YES, go for the anthracite Silgranit sink! It would go great with your formica (I am sitting in front of our butterum granite formica office counter right now!)

Silgranit is a brand name by Blanco sinks. Go to their web site to check out their different styles. Some of their sinks can be either overmount or undermount, and some are specifically undermount.

I love my anthracite Silgranit sink. I got a good deal from homeandstone via eBay. It is easy to clean, I use barkeepers friend. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Blanco America

Pegasus (the HD brand) is a generic knock-off of Blanco. Some reports are that they're made by Blanco but I don't trust it. Shop around online and you can find the Blanco sinks for the same price if not cheaper than what HD wants for their knock-offs.

Many of the Blanco sinks are both drop-in and undermount. That's what ours is. We did ours as a drop-in (Hubby's idea and something we'll probably change when we can). The holes are actually in the sink. The reason you see the holes in the counter for the undermount sinks is that the countertop covers that lip part.

Hubby used a powder cleanser on our sink and it left a powdery film. I wouldn't recommend it. Just a bit of dish soap works just fine.

Here's ours:

Pbris - another dumb question... how does that faucet work? Is that a sprayer attached to the end? And, where is the temp control? Is there a handle there I can't see? I like to have a sprayer, and have always had a separate one. Is this a more convenient arrangement?

It's a pull-down faucet. The sprayer is the faucet head. The handle is in front. Hubby installed it that way as it's less messy. Most people install it with the handle on the side.

Hubby insisted on the pull-down style. I hate it. To me it's not convenient at all. The faucet has absolutely no reach at all and Hubby likes to leave the spray part of the faucet separated so it looks like it's falling apart.

Here is a link that might be useful: You can see it better here.

"Some reports are that they're made by Blanco but I don't trust it."

HD's Pegasus sinks ARE made by Blanco -- This is how I know: I went to HD on a quiet Tuesday morning and was gazing at the inexpensive Pegasus looks-like-Silgranit sink, and wishing they had it in a large single bowl. (They do now, didn't then.) So the friendly kitchen sales rep asks if he can help me (remember, this was a quiet Tuesday morning) and I tell him I love the Pegasus sink, but want a large single -- Does it come in that shape? He says he doesn't know, let's go to his special order book. He finds the Pegasus sinks in his book and calls the phone number on the page. The woman at the other end of the phone line answers "Good morning, Blanco..."

Now that said, it is possible that the Pegasus sinks that look just like Silgranit and are made by the same company, are, in fact, made with some other less expensive material -- but frankly, that seems like too much trouble for Blanco to reasonably go through. OR, perhaps the material is thinner? Didn't seem that way to me. I can't say for sure that there's no difference, but honestly, I couldn't see one.

I got the Blanco in anthracite because I wanted a super single, and am fabulously happy with the sink. I mean really, really happy -- and I'm not the kind of person to be made happy by a sink, IYKWIM ;-) And I can't imagine ever NEEDING to use Comet on this sink. I barely use soap it's so stain resistant!

My take? If HD has a 'Silgranit-ish' sink you love at a great price point, I'd have no hesitation getting it. If you prefer one of Blanco's shapes, do shop around because deals are out there.

Here is a current auction with the sink I like, see link below. Is this the vendor (homeandstone) that people have talked about here? What am I missing? $280 for this sink seems too good to be true.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ebay auction for blanco sink

Sweeby - we cross posted. Thank you for your post - how funny! (Good morning, Blanco...) hehe...

I paid right around $200-250 for my huge Blanco Silgranit beast. It's the double equal 10" deep model. So, no, that price doesn't sound unusual at all.

Do you have to use the sink grids with these? Do pots and pans streak up this black material? If it were white, that would probably be more of a concern.

How can Homeandstone sell these so cheap? They aren't defective in any way, or "seconds?"

Sorry I'm pummelling this thread - I am watching this auction getting really close to pushing "Buy Now"!

AH... one more question! Is the material of silgranite so hard that it breaks glasses? We had a porcelin/cast iron sink once upon a time that broke my glasses all the time and I HATED that thing... had to use those rubber mats and they were always disgusting.

I did like the somewhat forgiving "bounce" of stainless.

Should you, could you, have a black anthracite sink?
Could you, should you, in your house?

Yes, a sink, I think!
But not in pink!

I do like them in a house.
I do not like them with a mouse.
I do like them in a wet bar.
I do not like them in a car.
I do like them in white or black.
I do not like to have to take them back.

You can use them with a sink grid,
Or you can get them scratched by a cast iron lid.

You have to, when done, wipe them clean,
Otherwise they show spots and Mom gets really mean.

With apologies to my Muse,
Dr. Seuss.

I'd say the Silgranit is hard in terms of durability, but it also has a bounce/give to it. Things can break regardless of the material. Heck, I just dropped a coffee mug in our plastic laundry tub and the handle broke off into two pieces (darn it - I liked that mug).

I don't use grids or mats or anything else in my sink.

I did a lot of research before buying from Homeandstone, but they ended up with the best price and best reviews. I even called them a few times to ask questions and got great service and advice. I purchased my Blanco sink from them and it was shipped quickly and without any problems. The packaging around the sink was more than 1 foot thick in some areas. I have no relationship to them at all, just a happy customer.

Thanks for all the reviews here. I would like more info on the "hardness" of the silgranit. I do not want to HAVE to use a grid to avoid dishes chipping/breaking in my sink. Thats how our cast iron was (as I stated earlier) and it was miserable.

Would y'all consider a grid a "must" if you have silgranit?

I don't want to get into a high maintenance product. I washed just about everything in my SS sink - from the nastiest dishes to an occasional paint brush if I was redecorating a room. They may have water spots, but dang, they seem tough. I don't want a material I have to baby in any way.

I wish I could touch one, or really get a good look at one in person.

GW'er: I have the anthracite Silgranit by Blanco. I don't have any sink grids. I don't see the need for them, but then again, maybe it's a case of I can't miss what I don't have?

I have not babied my sink. In fact, I could be turned in as neglectful of my little sinky dinky poo.
(OK - so I love it. Is that wrong? hehe)

I only pay attention to it once a week. I clean it with granite cleaner and then spray the granite polish on it, wipe it down, and it returns to it's original slightly deeper luster, all spic n span & lookin like brand new. The cleaner & polish, by the way since you didn't ask, is made by Simple Green. You can buy it at Home Depot or Lowes.

Hope this helps...
Boxie

"Thanks for all the reviews here. I would like more info on the "hardness" of the silgranit. I do not want to HAVE to use a grid to avoid dishes chipping/breaking in my sink. Thats how our cast iron was (as I stated earlier) and it was miserable. "

We had a cast iron sink in our old house, and like you, I hated how HARD it was! When we moved, our old kitchen had a Corian sink that was noticeably more 'forgiving' to small clinks with glassware. And when re renovated, we got the Silgranit sinks.

Of the three I've lived with recntly, IMO, the Silgranit is THE MOST forgiving material - though a part of the 'flex' could be because of the shape - a large single - which would give the sides some extra 'flex' compared to a double with smaller bowls.

Do you NEED a grid? I sure hope not, because I don't have one.

Does the sink show pots & pan scrapes? NO! Whoopee! I SO don't baby my sink -- I wash cast iron, Calphalon, sharp knives, dirty flower pots -- everything except paintbrushes and grout (which I'm told WILL cause problems) and I have never had a visible mark on my sink in almost three years of hard use. This sink is a WorkHorse -- and it still looks as good as new.

My last house had a black sink and I have a friend that also has one. I don't ever want to have one again because of the water spotting and other residue issues. They looked really great as long as they were recently polished but the rest of the time, not so great. If you do decide to get a black sink, remember that pladge was the best way we found to polish it.

Silgranit is absolutely an exception to the IMO-otherwise-good black sink rule.

Something about this material doesn't show water spots.

justmeinsd, the orignal poster is specifically asking about a blanco brand silgranit sink. Your friend most likely had a ceramic over cast iron (they're arent that many kinds of sinks available). It is a different material than silgranit and the silgranit would never be cleaned with Pledge furniture polish (I believe that's what you meant by pladge). Silgranit sinks are not shiny, they are smooth like a naturally smooth stone, not a polished one. They are 80% granit and 20% resin and do not leave water spots no matter what the color. I have the biscuit so I am speaking from experience! I love this sink!

Hi there - its me, the OP again.

We went sink browsing today (to Lowes) and I got an up close look at their granite/composite sinks in black, and I have to say... I was a little disappointed.

One had a powdery sort of residue on it and it had a foggy greyish film or something on it. It just looked... I don't know, faded or something? (loss for words here)

The other display had a big scuff or something on it, it looked like something had been dragged across and left a mark.

I was sad to see this because I was 99% sold on it and just needed that last little push. Well, my visit to the store pulled me back to 70%. Is it possible that these were just poor imitations of the Blanco, and why they appeared to be unimpressive?

You guys have given me a lot of great reviews. I need to make a decision here - I have everything in place in my kitchen now except the sink and I'm starting to get sick of washing dishes in our tub and running to the powder room for water for the coffee maker!

Maybe I should just go for it. If I don't like it, I'll change it in a year or so. Right??

DH is about to put our old SS in our new countertop if I don't make a decision.

OP - I am recalling that you have laminate counters and therefore I assume you will be putting in a drop in sink. I've read that Silgranit by Blanco is more heat resistant than granite composite sinks by other manufacturers such as Moen and Swanstone. I've also read that all granite composite sinks are made by two or three companies each having their own "recipe" for how the raw materials are mixed and how they are fired and cured. Blanco silgranit has the highest temperature rating for all composite granite sinks. Even though the Pegasus may be a brand by Blanco it may be made by one of the manufacturers that makes Moen or Swanstone.

I am still interested in hearing from GWers who tore out their laminate counters, kept their cabinets, and put on 1-1/4'' thick granite tops but undermounted one of the Silgranit sinks. My concern is such a renovation is again the room needed for a garbage disposal under these sinks and whether the waste drains had to be lowered for the disposals to work properly. I can't seem to get any concensus on the question. The center of our waste drain is 16-1/2'' from the finished floor of the kitchen. Cabinets are generally 34'' tall. Disposals are about 13 or more inches tall. So . . . . doing the math looks like this: 9-1/2'' sink depth + 13'' disposal + 16-1/2'' to waste drain center = 39'' so without lowering the waste drain I don't think we can undermount a deep sink. Something to think about!!!

black silgranit all the way....best sink I have ever had or used. No grid or anything and nothing has broke. It cleans like a gem....just wipe it out...no scratches...just clean and beautiful:)

If you want to see a Blanco call a kitchen cabinet shop and see if they have a display. My KD has a Blanco and loves its so she showed us one even though I was set on stainless. I'm so glad she did because I LOVE it! If you're interested in it, go for it. Search the threads here in the kitchen forum because there have been many many discussions on this sink just in the past few months. Everyone raves about it.

We have a Pegasus brand "granite" sink from HD. It was around $300, which is not cheap in my opinion. Love the sink: it's a single bowl in black, and it is a pleasure to live with. Easy to maintain, holds a lot and nothing has broken in it [yet].

This sink can be dropped in or under mounted. As we have laminate countertops, our sink is dropped in:

Ok - just a few more questions. I just want to double check a couple more things:

1. What are the BAD things, the cons, about a silgranit sink? There must be some? I mean, EVERYTHING in life has a downside somewhere, right?

2. What are the no-nos... what are the things you can't or should not do?

3. How are these to DIY install? We will be doing this ourselves.

Thanks again! This thread may have gotten long, but MAN there is some good info in it!

Gardenwebber - If you went to Lowes (and not HD) and the sink you saw was not labled Blanco, then it wasn't Blanco. Our local Lowes carries a Franke brand sink that is not, IMO, as attractive as the Silgranit. The sinks at your Lowes may also have been mistreated or damaged, and if they're mounted high up on the wall, they may actually have a thick coating of dust. Find yourself the 'real thing' before deciding.

1 - The bad things? I totally agree with you that every product has a downside. For the Silgranit, the only thing I can think of (and it's a stretch) is that it's not a natural material and has a bit of a synthetic character. I normally dislike all things synthetic - but not this.

2 - The no nos? Grout and paint. I've heard that fine powdery substances can get into the tiny irregularities in the sink's surface and cause a haze. I'd suspect Comet is a no-no too, but it's certainly a not-necessary.

3 - DIY? As easy as any other sink, probably easier than most due to it's moderate weight.

I have the metallic gray Blanco Supersingle from Home&Stone, so I can't speak to how the anthracite looks day to day. I can help a little on your other questions.

1)Cons? Nothing I've found...really. I DO tend to think twice about what chemicals it is exposed to, but that is because it's my favorite part of the kitchen next to my faucet. They are the only high-end things in there, so I make a small effort to take care of them.
We have very hard, chemical filled water here and I get deposits around my faucet handles. We have laminate counters so did a drop-in. The deposits do come off really easily, so I think the sink HELPS in this instance since it's so easy to clean.

2)Care...they do recommend using certain cleaners for their sink. I use dish soap and a scrubby sponge. Once a week (or maybe less often:) I use Barkeeper's Friend, but I don't see the dramatic difference in cleanliness like I would a SS sink. It always looks good. I don't rinse paintbrushes in it but everything else is cleaned in there. I'm that way with my chrome faucet too, though. I only use a microfiber cloth to clean it, per the manufacturer's recommendation.

3) DIY? Most certainly! DH and I did it ourselves and it was our first time EVER to install a sink. The worst part was putting in the clips to hold it, since there isn't much room under there. Trying to fit our hands in the tight space was the problem, the sink was lightweight and easy to manuever.

When I was shopping, I was absolutely sure I wanted SS. I had even picked out the Ticor model and was waiting for the size to become available. Because of the rave reviews, I reluctantly looked at the silgranit. I ordered it mostly because of the price and the size, not because I really wanted this brand/material. The minute I opened the box, I fell in love. It feels so good to the touch, the matte finish is wonderful. Pictures don't do it justice, they are really lovely sinks. I am so lucky the SS model wasn't available, because I KNOW this sink was absolutely the best choice for me. I freakin' love it! I have a SS prep sink and am chomping at the bit to change it out to silgranit, which I'll do when I change out my countertop. The nice thing about mine is that it works as drop-in and undermount, so I'll be able to keep it after our mini-remodel of the kitchen.

You really need to go to a specialty plumbing store and see an actual Blanco Silgranit, period. I was not impressed with the granite composites at the Big Box stores either and can sympathize with your disappointment.

The specialty plumbing store where I live would have been happy to order the Blanco for me ($600 minus a 20% discount) but I went through an e-bay vendor and got it for less than half that. But it was great to see and feel it in person. As far as a down side, I haven't found it yet! Of course you can install it and take it out in a year if you're not happy...just be sure to post your experience because we haven't heard of an unhappy silgranit owner!

jb1176, we did what you asked. Tore off laminate, kept standard sized cupboards had 3 cm granite installed and undermounted a blanco silgranit (1 3/4) sink. I don't recall the existing gd to be a problem. I had a professional plumber install the sink, the sink drains on the new sink were set back and my former sink drained from the middle. My GD was only a year old so we kept that. We did not DIY. BTW, I have more room under my sink now that the drains are in the back. I hope this helps in some small way.

" I had a professional plumber install the sink, the sink drains on the new sink were set back and my former sink drained from the middle. "

I raised my eyebrows when I read this as we have already set our plumbing up for center drains. Will this be a huge problem??