Are you very short? I have a similar sized new sink and have no trouble with the lever back on the stalk of the faucet. I'm 5'8" and have proportional arms. It might not be the style you were looking for, but you can always get a faucet that has a lever that sticks out toward you to make the reach easier.

Thanks for the reply, I am 5'6". I have never had a sink wider than 16" front to back and it just dawned on me that I may not be able to reach the water faucet. This sink is undermount. How much space do you have between the edge of the sink and the edge of the overhang?
I would appreciate all your comments!

I am also about 5' 6". I don't currently have a sink but here is my old one. It is 33" exterior, so probably about 30" interior, and as you can see, takes up most of the 24" counter depth. I don't remember ever measuring it, but it looks like about 2" in the front, and I'm guessing the faucet and handles are about 20" back . I never noticed with the handles that it was difficult to reach. Seems like I reached down more than out.

Sorry I can't be more precise, but HTH!

Hi, I am planning on a 24" wide by 20" deep bowl in a 28" deep counter and now this question makes me wonder if I too am messing up? I want to put a Grohe pull out faucet in back of the sink near the backsplash rather than the side. Is this a stupid move?

jsweenc - do you remember the make of your old sink? i really like it!

my sister is 5'4", her new sink is very big and her handle sets to the side of her f*aucet... she has no problem reaching it. I don't have a problem reaching it and I'm 5'.

can you measure it out on your now counter, mark where the handle will be and see how the reach to it is for you?

You have not mentioned whether you have chosen a faucet. I think your faucet choice is key if you are concerned the sink's 18" width is too much. I don't think your sink width of 18" is too far if you get a pull-out faucet. I would advise against a pull-down faucet, where the faucet is closer to the back of the sink, which could be a problem (JMHO). If you think about how you use a kitchen sink, you only reach for the faucet handle for a second or two, but you will hold things under the faucet itself while rinsing/washing for minutes at a time. That's why I think the faucet reach is important for you to consider with your sink's 18" width.

My sink is 17" front-to-back, there is about 5" of granite countertop in front of my sink, I am 5'3-1/2" tall, and I have no problem. My faucet is the Grohe Ladylux Plus, a pull-out style which has a 10-3/8" reach toward the center of the sink. Make sure to check the reach specifications of whatever faucet you are considering.

Is there a structural reason you need to have a 4" strip of counter in front of the sink, or could you make that less?

I think that's where you'll feel the strain regardless of where the faucet is. If you can pull the sink forward a bit to have about 2" of strip, it might be a lot more ergonomic for you. I once had a sink with a lot of counter in front of it and it was not a comfortable way to work for me.

I have the same size sink. I don't have a problem with the reach, but as akchicago mentioned make sure you have a long enough reach with your faucet. I think I could have gone taller, but I'm comfortable with where mine is.

Thank you for all your comments. Circuspeanuts, no structural reason, I just read on this web site that it is recommended and also, some fabricators do not feel comfortable doing a narrower edge.
rufinorox, since your sink is the exact same dimensions as mine, would you please let me know how many inches you have between the edge of your sink and the edge of the granite overhang, which is where you stand in front of the counter top area. I really like your sink, who makes it and is it 10" deep? The granite looks like Bianco Romano which is also the one we have picked out!

I just measured. I also have 4" at the front, but my faucet deck comes forward, so it's only 21.5" from the edge detailing to the front of the faucet stalk. There's a picture in a thread I posted last week.

The mixer handle is vertical on my faucet. I do sometimes have to actually reach for it instead of just flicking it like on my old sink which had a forward thrusting lever.

Lucylu- let me double check the measurements. I think its 4"'s as well. We do a 1 1/2" overhang everywhere. The sink is a Ticor S112, which I purchased on overstock.com with grif for $195. I love it!

Thank you everyone for your comments. rufinorox, plllog I really appreciate you taking the time to measure, it is so helpful to actually see and 'talk' to people who have already 'been there'.

you're welcome! let us know what you decide on.