfield sink, and I waited a year to get the grid. So foolish of me! I love that it protects the pretty white shine of the sink. Once a week I clean the sink and the grid with softscrub with bleach which takes approximately 3 minutes. I got the grid online for about 40 dollars. Some of the best dollars I spent!

I'm very interested in the "half" grid idea... I have grids in my horrible, shallow double sink and I DO like them... (the flat surface, the easy draining) (& yes, dislike the catching of peels etc - I move it out of the way when doing that stuff).

But I don't think I'd like a HUGE grid -- the smaller grids can be placed in the opposite bowl when cleaning the sink.... and placed in the DW when getting gross.

I am (eventually) going to get the single silgranit earlier mentioned with the off-set drain. I had been thinking maybe a half grid might be the way to go... Would love to hear if anyone had true experience with it. Glad to see I wasn't the only one toying with the idea.

The grid only offers so much protection from scratches. I already have several small ones where probably paring knives have slid point-down off the grid. It happens. I don't expect my sink to remain scratch-free.

I am in a love / hate relationship too.

We have a single bowl farmhouse. I love the grid, in the sense that I can stack dirty dishes in there, and leave them, without worrying about water trapping and getting gross if I have to drain a bowl of pasta, or run the water for something else. I also like that I can leave clean dishes in it to drain. The fact that it protects the sink is a bonus, but not the primary purpose for me.

The "hate" part is the annoyance of having the chase particles around the sink, and the bits that get caught, and the 'fuzz' that grows. However, I am willing to live with these annoyances.

Our sink is fireclay, and the grid is stainless - I think the 2 finishes look fine together...

Beth

Bethcw, if I found fuzz growing on my grid, it would thenceforth be living in the garage.