oh man! i wish he did the deeper ledge with all the sinks to mimic the galley brand functionality. sigh...

I know--I felt the same way. However.....as I've seen more ledge sinks in use and talked to people who have them, I'm starting to wonder if I actually need/want two ledges. It all depends on how you envision yourself using two ledges at once, but for me, it was attractive primarily so I could chop produce on the top ledge and then sweep it into a salad bowl that is nested in the lower ledge. But one person I talked to said they do exactly that with just a single ledge, only they sit their bowl on the bottom of the sink (vs. nesting it in a lower ledge)--they felt they had all the same functionality, but it reduced the number of accessories/clutter (e.g., a ledge with a bowl-cutout) they needed and didn't limit them to containers/bowls that are specific to the cutouts in the ledge. How do you imagine wanting to use your sink for optimal functionality?

Jessica Harvey, as I'm on the fence re. one vs two ledges, could you comment on whether you've found two particularly useful? Are there tasks you ask of it that just wouldn't work as well if you only had one ledge?

hmm... thats very interesting info

Thanks everyone for this great archive of information. It may also be helpful to some people to realize that The Galley and only a select few other brands manufacture their stainless steel sinks with 316 stainless steel vs. the 304 commonly used. The 316 is much more expensive which is where the added cost comes in with The Galley. 316 is marine-grade and resistant to salts and chlorine, potentially giving you years of extra life with the sink. That said, I'm still on the fence about whether the extra cost is worth it. If you keep a 304 sink rinsed out and aren't regularly dumping high concentrations of salty water into the sink, a 304 sink might suffice. In harsh conditions outdoors, both 304 and 316 can rust within a month if not properly maintained.

Hello all - sadly I don't have time to read all the interesting posts and see all the fun photos here anymore. I rarely have time to jump on... :( Gardenweb has been so good to me though, and I want to try to make time to answer any questions people have on the galley and create good sinks as I have both. I can't promise a quick answer, but if you have any specific questions that you can't find on this thread, speak up and I'll see if I can help :)

What amazing info! I was about to pull the trigger on the Franke culinary or chefs this morning but it isn't exactly what I need- then I saw this amazing thread. I need a cutting board and drying station most. I love square but I previously had a Kohler with sharp corners (love the look hated trying desperately to clean the very inner corners. Anyone have experience with Franke vs. the creategoodsinks, Kohler stages or Galley (crazy price point)?

@Dormelles THANK YOU SO MUCH for such a comprehensive response. I'm in a very expeditious research phase and your response could not have been more helpful. Hats off to such a considerate person. I'm checking out all of your recommendations and will update shortly and hopefully pay-it-forward.

@Dormelles one quick question... did you look at Franke?

@SOURCED INTERIORS Yes, I did look at Franke early on but then decided on a workstation-style format and was unaware that they offered something like that. Among the non-custom brands, Kohler has a more prominent reputation than Franke for workstation sinks, but I was scared off from Kohler by reports of people seeing premature rust with them (you'll find a number of comments in numerous threads here at Houzz regarding that) and also from my own observation that the sink grid feet were cracked on at least two Kohler showroom samples I saw. A lot of people really seem to like Kohler, though, and haven't had any issues.

Any type of stainless steel can rust if not cared for properly, including the marine-grade 316 which is more resistant to rust from salts than the 304 grade. To care for a stainless steel sink of any type, you'll want to avoid prolonged contact with salts and acids such as vinegar, and you should never use chlorine bleach in the sink. Also, never use steel wool scouring pads on a stainless steel sink which will corrode it. You'll want to avoid leaving standing water in contact with the sink for long periods of time, and you can use various formulas for treating and protecting the sink like this stainless steel cleaner from John Boos, available through various retailers and similar to many other such products on the market. As mentioned in my previous comment, the purity of the stainless steel also plays a large part in rust resistance, and some companies lack transparency about this.

What drew me to Havens Metal for my sink purchase were several factors including the outstanding reviews of the brand here at Houzz, the better pricing compared to Rachiele, its nearest competitor (Havens used to manufacture Rachiele's sinks, by the way), and in particular the textured Prestige finish which hides water spots and scratches. I've not seen any other sink manufacturer that offers such a finish, and it is a game-changer when it comes to those features of stainless steel that can be problematic for some people. All of Havens welds are done underneath, so you won't see the sloppy weld marks on their sinks that you can occasionally see on The Galley. Also, all of Havens stainless steel sinks and accessories are now 316 grade. We're ordering new cabinets as part of the sink installation and plan to undemount the sink so that the cutting board surface sits at a height of 37 1/2" with a stone countertop above that for a countertop height of about 38 3/4". I'm 5'7" tall, and those working heights are good for me to help prevent back strain.

My sympathy goes out to you being ready to purchase and then at the last minute finding some new information. The same happened to me with a vent hood purchase, being within 30 minutes of purchasing something else and then finding more information here at Houzz that helped direct me elsewhere to a more effective design with better ventilation. I wish you the best in your ongoing research.

Thank you so much again @Dormelles!

While building and planning my kitchen I looked at the Julian, Galley, Kohler and Creategoodsinks. All are workstation sinks which I think that is the direction of high end kitchen sinks. It is after all only a kitchen sink and that is what led me to creategoodsinks. Their version of a workstation kitchen sink has all the amenities of the others without the price tag. I bought it and love it. No regrets. I did resently see a video on a Japanese sink that had 3 tiers in the bowl and that piqued my interest but I am happy with my purchase.

@Aglitter thank you for the great info. We are considering the Galley sink but I will take a look at Havens Metal. What type of vent hood did you go with at the last minute? We are doing a kitchen remodel too and will be getting a new vent hood. Thank you again.

@Tiffany P This popular and stylish GE Monogram vent hood was the one I almost bought. Then I found several threads in which the user "kaseki" commented, and you can find them by searching for his name here at Houzz. He is an engineer from California and has done extensive research on kitchen ventilation. The basic idea he and others explain is that not only is a ducted hood valuable (versus a recirculating one) for the best ventilation, but also a hood that has an adequate under-hood capture area to hold the cooking effluent that may outpace the rate of the blower. This topic is so much more extensive than that, but that's a start for you.

We ended up with a Wolf vent hood that I found on sale as a display model. Lots of showrooms clearance these from time to time. The price difference between the GE and the Wolf on sale including the blower and duct cover was only $600 more for the Wolf with a much better shape for under-hood capture area. Also be aware that your jurisdiction may restrict the blower's CFM rating to a certain level (varies around the country) without a make-up air (MUA) system, which is expensive to install. Wolf has a lower-power blower option that fit with our jurisdiction's requirements which is why we focused on that brand. Other pro-style vent hoods usually start with more powerful blowers that require the MUA systems. Also be aware that for best extraction, you'll want the hood to measure at least 6 inches wider than your range. As I've researched kitchen renovations, I've found other people like myself who selected to make a workstation sink and a good vent hood the two big splurges for the kitchen. More than anything else, they directly effect the efficiency of your cooking processes.

We are planning a full kitchen remodel and I'm deep in the research. I had my heart set on the Galley (60" in a peninsula) but costs are mounting and I'm now looking at creategoodsinks. I'd love to hear any updates for those who chose one way or the other. We're planning a relatively high-end kitchen, but I also want to be reasonable in terms of allocating the budget and not be hung up on excessive trends. Eg. definitely going for a Wolf rangetop, ovens/dw Miele, but not sure whether to do built in fridge or not. Similarly, if people are happy with the quality and function of Galley alternatives, I'd be happy to go another comparable route - but still the workstation sink approach. Being in Canada, the prices hit us even harder.

SK - FWIW, we went with Rachiele a few years ago and we couldn't be happier. The mess stays in the sink and the counter keeps clean. I realize that it's expensive, but the low maintenance (just an occasional wipe) and clean counters make up the difference. (We saved on not replacing the fridge).

SK - have you had a chance to, um, fondle a Galley sink yet? There's at least one in a showroom here in Ottawa, and I took the opportunity to have a really good look at it and spend time using it. They are knock-offs of the Rachiele sinks, but they're missing a few small but essential details that will drive you beyond bonkers.

I spent a looong time choosing our sink, and ended up splurging on the fancy Rachiele copper workstation sink. It's his premium sink, and the price includes a whole array of extras. It does everything it says on the box, and more, and we LOVE it. I'd never go back to a regular sink. Dino's website is full of useful insights, and he's absolutely super to work with, by email and on the phone, as was everyone else in his office I dealt with. Great bunch of people who take pride in their work, and it shows.

He often has sales, and if you can make it to the border, you can pick it up in the USA and drive it across. I didn't have time, and the shipping was high, but not prohibitively so. And the crate was spectacular - I convinced all the trades people it was a coffin sitting out there in the garage, lol.

If you've got any more questions, fire away!

@SK You sound like the perfect customer for a Julien workstation sink. They are made in Canada of impeccable materials with exacting standards and would be exempt from cross-border duty and tax for you.

Dormelles - the Julien workstation sink isn't a patch on the Rachiele sink. It's not as well thought through, there's less attention to detail and, comparing dimensions between Rachiele and Julien, there isn't much to be gained on price, either; Duty, etc, notwithstanding. Nor are they available in copper.

If the OP just wanted a plain stainless xl box sink, better to go to a local fabricator and buy the accessories online.

@bubblyjock Thanks for the additional information on Julien. It is true as far as I'm aware that Julien doesn't produce copper sinks. My basis for recommending Julien's stainless steel sinks is the OP's Canadian location and the glowing review that Dino Rachiele himself, the owner of the Rachiele Custom Sinks company gives Julien on his own wesite under the heading, "What about stainless sinks? How do yours compare?" He wrote as follows, current as of November 18, 2019 (bold emphasis added):

". . . I have to say that we are not the only fine quaility stainless sink manufacturer in the world. I would put Julien Sinks, of Canada, in a somewhat similar quality range as ours. That being said, I have seen sinks built by other so-called Luxury brands have ripples in their stainless due to careless quality control. So . . . why buy a Rachiele stainless steel sink? First, the right or left rear drain is THE most important reason. . . . Secondly, our Millennia stainless is exclusive and helps to hide scratches and water spots. Thirdly, we offer a rustic matte stainless that looks just like zinc and is very easy to repair if scratched. This, to my knowledge, is unavailable elsewhere. But, if you find a right rear drain stainless sink that is made by one of the few quality stainless steel sink manufacturers, and it is less expensive than ours - buy it. Really!!! Julien, in Canada builds a great quality stainless steel sink. They are about the only company I can recommend other than mine. Now, if you are looking for a workstation sink, nobody builds one with a design even close to the functionality of my NexGen sink. There isn't even a close second."

Can someone please tell me if Rachiele stainless steel sinks compares to the Galley sink?
We are looking into a 57.5 inch Galley sink
( Workstation 5) but want to save some money.
Thanks

My opinion is that the Rachiele sink is better in design and can be customized to fit your specific needs. Dino is also great to work with. You get what you pay for.

I would second Jerry's conclusion. I spent a long time fiddling around with a Galley sink, and I wasn't as impressed in real life as I was by their marketing (which is excellent - well-illustrated, and informative). I took a leap of faith when I bought our Rachiele sink. I did a ton of research on it, too, and it's even nicer in real life than it is as illustrated on the somewhat quirky Rachiele website. Rachiele were beyond amazing to deal with - every person I talked or emailed with was friendly, knowledgeable and courteous.

From a usage perspective, the Rachiele design is much better. There are inherent flaws in the Galley sink that may drive you bonkers. Go play with them both if you can!

what flaws are you referring to? (Researching sinks myself)

@Harry Doyle and @Anu Singh, normally I wouldn't make a comment like this as it usually goes without saying, but both of you seem to be sincerely looking for information and would truly benefit from reading all of the comments in this thread. Please set aside some time to do so even though it may seem like a long read. Your questions have already been largely answered here.

Has anyone used a Ruvatti work station . Trying to compare it to the galley never came across the Rachie. I am going to check it out.

Rachiele

I spent a while with a showroom Ruvati sink looking at all the detail, and it's a nice sink. I didn't like the Ruvati accessories quite as much as what the private brands Rachiele and Havens offer. It was ultimately my personal preference for accessories designs that drove my selection on the sink (Havens) with a few other manufacturing feature options as well that played a role. Sometimes sink accessories can be interchangeable among brands if the ledge measurements front-to-back are the same, but ideally you would want to be happy with the majority of accessories that are a brand match to the sink brand you select.

Thank you.

We’ve had the 60” (5 ft) Galley sink with Galley Tap fixtures for over 2 years now and have been extremely happy with both the function and quality. We have ordered the 48” (4 ft) Galley sink with Galley Tap fixtures to install in our kitchen remodel in our vacation home this month.

@bubblyjock just curious what were your issues with Galley sinks that would drive someone bonkers?

@Aglitter I have now priced the galley, rachiele and haven metal 4' sinks. rachiele (next gen series) and haven (prestige finish) are similarly priced before adding any accessories. i tried my friend's haven accessories and they were way too heavy for me and not really the kind of accessories I want anyway. Rachiele's accessories were either expensive for what they were or not accessories i want. So i am left with either the Galley sink which comes with the accessories we want (which includes a cutting board that is long enough that the edges rest on the counter - my husband is concerned he will nick the counter when cutting if it rests on a ledge - he knows his limitations in life) or getting a haven ($4,300) or rachiele sink ($4,600) only without accessories (close to the cost of the galley including all accessories we need) and buying custom made accessories from somewhere else which seems like a huge hassle.

The Galley's strength really is with accessories, so if you favor them, I would go with The Galley.

@rhenergy1gmailcom Thank you for sharing the photo. After using it, do you feel a drydock would be useful or not necessary at all. We're also looking at a 5' or 5'+18" drydock or 6'?? Any after thoughts? Thank you

We have the standard accessories that are provided with our 5' Galley sink (2 deck/cutting boards, two colanders, two mixing bowls, two platforms with round holes that can be used for colander or mixing bowl, one drying rack). All of them can be set level with the counter or turned 90 degrees and fits the lower rim that makes them about 3/4" below the counter level (all Galley accessories have this 90 degree feature which is unique and makes it more useful than some of the other brands.) Because you can put the drying rack or the cutting board/decks on the upper level, you can easily slide the wash basin or other bowl accessories underneath them on the lower ledge.

In addition we purchased the wash and serve set and the full bottom grate for both our Galley sinks. We use the wash basin every day and it substitutes as an ice bucket when we entertain and turn our sink into a wet bar. Personally after using this setup, we do not feel we would ever need the drydock with our sinks because the full bottom grate provides another level of drying with the upper drying rack. The full bottom grate is a must for us and extremely useful for drying larger pots and pans, vegetables and provides a much larger drying surface than the drydock would. We would also highly recommend the wash and serve set. We did not purchase any other accessories and so far have found this set up to be perfect.

We looked at other fixtures since the Galley Tap fixtures were more expensive than Kohler and some other brands, but are very happy that we chose the Galley Taps because the spigots are specially designed to center on the sink and the soap dispenser is long enough to put soap far enough away from the side of the sink to reach the wash basin easily. The hot/cold tap also extends nicely away from the side of the sink so that we are able to fill pitchers and teapots as well as single serving mugs and glasses easily. The Galley Taps were well worth the investment and look beautiful -- easy to keep clean and shiny. (We have two faucets in our 5' sink and one in our 4' sink in our vacation home.)

@Roger Harris we will be ordering a 4’ galley and would appreciate if you posted a picture of your 4’ one with the work accessories in it. do you remove any of the accessories in order to wash the pots and leave them drying? did yours come with the 12” upper deck section they now include which rests on top of the counter? did you get their disposal flange strainer too?

The drydock is usually only useful if you need to put something underneath one side of the sink, like a dishwasher. Otherwise, it makes more sense to get the full-depth sink and use accessories to make platforms as needed. Most people who have a large workstation sink leave at least some of the accessories in full time. Space and storage becomes a challenge when you try to clear out all the accessories, and it isn't necessary if the sink is large enough.

What size island are you adding a 48” sink into?

This post is two years old, so I don't know if you will receive an answer from the previous remodeler, but you may size your sink to be almost equal to the width of the island if you like, up to 7 feet. The concept of a workstation sink is that it replaces countertop space.

I have personally worked with a 7-foot sink on display and thought it was wonderful. People who have had sinks that big and cook a lot say that they utilize all the space. You would be purchasing and keeping a number of different accessories in the sink at that maximum width, and you would need a minimum of 2 faucets.

For the average kitchen, a minimum of 5 feet of sink width with 2 faucets is the point at which you can really begin experiencing the workstation sink features with accessories. Any smaller and you will simply not have room to leave accessories in the sink. I have a 48" wide single-ledge sink and leave only an 18" wide strainer basket inside to drain dishes. I also have 2 faucets which I consider essential at that width for spraying down both sides, and they come in handy when more than one cook is in the kitchen.

@cindyz01 i installed 48” sunk in my 12’ island it would work in a smaller island too. i couldve put a bigger sink in too but i have a 48” stove so it looks better like this the way i have it

I LOVE my Kohler Stages sink of 9 years. It is in a 9 foot island, on the side with the wall fridge and wall stovetop. An amazing work triangle. (I have another regular sink by the dishwasher....and not in the island, of course.) The actual sink is 45" and it takes 48" to install it. I have plenty of room at the island for seating for 3 and buffets I set up.

@cindyz01 I installed a 4' galley in an 11 1/2' island. My only regret is not getting a larger size. Before purchasing my Galley, I researched all the sink brands on this thread. It has been in use now for 7 years and has surpassed my expectations on every level (which is usually impossible to do because I am a serious perfectionist, and almost everything disappoints me on some level). I use both tiers and the accessories all the time. If the sink did not have 2 tiers and a high number of accessory options, it would not have been worth the investment for me. Hopefully, this answers your question 🙂

The best suggestion or recommendation for your kitchen remodel with a focus on the sink choice would be to consider the Galley sink as an alternative to the Kohler Stages sink. The Galley sink is described as a premium designer sink that offers functionality similar to the Stages sink but with a more luxurious appeal. Feedback from the owner of a local kitchen and bath place, who is personally installing a Galley sink, suggests high satisfaction with this choice. While the Stages sink is compared to a Chevy and the Galley to a Cadillac, highlighting the Galley's superior quality. If you are concerned about scratching issues, it's worth noting that the colleague mentioned complaints about the Stages sink scratching, whereas feedback on the Galley sink's durability is not readily available. Considering the positive reviews and the elegance of the Galley sink, it could be a worthwhile option to explore for your kitchen island.

I can speak to the "scratching" question. The Galley "Angel Finish" has held up extremely well. You can touch it up by doing a quick "refinish" and I had all the instructions and products to do so because I figured I would be doing it all the time. As it turns out ..... I've not done it even once. It could probably use it after 7 years and maybe I'll get around to it, but it's not a high priority. It doesn't bother me to look in it and, and for clarification purposes, I've never used a grate.

The Chevy is fine for me. It's beautiful, functional and I have had no scratching issues over 9 years of daily use.

But the galley has lovely accessories.

Does anyone know if any of these sinks can have round corners? I’ve been told that food and junk gets stuck in the corners of the galley sinks bc the corners are so straight and it’s tough to clean. Thank you!

Martina Ladd -- Our Rachiele 42" copper sink is not hard to clean. The corners are not completly square (small 3mm radius). No issues in the seven years it's been installed.

Workstation sinks by design have sharp corners with tiny radii. If you want a sink with generously rounded corners, you'll have to go with just a traditional bowl-type sink. I think the idea for the sharp corners on the workstation sinks is that you can set a lot of dishes down in them, almost like a commercial sink. The Galley welds its corners smoothly, so when people say they have trouble getting gunk out of the corners, they probably just mean they have to take a scrubber and wipe it down.

My sink is from Havens, and there are some corners on that sink that were not welded smoothly, or "microwelded,".as I have been told is the term, and it is incredibly difficult to get them clean. I routinely have to use Q-Tips and occasionally sandpaper. I have buildup in those corners that has to be treated at least every other day.

One of the ways that you can make cleanup of a workstation sink easier is to install at least two faucets with removable wand heads so that you can spray directly into the corners. Most workstation sinks are so wide that one faucet will not be able to reach above the ends to really spray the debris towards the drain adequately. My sink is 42 inches wide, and I have two faucets, and that is in my opinion essential for keeping my sink clean. If you are thinking about a workstation sink even wider than 42 inches, be careful about your cleaning requirements. I have never seen more than two faucets even with the seven-foot long The Galley sinks, but based on my own experience, I would even consider three faucets with a seven-foot sink.

Overall, I think you'd be delighted with the workstation sink and all of its functionality. Just make sure that you get one with smooth corners regardless of how sharp those corners are. I am hoping that Havens will improve in time in terms of the way that they are constructing their sink corners. Rachiele reportedly does a really good job with microwelding those corners, and The Galley does as well.