Westheimer Plumbing Supply would be a place to look locally. We looked at the Artisan single bowl and they had better pricing that online. Our Blanco prep sink came from them at about the same pricing. I would have bought my main sink from them, but by the time I found the right one and they were out of stock most places, I needed it quickly and went with the one place I could find one in stock -- I think I paid about $100 more, but I didn't have to live without a sink for another couple of months. I think I saw somewhere that their average discount is about 25%, but some things may have better pricing. They carry the Shaw's Original in case you want to check out fireclay in person. I loved that sink and still do. I would think that an undermount or something like a flush mount apron front might be better than a drop-in for butcher block. I'd be afraid that gunk could accumulate around that drop-in lip -- even a little moisture sitting there could cause problems over time. With an undermount, you'd know where any water is and be able to wipe it down well.

SouthernStitcher....your mom sounds a lot like mine! All the kids wanted to come to our house b/c it was the "fun" house and my mom was always feeding everyone! I have fond memories of the various KoolAid flavors...we each got to choose the "flavor of the day" on a rotating basis...even some of our friends got to pick! My mom also has a SS sink...not quite 50 years old (maybe 30 years...)...but she was just commenting yesterday that when she remodels her kitchen she thinks she'll keep the sink b/c it's in such great shape. I don't know what "brand" it is, but I'm not sure it matters much if you get a sink from a reputable manufacturer. ++++++++++++++ If you do a search, you'll find a lot of threads about sinks...depth, grids, single vs double, SS vs fireclay vs cast iron vs granite composite, etc. Here are some things... If you will be under mounting your sink, the depth will be the depth of the sink + the thickness of your countertop. So, my sink is 9" deep with 3cm (~1-1/4") granite. That means that my sink is approx 10-1/4" deep. The taller you are, the harder a deep sink is on your back b/c you have to lean over farther to get to the bottom of the sink. The larger the ledge in front of the sink, the more you have to lean in to get to the sink. Sink grids will raise the bottom of the sink up an inch or so. They also keep things off the bottom so that it's easier to rinse the sink (items aren't sitting on the bottom blocking access to the drain), they're flat so things don't tilt, you can drain dishes on them w/o re-immersing them in dirty/soapy water, they protect the bottom from scratches, etc. You'll find this information and a lot more if you do a search. Search one of two ways: (1) Directly in GardenWeb. Use the search button on the bottom of the thread list page, not the the top of the page. (2) Using Google or other search engine. If you do it this way, be sure to specify "site=ths.gardenweb.com" as part of the search (at least for Google).

The soap you use in your DW can make a big difference also, esp. if you are in a house that does not have the same type of water as your previous house, ie hard vs soft. I have some DW tablets of one brand (cascade 3 in one) and left over boxed soap in the same brand. The tablets are terrible, leave stuff but the box still does fine. My mother uses a tablet in a diff brand (electrasol I think) that works great (she is 2 miles away and has the same type of water) but noted that my BIL also said they tried the cascade tablet I did and they were not happy. So even different choices within one brand name clean differently. Using a separate rinse agent can also help. We have hard water, and if you have softened water you may get different results. Your DW, how you load the DW, and how long the soiled dishes sit before being washed also makes a difference. Some people do more than one load a day and food doesn't really dry on, others only do a load every few days or less. I don't use the heated drying most of the time, but if you do, any stuck on food that doesn't come off the first time can get baked on. Also, if your DW has a filter that needs to be cleaned or just has a drain that is partially blocked and doesn't allow food particles to drain out with the dirty water, they could get redistributed on t he dishes. Anyway, if your DW isn't cleaning well, see if others who have the same dw notice the same thing, try a load with no large items to block the flow of water or impede the "arms" that distribute water, change dw detergents (consumer reports actually rates them) and get recommendations from those with the same type of water as you, try a rinse agent, and turn off heated drying until you get it figured out. Sue

Breezy - glad to hear you love the sink - and knowing that you'd now go with offset. Good point about not being able to lay the large items flat to soak - even in my low divide idea, that wouldn't work. I don't love the curvy either, but it is their low divide 1 3/4 option.. Also - interesting to hear about the water line filter idea - perhaps I should consider that - a little more expensive in filters, I suppose? Still_lynnski - which large sink do you have - the offset, or center drain? Thanks ctycdm, and raenjapan, for your comments/ photo. I really appreciate them and knowing your experiences! Mrs Nyef - thanks and also for the tipout thoughts. Bummer that my under sink drainpipe would be at the opposite end vs the sink drain, but at least the disposal would be in the far corner. I did get a sample to take home for a couple days and the truffle worked best with the granite sample. It's either that or stainless... Interesting that I'm not hearing anyone largely in favor of (or even utilizing) the Cascade-type sink that has the small platform off to the side - anyone positive or negative about that - either through personal experience or thinking it through? Thanks!