Wow, I don't remember getting scratches, that would drive me nuts. Although the stainless does get it's own type of patina...

The Porto Fino is cute, but if you're going to do a lot of cooking, I'd recommend a less cute and more spacious second sink. Bias here.

Biggest difficulty is weight of the big Kohlers. Two people needed to lift. Because I have laminate countertops, there was no question as to what I wanted. I have bought two topmount full sized Kohler cast iron sinks for my new kitchen. Only issue that was not expected for me is that these seem to be deeper than the Kohler cast iron double sink I had lived with for almost 40 years. Maybe a half inch? It may be an illusion.

On the double sink, I like using a plastic dishpan within one basin and a Rubbermaid bumper on the bottom of the other and on the divider as insurance for my glassware and china pieces because I am clumsy. Every so often I boil some bleachwater and whiten them up after they get grungy. Haven't any experience with the large singlebasin prep sink yet because it's not plumbed, sigh.

I got mine the day after Thanksgiving online from Home Depot thru Ebates. Very good deals that day and will probably be good again this year, since the economy is so awful.

By the way, Kohler cast iron products are made of recycled metal.

I hope the size might be fine for us, it measures apx 18 x 18" x 8-5/8", so I'm guessing that the interior is 16" diameter. I have no idea what it weighs, I should look that up. We're planning on a granite top there. Also planning a large single bowl stainless for the clean up sink.

I have always had cast iron sinks in my adult life, except the horrible stainless one in the single wide we lived in while building our house. I've always loved them and chose them for our new house. I've never had sink grids, but I can imagine that black would show scratches and things better my white ones. We put the Kohler Executive Chef in our previous home and now have the Kohler Clarity for our main sink, one of the Kohler Iron/Tones for prep sink and in our laundry room, and Kohler Farmingtons in all our bathrooms.

I'm not sure when they changed, but Kohler used to make porcelain on cast iron. Now it's a higher fired enamel. The current one is the one that is supposed to be proof against chipping, staining and scratching.

I have three: prep, clean-up and laundry. LOVE them. I dithered for a long while because I wanted the old style porcelain (it feels like the fireclay sinks do). The ones that come with that didn't fit my kitchen or my needs. When they were first installed I did miss the old surface, but I grew accustomed quickly, and they're just lovely to have and work in.

The new Kohler sinks do not have the issues that may have beset the old ones. The other brands of cast iron are different.

Thanks so much everyone.

pillog, I wish I could fit a Bordelaise, like you mentioned before, in my area, but mine needs to fit within a 21" cabinet. Great to hear about the 'new' improved finish. (:

Will it be on the perimeter? I ask because mine is in a small cabinet behind my colanders and graters drawer (in island), with a small apron inside the drawer underneath the trough. Yes, it does take up a little of the drawer space, but the cupboard with the bowl is small.

I have a cast iron double Kohler sink in my kitchen now, which was the original sink installed in 1947 when my grandfather built the house, and I love it so much that it is moving with me to our new kitchen. After all these years it has only one tiny chip in it and still cleans up like a champ.

Love mine. I wanted a white sink. I considered Silgranit and fireclay but neither were as bright white (or shiny) as the Kohler which was more durable, as well.

I love mine (Executive Chef) and Kohler is in the lead when we remodel. The only thing I wish they offered was off-set drains. My Kohler has the drains in the upper inner corner in each of my bowls and I really like that placement. I've checked Kohler's website and, if pictures can be believed, the single bowl options place the drain smack dab in the center.

Lisa, My current big sink is the Entree. They may have discontinued it, but I think people still have it. There's a rectangular side and a bigger round side. The drain is between and at the back. I love it!

plllog, yes it will be on a perimeter. So, you've modified a cabinet somehow to make the sink's trough fit? My next cabinet over will be a door with small appliances stored inside. I wonder how it could be reformatted...

My cabinets are custom, so the cabinetmaker made both the small cabinet and the modified drawer. In the case of your cabinet you or a carpenter could notch out the side to fit the trough and also add an apron if you want to hide it. It's really not that big a deal. They do things like that for cooktops all the time. It's just important to get the supports right. They routed the plywood top so that the sink would sit flush with the soapstone on top. Because Bordelaise is meant to be either drop in or undermount the edges of the top curve in just a little. I would have loved 100% flush but the stone guy suggested the best thing would be a tiny negative reveal with a little fill (caulk or silicone or whatever the gunk is). He was right. It has the look of flush if you don't inspect too closely, and doesn't collect dirt.

I'm wondering about a 33" long prep sink in the perimeter, however. You can put your cutting board right across the trough and stuff like that, but I wonder if it won't be inconvenient. When I was considering a sink in my butler's pantry, which isn't nearly big enough to waste the space, I was looking at the Fete. I think it's a better shape for perimeter counter, but it's over 28", so still would take cabinet alteration.

Thanks for posting the photo! AND...it looks great with your Karbon faucet! (:

I'm trying to decide between two Kohler cast iron undermount sinks-the Cape Dory and Bakersfield. But I"m definitely going with cast iron. Yesterday was demo day in my kitchen. When the guys got to my sink, they took a moment to admire it. It is indeed the original 1950 cast iron, with whatever enamel they used then...and it doesn't have a mark on it! Not a nick, scratch, stain or flaw. Pretty amazing.

I am also planning on installing the Cape Dory after always having a stainless steel sink. Runninginplace, if you aren't reusing the old sink, did you consider selling it on Craiglist or donating it to Habitat for Humanity? I think it was Dianalo that posted about that.

I recently replaced my old Kohler (17 years) with the executive chef. Neither ever chipped. Baking soda always got out scratches.