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Who makes the best stainless steel sinks?

6 years ago

I am looking for a huge single bowl stainless sink, and I'm hoping you can have pity on me and share your opinion on who makes some of the highest quality sinks. I've read 16 gauge is the best, although 18 is more than fine. Is it Franke, Blano, Elkay, or???

If you want to throw in some great brands for bathroom sinks, that would be a bonus :) Bathroom sinks can just be good and don't need to be 'the best'

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Pipdog

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Another vote for Kraus! Just had mine installed and I give it a big thumbs up. I had the Franke in my last house which cost much more, and the Kraus is just as nice, and even comes with a grate, which the Franke didn't.

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Comments (18)

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Joseph Corlett, LLC
6 years ago
I install a boatload of sinks every year. I've never unpacked a bad Kohler or Karran. C-Tech sinks are amazing. 18 gauge is plenty for a sink.
User thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
Terri_PacNW
6 years ago
I just put in a 32" single Ruvati. Love it. Took out an Elkay. Not sure how old it was, but it cleaned up alright, more a brushed worn finish then the new guy.
User thanked Terri_PacNW
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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.
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A 24" wide sink is bigger than necessary for a kitchen, imo. The giant 36" single bowls kds spec are really only so they don't have to redesign the cabinet layout from the old standard double that requires a 30 or 36" cabinet. The front to back measurement can depend on how wide you want your counter. Your cab can be spaced/blocked out from the wall to allow a 28 or 30" deep counter. More usable for all functions if your design allows it. An 18" front to back, so 24 x 18", fits everything you normally wash in a kitchen. Figure in space for the faucet hole. And any dimension your backsplash needs. You may need to go less than 18". I like small but not zero radius undermount sinks with an offset drain toward the rear. 9" deep is the max for me because of the space for a disposal and the height of the drain pipe if it goes in the wall. [Here's brand discussion.[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/who-makes-the-best-stainless-steel-sinks-dsvw-vd~4623870)
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Lisa
6 years ago
I love, love, love my Kohler Prolific sink. I like most Kohler products in general (and we are using a lot of Kohler in our new bathroom.) The Prolific is 18 gauge and I consider this sink a high quality sink. 16 is thicker, but I am not worried about my 18g.
User thanked Lisa
Sammy
6 years ago
I've had my Frankes in for 17 years now, and I can't complain. :)
User thanked Sammy
mjocean
6 years ago
We have lived in our house 12 years and the Franke sinks installed by the prior owners are still in great condition. Beware you want Franke manufactured in Switzerland, not Franke USA which are manufactured in China.
User thanked mjocean
suzanne_sl
6 years ago
Kraus also makes very nice sinks.
User thanked suzanne_sl
DLM2000-GW
6 years ago
Had an Elkay for 24 years in our old house and it was still perfect when we moved. Bought a Zuhne for our new build and so far, love it. I believe both are 18 ga.
User thanked DLM2000-GW
barnaclebob
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I just put in a "create good sinks" 39" apron front sink based on a the someones recommendation here and love it. They have zero or 1/2" radius options. I went with the 1/2" radius for easier cleaning but it still has a nice industrial look to it.
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cat_mom
6 years ago
We are very happy with our Julien 0-radius single bowl sink. It's been installed for 10 years (can't believe it's been that long!).
User thanked cat_mom
ryburns26
6 years ago
Kraus! You can't go wrong.
User thanked ryburns26
User
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you all so very much!!!! You've named some brands I don't know about so I will check them out!!! I did see that Julien makes a really wide one. It's wider than the nice franke with the built in ledge I'm eyeing.
ryburns26
6 years ago
You can't beat a $400 36" kraus.
User thanked ryburns26
Melissa Kroger
6 years ago
I have a Rachiele stainless farmhouse with accessories and i love it. It's 16 gauge, and I got the millennia finish which does not show any scratches.
User thanked Melissa Kroger
nycbluedevil_gw
6 years ago
i love my Julien sink!
User thanked nycbluedevil_gw
Jancy
6 years ago
We have Kraus sinks in 2 homes and have also put them in a couple of rentals. Great sinks, no problems and also love that they come with the bottom grate.
User thanked Jancy
Jan Russak
6 years ago
Thank you for asking this question! It is precisely the same question as I came here to ask. I'm trying to decide between a Kohler and a Kraus. I'm looking for one large under-mounted stainless steel bowl. (We are taking out a two-bowl sink which completely did not work for us). Any sense of how a Kohler would stack up against a Kraus?
User thanked Jan Russak
ryburns26
6 years ago
The Kraus is great. Really good quality. Build.com and lowes have really good pricing. It feels solid and is packaged very well. The stainless doesn't feel hollow like the kohler I used to have.
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