lol - so glad you asked...i've been so curious.

I've been curious as well. I don't have one, never owned one and after reading here thought "maybe I'm missing something?"

I just wonder if it's goig to be a PITA to clean since we have a disposal and all food scraps go in the sink.

I would like one to protect my dishes from breaking though. My kids clean up after themselves and 2 of them can't quite reach the bottom of the sink so they just let their dishes/cups/bowls drop to the bottom. I keep trying to "retrain" them to just place their dirty stuff on the counter but in the meantime I'm always afraid something is going to shatter.

put it in the dishwasher silly :oP ok thats one objection down.

i don't know what is so great about them myself, but since people here seem to love them, i ordered one just the other day for our sink lol

I'm debating between cast iron and granite compo sink. Figured I'd definitely get a grid with the cast iron as it would protect the bottom from pot scratches, etc. Other than that....I don't know. Makes the bowl less deep so you don't have to bend over as much. Maybe that's all.

well, i just ordered one too for my blanco silgranite sink, so i'll post back to let you know what i think of it after using it for several weeks. i too want to protect my sink, which i love, but am wondering if it'll be tucked under a cabinet most of the time. i'm thinking i will use it for dish draining also and for thawing freezer items, in addition to protecting the sink. I'll let you know. It may end up on ebay, lol.

Accidents happen, and sinks can dent or chip. (yes, even Silgranit) Grids are great. Do a search for "sink grids" on this site and all you questions will be answered.

I'm fascinated by all these expensive stainless steel sink grids. I grew up with the Rubbermaid plastic ones. They come in whatever colors are trendy that season (to match their dish drainers and other stuff), and they're nice and soft when you put things in the sink. No clanging, and I feel like both the sink and the dishes are well-protected. *And* they're pretty inexpensive.

So since I've always had a sink grid (and can't imagine not having one), my question would be what are the advantages of a SS one over the Rubbermaid one?

My Shaw's sink just got a mark because I washed a heavy cast iron pot in there. It's not major-- just a shade darker. I really wish I had used the "cookie cooling grid as sink grid" trick that some else had posted here earlier. I have three of those grids and I am keeping one folded up under the sink so the next time i need to wash the heavy pot I'll put it down to protect it. Or I'll just learn to love and live with the little marks!

I've been keeping a small plastic tub in the sink that the eldest son drops his plates into and that has worked fine. But there is no way I'm going to slutter up the sink with something additional like a sink grid.

Louisa, I love that word "slutter"! (easily offended, don't read this) Was it a typo or is it new slang?

We didn't get our sink grid until after the fact because finding it for only $100 was a challenge when it first came out. However, that said we were too worried about chipping the fireclay sink or breaking glasses when putting stuff into the 10 inch deep sink. I think we may have even had a pot scraping the sink as mentioned above. We also have young kids that love to help put their dishes in the sink (hmmm, how long will that last). I like the deeper sink and maybe it is a mental thing but having the grid makes me not as nervous about putting dishes in the sink for the reasons mentioned above. That said - it keeps the sink no cleaner and in fact seems to be even worse and gunk is stuck under the grid in the corners etc. I use Barkeepers friend (a tip I learned on the forum) and it keeps the sink looking like new.

I wasn't exactly sure what the advantage was either, but I ordered them when I ordered my blanco silgranit. Glad I got them! They absolutely do keep things off the bottom of your sink and I'm not sure what "gunk" others have clinging to theirs, mine are pretty clean. The hole in the grid around the disposal is fairly large so I don't have garbage clinging to it. And if I did I would take out my kitchen spray and spray it off. They are dishwasher safe but in the three weeks I've had my silgranit I've only run the dishwasher once. :)

I don't store them. I leave them in the sink. Why should the next person with a dirty dish have to fish it out from under the cupboards?

LOL! "slutter up the sink"-- I crack myself up with my typos! Slovenly plus clutter equals-- SLUTTER!

lol blue i was so attracted to that word that i read it outloud a couple of times. louisa...i'm keeping that word LOL I love it!

we put a pretty nice divot in our last shaw's when my wife tried to was my cast iron grill plate in there and dropped it, so, yes, they can chip.

that being said, we didn't get the grid this time around. she leaves the cast iron stuff for me to wash now.

Not sure yet how much we'll use them, but ours (2 of them) came 'free' with the Ticor sink from Galaxy Tool Supply. Total for the sink with grids was under $250.

DH liked the idea when he read about them here, so we have one for our Blanco silgranite (black) 1 1/2 size sink, on the larger side.

We've been using it for about a week now, and I'm not totally sold. I do like everything about how it keeps things from clunking and scratching, and I LOVE that I can keep things in there to dry, since I hated having a drying rack before. So in terms of usage, I like it.

But, I don't get the part about spending all this money on a gorgeous sink, and then having a big grid in the bottom, even though it's a good looking grid. As grids go. (It's the blanco brand, made for the sink.) So, looks-wise, I'm not sold. Yes, it's sluttery!! :-)

We haven't taken it out of the sink at all by the way, because after 3 months in a temp kitchen we're constantly cooking and washing dishes, so happy it's not in a bathtub!
I'm thinking I may take it out when we have guests perhaps? Just to show off the sink? We'll see. I'm sure that would get old.

I have an Orca SS sink. I got the big bottom grid and the upper right hand grid for it. I also wasn't sure I was going to like them, but gave it a try.

I think I am sold. The two grids serve very different purposes.

The bottom grid:
- protects the bottom of the sink from getting bashed up
- provides a good surface to sit things on while scubbing them. You can scrib away at a pan, and it sort of stays put on the soft plastic covering of the grid.
- allows things to drain better because the water is blocked from flowing to the drain
- makes the bottom a little higher, which is a good thing when you have an undermounted 10" deep sink.

The upper one:
- is a good place to stash sponges and things like that
- put anything drippy that

Its not all joy. Stuff does get stuck under the bottom grid. Usually I can urge it to the drain with the sprayer. But sometimes I have to give it a push with something. A few things, like spaghetti can get stuck in the grid and need to be removed by hand. And sometimes you just have to take the grid out. But that is no problem.

All in all I think it is a win.

BTW, I used to use those rubbermaid things. They always ended up with slime on the under side. There is no comparison between the two things.

I guess the advantage is for cleaning a pot, for example.
Say you clean it on one side and then flip it over.
If the clean part is lying in the suds at the bottom
of the sink, then it must be rinsed off again,
and so on. I had one and liked it, in a previous kitchen,
and will definitely be getting another soon.

Hi,
This is my first post, I found this forum last summer and it really helped me a lot. We gutted out kitchen last August took two months and its just beautiful.

I bought the Frankie Opus sink l 1/2 and I did get the grid. I wash out my pots and I didn't want my sink to get scratched. I really like it a lot, but I didn't get one for the small sink because I don't wash anything in there. I noticed the other day I have hair line scratches on the bottom, so yesterday I called and ordered a small grid. I'm fussy and I don't like scratches. The sink where I've been using the grid is like the day it was put in.

OT-- Louisa, you can probably get that mark off your Shaws sink with Barkeeper's Friend.

Mary

OT times 2-- Thanks Mary! I'll give it a shot!

BTW, I'd like to place some parameters this new word-- let's just keep it in relation to SINK clutter. If someone were to refer to my general household clutter as "slutter" I'd be in tears, but my sink clutter as "slutter"-- well that just cute! :-)

Where can you order a sink grid, (rubberized) to fit a large 30 inch farm sink?

(Not for the easily offended, and OT) Louisa, "slutter" also refers to leaving lots of lingerie in the sink! :)

Lots of interesting replies. You've convinced me that they are a good idea. They also brought back not-so-fond memories of the slime at the bottom of my mom's Rubbermaid mats.

Bluekit, that is too funny!

OK-- so to be clear, it is limited to sink clutter, but that include bathroom and laundry sinks, not just kitchen sinks. who knew a thoughtless little typo could create such fun!

Fascinating thread. I'm ordering a sink from Galazy Tool (Ticor) and so a sink grid will come with it. I've never had one and so had no idea what I'd been missing all these years. LOL I'm very curious to see what it will be like to have one. I should know is a couple of months.

I have one on our stainless prep sink, and love it. But, I'm really glad I don't have one in my Shaw's sink. I didn't get a sprayer (mistake number one, but easy enough to live with) so I have to slosh the water/debris down with a sponge. It's really not that big a deal, but if I had to, in addition, lift up a sink grid, it would drive me mad.

I really like having it in one sink though. Very functional when washing veggies, etc. If I only had the ONE sink, I might put up with the hassle. Of course, if you have a sprayer, then there should be minimal hassle with or without sink grid.

Ivette

I love our Shaws sink grid, for all the reasons every one here says. I find it easy to keep clean, and it allows me to really work at scrubbing our heavy Calphalon pans that we use every day, without worrying about scratching or nicking the sink.
I have a question about the grids, and maybe I should be posting a separate thread: Our white grid, which I guess is metal covered in a white vinyl, has tiny little slits in it probably from our knives. We have Henckels knives, which I love to keep really sharpened, that often end up "stabbing'' the grid when we're cleaning up after a meal. Well, these little tiny cuts in the white vinyl are now starting to show rust marks.

DOes anyone else have this problem, and how have you dealt with it? I don't really want to replace the whole grid yet (we've only been using it since last August), and there are only a few little slits. I was thinking of taking thr grid out of the sink for a day or two to completely dry, and then maybe dabbing at the little cuts with white grout or epoxy. Anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks.

One thing I think a sink grid can do, if it has legs, is to lift the stray dishes up off the floor of the sink so you can rinse the vegetable cuttings, etc., into teh garbage disposal.

In a deep sink it can raise up the bottom so it's easier to scrub stuff sitting on the bottom (though, why not just not get such a deep sink?).

hmsweethm, you might be able to patch your nicks w/ the paint that's used on dishwasher racks.

I agree with all the benefits listed so far. I might not have bothered to get them, but since grids came with my Ticor sink, I figured I'd give them a try.

One other benefit to me that I did not see listed (sorry if I was reading too fast) is that when I place glasses in the sink, I worry less about plunking them down too hard, and when heavy things go in, it is less of an impact/noise, too.

I'm not crazy about cleaning around them, but about once a day or every other day I lift them out and do a quick scrub on the sink floor.

See, this is why I can't stop reading GW. I had no idea there was something to repair nicks on dishwasher racks. Thanks, Talley Sue. Am I the only one who didn't know this stuff existed? Here is one link to such a product. I'm going to get some of this because I bet it'll be just the ticket to repair the nicks on my sink grid.

I love GW!

Here is a link that might be useful: dishwasher rack repair kits

I had never used a grid before but one was included with my Ticor sink. I really like it. It keeps the bottom of the sink from getting scratched and dented. I would buy one again if replacing my sink.

In all the years I've been reading this forum no one ever managed to sell me on the stainless grids. Have an expensive fireclay sink with ridiculously expensive sink strainers (don't ask), but I'm more than happy with a cheap Rubbermaid mat that can be bleached clean and when past it's prime tossed and replaced with a new one. I also like that I can fold it in half and let it lean against the sink bowl, so it's out of my way until I want to use it.

I have the Orca and 3 grids, one bottom, one half way up for both sides. I will use the bottom and right side grids the most, probably. The bottom one means you can pile in dishes and water still runs and drains freely plus protecting the sink as others have noted, but since I found SS to be pretty ruged that was less of a concern to me. The right one half way up is great for draining what you what you just washed on the left and in that sense lets you use a single sink like a double, and the one half way up on left lets me elevate that side to put a bowl or whatever so it is at a comfortable working height. So far, I put most dishes in the dw, all three grids have stayed in the sink, and having both grids half way up gives me a large work area at a comfortable height for washing, rinsing, preparing veggies, etc. I don't have a prep sink.

Sue

Okay, this thread has convinced me to at least give one a try. I'll have to hit the store today and just get a cheapo one. The sink is large with the drain to the far right so maybe I'll just get a grid for half the sink and see how that works out. That may be the best of both worlds.

I'll have to come back and fill you in on how I like it once it's in operation!

I am about to order a fireclay sink and I don't think I'll change now. But I am worried about the cast iron pan issue. We use them every day. We're very careless with our current sink and counter, which are 40 years old and ugly. We lean pots on the double sink divider and / or the counter edge. It seems silly that we're going to pay tons of $$ and then never stop worrying about maintaining this beautiful stuff (marble counter, Shaws sink.)

I guess I"ll try a cheap mat or grid first, then buy a Rohl grid if need be.

I thought of a Rubbermaid mat (briefly) before including the sink grids on my sink order. The rubbermaid mats would not allow air circulation if you wanted to let your glasses air dry. And I wouldn't want to be bothered with the occaisional bleaching either.

Egganddart, I went from a Formica counter and old cast iron sink to quartz counter and fireclay (Rohl Allia) sink. The only change I've made in useage is to keep a folded towel next to the sink when I wash dishes. You'll need to find a compromise between "very careless" and "worrying about maintaining" the new stuff.

Neesie, I only use the Rubbermaid mat on the large sink side when washing dishes. The smaller side has a stainless dish drainer.