Franke has three distinct branches in the US: 1) "FrankeKSD" - High end www.frankeksd.com you can see the Orca there - the accessory shelf is described. Linked below. 2) "Kindred" - middle quality. www.kindred-usa.com The Kindred Collection is fairly new, and offers some very nice sinks, including worktop sinks for those of you who are looking for one similar to mine. 3) "FrankeUSA" - lower end - higher gauge www.frankeuse.com These are the ones that big box stores sell - I wouldn't buy one, as most have 20+ gauge. I looked on all the sites, and the only sink on the three Franke sites which looks like the Orca is made by FrankeKSD. Maybe the ebay seller lists Kindred as Kindred is on some of the documentation? Hard to tell if it is a knock off or a great deal. I checked the listing - all the photos are the same, and they all say "open box." I'm not sure what to think about that. By the same token, the seller gets fairly good reviews. Here is a link that might be useful: FrankeKSD Orca Page

I have a full bottom grid and a half grid that rests in the lip. I use it to drain dishes. Don't have a strainer either. As gayl said, the grids don't scratch the sink. My bottom grid is marred (not melted off). I know it happened once when I sat a hot pot on it directly from the rangetop and it stuck a bit, and then I realized what I'd done. None of the coating stuck to the bottom of the pot. No one else but me would notice. You'd have to run your hand over the grid to realize it's not smooth or look at it up close. As far as draining hot pasta water or boiling water into the sink - I do it frequently and haven't noticed any further changes in the coating, but I'm not worrying about it either. IMO, the marred coating doesn't look bad.

If you've read the other discussions on here then there's not much more to add to what I've previously posted (if you haven't read the older threads here use google to search and include gardenweb as a search term). As to your specific questions, I'll add this info. Yes, things on a ledge can get wet while using the other side depending on what/how much is on the ledge and what you are doing in the other part of the sink. The bottom grid is helpful, especially when using colanders, or as you noted, draining. We also frequently set a pan to soak on the grid and push it under the elevated grid to soak, and can continue to use the sink as normal. This sink holds a -ton- of stuff too! We have a DW and also keep a drying mat next to the sink for our cookware since it has to be hand washed. We also frequently eat dinner after 9:30 pm due to our work schedules, so it is not uncommon to have dishes and cookware from 2-3 nights laying around to be delt with all at once (which is a lot of stuff since we cook almost every night). Most of it ends up in the sink, and unless we use several of our larger pots it all fits in the sink. It holds more than we can stack on the drying mat.

We have had our Orca for over a year now and we absolutely love it! It was the first sink I was drawn to while looking at the very beginning, then I decided I wanted a Silgranite low divide and spent many months planning for the Silgranite. Then when I went to place my order for all the plumbing stuff I saw the Orca in person and ordered it the next day. Even though it was twice what the Silgranite was and I had thought that was already expensive! Anyway...we do use the bottom as well as left side grid all the time. We did not leave an upper ledge available, but we do often set strainers over the sink on the counter. With the two different sizes, you have a lot of flexibility in finding things that are compatible, and are not necessarily locked in to original (expensive) manufacturer accessories.