pjdklm -- Cheap sinks take shortcuts. Buy cheap, buy twice is almost always correct.

@HU-330341168 - I was the one who said I was mystified, so thanks for that explanation. However, there are some things you wrote that need clarification and correction.

When you decide to replace your sink as you mentioned, please keep these things in mind:

First, the issue in this thread appears to be the flat bottom of a sink that is not sloped properly - that can occur in a farmhouse sink or in an undermount sink if either is not made well.

Second, the back issues at a sink are caused by several things, which are not due to the sink being a farmhouse sink. You mentioned having to "reach down to the dishes on the bottom of a sink". This is true, and even moreso if the person is tall. But, a deep sink is found in both farmhouse and undermount configurations; it is not limited to farmhouse sinks. In fact, undermount sinks can be worse because you add an inch of countertop to the depth of the sink.

Your mention of the "need to overreach to control sprayers and faucets" is not a function of the farmhouse sink. This issue occurs in both farmhouse and undermount sinks. It is a function of the choice of faucet. People should be careful when choosing a faucet that it does not have a spout reach that is short. Instead, the spout reach should be longer, so that the person using it does not have to reach so far back. Short-reach faucets are typically a high arc design, though there are many high-arc faucets with deeper reaches; you just have to look for them. This is an important enough issue that many websites selling faucets enable a search/sort by spout reach.

Also, your mention of control sprayers isn't really a function of the farmhouse sink - when a choice is made to have a separate sprayer installed at the deck of a sink, the user has to reach farther for it whether the sink is farmhouse or undermount. The solution is to have a faucet with an integrated sprayer, and that faucet should have a longer spout reach.

Another cause of backache at the sink also has nothing to do with whether the sink is a farmhouse sink. If your kitchen has tile floors, they are harder on the back. A solution is to install a gel mat at the sink which provides the cushion that is easier on the back.

HU-87441173 -- There's zero problem with the slope in our 42" farmhouse sink. Drains just fine.

I have a farmhouse sink with all of the problems stated by everybody else. The current Kohler models seem to have addressed the slope issues. One that I'm looking at has a definite but slight slope towards the middle, and the other had a very definite slope towards the back right corner, where the drain is located.

This conversation has helped me very much in my research before buying. Thank you to everyone that commented. All the different points of view and explanations were very helpful.

I have a 30" x 16" flat bottom SS Avalon sink with many of the problems listed above.

A few ideas that have worked for us.

1) If you have a SS grid that goes over the bottom of the sink to prevent scratches, remove it to facilitate drainage when using the sprayer to heard coffer grounds, crumbs, etch toward the drain. If you are worried that the sink will gets overly scratched,,, see this as a benefit as you will have a better reason to replace it with something that drains better.2) The Kohler sink squeegee works pretty well.

3) The stainless steel coating product does help -- better than RAINX..

They are BAD! Mine is a Kraus so it's not exactly a Dollar Shop brand. Every time I have to chase the debris around with the spray like cockroaches for minutes, while my previous normal Home Depot non-flat-bottom sinks only took seconds. I've ended up removing the drain screen, and spraying plus a hand brush every time.

Is there such thing as a steeper drain 'try' add-on - to the bottom of a standard 30" flat-bottom drain? wouldn't mind removing it once a week to clean both tray & sink.

Sid Lo -- A properly made sink won't have a drainage issue. My 42" sink drains just fine. (See the pictures near the top of this thread). To answer your question, I don't know of any, and I'm not sure they would work because it would be almost impossible to keep water from getting between the sink and the insert. You would constantly be taking it in and out so that it would dry properly.

I didn’t even consider that this would be a problem. I was really torn on getting the divided farmhouse sink and now wish I would have. I am shopping for a squeegee.

I have a horrible problem with it.

Michelle:

What is your sink brand and material please?

this thread is exactly what I have been looking for. I purchased a LOTOSCANA, and am disappointed in the slope also. Does anyone have another brand that has a "good" slope? JOIJO

jojosykora -- Rachiele has no problems with the slope. Not the most inexpensive, but well worth the price. See the pictures I posted earlier in this thread.

I bought a Kohler sink squeegee on Amazon and it’s awesome! Helps so much with rounding up all the debris.

I feel your pain. I just installed a farm house sink with center drain and it is a major nuisance cleaning and getting the food into the drain. I have a rental house that has a farm house sink with a side drain and there is a slight slope and works perfectly. If I could, I would replace with the side drain, but unfortunately, its too expensive.

So, if we net this out (I have the same issue with a remodeled home which has a farm house sink), it does not drain crumbs and food easily into the garbage disposal. Question for the community is do you have an insert or solution (short of changing the sink) to get food debris to drain normally?

1st world problems

Hi. I'm stuck with a beautiful cultured quartz farmhouse sink with no slope pulling hairs and need your input. Here's my solution but apparently NOBODY has ever done this and I'm not sure it'll work. I will "build" a slope using either fiberglass putty and mesh or a cement mortar slurry and when it dries I sand it down using a level to check the slope. Then I with "paint" the entire sink with coats of epoxy covering all seams with sanding between coats. I anticipate the final look wiñll look and hold up like white porcelain. What do you think?

You are absolutely NOT alone! I convinced my husband to get a Farmhouse sink sinkology and I too am going crazy with the terrible design of the ridiculously flat bottom! Who the heck designed tgat? AND to make matters worse, we just had our gorgeous granite countertops installed today and although we had a guy out twice to measure, he didn't make a template and the fit around the sink is just terrible! Very disappointed! Hopefully Loews will be able to fix the countertop but not sure there's any hope for the sink!

Patti

Patti Laux -- There is a reason that the low priced sinks are low priced--and it's not because the high priced ones are over charging. I purchased a Rachiele sink in 2017 and it's still like new--drains perfectly, requires almost no cleaning, and looks the same as the day it was installed. In addition, doing the prep work in the sink means the counters stay clean.

Can anyone weigh in on an issue I'm having with my farmhouse sink? I don't know if i have a problem with drainage because i can't seem to find a drain assembly with long enough threads to connect to the drain pipe because of the depth of the lip in the drain opening in the sink. I've been searching online and don't find any except in regard to a garbage disposal, which i do not have. Thoughts, suggestions... please. Thanks

"...a drain assembly with long enough threads to connect to the drain pipe because of the depth of the lip in the drain opening in the sink."

??? Picture please.

HU-543567582 -- I got a drain from Rachiele, and then used PVC from the hardware store to connect it up.

Kitchen · More Info

This is my solution, it’s a water system funnel from Amazon.Com ($12) and it’s working very well for me. I scrape the plates & scraps right into the funnel which feeds into the disposal.

I am late to the game on the one big sink. Have wanted one for years. Finally got it installed and within 24 hours I was questioning my decision. It is CONSTANTLY full of food particles, crumbs, etc., NOTHING DRAINS!! Like others, it's making me crazy to have a dirty sink all the time. I just ordered the Kohler sink squeeze recommended by someone else in thi thread, hopefully it helps. So disappointed in the big sink, at thsi point, not sure I'm wondering if I shoudl have stayed with my old split/two-basin sink.

@happyhomepeachtreecorners Which sink (brand/model) do you have? Is it properly leveled?

It’s definitely a fault in the Kohler single basin, center drain model. It’s just not enough pitch, even properly leveled. I had read it was a frustration on the reviews and should have listened. It’s still a very nice sink, just more work. I’m finding my large blue funnel quite helpful.

@TXGuy - no idea which model we have. The bottom of the sink is completely flat, no slope at all to facilite drainage. Clealry a poor design, but never even thought to question it when they installed it

@happyhomepeachtreecorners That sounds like an unfortunate design. Sorry :(

This has been a very interesting thread to read. Currently looking at sinks, and am a bit confused about what sinks have this problem. Is it just the large single bowl sinks that have this problem, or do all sinks have this problem. What does a “non-flat-bottomed” sink look like (other than having the angled lines on the floor to guide flow towards the drain, what other features do I look for to avoid getting a sink that does drain properly)?

Sorry, meant “to avoid getting a sink that doesn’t drain”.

I have the same frustration with my divided farmhouse sink. I waste time, water and money trying to channel all the dribs and drabs that fall into the sink into the center drain hole. I too, have tried to envision some type of structure that could be rigged to create a slope to the center, but haven't figured it out yet. Probably easier to buy the squeegie and wait until I buy a new sink. I won't make this mistake again.

Ann Haviland -- FWIW, I'm still happy with the Rachiele farmhouse sink i purchased in 2017. Drainage is no problem (43" sink). It just depends n the manufacturer, some are good and some not so good.

what about a concave sink and countertp so you dont have to bend over along with a slight slope into the drain? I said slight

Okay, so what sink can I replace my flat one with that has a decent slope?

Jerry Jorgenson will tell you a Rachiele farmhouse sink.

I don't know for sure but maybe a sink with a center drain . Mine is drain is right side back and I have to chase the food down.

Pam Ostby -- I have no drainage issues with our Richele 43" sink.

No you’re not alone, we got the Allen + Roth Dennison Farmhouse sink and my husband was going nuts about the water just sitting on the flat surface, with crumbs just sitting there.
The drain is not in the center, but to the far left side. Just not fun, so have to wipe the water and drips into the drain.

Well... we wish we would have seen this common problem before we bought our Elkay Farmhouse Sink... It is frustrating to say the least, but will look into the squeegee.....Thanks!

@Tom Miller - we have an Elkay stainless sterl apron front sink with corner drain. We have had no drainage issues at all. Sometimes when a sink is not draining well, it is not the sink causing it. It could be the installation - the sink improperly installed, or the base cabinets out of level.

Sink is level we checked

We have ceramic….

Thanks so much for the squeegee idea!

Found this thread because the Elkay Crosstown 31 inch sink we just had installed is pooling in the middle of the sink. Counters are so close to level that I'm not sure it would be reasonable for Elkay to complain. So some Elkay are fine and others are not.

I'm going to try putting some olive oil and some Hope's Perfect Sink in to try to prevent the water's adhesion to the surface. But since I haven't found anyone suggesting/confirming ways to mitigate the problem I'm not hopeful.

Yes, i have the same problem with my square acrylic bathroom sink . After i use the water pic, it's gross and I have to clean the sink especially in the corners. I wish the retailer would have informed me (as he did with vessel sinks, telling me there is a splash problem with them),. As nice and modern as they look, if I had known, I would have opted for a sloped shape.

So true! i learned the hard way as well! The saleswoman strongly recommended against it and i bought that pretty sink anyways!! i think of her often as i endleslly chase crumbs and waste my life away cleaning my sink! At least my son benefited from my hard learned lesson, i helped him pick a beautiful sloping sink! i visit often just to wash dishes there!

Nope. Water drains well; crumb residue no worse than previous Blanco stainless sink and takes like 5 seconds to rinse out. (Shaw Lancaster 3018)

It’s a major problem even with factory stainless steel sinks. My sister in law got a Havens custom metal sink and she specifically asked for a “slopier slope” for this very reason.

Never had a problem with draining in our Rachiele sink.