Have you considered fireclay? I had a white cast iron Kohler sink in my old kitchen and hated it because it got black marks on it so easily from pots and pans. My white fireclay sink doesn't get those black marks and is so much easier to keep looking nice.

I also have a SS prep sink and fori is right about water spots. We have mildly hard water and I'm always wiping water spots off the prep sink to keep it looking good.

We have a black cast iron sink in our PR and two SS sinks in our kitchen. Our new kitchen & PR are one year old this month. I grew up w/a cast iron kitchen sink (at least until my teens or so when my parents switched to SS).

Cast Iron is covered w/a finish. That finish chips. If it's white or other light color, it stains. My mother got tired of trying to keep the cast iron sink in her kitchen looking fairly decent and didn't like the chips, so she switched to SS in the '70s and has not regretted her switch. For us...I don't know how, but our black sink now has a chip...and it's only one year old!!!! [No one will admit to dropping anything in it...]

Our SS sinks, both brushed, still look great after a year. My prep sink is Kohler & my cleanup sink is Ticor. They both do have grids in them which probably helps to cut down on the scratching....and you won't see the water spots on the bottom either. However, over time SS sinks develop a patina of scratches and no longer looked scratched (unless you look very closely). As to water spots, it's a sink, it's a water source....yes, you will get spots but they're not that noticeable...again unless you're looking for them. If you're someone who wants their sink to look pristine all the time, then maybe you need to find

I have had both and just don't like how a stainless sink seems to always look messy unless it's wiped dry...and often. To me the spots were very noticeable. I have had quite a few cast iron sinks now, some of them for several years, and have been very happy....no chips, even with my wild gang of dish doers.

If you haven't already, you should consider taking a look at Silgranite sinks by BLANCO. They come in a variety of colors, do not chip or flake since they are a solid material made mostly of granite with silicone. They clean up beautifully and are almost impervious to damage.

I owned a Kohler Porcelain Cast Iron sink for 20 years, I had to deal with the black scratches from pots and pans on a regular basis but would certainly prefer cast iron to SS anyday. Now that I have a Silgranite, however, I would not go back!

My kitchen pre remodel had a white cast iron sink and it was always stained and terrible looking. When it came time to choose a new sink I decided to go with SS and based on recommendations here bought a Ticor sink. So far I really like it and found it to be a good value since it came with two very nice sink grates. Yes, I do get water spots, but find that they are very easy to just wipe off- which I do every so often. I am pleased with my choice.

My brother in law chose to go with a black silgranite sink mentioned above and he really loves it. I did consider going that route myself, but my husband really does not like the look of the black sink that I would have chosen.

We have a black cast iron sink in our PR and two SS sinks in our kitchen. Our new kitchen & PR are one year old this month. I grew up w/a cast iron kitchen sink (at least until my teens or so when my parents switched to SS).

Cast Iron is covered w/a finish. That finish chips. If it's white or other light color, it stains. My mother got tired of trying to keep the cast iron sink in her kitchen looking fairly decent and didn't like the chips, so she switched to SS in the '70s and has not regretted her switch. For us...I don't know how, but our black sink now has a chip...and it's only one year old!!!! [No one will admit to dropping anything in it...]

Our SS sinks, both brushed, still look great after a year. My prep sink is Kohler & my cleanup sink is Ticor. They both do have grids in them which probably helps to cut down on the scratching....and you won't see the water spots on the bottom either. However, over time SS sinks develop a patina of scratches and no longer looked scratched (unless you look very closely). As to water spots, it's a sink, it's a water source....yes, you will get spots but they're not that noticeable...again unless you're looking for them. If you're someone who wants their sink to look pristine all the time, then maybe you need to find

...another type of sink. Have you considered a granite composite sink such as Silgranit...maybe a gray? With the textured surface water spots will be hidden and with a gray color stains will be minimized if the sink stains at all.

So odd... My house came with a porcelain on cast iron sink. It never chipped or stained and was 25 years old when we tore it out.

No experience yet with the new glass enamel on cast iron, but it's supposed to be even harder to mar and chip. I liked the feeling of the porcelain better. They still make them, but fewer options. Fireclay is delightful to the touch but does chip sometimes. If you like a sink that is warm to the touch, and "soft", try a stone+resin like Silgranite.

It's all down to what you like. I hate working in an SS sinnk. Others love it.

Stainless! I lived with a cast iron sink as a kid and for 28 years of married life. Hated the marks from pots and pans all the time. Installed a Kohler 18 gauge SS sink last fall and love it. The water stays warm longer. No more ugly marks. Water spots come off with a wipe of vinegar. The thing to look for when buying SS is the gauge. Buy the lowest number you can afford. 20 gauge is what you can buy cheap anywhere. Mine is 18 and I am totally happy with it. (It refers to the thickness of the material.)

If you choose a standard size and shape, there's less worry about the hole that is cut in your granite. If you replace the sink down the road, a standard size/shape will still likely fit.

HTH.

I don't know how long you're hoping this sink to last, but if you're in it for the long haul, I'd go with stainless.

When I go to salvage places, it is very difficult to find a cast iron sink that does not have some wear in the enamel, and that leads to runs around the drainhole. You can also find chips cracks in the porcelain, as others have said.

Now this may take 30 years to develop. Which may seem like an eternity away, but if this is your "forever" house, this is not long at all. Depending on your age, you would probably have to replace that sink in your lifetime.

If you're not planning on keeping it that long, then this is not a consideration.

I have a cast iron sink now and I'm starting to remodel. After much deliberation I'm going to SS. It's a tough choice for me. I really like the large size and depth of the current CI, the size alone is difficult to find in SS. However, what I really think I'm going to miss is the feel. The CI is heavy, is built heavy duty (when you drop something in it), and doesn't sound like a hollow tin can when you hit against the sink's wall. CI cleaned pretty well with an abrasive cleaner, so no real problem keeping it clean.

Why the switch to SS? A cleaner look as far as rimming it in an undermount setup. You can make SS shine. People might prefer something else if given their druthers, but most people see SS as at least a good honest bet. Also SS gives me the designer look with a banjo bowl... I haven't seen that in CI (maybe someone makes it, just haven't seen it).

Definitely will go with the higher gage steel (18 - 16 ga.), right, lower number - thicker metal.

Good Luck.

Thank you for your advice.

I think I'll buy a SS sink. I had a Acrylic sink before. I like Silgranite sink but my husband hates it because it looks like ...plastic.

Hi Buehl, You said that you got both Kohler & Ticor sink. Please can you tell me which one you prefer? Which one is easier to keep clean? Do they leave a small puddle after rinsing? Do they have the same brushed finish?. The brush of Ticor goes horizontal or vertical at the bottom? Does Ticor have the mirror finish on the top of the rim? If yes, that mirror finish is only on the rim around the bowls (like Kohler) or also on the divider (like Franke). Sorry to bother you with lot of questions. Unfortunately I can not see the Ticor sink before buying it. I consider buying S305 sink. Thanks

anny-2009, I just ordered online a Ticor S305R - with the smaller bowl on the left side. I currently have a white CI sink and will replace with the Ticor. I had decided that I wanted a SS because like many of the other posts I'm tired of the black marks and stains. I have to bleach it all the time and don't want to have to worry about bleaching when I get my granite countertop installed. I decided on the Ticor because of the reviews on this website and I like the look of the grates. I was unable to get from Galaxytools because it was out of stock - may not be the case with the one you want. I ended up ordering from buy-sink.com.

I am curious to see the answers you get from Buehl.

OK...I'll answer as best I can long distance...

For reference, I have the Ticor S405D with the small bowl on the right & the Kohler K-3345 (5-sided sink).

1. Please can you tell me which one you prefer?
   Ans: I like them both for both the quality and look...the Kohler may be a little "shinier", but I have no preference for one over the other. However, I do prefer the Ticor sink grids to the Kohler sink grid. The Kohler sink grid only comes w/a vinyl-coated grid in white or almond. After a year the grid is somewhat stained. It's the sink I use for prep...fruits, veggies, etc. Berries & tomato products seem to stain the most. The Ticor grids, OTOH, are SS and look as good as the day I got them! (I called Kohler directly and they told me there were no SS grids available for my sink.)

2. Which one is easier to keep clean?
   Ans: They're the same...maybe the Kohler b/c it's smaller and there's no divider to wipe down...but it's a trivial difference IMHO!

3. Do they leave a small puddle after rinsing?
   Ans: No, neither do. I do seem to have "chase" scraps a little more in the Kohler so it may have a slightly less slope than the Ticor, but there's still no puddling of water.

4. Do they have the same brushed finish?.
   Ans: No, there is a slight difference. What it is, I don't know right now. When I first got them both together I did do a quick check b/c I was concerned the Ticor would look less nice than the Kohler, but they both look nice, just slightly different. But, no one else notices & my DH thinks I'm crazy!

5. The brush of Ticor goes horizontal or vertical at the bottom?
   Ans: I don't remember....I'll have to check when I get home...sorry!

6. Does Ticor have the mirror finish on the top of the rim?
   Ans: Yes

7. If yes, that mirror finish is only on the rim around the bowls (like Kohler) or also on the divider (like Franke).
   Ans: On the divider as well.

HTH!

BTW...I have to correct my previous post about my PR sink. I just looked at the Kohler online specs for my sink and it says it's vitreous china. However, my parents' old sink was cast iron, so my "review" still stands.

Thanks Buehl for your precious information.

I still like Kohler's finish. Unfortunately they don't have 60/40 sink that fits my 33 cabinet. The only thing I'm worried about Ticor is that the polished beveled edge might be prone to scratching. Does anyone have any experience with that? Galaxy is very helpful when they said that they can brush it out for me but I'm skeptical about brushing out a sink.

I adore the Kohler CI when I see it displayed. My concerns are that my cookware is Anolon, and it's very heavy. In the Kohler video, when the girl throws the pan in the sink, I can tell it's one of those much lighter weight aluminum pans. What about dutch oven filled with stew, or being in a hurry and slinging a pan around? I don't want to buy new cookware as this one is new!

If I go with cast iron, it will be a single bowl for sure for fear of the divide being just one more part to chip!

And I have the polished finish on my sink on the top of the divide and on the beveled edge, and yes, it is scratched horribly, and deep! (not Ticor, something called Steel Queen and likely cheap knowing my previous owners). I really want to get away from stainless, but sort of like laminate, it's sort of carefree! We have soft water, so I have no worries at all about water stains. I am just ready for something different, and am also considering Siligranite.

Hi Kmarcel,
I also consider buying a Ticor S305R - with the smaller bowl on the left side like you. Did you receive your sink? Is Buy.com a good sealer?