Bump -- I'd be interested on any feedback on the Seamless sink as well.

I had an 18-gauge elkay in my old house and never noticed that it was loud or felt flimsy.

We just installed our new countertop with a Elkay Crosstown sink. It's not your version but in the same product line. It is 18ga and is very quiet because of the sound deadening pads. At his point, just a few days in, we're really liking our choice.

I have the same Elkay Crosstown sink as Rich but 33" wide. I've had it for 7 months and so far I love it. I don't find it loud and it's definitely not flimsy at all.

I was just going to post something similar, raee. My current builder-grade double sink has been there since 1979 and there's really nothing wrong with it except the configuration.

I have never in my life ever heard anyone complain about their sink being "noisy" - until now. Plumbing, sometimes. Dishwashers and fridges, often. But sinks? NEVER.

Just what the heck are y'all on about?

The sink in the house we just bought is as old as the house - 57 years old. It's porcelain over cast iron and has just a couple of serious chips in it, but nowhere near what I've seen in much newer similar sinks where the porcelain is a lot thinner. Its still perfectly usable, but will be replaced for appearances' sake. How long do you NEED a sink to last, really?

We have the 30" crosstown from Elkay (offset drain, single bowl). I don't have a 16 gage sitting right next to it to compare the two, but it feels very solid. I don't think its loud; but then, I'm never sure what people mean by "loud sinks." I'm happy with it so far.

BTW, having a 30" single bowl is dreamy, if you've only had double bowls in the past.

Pics of ours:

a 20 gauge or lower builder-grade sink can definitely be "tinny". But I have a 16 gauge Kraus now, and it's no quieter (or noisier) than the 18-gauge Franke Orca I had in my previous home.

I'd likely go with the lower price sinks. There are better places to go over budget (and that will make a bigger impact). You're not comparing 20 to 16, and in all honesty, I do not think 18 to 16 is going to be that big of a game changer. All that said, if money is no object, then go for the expensive ones :)

We had an 20 in our second home and still have a 16 in our current home. Hands down go with the 16. Well worth the extra expenses and still looks brand new. We replaced the ski house sink with an enameled cast iron Kohler and love it -- that's what we are going with in our new build.

I forgot I had these on my phone. While I love having such a wide, deep sink now, I think my favorite part is the position of the drain because it gave me enough room for a large trash/recycling pullout on the left and a small drawer under the garbage disposal on the right

apparently you can add your own sound deafening pads - they're just sheets of foam, iirc. Never tried it, but I read it somewhere online, so it *might* be true!

Based on our experience with our customers I would say it doesn't make a big difference if you get the 18 gauge sink. It's perfect for your daily use.

I have an 18 gauge Franke Oceania. It is a high quality sink with a lovely satin finish and it still looks beautiful after a few years of use. It has sound deadening pads on the underside. When I was looking for a sink, I was pretty much convinced that I needed a 16 gauge, but when I actually looked at sinks in person, I changed my mind. IMO, gauge in and of itself is not the sole indicator of the best quality or even a good quality sink.

Thanks everyone! The GC's plumber told us we should definitely go with the 16 gauge, but over the weekend I was at a house and saw the Elkay Crosstown installed. It seemed fine to me, quite solid and not loud at all. Based on this and everyone's feedback here, I think I'll probably save my pennies and get the Elkay.

scoutfinch72 - that's exactly why I want the side drain. I'm going to put a trash pull-out on one side of the sink cabinet.