After 21 years of use, I am replacing a white Franke composite sink, as I am removing worn laminate countertops and replacing them with quartz. I have agonized over the choice of a new sink and have done much research about them. While I love my current sink, it has developed many small cracks around the disposal drain presumably from hot oil poured into the sink. You cannot feel the cracks, they are not raised, but there is a web of them all around the drain. Of course, this has been after many years of heavy duty use. Since Franke no longer makes granite composite sinks,(which has me curious as to why they discontinued them), I am down to a choice of SS, Silgranite II, or Iron coated with enamel. After much research, most chefs and other serious cooks recommend SS sinks. In fact, many of the current sink offerings for residential use are channeling the sharp angled configurations of restaurant SS sinks. On line reviewers and the salesperson at my local plumbing supply have experienced staining and chipping with cast Iron sinks. The salesperson told me that many companies will replace them if they do chip or stain, but they only send you a new sink, the owner is responsible for the cost of installation. Some reviewers on line talk about scratches in Silgranite sinks, especially on the darker colors. One magazine editorial that reviewed sink materials even included a picture that was taken of a showroom sink that had a scratch in the bottom that would not come out when the editor tried to remove it while in the store. From my on-line research, the cracking with Silgranite seems to have been only during transport and installation, however people have written about scratches that occurred during use. Missing from the comments on this site is the type of cooking being done by those offering their opinions. There is a big difference in experience with kitchen gear between a person who makes light meals for one or two people versus a gourmet cook who executes complex multi-course meals for many guests. As for myself, the utility of a sink is a more important consideration than how it looks. If I am in the middle of preparing a complex meal, I do not want to worry that I might damage my sink if I lob a heavy skillet or pot into it!

One thing that is so nice about Silgranit is that it comes in a number of colors. I would not choose the stainless steel sink because, me, I do not like the scratches and water spots of stainless steel sinks. Regarding Silgranit, I agree with the previous poster that you should call Blanco and get them to mail you samples of colors you are interested in (phone them, don't email. The number is 1-888-668-6201). It's always best to look at the colors actually in your kitchen, rather than just at a showroom or online. I had the Silgranit Super Single with the corner drain in my previous kitchen and loved it. The corner drain is so great, that I can't go back to a center drain. I think the Silgranit Gray would look nice with your color scheme. I don't think Silgranit's White or the creamy Biscuit would go well with your white counters, because sometimes white-on-white just makes one of the whites look dingy. I also think you should get a sample of Truffle to look at. You might like it - it's a cross between gray and brown, so the brown tone would pick up your butcher block counter and your wood floors, but the sink would still have a gray tone as well. My final color rec is because I am partial to the very dark colored Silgranits (I am getting the anthracite for my kitchen). So I would recommend you look at the Cafe Brown. I've had the anthracite color in a previous kitchen, and loved that it never looked dirty! I like the dark colors because I think the color contrast with light counters is cool and chic, the dark color made my faucet really shine against it, and because the dark color hides everything - wine, coffee, spaghetti sauce, etc. The Cafe Brown is a dark brown, and would go with your wood floors and butcher block island. There is a "color assistant" on Blanco's website that I will link, that might be fun for you to play with. But the best is to see the sample color chips in your home. Here is a link that might be useful: Blanco Silgranit Color Assistant This post was edited by Mrs_Nyefnyef on Tue, Oct 14, 14 at 9:39

Hello Everyone, Just bought our Silgranit Anthracite sink tonight! We got it at HD in Canada. The sink is called Homestyles by Blanco. I can't seem to find it anywhere online. Wondering if it was a Canadian HD special. It was $50.00 cheaper than the double bowl Vision 210. I really hope we like it. After reading the instructions for caring for the sink it kinda scares me. So how do you all care for yours? Just a little dish soap and water wash after doing a load of dishes???? Thanks in advance. This is surely my "splurge" as we are doing the whole kitchen for roughly $10,000. I figure it will be my own personal Christmas gift to myself!!! As I am usually the one standing in front of it several times a day!!

To the OP, if you decide on an apron front sink in stainless steel, make sure to look at how the front panel is made. You don’t want a curved one. You also don’t want a SS apron front that is super thick. What Joe Corlett pictures above is more what you want. Some of the cheaper ones have the super thick apron - it intrudes into the usable floor area of the sink. An extra-thick apron also removes the ergonomic advantage of an apron front which is that it is easier on your back to have your body directly against the sink, than to have the slight lean required with an undermount sink with its several inches of counter in front of it. I like the design of the Elkay apron front sink, because it also has an offset corner drain, an advantage. However, I don’t have direct experience with it so I unfortunately can’t advise on whether it’s a quality sink or not. What you DON’T want - this apron front is more than 5” thick: The Elkay ECTRUF30179RC, https://www.homedepot.com/p/Elkay-Crosstown-Farmhouse-Apron-Front-Stainless-Steel-36-in-Single-Bowl-Kitchen-Sink-with-Bottom-Grid-and-Drain-ECTRUF30179RC/305866142, the apron front is 2-1/2” thick.