Based on the age of my house (125 years) I picked a fireclay sink -- Shaws 30" -- and heeded my husband's preference for a regular-width spout, i.e. a spout that doesn't house a sprayer hose. We will have a sprayer on the side. Not the general preference around here, but a compromise I'm perfectly happy about-- score one for form over function this time. However, function won the day on the single vs. double handle front when we found this very simple but elegant Perrin & Rowe (Rohl) single handle goose neck faucet for a VERY reduced price on ebay (half of what it was going for in the retail store where we saw it). Even with this killer deal it was pretty expensive, but we decided it was worth it because it was one of the few single handle faucets where the handle connects via a rotating "ball" that fits into a "socket" within the base of the faucet, if that makes any sense. We have friends whose single handle attaches to the outside of the faucet and it periodically comes off, something that would be physically impossible for our handle. Also we found ours looked more solid, less "new-fangled", which to me is one of the major appeals of a fireclay sink. FWIW, if we hadn't found this amazing deal (and they are out there if you are willing to dig around and be patient...), we would very happily have gone wiith one of the goose neck Rohls (not P&R) that has two vertical levers coming off of a single base, again with a sidesprayer. To me, this seemed like the most convenient version of a two-handled faucet, because the handles are close together, easy to push/pull (not turn), and you can see at a glance how far "on" the hot is vs. the cold. Not all that expensive (unless you compare them to the big box brands), and our contractor was especially keen on Rohl in general. Here is a link that might be useful: P&R single handle faucet

Yes, I have a stainless grid in my fireclay farmer's sink and I really love it. It's easy to keep clean, I just rinse it off or wash with the sponge. I like that it keeps the dishes out of the dirty water and I don't worry about hitting the sink when I wash my pots and pans.

I had a shaws sink with the 1hp waste king and there were no issues. The only thing was ( as noted above), I had to get a deeper flange due to the thickness of the sink. I definitely loved the sink and were are going to put another one in in our new kitchen (we also had the smaller bar sink from Shaws). The only issue I had was marks from pots and pans that mostly came off and a couple of very small chips on the inside of the sink that I am not sure the cause, but perhaps they were from our cleaners. I am not sure if there are good ways to repair these items? But I still think we will do another pair of Shaws sinks again as they looked so good. We did have our cabinet maker install a piece of granite below the sink to prevent drips from damaging the cabinets. This made to so that drips coming down the side of the sink would fall to the floor and not damage the cabinets. This is an issue I have really seen with the painted cabinets and should be considered when designing.

FIRECLAY: PROS: Timeless & Traditional look Adds a “Statement Piece” to any kitchen Practically resistant to hard water damage CONS: Can chip Expensive Prone to cracking if drain or garbage disposal is over-tightened Heavy & requires additional support under sink base cabinet Opinion: Perfect for those who have hard water and want the traditional farmhouse look. ENAMELED CAST IRON: PROS: Resistant to light & fading Resistant to stains Resistant to scratches Beautiful & Timeless Available in different colors & styles CONS: Very prone to rusting Expensive Heavy & requires additional support under sink base cabinet Cannot use abrasive cleaners - can dull the shiny finish Opinion: Great choice for people who do not have hard water. We all know, iron can and will rust away.