We put a charcoal gray (anthracite) Blanco Silgranit sink into our last home (about 12 years ago) and after a few years of use, we were less than pleased with its performance, especially for the price tag. At first, it was amazing and we loved how it looked! Over the years, we used it for everything - normal kitchen/dish washing use but also occasionally to wash out paint brushes, soaking clothes, even washing show chickens in it. (No utility room sink, so the kitchen sink was the go to spot.) We kept it clean and well cared for. We believed all the hype back then that Blanco sinks were impervious to just about everything and I guess we should have been more careful. It basically started looking blotchy and losing its color on the bottom. It then started pitting on the bottom and was no longer a smooth surface, especially around the drain. And the blotchiness wasn't really stains but rather "burns", according to what we had read online. By the time we were ready to sell the house, it was pretty unsightly and we had to replace it. (Due to the less than helpful Blanco customer service folks who refused to honor any sort of warranty, we went with a Kraus sink.) But we only had the Kraus sink for a few months before moving, so not sure how that one will hold up. So now I'm trying to decide what to do with our new (but 15 year old home). I like how durable stainless sinks are and how cost effective they are but since spots and smudges on the stainless steel appliances drive me crazy and I'm CONTSTANTLY wiping them off, adding one more stainless item to care for in this kitchen doesn't seem like a wise decision. Anyway, thought I would add my 2 cents. I still can't decide if I want to do another composite sink (but do a more reasonably priced manufacturer like Kraus) or go with something else. If I do composite again, I will definitely go with a darker color and be super diligent about ONLY soap and water going into the sink.

> New Question: if you go for the side drain, do you want the drain towards your dominant hand? Meaning, if you're right handed, do you want a sink with a right handed drain? And should a drain be on the side of the dishwasher? Or do these things not matter? I'm right-handed and prefer the drain in the left rear. That way, I can use my right hand to sweep food waste into the drain in a natural motion. The side the dishwasher is on is mostly irrelevant. Most of the undersink plumbing is from the disposer (which is directly under the drain), the hot and cold water valves and intake hoses, the drain, the retracted flex hose for hand sprays, and soap and instant-hot dispensers if you have them. The only dishwasher plumbing in the sink cabinet is a flexible hose leading from the dishwasher to the drain (via an air gap if you have one), which doesn't take up much space and can be fastened to the back wall of the cabinet, out of the way, and probably a thin copper tube leading from the hot water valve.

This is a question that is near and dear to my heart, and I am agonizing over it as we go into a major kitchen renovation. I currently have a small 12 x 16 foot kitchen bisected by a peninsula with a sink in it. I love doing the dishes facing the kitchen table, so I can yak with DH and DDs if they are home. Not a great plan if there were seating on the peninsula, but very pleasant if there are people visiting or working at the kitchen table. However, there's not a lot of room to prep there -- just the 24 inches over the dishwasher, and the stove is across the aisle on the outside wall. To rearrange the floorplan, we're putting in more windows overlooking the backyard and moving the sink to that wall. The stove will go on the end of the U, between the sink wall and the peninsula. I will love being able to look out at the back yard as I prep, but I think I'll miss looking into the room as I wash up. It was a tough decision, but more prep space between the sink and the stove, along with a view outside, won the day. I'll let you know in a few months how I like it. FWIW, our current peninsula is about 38 inches wide, and we never had any problems with splashing. Also, there's a certain train of thought on GW that says peninsulas are outdated (islands rule), but I don't really get that, especially in a small kitchen. Peninsulas are highly useful for extra storage and prep space... Good luck!

Hi All! I have learned sooooo much on this site. Thank you Mr. Corlett. I have had Corian countertops since 1998 with a granite composite under mount sink. Love the Corian, not the sink so much because it seems yellowed since installed. But I do a lot of canning so the sink has put up with a lot of beet juice and boiling hot water with minimal distress, no cracks. Just clean with Soft Scrub and bleach sometimes. We are now building a house. I am again using Corian for the countertops. I am considering either a Corian integrated sink 850 or an LG-HiMacs integrated sink 3118. I do not like the sink drain in the center of the sink as in the 3118 but that sink is an inch and a half longer than the Corian so better for skillet handles to fit in sink. Do you have an opinion as to the staining or cracking or other issue of either product I might consider before making my final decision? Thank you. Cynthia