Brushed looks great when it comes out of the box. It's not going to stay looking like that for long though

M - why do you think satin would be any different?

If you'd said polished (like many of Franke's) vs. brushed/satin, there'd be more of a difference. But all stainless steel sinks will scratch over time, it doesn't matter what brand or what you paid or if it's satin or brushed. You can try to lessen the scratches with a sink grid. Or just wait until the scratches become a patina which they will. Just get the sink you prefer. You mentioned your appliances, It doesn't matter what your appliances are in the choice of SS sink finish.

Glenda:

The finish doesn't really matter because it all scratches and it can all be refinished.

It's just another tool in my opinion. It will scratch if it is used. If it's clean, it looks great IMHO :))

Inga

Satin finished sinks are not susceptible to water corrosion but brushed stainless steel is

"Satin finished sinks are not susceptible to water corrosion but brushed stainless steel is"

@elgaagm - what? Provide backup for your statement. What do you mean by "water corrosion"? Explain what "water corrosion" in a stainless steel sink is. I expect your comment is just you trolling on a 5-year-old thread so people will challenge you.

Hello Karen!
One site that I quoted is from ArthurHarris.com and type in satin or brushed stainless steel. There are additional sites but I think none will be of help for you

@elgaagm, went to the posted site. That company doesn’t make sinks. And, I could find no mention of rust.

Googling helped more than going to the direct site: . “The brushed texture can accumulate moisture within the grooves and limits the ability of fluid to bead on the material surface. For this reason, a polished satin finish is a wise choice for something like a kitchen sink or cabinet hardware.”

So, water can sit in the grooves brushing makes. However, if the sink is wiped down, any water should be absorbed by the dishtowel, paper towel, or what ever is used. Therefor, no rust should occur.

Well, it's finally happened. M Miller and I agree.

Cracking me up Joseph! (I think there have been one or two other times)

While I agree with the gist of what @M Miller said, there is a minor correction.

The description of the corrosion process makes it sound as if visible rust is always just surface contamination from other items. That's often how this starts, but it isn't necessarily how it proceeds. Stainless steel gains it's stainless properties from easily forming a thin protective layer of corroded material all over its surface. But since stainless steel is an alloy of more than just iron, these oxides are primarily from the chromium in it. And unlike iron oxides (i.e. rust), those are transparent and form a solid passivation layer that protects the steel underneath.

Usually, you are unlikely to disturb this thin layer of oxides and if you do (e.g. by scratching) it quickly forms again. It's self-healing. But that process breaks down if you contaminate the surface with rust, and that rust can very well originate from other iron objects that were left in the sink for too long. At some point, the actual stainless steel will start rusting as well. It's still a slow process and your sink won't rust through. But you'll need a lot more elbow grease than if you had to just remove some contamination on the surface. In other words, if you notice occasional rust spots, clean them up quickly.

This process turns out to be even more problematic if non-stainless steel particles or iron somehow became embedded in the stainless steel. That is guaranteed to lead to rusting and will often even cause pitting of the stainless steel. This is not something you'd expect to happen under normal circumstances, but it is the reason why you should never use steel wool on stainless steel (unless the steel wool is also stainless).

There are other things that can corrupt the chromium oxide layer and cause stainless to rust. The most common household chemicals prone to doing so are anything high in chlorides (e.g. cooking salt). And while the chemical process is different, oxalic acid in Barkeeper's Friend would similarly remove the chromium oxide coating. Neither one of these chemicals are a problem during brief exposure. But let salt or Barkeeper's Friend sit on the sink's surface for hours on end, and you'll see surface damage and blemishes that will need to be removed.

Mechanical scrubbing with more Barkeeper's Friend should clean up the damaged area, and if you rinse everything off thoroughly, then in due time a new protective chromium oxide layer will form.

And just for the record, it doesn't make a difference whether the original factory finish was satin or brushed. As long as the factory didn't use steel wool to do the brushing, you're all good. And if they did hypothetically use steel wool, you'd discover that mistake within days of owning the sink when it gets rust spots all over.