The idea of a double sink, I think, is that each side can be used for different tasks. Wash dishes in one, wash veggies in the other. Defrost meat in one, soak pots in the other. Etc. However, for me this is like saying two hands are better than one, because you can use one hand to rub your belly and the other to pat your head. It just isn't a common ''use case'', you see. In my so-called-life, a double sink always gets used as follows. Dirty dishes are piled in one side, and everything else gets done in the other. So, at the end of the day, it's like having a single sink plus a pile of dirty dishes. Now, dirty dishes are a fact of life, so maybe it's not the worst thing for them to have a snug, welcoming home. But I find that extending hospitality to detritus comes at a price, which is that the side of the sink that actually gets used is Just Too Small. Which is, too small to soak the half sheet pan that got black goober scorched all over it. Too small to wash two stockpots at once. Too small to bathe the new puppy. I would far prefer one Great Big Sink. You can always put a square plastic tub in it, should you ever really need a multi-chambered vessel. Better yet, a Great Big Sink and a Useful Little Sink somewhere else. Even better, my fantasy of a stainless steel darkroom sink, six feet long and two feet wide and only six inches deep, an endless counter that can be flooded with water and hosed down as needed. Add a deep end and a diving board, and Olympic Barbie has her swimming pool. On a perhaps more practical note, my friend has a sink I covet. It is a slab-built slate farmhouse sink extending all the way to the wall, with wall-mount faucet. Without taking up much counter width, it can swallow a half sheet pan with room to spare. Compared to a ''standard'' sink, she loses only the ledge of counter between sink and backsplash, which has to be the least useful part of a kitchen counter.

We have a stainless apron front sink: as long as I have breath in my body I shall not have a fireclay sink. (About this my husband is just as vehement as I.) In our previous house we had one and HATED it. The scratches and marks -- what a pain. For us, it's stainless or nothing (okay, so I exaggerate, because of course we'd rather have a sink than nothing!). For myriad reasons I wanted an apron front, the most important reason being I like its back comfort (because the front of the sink isn't separated by countertop, so not as much leaning over and in). I also like the way it looks (an apron front sink of any material). Unlike bluekitobsessed, to me apron front stainless sinks don't look as if they're trying to be cottage-y -- I think they look modern. When I think of the stainless apron front sinks I've seen posted here to a one they appear sleek and modern to me, which is what I like! Our kitchen is a v. "classic" white kitchen (painted white cabs, white marble countertops), and I love the pop of the more modern stainless to remind us we're in the twenty-first century That being said, maybe fireclay would be best for your kitchen if what you're after is a cottage look .... Your choices sound lovely and I look forward to watching your progress!

There is no one answer to your question. The variables are: -- depth of sink front to back -- front panel and sides of sink and whether those permit bumping out (not all farm sink sides are the same nor all the front panels the same) -- way the sink will be mounted under/flush with/or above the counter --interior cabinet construction -- how the faucet operates and how it will be installed. --faucet stem thickness can be an issue or sometimes there is a flange underneath to hold the faucet in place which needs clearance below. Perhaps you are aware that sinks and faucets have specification diagrams (we call those downloads) with all this critical installation information. My suggestion is to download the diagrams for each sink under consideration and read them very carefully. The inside measurements of the sink cannot be used for this purpose -- anyone who tells says such and such is ok without consulting the diagram I wouldn't trust. The person who orders and specifies the cabinets should also be given copies of those sheets as well as all the spec sheets for appliances (you likely know this but just in case). I made a booklet of those for the designer plus 2 others -- one for the plumber and one for the contractor. No one can say they don't have the right info. Likewise, download the spec sheets for any faucet considered. Pay special attention to the thickness of the faucet stem and the way the faucet operates. F.ex. some faucets turn on by pulling sideways but alo need to swivel from front to back to go from cold to hot. There must be enough space behind the faucet to permit that. Or, since you're concerned about leaning in, perhaps it would be a good idea to look at one of the Grohe faucets that can be front mounted -- that is with the control facing in and over the sink. That can be very helpful when space is tight.

Found this thread because the Elkay Crosstown 31 inch sink we just had installed is pooling in the middle of the sink. Counters are so close to level that I'm not sure it would be reasonable for Elkay to complain. So some Elkay are fine and others are not. I'm going to try putting some olive oil and some Hope's Perfect Sink in to try to prevent the water's adhesion to the surface. But since I haven't found anyone suggesting/confirming ways to mitigate the problem I'm not hopeful.