If you get a ss sink, you want, minimum 18 gauge stainless, better is 16 gauge, but that will be expensive. The most common is 18 gauge. Stay way from 20 gauge or higher.

Best way to clean a SS sink (but do NOT do this on SS appliances!) is to use something like Comet or Bon Ami and scrub it with a stainless steel scouring ball. You can get them at the grocery store or a hardware store. Use SS to clean SS, in other words.

I love SS kitchen sinks (while I loathe SS appliances!) and always clean my sink that way. My father taught me that!

Since my 50 year old Elkay SS sink was still in good shape - like zwizzle's, it had a patina of scratches - I got another Elkay in the remodel 4 years ago. I clean it about once a week with Bar Keepers Friend. It does have some scratches, but no stains. I don't baby it at all.

My 16ga Vigo SS sink looks fantastic after about 18 mos of use so far. As others have mentioned, I rinse it down every night, no drying for me, and once or twice a week a good cleaning with BKF and a blue scrubbie...looks as good as the day it was installed...no staining issues and we do not baby that sink at all.

Tibbrix's cleaning instructions are not recommended. Do not use Comet or a scouring pad. Those methods are too abrasive and will remove the sink's shine. Use Bar Keepers Friend (aka BKF) applied with a sponge, rinse, then, if you wish, dry with a paper towel or microfiber cloth. Your sink will be sparkling.

Offset drains are great. Try to get a sink with an offset drain.

You can get very good quality 16-gauge sinks made by Kraus at reasonable prices. (16-gauge is thicker than 18-gauge). Many on this forum have Kraus 16-gauge sinks, and love them. I have not seen one complaint. Check them out on overstock dot com.

As to yr question of whether a SS sink will retain its looks - that is in the eye of the beholder. You can retain the sink's shine by not using abrasive cleaning methods. However, scratches are inevitable. So are water marks, though the severity of water marks depends on local water hardness. Whether scratches and water marks bother you is individual taste. For those that are bothered, they opt for a different material sink like Silgranit.

I just clean my SS sink with my scrubber used for dishes with dish soap on it. Looks fine to me. Love the patina of the scratches. Luckily, we have such pure water, that watermarks aren't an issue.

I also think that offset is fabulous... there have been several threads that detail why folks like them, but for me the main advantage was the undersink storage (mine is not to one side, just set back to the rear). My previous SS sink was at least 30 years old, a very basic drop-in one (never knew the brand) and although had no sparkle it was fine.

Are you seeing the actual sink, or a photo? I wonder if the sinks have been coated with a bit of oil to make them shine and that is the source of the iridescent sheen ?

I am seeing the photos, they look like a chemical experiment gone wrong....and for all I know maybe. I had a stainless sink years ago, what I disliked about it was that it was a top mount....I don't recall anything that would have changed the sink's color and was trying to figure out if "new improved" sinks were anything but. It appears that no one is having their sinks stain so I'll probably go with ss.

I have a 30" 16 gauge Kraus sink. Only had it since June but it is very nice. I wish it came with an offset drain but you can't beat the price. The drain is set to the back, which does leave more room under the sink but not as much as an offset drain.

I have super hard water, so it gets water spots, but I don't really notice or care. Vinegar or barkeeper's friend takes care of the spots and shines it up, but I've only bothered with the BKF twice so far.

i have seen SS lab sinks that have been cleaned with bleach and god knows what for 40 years and they have minor scratches and dings but no discoloration like you describe.

FWIW, I have had my SS cookware show the rainbow iridescence, but it goes away with BKF followed by hot soapy water and towel drying. Sort of like this:

http://calphalon.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/45/~/i've-noticed-a-rainbow-like-discoloration-on-my-stainless-steel-cookware.-how

Stainless steel sinks can be made to look new, no matter how old or scratched, with a $39.00 random orbital palm sander and a selection of abrasives. I do this all the time.

Another owner of a 50+ yo stainless sink. Prior to my occupancy, that sink raised a family of 6. In my hands it has seen paint and drywall dust. Looks like it was installed yesterday. I usually clean with paper towels and dish soap, because sinks are dirty and I clean with something disposable. I have used comet and liquid bleach for disinfection with no problems. I have a stainless sink in my current lab, not pretty, but completely unmarred, undented. I would never even consider using another material for my sink, pretty though it might be. Also a fan of the lab's offset drain. I believe the lab sink is 18 gauge and have no idea whether the home sink is 16 or 18.

I think there's different qualities of stainless steel. The old pure American stainless isn't used in all the Chinese-produced things we now are forced to buy. I have read that the Chinese use recycled steel and it has impurities. I notice the difference in my pans. All Clad, made in America, never rainbows. I have Chinese-made Calphalon and Cuisinart pans, but the Calphalon are tougher and heavier than the Cuisinart pans, which pit when exposed to salt, rainbow over high heat, and scratch easier than the other pans.

Personally I'd get Silgranite because it always looks brand new.

I purchased a Kraus Sink over a year ago and love it. It came with a really nice sink grid so no scratches on the bottom. Cleans up very easy with a sponge and BarKeepers Friend and then a quick spray of stainless steel cleaner and buffed dry with microfiber cloth. Looks as good as the day it was installed.

If you are concerned about your stainless origins, take a look at Just Mfg. American stainless