I bought a Franke Orca undermount sink -- it was love at first sight. I walked into a plumbing showroom, not even looking for a sink, and there it was. I had to have it!

Yes....we love our Ticor S405D sink. I think it's one of my DH's favorite things in the new kitchen! (Hmmmm....Maybe second to the Pet Center.)

When we (finally) made the decision, it turned out to be the Franke. Debated between Ticor, Kraus, and Franke. Since we were able to see the Franke in person, it won out (DH was not keen on buying sight unseen, yet I totally would have). Love that sink.

Hard to answer your question without knowing which specific models you are talking about. The Ticors are mostly, but not all, 16-gauge, and the Frankes are mostly, but not all, 18-gauge. Some people feel that the gauge doesn't make much difference. But I am of the camp that prefers the thicker 16-gauge stainless. Can you tell us which models you are considering so we can compare apples to apples?

Yes, Ticor S305 (16 ga) and Franke RXX160. There is a big price difference and the Ticor is a thicker gauge. They both are 10 for nickel count. The Ticor comes with all of the toys you have to have (bottom grids, cutting board, etc.) Buehl, we have 5 (large) rescue dogs, I would love to see a picture of your "pet center".

It's just a 27" cabinet in the corner of one of our peninsulas. It's turned 90 degrees so it faces out of the kitchen and into the area where we feed the dogs. We used to keep dog food, treats, etc. in the pantry, but this is so much more convenient and everything dog-related is in one place.

The very top drawer holds flashlights, batteries, screwdriver, etc. However, inside the lower part of the cabinet there are two roll out tray shelves (ROTS).

The bottom ROTS is mounted as low as I could get it and has a 6-gallon Popcorn Factory can for dog food. We also have a 2-gallon Popcorn Factory can for treats. That ROTS also has a container with cotton balls, alcohol, etc. for cleaning ears.

The top ROTS holds leashes, spare collars, ear & eye wipes, medicines, etc.

It's really handy to have everything in one place! Here's a pic:

Here's what it looks like looking from the FR into the kitchen (it's the cabinet on the left):

Between those two choices, I'd go for the Ticor hands down. They're almost the exact same size, but as you pointed out, the price difference is substantial - the Franke is about $400 more than the Ticor! Plus add on the Franke's grid at $80 for goodness sakes, while the Ticor's grid is free. Franke has the "integral shelf" to hold the grid, but Ticor accomplishes the same thing with its grid but without the shelf. Ticor also gives you the option for the brushed rim which is nice. Ticor also offers a cutting board to fit for $20. On top of all that, the Ticor sink is a thicker gauge. The only reason I would choose a Franke sink is if I wanted the Franke badge in my kitchen and was willing to pay for it, or if I wanted a special shape like the Franke Orca (though there are other brands that have a similar shape to the Orca for less money).

Franke RXX160

Ticor S305

As a postscript, I feel compelled to mention that I am not a fan of a double-bowl sink in a 30" interior width. Neither bowl is truly big enough to soak roasting pans, wash large pots, etc. If I wanted a double bowl sink, I would go for the larger size, like Buehl's pictured above. If you cannot go larger, you may want to consider a single-bowl sink. Just my $.02.

Gotta agree with akchicago about go with the Ticor unless you need the Franke badge in your kitchen.

But, I also gotta disagree re: single vs. double bowl. I have a sink with pretty much the same dimensions now, and I use the double bowl capabilities almost daily. So, I'll get roughly the same if I can't fit a larger sink base. My largest soup pot fits in the large bowl; it's a bit awkward to handle it in the space, but I manage. The only things I have that are too big to fit in the large bowl are some baking pans and a roaster. Yeh, it's a pain that they don't fit, but I use any of those, tops, twice a month. If I were baking large sheet cakes as a home business, I'd probably feel differently. But I'm not. So, I'll take what for me is the every day convenience of a double bowl sink over the occasional advantage of a large, single bowl sink.

Bottom line on both these decisions is - what's most important to YOU?

Katkatf, I totally see what you're saying, and the topic has been discussed on this forum many times if the OP wants to do a search. As you said, it is an individual decision, and depends on how the person functions in his/her kitchen. Me, I use large pots on a daily basis (my previous kitchen's double-bowl sink couldn't even handle my 4-qt. saucepan without banging into the sides), and I use my roasting pan and/or baking sheet several times a week. That awkwardness you mentioned would make me crazy. I am a far cry from baking as a home business, believe me! Meanwhile, a friend of mine rarely cooks, eats out all the time or gets takeout, so wouldn't care about washing larger items in a sink. I totally agree with you that the OP should think about what is important and individual to him/her regarding size and configuration before buying a sink.

I'd like to demur because we removed a double bowl sink and put in a single. I would love to have gone with a Franke or a big Ticor (linked below) but both were 19' front to back and I needed 16' front to back due to quirky shallow cabinets. So I had to go with a Julien which catmom also has.

What I learned though: the specs on the Ticor are very similar to the Julien 16 gauge, 10-inches deep. I don't see a reason to pay 2 or 3 times more for a ss sink.

I love the big single bowl sink (scroll down) as it holds everything. Everything. The greatest thing is the depth and the grid is like a shelf so my food prep, coffee pot, soap dispenser -- everything goes down on there and the kitchen never looks messy. The grid is great for hot pans, which I can't put on my marble.

We have another place with a Rohl farm sink which I also love but after having the same size that's just a bit deeper I don't love it as much.

On that Ticor, extras like the cutting board and that strainer are copies of Julien. The Ticor board is $20 and the Julien is $$$. Silly.

For me, even the largest of the double bowls would be too small. But the single vs double issue is completely preference.

Franke makes a lovely sink as well. These are all fine points. But I do really like the 16 gauge.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ticor Single

JMHO, but I would only pay extra to go with Franke if I were buying one of their more unusual designs, like the Peak with the square drain (love that sink, but not the price).