Try kohler. Their sinks are beautiful and they are a reputable brand. Be sure to buy from a place that has them in stock, many places order them, and they wait until they have a big enough order before actually placing the order and it will be months before your sink appears.

And don't let anyone wear a belt or metal buttons on their jeans while at the sink!

Even though Kraus tries to sound like a European company (look at their website!), the company itself was originally Chinese-owned, though now it might be American-owned or just have a US subsidiary. About two years ago, their sinks disappeared from the landscape for about a year, so it may have been bought by KrausUS. There has been some concern that the Chinese use recycled steel containing impurities, which can rust. You always want American steel if you can find it.

I know people have been happy with their Kraus undermount sinks. Here is a thread on the Kraus farmhouse sink. A responder thinks bits of steel wool is causing the rust when it could just be the Chinese steel. But there are other posts about quality concerns. I would do more research rather than rely on anecdotal information on Gardenweb.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2674295/rust-problem-with-kraus-farmhouse-sink-stainless-steel

I have one of the Kraus apron front sinks. Mine is 36" and split 60/40. I love it! And have had no issues with scratches along the front, as mayflowers suggested.

Oh, and mine is coming up on two years installed. No rust issues and it gets used heavily, scrubbing out cast iron pans every night.

Thank you so much, everyone. I'll make sure to do my research. At least I have two brands to consider now!

Kraus USA is a New York corporation founded in 2007 by Russell Levi and Michael Rukhlin. It is neither Chinese nor German, and never has been.

The company represents itself as a manufacturer, but, is not actually a manufacturer of anything. It is an importer of sanitary wares, furniture and flooring from various Asian, mostly Chinese suppliers which it sells under the Kraus brand.

Its stainless sinks are made by Primy Cooperation Ltd.and Guangdong Dongyuan Kitchenware both ISO-9000 Chinese manufacturers with good international reputations for quality products.

The steel alloy you want is Type 304 (also known as 18/8 for its composition that includes 18% chromium and 8% nickel or 18/10 with 10% nickel.). The weight of steel you want is at least 18 gauge, the thicker 16 gauge is preferable, but usually found only in commercial sinks which are rarely made in the apron front style. If the sink does not indicate its gauge or type of stainless used, stay away from it.

I would probably not recommend a stainless apron front sink because there is, as somebody else has already mentioned, a substantial risk of scratching the apron in ordinary use, and very few homeowners like the look of a marred apron.

If an apron front (or farmhouse) sink is the preference, stick with porcelain over ceramic (sometimes called "fireclay" sinks) or, even better, porcelain over cast iron.

We went with this Houzer. http://www.houzersink.com/our-products/farmhouse-7030-double-bowl-epo-3370sl/ No reports yet as the kitchen is still a few weeks away from being functional.

We have had a Kohler Vault apron front for just over a year and are happy with it. No scratching on the front. Fits standard cabinets. Went through a dealer and once discounts were figured in I don't recall a significant price difference from the Kraus which we would have purchased online.

Can your mother go to some showrooms and take a look to see what she likes?Good luck!

I've installed a Kohler and a Vico from Lowe's and both were nice sinks. Here's a very nice 15 gauge.

Mayflowers - the story about a company's stainless sinks "disappearing from the landscape"--which is a rather dramatic way of saying the sinks were no longer offered for sale--was about the TICOR company, not Kraus.

Regarding rust on stainless steel sinks, even well-known stainless steel sink manufacturers like Franke and Blanco warn about rust appearing on THEIR sinks from using steel wool or leaving other metallic items (cans, metal spatulas, etc.) on the sinks so that tiny particles are left on the sink's surface which rust. So your rust warning applies also to Franke, Blanco and any other manufacturer who provides care instructions for their sinks to avoid rust.

Your recommendation about finding a sink with American steel is problematic. Major manufacturers like Kohler, Blanco, Franke, and even Elkay source their steel from all over the world, including China. It would be difficult for any consumer to know for sure where the stainless steel in their sink came from. Even if you call the manufacturers, they won't have the information on the sources of each run of stainless steel they buy, which went to which factory, which went to which retailer, and which went to which sink an individual is buying.

There are many enthusiastic owners of Kraus sinks on this forum. It's a lot of bang for the buck. Franke, Kohler and Elkay offer the thinner 18-gauge SS, and no grid, at the same price point or higher as Kraus' 16-gauge with grid.

Our Kohler sinks came with grids included -- maybe this is new?

Frieda is right--that was Ticor who closed up. Sorry about that!

Ticor sinks are still being sold although their website really stinks. I love the look of their flat front apron sink.