The idea of a double sink, I think, is that each side can be used for different tasks. Wash dishes in one, wash veggies in the other. Defrost meat in one, soak pots in the other. Etc. However, for me this is like saying two hands are better than one, because you can use one hand to rub your belly and the other to pat your head. It just isn't a common ''use case'', you see. In my so-called-life, a double sink always gets used as follows. Dirty dishes are piled in one side, and everything else gets done in the other. So, at the end of the day, it's like having a single sink plus a pile of dirty dishes. Now, dirty dishes are a fact of life, so maybe it's not the worst thing for them to have a snug, welcoming home. But I find that extending hospitality to detritus comes at a price, which is that the side of the sink that actually gets used is Just Too Small. Which is, too small to soak the half sheet pan that got black goober scorched all over it. Too small to wash two stockpots at once. Too small to bathe the new puppy. I would far prefer one Great Big Sink. You can always put a square plastic tub in it, should you ever really need a multi-chambered vessel. Better yet, a Great Big Sink and a Useful Little Sink somewhere else. Even better, my fantasy of a stainless steel darkroom sink, six feet long and two feet wide and only six inches deep, an endless counter that can be flooded with water and hosed down as needed. Add a deep end and a diving board, and Olympic Barbie has her swimming pool. On a perhaps more practical note, my friend has a sink I covet. It is a slab-built slate farmhouse sink extending all the way to the wall, with wall-mount faucet. Without taking up much counter width, it can swallow a half sheet pan with room to spare. Compared to a ''standard'' sink, she loses only the ledge of counter between sink and backsplash, which has to be the least useful part of a kitchen counter.

Our fireclay apron sink has been indestructible, and we do a lot of clumsy swinging of cast-iron skillets. Others, however, have not been so fortunate with their fireclay, so perhaps it's a model/brand/size issue (I've got the 30" Whitehaus model). Copper's great but it will speckle and patina over time and some folks strongly dislike that aspect of it. Porcelain over cast-iron is wonderful, but it can chip. Silgranite seems pretty durable but being a rather new material, the word is not yet in on how stain-resistant it is over the years, and some object to its plasticky feel. Stainless steel is probably as indestructible as it comes.

I'm not a fan of a sink with an upper over it. I think you need to stand too close to the front of the door, no matter what. But if you are determined to do that, then by all means I would consider using a farm sink and bumping it out. That means setting it proud (forward) of the front of the sink cabinets and the adjacent base cabinets. I have this arrangement (my sink cabinet is bumped out as well) and it makes working at the sink extremely comfortable because I get farther over it. The trick is in the selection of the sink. The classic Rohl fireclays are the same all the way around. The sink on the floor upthread is the same. But some farm sinks have notches on the side to fit against the cabinet fronts. Some have a flange. Before you choose/buy it's important to figure out how you want the sink to look and then choose one that will do what you wish. There are so many choices, even in SS it shouldn't be a problem. One factor is whether you prefer a 0 radius sink (square corners) or a more traditional sink with rounded corners. How far you want the sink to protrude -- mine stick out 2 inches in front of the cabinet. One sink upthread has the curved front and doesn't protrude much. Etc. Lots of photos on the link plus a farm-sink installation tutorial that will explain the general concept. Here is a link that might be useful: Farm Sink Gallery

As far as I can tell, the nig bummer is that its meant to be a partial overmount with a flatish lip that goes over the counter. Unless you caulk well while installing, its moldville under that lip. I like that it's easy to clean and it always looks white. We got a third party grid that helps to keep pot marks away. The LACK of depth is a relief, I like the sink around 8 inches deep. If she uses 1/2 sheet pans frequently, she needs a different sink as this one will not fit those size things. I have a two burner pancake griddle - the cheap non-stick, for home use kind - and it won't fit that. It can sit on the top, and the front and back handles will rest on the sides - so I can still clean the pan. It will fit a regular roasting pan. The other two things that I don't like about the sink is the faucet is very far back (23" or so) in comparison to 19-21" for most undermounts. It acts funny if its filled with ice - just like a glass of iced tea, it will form condensate on the underside of the sink. I imagine that varies with where you live. I will get you a trash pullout picture soon.